………………….Just the other day I got a surprise phone call from one of my dearest friends……….ELENA………….Elena lives in Athens, Greece, and she was checking up on me to make sure I was OK. Even in Greece she heard about the terrible snow storm on CNN we had here in New England……..I assured her I was fine…………………….Elena was actually a dear friend of Jac’s, and I met Elena through Jac. Elena was also a model. She was born in Sweden, and is a true Swedish beauty. I’m not sure if they met in NYC or in Europe….Elena will have to tell me that story…..The belonged to the same Model Agency….Anyway they worked often together doing the same shows. Because they were both tall, blond and had a similar look and body type…they were often paired together. Jac knew Elena way before Jac and I were together. Jac told me one summer she traveled with Elena and a small group of musicians and a female singer that were all friends of Elena’s. They traveled that summer all over the Peloponnese, the southern tip of Greece, in a small van…..They would stop along the way, and the band would play in tavernas to make money……..Jac said they had a great time……a great adventure ……It was in one of these tavernas that Jac met Angelo Vassiliou. He tried to pick Jac up, but Jac instead introduced him to Elena…..THAT WAS IT…….SPARKS FLEW!!!!……..I think it may have been love at first sight, because Elena stayed in Greece, gave up modeling, and married Angelo, which in Greek means “little Angel”. Angelo lived in a beautiful, well known part of Athens…..The very first time I met Angelo I was on my way home to NYC from a vacation I took with friends in Mykonos….Jac was visiting with Elena and they invited me to stop in Athens for a few days before returning to NYC. Angelo and I hit it off immediately…kindred spirits……Elena was very pregnant, and Jac wanted to spend time with her before the baby came. A few months later they had a son…..Yanni……The next time Jac and I went to Greece together to visit Elena and Angelo…..Yanni was now 3 or 4. He had Elena’s blond hair and Angelo’s big brown eyes…..he was a beautiful little boy, but not very trusting of strangers….especially strangers who couldn’t speak Greek!……..However, Jac easily won him over with the presents she brought for him!……..,TRANSFORMERS!!!!! They were very hot and very new at the time, and they couldn’t be gotten in Athens. He was so excited with his new toys. We all became fast friends…….To this day he still speaks of the transformers Jac brought to him…..he still may have them!?…We all went off to Mykonos…..This was about 30 years ago. Mykonos was a fun island, but nothing like what it is today…..There were very few hotels, and many visitors rented rooms in people’s houses…..It was much more laid back, and not the scene it is today……We went to the beach every day, and I played with Yanni in the sea….We went to a taverna on the beach for lunch where we had cold white wine, and wonderful Greek salads……..The large picture above is of Jac, Elena and me at a sea side restaurant that we went to for dinner. Elena was picking out the lobsters to give to the chef for our dinner!…..During our recent phone conversation Elena and I discussed the fact that Angelo isn’t in any of the pictures!….because he was always taking them!!!…….I had many more photos, but I can’t find them…..It’s been so many years ago I have no idea where to look……..Elena and Angelo are now grandparents to a little girl named Phoenix who is 9 months old! Elena promises to send pictures, and some with ANGELO!!! However, Yanni and his little family live in Belgium, and Greece is under a lockdown….AGAIN!…..so Yanni can’t go to them for a visit……Elena tells me how difficult it is for her to know Jac is no longer here, and there is no possibility of us visiting them again…..She has such wonderful memories of her times with Jac….it makes it all the more sad for her……She has pictures of us taken so many years ago in her home……….She has the one with the lobster too! ……………….It’s always wonderful to speak with my dear Elena.
Good morning! Wonderful memories Louis. I love listening to your stories and seeing the happy pictures from your life. I have been busy and got away from reading your blog every day, but I am back and have to catch up! I am sitting in my parlor with coffee (mornings in the front porch are a memory for a bit).
Have a lovely day today and stay warm!
Louis….. these are wonderful photos of you and Jac and such a lovely story. I can just see the two of you and your friends enjoying the days in the sun and your evenings under that beautiful Greek moon together-and all the wonderful food and wine!!! I am glad you are in touch with Elena. There is nothing good about this pandemic. I do think it has prompted us to reach out to old friends. I have reconnected with old friends far-away during this ordeal. We had not spoken in years! But when we talk now…..it is like we’ve never been apart!!!
On a happy, happy, boy have I “struck the jackpot” note…..I found and bought the September 2004 boiled wool jacket with embroidered vines and flat-back jewel flowers!!!! I am reading the blog and making notes of these treasured older pieces and searching the internet.
You instructed Linea Ladies to grab this piece if we ever come across it and that is exactly WHAT I DID!! I hope they are wearing their sunglasses around here. When my jacket arrives, out the door I go in it…..happy as a jeweled and embroidered clam!!!!
Dear sunbluesea…..I am happy as a clam to know you were able to find one…..This jacket is not for shrinking violets….it’s for women with outgoing personalities….because it will be noticed!!! Besides wearing it very simply think of ways to funk it up….tiered skirts and boots, crop wide leg pants a la gaucho, and all kinds of tops even prints that work….gypsy style….Have fun with it!
OMG there is another one up on eBay right now. A Medium and one of the words is “bejeweled”. Someone is going to be happy 🙂
Love reading this, Louis! Happy memories make the best stories.
I hope Greece opens its doors to visitors, soon. It is so hard on their economy, plus we have another trip planned in the fall. Good luck in finding the pictures & many happy thoughts…