Wallace Christmas Newsletter 2003

Dear Friends everywhere

It is Christmas Morning 2003, and it is raining steadily in Vermont (near Hermanus, Western Cape), where I have been staying for a couple of weeks, but as I survey the 180 degree vista over rainswept Walker Bay from the picture window of our holiday house here, I reflect that this is a vast improvement over Christmas Day 2002, when I had emerged on Christmas Eve from two weeks in the Intensive Care Unit of the Kingsbury Hospital in Cape Town. More about that below. In fact, life has been a great deal better for the Wallace family in 2003, and we look forward to even greater things in 2004. After two years of frustrating bureaucratic and other obstacles, we successfully launched Freddie's Beach Bar at Tsilivi Beach on the Ionian island of Zakynthos in May this year, and we had a most enjoyable and successful summer, meeting many wonderful people, making lots of new friends, and creating a business which will keep us happily occupied for the next few years.

There is a lot of news to catch up on, if you are interested, and several people I have met recently have commented that I have been slack in keeping you informed, so there is more detail below, but if you have read this far and want to skip the rest, this letter brings you warm good wishes for a Merry Christmas and a great New Year from the Wallaces, three quarters of whom are in South Africa, Ritsa unfortunately having stayed in Athens to look after Granny Maria.  Natasha, Jacqui, Rory and I leave for London tomorrow evening, and then (apart from Natasha) on to Athens in the New Year to be reunited with Ritsa once again and to gear ourselves up for the new season.

I posted the official Freddie's Beach Bar Christmas Card on my weblog a few days ago (you do read my weblog regularly, don't you?).  We are sorry you didn't get a paper one last year (in hospital) or this year (travelling), but this virtual one comes to you with all our love.

In April of 2001, after selling and packing up our home of 18 years in Rosebank, Cape Town, Ritsa and I moved to Greece where we intended to go into business almost immediately by building and operating a modest little beach bar on our property on the beach in Zakynthos. Alas, things don't work that easily in Greece, and we experienced a series of setbacks and frustrations, partly official incompetence, and partly people who didn't want us to be there and put all kinds of obstacles in our way  I described those experiences, and our initial impressions of the island, in an emailed newsletter in October 2001, which you can access here. By this time, Jacqui and Rory had joined us on the island, Natasha staying on in a cottage in Kenilworth, pursuing her journalistic career with STYLE magazine.

Ritsa and I returned for a long summer break in Cape Town, Vermont, Durban, Montagu and Wilderness from Dec 2001 to Feb 2002, while Jacqui and Rory experienced a winter in Athens. Natasha packed up and came with us to Athens in February with Freddie the dog, before going off to London to seek her fortune there. I described those experiences in an email letter in March of 2002. We returned to Zakynthos in April 2002, determined to clear away the obstacles, finish the bar and get into business, only to face a new series of obstacles and more frustration, which lasted all summer. It was a long and difficult learning curve for us, but in the process we made the acquaintance of many powerful and important people on the island, and got to learn a whole lot more about the way things work over there. Finally, after involving some senior people in the Environment Ministry in Athens, we were issued our building licence, which was the main stumbling block, in October of 2002, and I described our excited celebrations on my weblog, here.

Just as well we got our licence when we did, since by this stage the structure of the bar was complete (every time we thought we were getting somewhere, we would resume building, but then stop when the next setback occurred). In fact, what we had was an illegal structure, and the authorities were entitled to bulldoze the building, and we would never be able to revive it. Fortunately, we escaped that fate, but it made many of the subsequent steps more complicated, and we only resolved some of the issues at the end of 2003, and maybe we're not completely out of the woods even now.

(As an aside, early in summer 2003, someone renovated a building in Tsilivi village, at considerable expense, and opened a McDonalds restaurant (you may wonder if Tsilivi needs a McDonalds, as we did, but that is beside the point). He did good business for a month or two, but then one of his neighbours complained to the authorities that he had done the renovations without a building license, and the restaurant was closed, never to reopen. That is the sort of thing that happens, and could well have happened to us!).

