Lighten up, you’re on holiday
Just had another enjoyable meal in Englezos’ (3rd time this week – well it saves on the cooking!), marred by one small incident. As we go to Englezos restaurant a lot, in winter and summer, Junior likes to wander around looking at things and chatting to people. In winter she likes to help Spiros with serving drinks and taking plates etc to the tables, in fact she considers it an extension of her home so she considers the diners as her guests and as such she is being hospitable in chatting to them. Now I know not everyone likes children and if Junior were a screaming brat with foul manners who was pestering you at your table then fair enough, I wouldn’t expect anyone to put up with that, certainly not if you were in England or a similar country. This is Greece however, children eat out late with their families and Junior is a polite, articulate, intelligent child. So when someone comes up to our table and tells us could we please move our child as she is ‘bothering them’ then all I can say is perhaps Greece isn’t for you and I suggest you holiday somewhere where you won’t be bothered by a child daring to talk to you. Perhaps a nice Sandals, couple only resort in the Caribbean? Plus side of course is that they’re only here for a week or two whereas we’re here for keeps 
It was so nice to meet you this week on Skopelos and I’m glad that the ‘wee’ one enjoyed her chocolate lollies and buttons.
I can’t believe that someone asked you to remove the ‘wee’ one! Emglezos is completely child friendly and it certainly seems to be the Greek way of life to include childen in everything. I’m sorry that this happened.
I hope you gave them an earful!
Hi Ashley, glad you got home safely.
Unfortunately I didn’t give them an earful as I was in a state of shock! Fortunately it appears to an isolated incident and hasn’t stopped from Junior from making friends with other people
Last year we had finished eating at Finikas when a young lad, seven years old I think, came and sat at our table and started chatting to us in English. He’d been speaking to another couple before that.
He was really good, introducing himself as Chris and telling us all about himself first and then asking questions about us, where we came from, what we did and about life in England. His conversation was also liberally illustrated by drawings on the paper tablecloth which we brought home with us. We must have been chatting with him for well over an hour.
We guessed he was Lambros’s son, which as confirmed when when Lambros asked if he was bothering us. I then realised that the last time I had seen Chris was shortly after he was born when he was being nursed by his father of the front step of their house. At that time Lambros was running his taverna in town, now Anna’s.
This was a highlight of our holiday, completely unexpected and all the better for being so.
It’s a shame there are grumpy types about. Perhaps they do not really belong in Greece and particularly in Skopelos where the locals seem to be especially child friendly.
Thanks for that comment Norman, it confirms to me that the ‘grumpy pants’are in the minority and I don’t have to rein Junior in when she wanders off to talk to people.