Page 4 of All You Need is Greece

‘I must admit I hadn’t really thought about that before,’ I say, suddenly counting my blessings.

‘It’s true. Chatting to people in the library, where I have a Saturday job, I’ve discovered books are a lifeline to some of them.’

‘I can imagine. Maybe I have just been put off reading by my English teacher at school, who always picked on me in class to give an answer. Usually when I was staring out of the window and daydreaming about what I would be doing after school with my friends,’ I confess, and she laughs.

I smile then when I think of how surprised that teacher would be to learn that I successfully manage a busy supermarket, as she often told me daydreaming would get me nowhere.

‘Stories are about the characters for me,’ continues Hannah. ‘It’s good to see how other people live their lives and get inside their head.’

‘I’m not sure I want to get inside the head of a ten-foot blue dragon.’

‘You know what I mean.’ She rolls her eyes, but there is a smile on her face.

‘I do, I’m just teasing. Anyway, each to their own. And I do read magazines sometimes. Did you know that a male seahorse carries the babies? And that they have to eat non-stop, as their stomachs work differently and never really fill up. Imagine that, being able to eat constantly and never put on an ounce of weight.’ I finish my bag of crisps, before scrunching up the packet, and placing it into a nearby bin.

‘I knew they carried their young, but I didn’t know they eat non-stop. I guess you learn something new every day.’

‘And from one who doesn’t even read books.’ I wink, and she laughs.

We find somewhere to sit while we wait, chatting easily to each other. I can’t wait to arrive at the dog sanctuary and meet the animals, and have cuddles with the dogs, maybe even the donkeys. I’m looking forward to making friends with the other volunteers too, especially if they are as nice as Hannah. I really admire her for doing something totally out of her comfort zone, despite my joking with her about the pressure in life to do just that. I hope this experience in Crete lives up to her expectations. And mine.

I realise I haven’t given Marco a thought for the last few hours, which is a record for me. Maybe getting away and meeting new people really is exactly what I needed.

FOUR

It’s not too long before a tanned guy with a grey trimmed beard comes racing into the arrivals hall, holding up a board with our names on. He spots us quickly, apologising profusely as he approaches.

‘I am so sorry, I got caught in traffic. I hope you haven’t been waiting too long.’

‘Don’t worry about it, hardly any time at all. And it has given Hannah and me a chance to make friends already,’ I tell him.

‘That’s nice.’ He smiles. ‘And I’m glad you haven’t been waiting long. My name is Lars. Welcome to Crete.’

We head outside towards the car, where I feel the warm sun on my face as Lars kindly loads our suitcases into the boot.

As we leave the airport I am overwhelmed by the beautiful scenery as we climb higher along the mountain roads, taking in the verdant forest, a glimpse of the gorgeous sea in the distance. It feels so refreshingly different to be here, away from the busy town back home and the constant stopping and starting at traffic lights. There is such a sense of tranquillity here, I can already feel my shoulders relaxing as I take in my surroundings.

Lars is welcoming and friendly and patiently answers my seemingly never-ending questions about the dog rescue.

‘The number of dogs had dwindled down, and Judith was thinking of a quiet life. For about two weeks.’ He laughs. ‘When more dogs needed rescuing, Judith didn’t hesitate. I cannot imagine her doing anything else,’ he tells us.

Hannah is sitting beside me with her nose in a book, only lifting her head occasionally to peer out at the breathtaking scenery.

‘This is some place,’ I say as we drive along. ‘It must be a dream living here.’

‘It is indeed,’ Lars replies with a smile. ‘Although I have only lived here for a few short months.’

He tells us his story as we drive, revealing that he came out as a volunteer, before falling for Judith, the owner of the rescue. When he speaks, it’s clear he thinks the world of her.

‘It seems you are never too old to fall in love,’ he says. ‘In fact, I have asked Judith to marry me.’

‘That is such a wonderful story, congratulations,’ I tell him, thinking not everyone is against the idea of marriage. Being around a loved-up couple is probably the last thing I need right now, but I’m happy they have found each other.

Hannah lifts her head from her book and congratulates him too.

I think of my own engagement ring then, tucked in a drawer back home, and feel a little pang to the heart. Marco insisted I keep the ring when I broke things off, telling me he hoped that one day I would change my mind about us parting. We’d rowed and I’d asked him why he had bought me a ring in the first place, if he was so set against marriage. He admitted then that he wasn’t sure why he had bought a ring, but he just knew it was something I wanted, which annoyed me even more. It felt like I was just being placated. For a minute, I think about our apartment, the time we spent making it a cosy home, scouring furniture shops and local websites where we sourced a fabulous second-hand dining set. We had even decked out the small balcony with fake turf and a tiny black-metal table and two chairs set. In the evening, a string of bulbs threaded through the balcony fence gave it a romantic touch when, during the summer months, we would sit outside and share a bottle of wine, enjoying the view of the town and the viaduct in the distance.

Driving on, we pass several pastel-painted houses dotted about, and high on a hill I glimpse a white church with the blue and white Greek flag outside, billowing gently in the breeze. A few seconds later, we pull up inside the wrought-iron gates of a large farmhouse-looking building, and are greeted by the sound of barking dogs.

---