Since renting our apartment here we have found that the street we live on doesn't actually have a name and the postman does not come down this way. Even the large International Hotel we live near has to collect its mail from a P.O. Box at the local Post Office.
So we decided to get a P.O. Box for ourselves..........
Here begineth the first lesson in the local bureaucracy
We went to the Post Office and asked to rent a P.O. Box. to be told we have to go to the local tax office in the next town and both get local tax numbers before we are allowed to get a box.
So off we trot to the local tax office. After practising my somewhat limited Greek in several offices in the Tax Building we eventually found the right guy to speak to. "Why do you want a tax number" he asked rather perplexed. We told him why and he said he could not issue one untill we had residence permits or ID cards from the local Police.
So off we trot AGAIN to the local Police Station. Sorry we are told the guy who deals with this is on holiday for a week...... come back later.
Seven days pass by. We get four passport photos of us each suited and booted and off we trot back to the Police Station to start our previous journey in reverse. The Police was very helpful but pointed out that we couldn't get cards until we had been here for three months and any way they we definitely not required to get tax numbers!!!!!!!!!
BOL*@#S!!!!!!
If we had any problems with the fuerher at the tax office we had to tell him to call the BIG and I mean BIG Police man.
So of we trot to the tax office. What a HOOT!!! The little Fuerher called the BIG Police man and was duly put in his place. Tax numbers were issued, we went to the Post Office paid the rent for the Box and VOILA!! and P.O. Box postal address...........
All is well...................??????????
To date we haven't been issued with a key for it. The counter clerk has to be asked to come and open it for us everytime we want to check our mail!!
HO HUMM!! First lesson is hereby endeth!!