Maybe I should point out to newer members of the forum that Bimbo and "Boris" are actually good friends. "Boris" has a long and fascinating past - and was a very brave man. "Boris Biggins" is, of course, a pseudonym. None of us will ever know his true identity because, for reasons of security, he has many disguises. During the dark days of Hoxha's rule in Albania he was a much-feared member of the "Sigurimi" - the secret police. That, at least, was what people thought. In reality, he was a double agent for MI6, risking his life on many occasions.
His affection for Corfu goes back a long way. He helped to thwart an Albainian plot to annex Corfu from a power-base established in Kavos, on the southern tip of the island. There, highly-trained Albanian troops were posing as tourists - sunburned drunkards wearing Leeds United football shirts, downing shots like there was no tomorrow. For them, there wasn't. "Boris" stole a pedalo just south of Sarande on the Albanian coast and pedalled across to Corfu Town, where he alerted the authorities. The insurgents were isolated in Kavos. With no way out, they were trapped.
At that time his MI6 handler was, in fact, Bimbo - another man whose real name few people know. Bimbo put pressure on Thomas Cook, and they began to ship huge numbers of real Leeds United supporters to Kavos, who then beat the crap out of the Albanians. Unable to to go home to face shame, the Albanian troops stayed, pretended they were Corfiots, opened shoddy night-clubs selling watered-down vodka at inflated prices, and seduced any girls stupid enough to wear a Manchester United shirt. A secret hard border, a cordon sanitaire, was established around Kavos. To this day, armoured buses drive from the airport, taking more enforcers - or "tourists," as they are known - to Kavos, where they remain for a few weeks terrifying the remnants of Hoxha's hapless invasion force. That is why, if you are foolish enough to mutter anything critical of Corfu in Agios Stefanos, the locals will frown and say "This is not Kavos."
I believe this is the first time some of the true story of "Boris" has been told. He will feature highly in the book that Anne Wenz Dorou and I are writing, provisionally called "Secret Heroes of the Athens Bar." After the fall of the Communist regime "Boris" kept up his surveillance role, and even started a brewery in Tirana, personally selecting the ingredients for Albania's finest beer, known as "Peess." Only a handful of people in the village know what lies behind the carefully-constructed facade of being a buffoon which "Boris" presents. There are still security risks. Many who were exposed by his intelligence leaks wish to see the the end of him. Bimbo is not one. When he tells "Boris" to go away in Albanian he is merely issuing a warning that "Boris" should be careful.
Some code words are still dangerous. Never, ever, however much you love Albanian beer, have a pint in the Athens Bar and say to Nikos "This beer tastes like Peess."
Topic: Good Moaning (Read 17486 times)