Feel the Greek love on Valentine's Day

There is a power cut in the kafenion. The emergency exit sign throws enough light for the card game to continue, especially as the fitting's cover is broken to reveal just the bare bulb.

The noisy chatter is quieter now the National Geographic channel is silenced and the card players no longer have to compete with the sound of lions mating.

Then the batteries run out on the emergency exit sign and the card game is plunged into darkness.

Half an hour later, as one of the card players walks back in through the door, the lights flash on and the television springs to life. He bows to the applause at having restored the power just through his presence.

There is almost a fight at the till as a church elder and a waiter from one of the tavernas in the platia argue over who was there first. Both of them want to buy us a drink.

The country is in crisis and they don't have much, these people.

But they are more generous than anyone we know.

There is a big smile from Spiros Ron, whose nickname was coined by us because he looks like Mr Grigg's brother. There is a pat on the back from Turkey Spiros (so called because he breeds turkeys) and there is a cry of 'yamas' from Paleo Spiros, who works in nearby Paleokastritsa.

After three months of sitting in the corner like the barbarian Medea in a room full of strangers, I can safely say we are in.

That's about it.

Love Maddie x