4 December 1927: Alfred Westholm wrote to his parents from Karavostasi where he was being pampered by the locals.
“It is Sunday morning. I am seated in my fine black clothes writing home while I wait for a car that is to take me to Dragos’s and Bakkalouris’s home town, the village Kalapanaiotis, two hours’ drive up toward Troodos where on this Sunday I intend to let myself be honoured in the company of the aforementioned gentlemen, giving me some respite from the sculpture chase that otherwise rages across the region with an intensity equal to the Americans’ fury at having also been beaten to Aipeia.
Gjerstad was not here this week, so I have had peace and quiet in every way. Actually, I have very little to write about since I have not had any letters for 14 days. On Tuesday I shall travel to stand witness in a trial regarding the brawl mentioned earlier. On that day Gjerstad must come here to manage things while Lazarus, myself and Prison-Christos travel to Levka.
Of course we intend to take advantage of the opportunity and spend the entire day seeing the village, which provides the best oranges in all the Mediterranean. The orange season has just begun, and Ibrahim Hassan’s perivoli glows and sparkles with the most wonderful colours. He often waves at me to come inside, in Oriental fashion. When I leave later I always have a few kilos of oranges and tangerines with me. Ibrahim is a tremendously child-loving and charming typical Oriental, who guards our warehouse with the greatest care. Yesterday he said to me, “Should anyone steal anything from you, they would also be stealing from me, for you are my guests.””
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