I love this stuff. When I was having all my skin issues, I picked up a tube of Bepanthol Cream for irritated and sensitive skin, and it worked wonders. I've since started using their body lotion and sunscreen, and I've liked all their products well enough that I'm going to try their face wash and "baby" wash for the shower. All of the products contain Vitamin B5, which apparently my skin likes. I've only ever seen it in pharmacies here, and it's not exactly cheap, but well worth it to me to have something that doesn't irritate my skin in the least, and that has almost no fragrance to it (the body lotion as a very light, floral scent).
I've been running low on oil and honey, so I stopped into a tiny supermarket and picked up some Cretan products versus the usual brands that I get from Carrefour. The oil is from Kissamos, which is the county that I live in.
The honey is thyme honey from Gramvoussa, which is where I was attacked by the bees. I thought it very appropriate that I at least sample the fruits of their labor after their horrible treatment of me.
I also picked up some τσικουδια, or raki, but I'm not sure exactly where in Crete it is from. I don't typically drink this stuff unless I'm out and it is offered at the end of the meal as a digestif, but I'm pretty sure it's law that every Cretan household have this on hand, and far be it from me to flirt with illegalities;-) Taken in small quantities (one shot), this stuff really does seem to have some wonderful digestive properties, and no ill after-effects. Brand names typically carry about 34% alcohol, but apparently the stuff that is produced at home can run between 60-90%.
I've been meaning to sign up for a membership at one of the video rental stores and finally did it. The guy who works the store is very friendly and helpful, speaking english for my benefit but also humoring me when I try to attempt greek. Today when I plunked the cover for "Burn After Reading" down on the counter, I said, "ενταξει, θα ηθελα αφτο...αφτη;" which means, "OK, I would like this" but I wasn't sure if DVD is masculine/neuter or feminine, so I asked both ways, with a question mark at the end so he could inform me. I now know that it's αφτο, and I will never forget it because I just spent this time telling you about it. Perhaps I should start writing up some of my lessons here...it might make some of it stick better.
Anyway, I chose Burn After Reading because I thoroughly enjoyed it when I saw it in the theater, and because it will be a nice reminder of Washington, DC. Rentals are 2 euros per day for new releases, and 2 euros for three days for the older stuff.
I picked this up yesterday on my way home from my greek lesson at a store called Sprider, which is the greek equivalent of a Ross or Marshalls, I guess. I didn't bring any winter clothes with me, so I'm going to have to pick up a few items to get me through the cold, wet months. This jacket isn't exactly high-fashion, but I think it will do the job, and it was better than most of the other stuff they had. It was 35 euros. I almost picked up one of those vest jackets, because I see a lot of people wearing them, but I hate them and I did not succumb to the urge to get one just so I could "blend". Besides...aren't the extremities where we lose most of our heat? What's the point in warming the core if you're just going to lose the heat through your limbs??
Well, I think I've spent enough money for one week, so I hope the sun comes out tomorrow and I can return to my regularly scheduled program. I'm determined to enjoy as much sun, sand and sea as I can before the season ends for the year...
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