At the end of November 2002, after spending a few days with Natasha and Jacqui in London, I returned alone to Cape Town for a short 4 week holiday to attend to some business concerning the Vermont house, and to have Christmas with my family. While I was in Athens and London, I was feeling under the weather, weak and listless with a bit of a cold. I assumed that I had picked up a bit of flu on the way, and would get over it soon. Arriving in hot Cape Town weather, high 30's, I continued to feel uncomfortable, but cheered myself up by going out to a Champagne tasting on my first evening, followed by some rather dodgy oysters. After a hectic session of work at the Vermont house the next day, I felt even worse, so took myself off to bed on Friday to try and get over it. I didn't, indeed got worse and worse, with a high fever, intense sweating and excruciating headaches. I called a doctor out on the Sunday, she took blood tests to check for malaria and other things. Eventually on Tuesday December 10, I asked my hostess to drop me off at the doctors' rooms, where I asked Dr Alvin Skinstad to check me into the Kingsbury to check out exactly what I had. After some initial scepticism, he did so, referring me to Dr John Turner, a physician and critical care specialist. Lucky me! That evening, while they were doing scans and exploratory surgery, the wheels came off, my kidney failed, rapidly followed by other organs - septicaemia with multiple organ failure. Ritsa was summoned urgently to my bedside from Athens, and when I regained consciousness on December 17, I was startled and delighted to see her face looking down at me, accompanied by my brother Douglas. I was on a ventilator with tubes up my nose and down my throat, dialysis machine, multiple drips, and hooked up to a monitor which tracked all of my bodily functions with pipes and wires coming and going all over the place; I underwent a tracheotomy to make breathing easier and allow me to eat and drink, and it was another week before all the tubes were gradually removed and I was able to be transferred to a general ward.

The cause of the problem was traced to be an E. Coli infection (those oysters?), and the flu was just a confusing factor which softened me up for the killer bug.  Perhaps I picked up the bug when clearing a filthy drainage ditch at the back of our property in Zakynthos the day before we left, two weeks before landing in the ICU.  Who knows?  The important thing is that with the help of very clever doctors, unbelievably good and caring nursing from the ICU staff, the love of Ritsa, and the thoughts and prayers of many of you, I pulled through, got gradually stronger, and experienced a complete recovery, verified by a recent medical check-up.  If one is going to have an experience like this, Cape Town is the place to do it - I shudder to think what might have happened if I were in Greece or elsewhere. I cannot speak too highly about the standard of care at the Kingsbury, and I love all of those ICU people who saved my life. I've been back to see them several times, and they are always happy to see me. Fortunate also that Discovery Health covered the whole expensive business.

Thanks to all who visited me, especially when I wasn't very good company, and thanks to those who prayed for me, thought about me, emailed and called me or Ritsa. It is a wonderful experience to receive so much love and goodwill.

Back to more cheerful topics. The year of 2003 was all about Freddie's Beach Bar, and the exciting treadmill to which we have now hitched oursleves - initially nervewracking, then exhilarating as we took off, then exhausting as we worked through the peak of the tourist season, then relaxation as we wound down, closed up and departed for the winter months.

We returned to Zakynthos early in March, in time to experience a glorious spring and the end of the pre-Lenten carnival, a big event on the island, stemming from the long period of Venetian rule. A colourful and exuberant procession took place on the last Sunday of Carnival, a really good-natured occasion with some hectic partying afterward. We then settled into a long round of gathering all the necessary approvals and licenses to operate a bar: fire inspection, health inspection, criminal records, music license, social security and many more, before finally, half-way through May, our formal operating license. We got to know the road between Tsilivi and Zante Town very well, and the route between all the various offices we had to get to, over and over again. At the same time, we drew up a list of what equipment we needed, and went through the process of selecting suppliers for everything: fridges, freezers, grills, chip friers, chimney, crockery, cutlery and glassware, chairs, tables and barstools, food and drink (here is our dishy wine supplier). We got our Albanian stonemasons back to build paths and brick columns in the same style as the bar counter, a carpenter to put in cupboards, shelves and railings. It was quite a juggling act, as we did not want to commit ourselves to the colossal expenses until we were sure we were going to get the operating license, but we couldn't get the license until we could show that we were ready. We did have a major hiccup in getting electricity supplied to the bar, since we had had an official complaint lodged against our illegal building, and with that on the file, the power company would not give us a supply. So we took a chance, ran a line from the house, which we got away with until the end of the summer, when we had to do some very fancy footwork to get legal power, which, hopefully we will enjoy in the New Year.

