Lassi - Pants off for Lexi ! — Woody's Wax Works

A New Welsh Custom

When staying at the amazing Panorama Village Studios & Apartments in Lassi, you have to endure the Hill of Death.

At the poolside of the Panorama you get spectacular views of the Gulf of Argostoli & the sea across to Lixouri. The hill up to the Panorama has become notorious for the effort required on the part of a human being for having to use limbs.

If you shop at Lassi Supermarket or Mina's you get your groceries & bottles of water delivered. If you chat to Mina's staff nicely, she'll scream for Alexi to take you up the hill in his jeep. So, most times he'll dive for cover into the store-room out the back, leaving Lubo to do the honours!

Anyway, Night 1 in Lassi & it's very hot and there's a taxi strike. That means no transport and the the only way up the Hill of Death is to walk. In the first seven nights we walk it only ONCE! But all the neighbours think I get a special taxi, because they hear the groceries being off-loaded and the evening farewells, such as "Kali Nikhta!" etc.

Back to Night 1 & I'm wearing my new denim shorts (with the poppers that keep popping) which fail to stay up. So we get our provisions from Minas Supermarket & Alexis is charged with delivering the shopping & us to the Panorama near the top of the hill.

So we're off in his Jeep, in the opposite direction to the Speleia Aghiou Gerasimou (Cave of Saint Gerasimos - the most revered saint of Kefalonia - and our road). I assume he knows a short cut since he's local. So five minutes later we're in the huge car park of the Dionysios Resort up a completely different hill from ours.

"Daxi!" says Alexis.

"Daxi," I respond, adding, "Alla, den menoume etho!" [OK, but we're not staying here.]

"Menoume sto Panorama!" It dawns on him that he's brought us to the wrong place, following misinformation from his missus. "Den pirazi! Lexi, Jeep Safari!"

"Yeah! Jeep safari!" he replies and sets off for the Panorama. Despite the cock-up, he's warming to our company and my simple Greek. "Jeep safari!" he keeps shouting.

Two minutes later and at last we're outside our apartments, the neighbours hearing the vehicle and commotion of disembarking passengers. The kids shoot off into the darkness leaving me with Alexis & the bags of groceries.I start to thank him for his efforts and, as I lean to get out of the jeep, the poppers go on my shorts. Alexis is around the back of the jeep digging out the bags. I scream to the kids to get the bags, but they're having none of it. So I get to the back of the jeep holding my shorts up, but Alexis hands me bag after bag, coz he wants to get off.

As he hands me the bags, the shorts fall down. I thank him for the lift, as he stands there in disbelief and astonishment. With my shorts around my ankles, I bid him goodnight and say it's a new Welsh custom.

"Jeep safari!" I shout and he drives off.