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Chilling out and chilling down, radios, books and winter entertainment

After some frenetic writing activity yesterday morning there was time for a chill out in the village square with a couple of beers with friends. That’s part of what the winter on Symi is all about for us: having time to meet up with friends, have a couple of drinks, and generally calm and cool down a little after the heat of the summer. Long sleeved shirts were called for and we were finally driven home by the chill. Already a social calendar is building with our Greek practise days set up, dinners to attend or host and other, more unusual activities. (Helping out with some concreting on Sunday for example – oh lord!) And then there is time for walks, to collect more images for the limited edition collection for the shop; adding more books to the book-exchange which looks like it’s going to spread to the gallery and be available all year round. I have a trip to Rhodes to sort out as I need to get a picture framed and there are Christmas things to buy. And we shall also be having our music lessons and practise too.

[View from terrace this morning]

A set of DVDs arrived from Amazon today, Sarandis phoned from down town to let us know a box had arrived. A few Christmas presents in there and some old films to replace those from the now out of date video collection – that should keep us and our mates quietly at home for a few days.

We visited godson Harry the other night to give him his rather late birthday present. I’d seen it at the Bauhaus Archive in Berlin a while ago and we went back for it last week. A puzzle knife and fork set for children just learning to use such implements – he was straight in there no problem. (Unlike the middle aged lady depicted on the box who was clearly struggling with where to replace the spoon.)

[View from balcony this morning]

And last night was the first night of the year where we’d sat and listened to the radio show (Miss DJ on the air for two hours and then the recorded Greek and other music playing) at home – rather than with Neil being at the shop and me researching on the net. A few games of Scrabble took place during the broadcast so that could be another winter tournament starting off. Miss DJ has a broadcast on her 50th birthday (November 28th) and has put out a request that listeners should send in dedications; this isn’t to boost her ego but so that we, the listeners, can provide ideas for a complete show. (No David Bowie please, she asks.) I’ve suggested something about menopause – and provided the track. You can email in ideas to symiradio@hotmail.com and if she can find it, she will play it.

Ah well, there are still loads of books (and other forgotten treasures) in the mousandra waiting to be sorted, thrown or taken down to the shop, best get on.

[View into mousandra this afternoon - nightmare!]