It’s calm at last. No dead leaves scurrying around the courtyard and skating their way into the house, nothing rattling or knocking, no doors slamming or shutters banging. After three days of high winds, it sounds like Monday has started on a much calmer note. Some of the ferries and other boats didn’t run on Saturday, and although the air wasn’t so humid, the dust was blowing around somewhat. Today, though, it’s near silent outside, and I can’t even detect a breeze.

The harbour was becoming busy when we were down there on Friday to collect deliveries and look for gifts for when Neil visits the grandchildren. There’s a wide range of souvenirs on offer all around the harbour, and these are fine for holidaymakers, but not all are suitable for children whose ages range from five to sixteen. None are yet old enough for the innumerable versions of Priapus who seems to have attached himself to every bottle opener and fridge magnet in the Aegean, nor for the naughty playing cards which remind me of Amsterdam in the 1990s. As for what Aphrodite gets up to in ashtrays and on coasters, well, probably not the right image for our lot. I’m not sure the 16-year-old would appreciate a Symi tea towel either, and I’m not paying €40.00 for a bottle of gin just because it has Symi on the label. Fancy oil is also out due to travelling, and so is anything else involving liquid, and freeze-packed olives probably wouldn’t go down well. T-shirts are an issue because of not knowing the exact size, too young for shawls and sarongs, and you can get a baseball cap anywhere. So…

Baclava to the rescue, and maybe some Greek chocolate nearer the time. There are some tasteful keyrings in the bag ready to go too, so all is not yet lost, and the hunt will continue. I’m back down there again today, again for the dentist in my drive to keep everything up to date in the teeth department, and between now and then, I have work to do on my latest story. That should keep me happily busy during the rest of the week too, once I’ve swept up what’s been blown into the courtyard, and, by the looks, we’ll be having some calm and sunny days throughout the week.

Onwards!