Natasha, with her cousin Kerry, fiancé Ben and two other friends came over from London at the beginning of May to help us get kicked off. While we were celebrating Jacqui's birthday and Natasha's nameday on May 3, our first customers came up from the beach demanding to be served; four friends from Southampton all celebrating their 50th birthdays with their wives. We offered them beers from the house, and next morning, operating license or not, we went to town and bought a cash register and 5000 Euros worth of booze, and we were in business. A few days later, we placed our first food order, drew up a menu, and we were really up and running. The customers arrived, became regulars, word of mouth spread and we got busier and busier. Jacqui took occupation of the kitchen, and soon proved to be an outstanding, well-organised chef, turning out great food which had people coming back for more. Rory is an accomplished, charming and entertaining barman, who attracts customers and makes them regulars. It is a wonderful feeling to be involved in a real family business and part of such a great team. Ritsa and I are really proud of both of them. Not that it is all roses, of course; when things get really frantic in mid-summer, tempers flare and things are said which are later regretted, and one has to get used to your offspring addressing you in terms you would never have used to your own parents. Apart from the family, we also hired Alma, a young Albanian girl who is our cleaner and dishwasher, and soon became, with Granny Maria, a valuable member of the team. We also were lucky to get the services of our old friend Melissa Pheiffer (lovely daughter of Pianoman Ben) for two months in the core of the summer. Her waitressing experience, sunny disposition and long friendship with Jacqui and Natasha made her stay an absolute pleasure, and many of our customers missed her badly when she moved on in September to have more adventures in Greece.

When we were forced to buy our cash register in early May, we had to make a quick decision on a name for the bar, since it gets programmed into the till. We had been kicking around ideas for a some time without getting consensus. So now, we and Natasha's party put forward some candidates, had a vote, and Freddie's Bar it became. We were looking for an easy, one-word name, with some hook we could use as a theme on our signage, menus and marketing material. It turned out to be an inspired choice, because English people, especially the kids, are crazy about animals, and Freddie became an attraction in his own right. The other design choice which turned out to be a winner, and which we planned from the outset, was to spend more money on spacious, well-appointed toilets, and to keep them squeaky clean. Our architect and builders had trouble understanding this, but any of you who have travelled in Greece will appreciate that this is a considerable selling point.

What of our customers? In the past, we had avoided the British visitors when we were holidaymakers, but they are now our livelihood, so we take a keen interest in them. A number of myths, or the conventional wisdom among the locals, turned out to be incorrect. The general impression is that the "English" are from the bottom rung of the tourism market, price-conscious and do not spend money once they have paid for their package holiday. Well, our experience was otherwise, and we have many charming, apparently well-off people visiting us, and very few of the stereotype. Of course, there are also Scots, Welsh and Irish visitors (good drinkers the Irish, and great talkers), and a surprising number of people from other countries: Swedes and Danes, Germans, Italians, Dutch and Swiss, Czechs (beautiful Czechs), Slovaks, Poles, and a number of Serbians, who tend to be professionals, like this surgeon and his family. Even a delightful family from Kazakhstan!   And I suspect we will see growing numbers from the non-British countries in the future, as Zakynthos extends its tourist reach and new countries join the EU. Of course, in August there are large numbers of Greek visitors, Athenians mainly, who present a whole different set of problems, and are very demanding. But we found that after a day or two, they became accustomed to us, fit in better with the rest and have a good time. Tsilivi is a very family-oriented resort, and luckily we do not get the Club 18-30 yobbish crowd who hit the headlines regularly for doing antisocial things on Greek islands, and we have had no unpleasantness whatsoever.

We particularly remember Darren and Lynne, who were with us early in May, and liked it so much that they came back in September to get married; the Gang of Ten, a delightful group of girls from Guildford who had just written A-levels and came out on holiday together, enjoying lunch with us most days; and our lady poets, Anne from Brussels and Jean and Margaret from Blackpool.  Other folk who became regulars and were very good company included Neil & Claire from Yorkshire, who discovered scuba-diving at St Nicholas Beach, Zoe and Drew from Torquay, (Drew had been on a rugby tour to Durban), Jimmy and Mary from Glasgow, all wisecracks and jokes, and of course, John and Laetitia, who spend the whole summer in Tsilivi and became our most devoted regulars, arriving promptly most evenings at 8.30pm for their pints, and often for dinner also.  We have hosted an engagement, a wedding and several birthday parties amongst many other celebrations and look forward to doing more of these.

So, as you can gather, we are fairly happy with our first year in business, and after a few months of rest and relaxation, we are looking forward to getting back in the Spring, putting in place a few improvements, tweaking our systems to try and do even better than last year. We will hire a couple more people to reduce the load on ourselves, so the team will grow. Here's to 2004!

