Shopping in Ikaria

               The business district of Agios, the largest town on Ikaria, consists mostly of small shops run by individual proprietors always eager and willing to serve their hurried customers. Unfortunately modern banking practices have yet to make major inroads with these small shop owners. When one buys an item it is best to have the exact amount as shop owners only keep a limited number of coins in their cash drawers. If change is to be given to a customer, quite often he or she might be given a small token or item in place of change. It is not unusual at the local pharmacy, for example, to be given one or two band-aids or several aspirins as change. I always love going to the pharmacy with great excitement and anticipation wondering what kind of change I’ll get that day, maybe a couple of Ricola cough drops or a tablet or two of Vicadin.
             One of my more puzzling purchases was made at a local hole-in-the- wall hardware stores. I was informed one day by my wife that a new outdoor clothesline was needed to replace the old flimsy and tattered one. She figured about fifteen meters was required. With this information fresh in my mind I hopped on my trusty Vespa and took off for Agios. As I popped into the first hardware store, I promptly spied a large spool of clothesline sitting right there on the counter. Thinking this was going to be a quick and easy transaction I confidently asked the saleslady for fifteen meters of line. She said nothing just looked at me mystified and bewildered. I thought to myself she did not understand me, so I repeated my utilitarian request for fifteen meters of line. Again, only to be met by more flustered looks. Finally, I picked up the spool of line and once again said, “I need fifteen meters of this.” Looking at me like I should know better she calmly explained, “We only sell clothesline by the kilo.” It took about a minute for me to fathom her reply. “You don’t sell by the meter, only by the kilo?” I responded. “Yes, of course only by the kilo” came her curtsied reply. “Ok,” I said “let me just measure out about fifteen meters of line then you can take it and weigh it on your scale, and charge me what its worth.” So, finally with a convergence of two scales of measurement I was able to purchase my fifteen meters of clothesline so our wet bathing suits and towels could hang and dry in the hot Greek sun.