What A Busy Week!
This week has been manic. The children’s passports needed renewing, so we’ve been running round for that, Gregs needs a his own medical book and my driving licence is due to expire, so I’ve been applying for a Greek one. Sounds easy? Not so… Also this week we celebrated my daughters sixteenth birthday. Which altogether has made for a very busy week.
As anyone who has lived or spent time in Greece will know, nothing is straight forward here. There are translations of documents to be done (fair enough), there are Doctors to be seen (then not seen), there are official stamps to be got, there are a hundred and one official offices to go to and more often than not the left hand doesn’t quite know what the right hand should be doing, or visa versa.
I do love living in Greece, although I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the hours wasted running around, being sent from pillar to post. but I except it as that’s the way things are over here, which can be frustrating at times.
For example I was told in order to exchange my UK driving licence for a Greek one I needed to see a GP and an eye Doctor and get forms filled in. We rushed into town and managed to catch the GP before he closed, I sat opposite him whilst he filled in the form without examining me, for which I had the honour of parting with €10.00.
Luckily we didn’t catch the eye Doctor as the next day the lady in the office phoned us and said that neither Doctors forms were necessary. A bit of a waste of €10.00!
My UK license needed to be translated by a lawyer. Fair enough, but that took a day longer than promised, so we had to go in again especially for that.
For the childrens passports we need proof of residency. Gregs is easy as he is eighteen and has his own residency, but Catherine is still at school, so we hope that a form from the school along with a special letter we have got from the mayors office, saying we live here will be enough proof to get her a passport (both translated, of course, which meant another journey into town).
Tuesday
Was my daughters Birthday. She turned sixteen (finding it hard to believe she’s that old as I swear I can still feel my uterus contracting… Probably the menopause!).
It was a quiet affair at home. Mum and Dad came around and we had gammon, egg and chips (her choice and a mighty fine one at that). Saturday evening she’s heading into town with her mates from school to go for something to eat (courtesy of us, of course). I did offer for her to have her friends over, but that’s just not cool (or we’re not). To be honest I was happy she never excepted my offer.
Tweet ThisTomorrow
One of the dogs is due for he injections, but I don’t think it will hurt to wait until next week if we don’t manage to fit it in, as tomorrow we are heading to more offices to get Gregs a medical book of his own. I am trying to stay positive, but he’s been without one since he turned eighteen last March, which has been a worry.
Last summer we had to submit his disability papers to the unemployment office, basically to prove he is unable to work and is no longer in the education system, so he would be entitled to his own medical book. Tomorrow we will see!
As you can see, it is safe to say it has been a very busy week!
Tomorrow Which Is Now Yesterday…
We spent seven hours in town running around, by the time we got home we were exhausted, hungry and dehydrated. I collapsed in the chair and couldn’t refused to move. My brain was addled and my body tired, but I was happy knowing that both the passport applications and my driving license application are winging their way through the postal system to the correct offices.
Gregs has a valid medical book! Apparently it’s been valid all along, I tried not to bang my head on the counter in the office, but it wasn’t easy, I can tell you. Especially after the running around we did last year trying to get him a medical book, but were told (at that time), that he wasn’t entitled (a long story). I am just relieved he has one (although we haven’t tried to use it yet!).
And the dog will have to wait until next week for her injections, but I think she’ll survive!
What is it like getting things done where you live? Is it straight forward or do you get sent from pillar to post?
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