I'm still under a month! Just barely.
I recently (well, less recently now) visited Italy and Greece. In Greece I stayed in a very nice B&B of sorts. My friends and I were checked in by an older man. As we approached the property, he was leaning against a cobblestone wall. He had curly gray hair going everywhere and his stomach hanging over his belt a bit.
He showed my friends and myself to our room and then said we should join him as soon as we were settled in. About an hour and a half later (mainly filled sitting on the couch talking), we walked toward reception. He asked us if we would like anything to drink, at which we each requested something. He pulled out a map and showed us the best places in town to see. Some forty-five minutes later, he said, 'Let me see about those drinks.'
He walked off around a corner, one heard fast talking and then he came back, sat down, and smiled at us.
'Where were we?' He said.
Just a matter of minutes later, the drinks were brought to us. We said thank you, but the help was quickly dismissed.
The next morning my friends and I went to breakfast early. We were the first ones in the garden. A small, frail-looking woman wished us, 'Kali Mera' (Something like that. 'Good morning' in Greek all the same). A few minutes after we had sat down a tan woman, large in figure and personality, loudly wished the entire garden (Now consisting of ourselves and another couple) 'kalimera.' She then made bold strides towards our table and stopped abruptly. A surprising smile came across her face, it was a reception smile, teeth showing, mouth curved, but eyes locked so they betray nothing, including warmth or welcome. We all gave smiles in response.
'You must be my new guests.' the woman said. We all nodded, still smiling slightly nervously.
She continued, 'I saw you in reception yesterday, but my husband did not tell me you were my guests,' she then said, through what seemed like Greek gritted teeth, 'Of course.'
We continued with our plastered smiles.
She asked where we were from and all the niceties and then walked away.
We took our time at breakfast and some time later in breakfast you could hear a faint shouted scorning. A few minutes later, the man we had seen the night before (the husband) walked out looking disgruntled.
We made a quick exit to explore town and tried to leave unobtrusively.
It was only a brief encounter, but I couldn't help but think of one of Fawlty Towers as I heard distant scorns as a husband and wife tried to run a B&B and maintain a good face.
For anyone who is not aware, Fawlty Towers is a wonderful show portraying a couple trying to run a B&B in the English countryside. It is filled with characters and absolutely cringing events.
I highly recommend it.
I recently (well, less recently now) visited Italy and Greece. In Greece I stayed in a very nice B&B of sorts. My friends and I were checked in by an older man. As we approached the property, he was leaning against a cobblestone wall. He had curly gray hair going everywhere and his stomach hanging over his belt a bit.
He showed my friends and myself to our room and then said we should join him as soon as we were settled in. About an hour and a half later (mainly filled sitting on the couch talking), we walked toward reception. He asked us if we would like anything to drink, at which we each requested something. He pulled out a map and showed us the best places in town to see. Some forty-five minutes later, he said, 'Let me see about those drinks.'
He walked off around a corner, one heard fast talking and then he came back, sat down, and smiled at us.
'Where were we?' He said.
Just a matter of minutes later, the drinks were brought to us. We said thank you, but the help was quickly dismissed.
The next morning my friends and I went to breakfast early. We were the first ones in the garden. A small, frail-looking woman wished us, 'Kali Mera' (Something like that. 'Good morning' in Greek all the same). A few minutes after we had sat down a tan woman, large in figure and personality, loudly wished the entire garden (Now consisting of ourselves and another couple) 'kalimera.' She then made bold strides towards our table and stopped abruptly. A surprising smile came across her face, it was a reception smile, teeth showing, mouth curved, but eyes locked so they betray nothing, including warmth or welcome. We all gave smiles in response.
'You must be my new guests.' the woman said. We all nodded, still smiling slightly nervously.
She continued, 'I saw you in reception yesterday, but my husband did not tell me you were my guests,' she then said, through what seemed like Greek gritted teeth, 'Of course.'
We continued with our plastered smiles.
She asked where we were from and all the niceties and then walked away.
We took our time at breakfast and some time later in breakfast you could hear a faint shouted scorning. A few minutes later, the man we had seen the night before (the husband) walked out looking disgruntled.
We made a quick exit to explore town and tried to leave unobtrusively.
It was only a brief encounter, but I couldn't help but think of one of Fawlty Towers as I heard distant scorns as a husband and wife tried to run a B&B and maintain a good face.
For anyone who is not aware, Fawlty Towers is a wonderful show portraying a couple trying to run a B&B in the English countryside. It is filled with characters and absolutely cringing events.
I highly recommend it.
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