It Started With an Ouzo

This book, written and illustrated by Stuart Allan under the pseudonym of Stavros Allanoplis, tells the story of a move, ‘lock, stock and barrel’ from the UK to Greece.

Along with his wife Valerie, and their two cats Owen and Minstrel, he decided to move to Agios Nikolaos, a rather remote fishing village in the heart of The Mani region in Western Greece.

It charts their ‘adventure’ from the moment they made their fateful decision in 2006 to leave the UK, to compiling an ‘Exit the UK’ plan, their quest to buy a house in Greece, the move from the UK in April 2008, and the following 20 months living permanently in Greece.

It contains full details of all the ‘highs’ and the ‘lows,’ the laughter and the tears, and is illustrated with his own photos that capture the images of some of the more interesting events; Up close and personal … ‘warts and all!’

This is a story about a ‘Dream’ coming true, and it started with an Ouzo as he sat with his wife Valerie at one of the little tables outside the Fishermen's Bar in Agios Nikolaos, which is a small fishing village located on the Peloponnese Peninsula in the region known as The Mani in Western Greece. The bar is right at the edge of the slipway entrance overlooking the harbour. The table is spindly, round and barely big enough for one person, yet alone two people looking to order an Ouzo. However, it afforded a view of the fishermen unloading their boats and putting their catch out for sale on the marble slab of the table right below. As he looked at the catch being laid out on the slab, he observed that there were not many fish and most were quite small. Never the less, the catch generated a lot of animated discussion and haggling over the price. This was a taste of local life, and he wanted to be part of it!

But, would he be brave enough to make the move? Could he be one of the ‘few,’ and would he and Valerie have the courage of their convictions that they could make it on their own, even though they didn’t speak the language?

He and Valerie knew they were hooked on the idea!

This book reveals what happened next, and how their lives changed forever!