What would make our lives even more complete would be to see more of our friends visiting us.  Zakynthos is easy to get to. If you are in Greece, you can fly direct from Athens on a daily Olympic flight, or more likely, take the KTEL bus from the major bus terminus for Western Greece at Kifissou (Express Bus E93 from the airport).  There are 5 or 6 buses a day, and it is roughly a six hour trip, including the last hour and a quarter on the ferry from Kylini on the west coast of the Pelopponese. The bus and ferry will cost you something like 22 Euros.

If you are in the UK, or can get to the UK cheaply, there are direct charter flights from a number of regional UK airports, including Gatwick, Luton and Stansted, and a number of charter companies, like Airtours, Thomas Cook, JMC, Britannia, Thomson etc. Check some of the travel web sites (like www.godirect4holidays.co.uk), or www.justzante.co.uk. You can book a fully-inclusive holiday, or flight-only. We don't offer rooms ourselves at this stage, but we are surrounded by accommodation of different grades. If you would like help with accommodation, or with booking flights, or advice in general about visiting Greece, slip me an email and I'll be only too happy to help.

I would not advise visiting in July or August: May/June or Sept/Oct are far better times, not as busy or crowded, and the prices tend to be lower.  Zakynthos is a beautiful island, with many attractions, and if you want to get away from the package tourists, you can do so. There are also interesting day trips to Kefalonia and Olympia, and two-day excursions to Athens for those who fly direct.

We really hope to see you soon, and be sure you will receive a warm welcome from all of us at Freddie's Bar.

Not too much change to report over the last 12 months.  As you read above, Jacqui and Rory are with us in Tsilivi, and are very good company, apart from being indispensable members of the team.  Natasha continues to enjoy life to the fullest in London, she still has the most marvellous work address, at Somerset House between the Strand and the Thames Embankment, where she is a gallery supervisor responsible for the Gilbert Collection and the Hermitage Rooms, well worth a visit if you are in London.  We look forward to meeting Andy, the man in her life, when we get to London.

Natasha and Jacqui have relished being together in Cape Town, their first visit back for two and three years respectively. Natasha was a bridesmaid at her cousin Nicola's wedding to James last week, a lovely family occasion.  Earlier in the year, Natasha represented us all at the wedding of her other cousin Kerry to Ben in the Peak District of England, which the rest of us missed as it was in August when we were busiest.  Another wedding we hated to miss was that of my godson Kieren to the lovely Mariolina, not far away in Northern Italy.  My apologies to all the Baileys for not making it, but you know he has my blessing.

Granny Jessie keeps well and alert at Pinelands Place, where she is wonderfully supported by our sister Joy, a tower of strength who stands in for the other siblings who are not in Cape Town.  Joy and Wendy, by the way, celebrated their 50th birthday in April by taking a trip together to explore their roots in Scotland and the Lake District, while Wendy's son Jacques, the youngest grandchild, and pictured in the family group above, celebrated his 21st.

Granny Maria, who has just turned 88, faces the issues of aging with courage and good humour, but sadly, Ritsa needs to spend a lot time with her, which I guess may be her due after being absent in Africa for 30 years.

I didn't get to finish this letter on Christmas Day, I had to break off for the family Christmas lunch at brother Douglas' place at RooiEls a little way down the coast (not as big a gathering as two years ago, but special nonetheless), followed by a farewell supper with good friends in Vermont. It is now Boxing Day, and I have spent the morning packing up and cleaning the house, ready for our new tenants, and putting the finishing touches to this letter. As a supreme procrastinator, I have run out of time, and I will have to add the pictures and do the emailing later.

To all of our Cape Town friends whom I didn't have a chance to see, my apologies;  it was a short visit, an opportunity to relax in our Vermont house, which we haven't been able to use the last two years because we had tenants, and to catch up on some reading, apart from a few maintenance jobs in the garden and around the house.  I would like to spend more time next year, and hopefully Ritsa will be with me.

In a few hours we fly off to London, and then back to Athens in mid-January. I hope you had a great Christmas, and wish you all happiness and success in 2004.  This message will be emailed when I am back in Athens.

Best Wishes

Robert, Ritsa, Natasha, Jacqui and Rory

Vermont, 26 December 2003 (Revised and illustrated in Athens, 21 January 2004)