Late last night Raph and I met up with Thalia and Venia. After a brief stay at a decent club with unimpressive music we went to the jazz bar “Kyra Thera,” where unknown and not particularly competent musicians played blues, jazz, funk, and fusion in a rather free-form way. It was characteristic how the bassist picked up I Feel Good while the rest of the band (guitar, drums, voice/sax) were performing it. As the guitarist started playing the opening riff to Hey Joe I nudged the bassist and asked him “do you know it?” He just handed me his bass and I played the song with the rest of the band. It has been way too long since I played in a band, and I enjoyed this thoroughly. Alas, no one in my group had the presence of mind to immortalise the moment on CCD.

Around six in the morning, while lounging near the pool of our hotel, the male half of a Japanese couple staying there came out of his room. “Ohayo,” I said. We chatted in my poor Japanese and in English. The couple were flying back to Athens (then Istanbul) that morning, and the owner of the hotel who was meant to drive them to the airport was late. I gave him a ring with my mobile to wake him up.