Tuesday, November 22/2016

Dentist mark 2. We're late, which we don't immediately perceive, and they're puzzled, because, the young assistant has said, the English are always on time. But the puzzle is solved. Until this year, Turkey, like Cyprus, was on East European time and recognised daylight savings. As of September, there was a Turkish government decree that Turkey (and North Cyprus) would remain on summer time permanently, so that at the end of October when the rest of the world moved back an hour Turkey didn't - and won't again. Making us an hour late. The dentist prepares the two teeth nearest the now non-existent bridge to serve as anchors. Discussion of crowns, cash, etc. Hands over calculator so I can think in something other than Turkish lira. Can think in Canadian dollars, pounds sterling, and euros. Everything else is translation. Turkish lira to euros pretty simple - multiply by decimal four. Meanwhile Jane, Bill and Jane chat with the young dentist sharing the dental surgery. He's Jordanian and has begun as a dentist but is finishing a doctorate and intends to teach in a university.

 Back home Bill makes whisky, lemon and honey drinks in the interests of staving off my incipient chest cold. May or may not work, but as pleasant a method as any. We stop for supper at the new Vlachos restaurant - immediately across the road from the old one, which has become a coffee shop. Less cosy - in part because we're early by Greek standards and it's not very full - but same good food, half of which we bear away for tomorrow. Moussaka in our case.