Don’t miss the boat or your flight
Now then, I should have added, at the end of yesterday’s lesson about making sure your boat departure matches you plane arrival, that you should also make sure your boat arrival matches your plane departure. Here’s why.
Nephew George left yesterday to start his new job in Rhodes (more about that in a moment). He trundled his case down to the clock tower to meet the Blue Star Diagoras with plenty of time – I have an app on my tablet that maps where the boats are, Marinetraffic.com, and I could see from that that it was going to be about 90 minutes late. No problem for George who was only going to Rhodes anyway, but he was waiting down there with a party whose plane was set to leave at 12.15. They had the choice to go the night before but decided to stay an extra night on Symi. All well and good if you have the time. If the boat had been on time then still all well and good, but it didn’t land in Rhodes until 11.15 leaving them only one hour to get to the airport and check in before the check-in closed. I still don’t know if they made it, I hope they did, but it’s a lesson worthy of a note on your ‘Things to do to make your Symi holiday more enjoyable’ list. Make sure there’s enough time, or leave early, so you’re not sweating and worrying and losing those holiday pounds through anxiety when on a boat that you can’t make go any faster.
Another exciting thing that happened yesterday was that Neil’s son and his GF (that’s girlfriend in youth-speak) booked a two-week holiday to Symi. They are coming at the end of August and staying at Anastasia Apartments in Horio, flight and transfers included, and for a good price. That’s an Olympic Holidays deal in case you were wondering.
And also, slightly earlier that that call, was a message from George saying he has arrived at Euromedica and picked up his results (all fine) and has gone to see the helpful lady who I had emailed; the doctor they wanted was not available but she was going to find him another. He later sent a message to say that he was now all legal to work, so his books must have been done. If not, his new employers have said they will get them sorted out, they are also going to help him set up a bank account and, I assume, will set up his IKA, health insurance. And the job? Well, it came out of the blue from a contact at the Kresten Palace Hotel, Kalithea, Rhodes. They were looking for someone to help with the entertainment department and could George start straight away? Last I heard they were picking him up from Euromedica and he was on his way. It’s a decent wage with accommodation and meals included, and a day off each week, eight or nine hours a day. Knowing what rep jobs are like it might be more than that but hopefully he will like it and they him.
I just had a look on their website http://www.krestenpalace.gr and it all looks very nice; four stars and plenty of poolside space, near the sea, lots of facilities and plenty of entertainment including ‘animation shows’ six times per week. No, I have no idea either, but no doubt we will find out in due course. So, at the moment, all the children are settled and sorted and… well, no famous last words here. Tomorrow is another day.
