Dialogues of the Dead

Down there too? There's no changing human nature. Anyway, 1 thought I'd give the Tavema a try. The food wasn't bad and the wine was OK, though 1 abandoned my experiment with retsina after a single glass. It was just a little chilly at first, sitting outside in the courtyard under the artificial olive trees, but the food soon warmed me up, and with the table candles lit, the setting looked really picturesque. Inside the restaurant a young man was singing to his own accompaniment. I couldn't see the instrument but it gave a very authentic Greek sound and his playing was rather better than his voice. Eventually he came out into the courtyard and started a tour of the tables, serenading the diners. Some people made requests, most of them for British or at best Italian songs, but he tried to oblige everyone. As he reached my table, the PA system suddenly burst into life and a voice said, 'It's Zorba time!' and two of the waiters started doing that awful Greek dancing. I saw the young musician wince, then he caught my eye and grinned sheepishly. 1 smiled back and pointed to his instrument, and asked him what its name was, interested to hear if his speaking voice was as 'Greek' as his