We met Helen at her son’s restaurant on our first night in Ag Galini and we were pals as soon as she realised we were from Australia.
We met Helen at her son’s restaurant on our first night in Ag Galini and we were pals as soon as she realised we were from Australia. Helen moved on her own to Oz back in 1958, via ship, at the tender age of 25. She married there, had children, brought out her parents and siblings and had a great life. Yet on her husbands insistence she moved back to Ag Galini (her husbands village) in 1973. Sadly it seems she has regretted not listening to her mothers pleas not to go back to the village for the last 40 years.
We gather from our chats that Helen is somewhat of a rebel (always has been!) and we cracked up at most of her stories which all seemed to result in Helen doing exactly what she should not do. She is a firm believer that things are better for women today and loves the freedom that young people currently enjoy.
She gets back to Adelaide for about 3 months every year over Xmas and enjoys her family and many friends there and is particularly fond of people watching at Randall Mall. Look out for her! (She has no friends in the village where even after 40 years of living there married to a village man – she is still considered an outsider…)
We had tea at Helen’s on the way to the bus station and lots more stories and she was genuinely sad to see us go. We hope she gets back to Adelaide this December and finds a way to stay for good with her 2 daughters and her grandchildren.
We support you Helen!