We find the nicest people….

Deb here:
Directly or indirectly,  because of Ita, we meet the nicest people!  
We are currently in Adhamas, Milos, (as in where they found the Venus de Milos.). Milos has a  big harbor (an old volcano caldera) with Adhamas being a large-ish town tucked up on the protected side of the bay/caldera.  The town is beautiful, white, with blue church roofs and all the doors are different, bright colors.  Very pretty, and certainly big enough (I thought) to have a Vet.  You see, it’s time for Ita to get her yearly shots….  Yes, I know that her rabies and other shots are good for 3+ years, but, in order for her to travel internationally, the paper bureaucracy  in Europe requires her to have a Rabies every year, as well as all the rest.

So I find a very nice taxi driver, Dimitri, who actually doesn’t speak a lot of English, but since I am from America, he calls me Miss America, (tell me he’s not my most favorite Greek man I’ve met).  With lots of sign language and assuring him it’s the dog, not me and my ankle, that need a doctor, I explain I need a dog doctor, so he takes me to the one and only vet on the island.  She’s mysteriously not in the office today, despite what the office hours posted on the door say, and there’s no answer at her emergency number that’s listed on the door.  I won’t even go into the two nasty Tom cats, with infected eyes and nasty grooming habits,  who were twining around my sprained ankle as I was trying to get the Vet’s number off the door.  Dimitri talks to all the people in the offices around the vets office, whereupon Dimitri says, “Come,”, and I go.  Off we go about another 2 miles to the Ministry of Agriculture office on the island (back alley, no sign, behind the butchers) and find out that the Dr is off island, but will be back tomorrow after 6:00 pm. Ok…  Dimitri then takes me back to the harbor, via a circuitous route around a couple of closed roads and narrow 2 way streets that really should be one way, stopping at the vet’s to get the emergency number, dialing it a we are going down the hill, narrowly missing Jim who was hiking up the hill for excersise, (Jim had no idea I passed him), getting the vet on the phone and making me an appointment for tomorrow at 6:30 pm in a voice opposite to voice sotto,  to get me back to the dingy.   All for 17 euros.  Way better than Mr Toads Wild Ride, and Dimitri called me Miss America through out.  How cool is that!

I won’t even go into the 70+ year old Irish brothers I met later due to Ita….