A few photos
Just a few photos today after yesterday’s excessive ramble. (But at least the computer is working normally again, despite another ‘update and restart’ yesterday evening.) A couple of distant balcony shots of yesterday’s parade included.
All posts by James Collins
Oxi, in more ways than one
Oxi, in more ways than one
Today is Oxi Day in Greece, so in Yialos, there will be a church service and a parade with schools, the military and island organisations represented. Many shops will be closed, at least for the morning, but the boats still run, and tourist shops, bars, tavernas and cafes will be open, much as they were on Saturday.
We went to Yialos on Saturday to, among other things, have what will probably be our last lunch of the summer. I mean, at a taverna, not in general, lunch remains our main meal of the day. We were also there to help a friend celebrate his name day which we did by being given a glass of wine the size of a goldfish bowl which rather left the rest of the day happening in a blur. Back in Horio, we were invited to dinner on Sunday night and, attending that, had a wonderful time with people we had, until then, only said hello to in passing. We left having made a new group of friends, and still able to have the meal outside in the courtyard (overlooking the harbour), we had a lovely evening full of very varied conversation, good food and good company.
It was what I needed after a Sunday afternoon Windows update. “We are working on your update, please hold.” As I wasn’t doing much else on Sunday thanks to the goldfish bowl, I pottered around and came back to the computer later to see how it was doing. “6% This could take some time.” I pottered a little more, read a chapter, tidied the living room and returned, “12%, please hold…” Read half a book. “14% We are working on it, honestly…” Listened to Wagner’s Ring Cycle, figured out a Rubik’s cube… “20% Sorry about this, but it’s Sunday here in cyberspace, and we are short-staffed…” Redecorated the bedroom, translated the Bible… “35% see, we’re getting there…” Went on holiday, studied for an MSc… “45% having trouble finding the thingy-whatsit bit, won’t be long now…” Finished a novel (writing, not reading), painted the Forth Road Bridge… Until, finally, the screen changed and I was asked to log in to my Windows account.
Except, it was having its own Oxi Day. “Incorrect password.” No, it’s not. “Yes, it is, please try again.” Why? This is my password. “That password is not recognised” (You could hear the word ‘idiot’ after that, which I thought was rude.) “Would you like to try another method?” Well, if slapping my laptop about the screen and circuit board isn’t going to work, yes, I would. “Sorry, that method is not available. Reset your password?” Ah, yes, that’s going to be the only option. “Please log in to your Microsoft account.” What do you think I’m trying to do? “Please go online and…” I can’t! You won’t let me into my computer… Ah-ha! Mobile phone. Right, found the page, now to request a password reset… Ten pages of questions later (I kid you not. Everything from “Who’s in your Skype contacts list?” To “Tell us the title of an email you sent recently”, to “What was the name of your great-grandmother’s second pet, not the Labrador, the other one?” And finally finished the inquisition with, “Thank you for the information. Our team will review it and get back to you. This usually takes 24 hours.” At which point, I started talking in capital letters, starting with WTF.
It’s at times like this you’re compelled to turn to the dark web and find a helpful little forum where someone with the answer posts it for you to follow, except when I followed the ‘safe start’ route, the ‘advanced options’ thing didn’t come up, so that was no help, and in the end, after – again I kid you not – about 90 minutes of this, I just turned the thing off and on again for the sixth time. And it worked, Automatically logged in and hence I’m able to present you with this early Monday morning ramble and get back to normal.
Symi Saturday Photos
Symi Saturday Photos
To keep us going over the weekend, I thought I’d put up the last 12 unused photos from my file. These are the most recent ones and are a bit of a mixed bag. The water channel works at Ag. Marina, pomegranates, plants, the harbour, some recent clouds… I’ll try and get something more interesting over the weekend. It’s the Ag Dimitrios festival today, we’re invited to two celebrations, so I’m not sure which one we’ll be going to, probably the nearest as Neil has to get back for work, and I have to finish an MS by Monday. We’re still living under the sun, though clouds and possibly rain are forecast for later next week, there are fewer boats in the harbour, and a jumper or jacket is now on hand if we’re out and about in the late afternoon or early evening. Winter draws on, as they say, albeit gradually.
Meanwhile elsewhere
Meanwhile elsewhere
I was wandering around inside my old photos file and realised how many photos I have of elsewhere in Greece (and Cyprus). Only a few places, but for a change, here are some Friday photos from elsewhere taken at various times of the year over the last couple of years.
I can’t believe it’s not summer
I can’t believe it’s not summer
It’s hard to believe we are heading towards the end of October. It’s warm enough to have my tea on the balcony at five in the morning, I haven’t needed to put a hoodie or jumper on in the evenings when outside and the temperatures have been in the high twenties. Apart from a couple of rainy days, October has been very mild so far, and although the number of day boats coming in has lessened of late, the ones that come in are bringing loads of visitors. Not the same numbers as the height of the season, of course, but still…
I took these photos with my proper camera, from a distance while wearing my contact lenses. The trouble with these lenses is, I can’t clearly see what I am photographing, or if the focus is correct, not without putting on my magnifier glasses. Long-distance is fine, as is middle distance, but closer up isn’t wonderful. This could be because I think I am wearing them upside down. I’m sure I was told to have the arrows pointing outwards (they are multi-focal lenses), so the right one has the arrow pointing to the right, the left to the left, trouble is, if I do that, long-distance is blurred, and after having them for a couple of months, remains blurred. So, the other day, I tried them with the arrows pointing inwards and lo! Long and middle-distance are fine, and I can see as close up as about one foot away, the same as my glasses, and only then do things become blurred. Maybe I misheard, and I am wearing them correctly at last. Still, it makes looking through the camera a bit tricky. Thank heavens for auto-focus, I say.
Although summer may be gradually fading and life quietening down, we seem to have suddenly picked up a busy-ish week. I have godson #1 popping in later to discuss when we start piano lessons, Yiannis is arranging transport for four of us to go up to the Ag Dimitris festival in the hills on Saturday, a farewell dinner is planned for next week with some friends, we have Neil’s unofficial birthday coming up, the proof-reader needs my latest book by Monday when Godson is also in the Oxi Day parade, and the cover designer has come up with a cracking cover, so I have to get that book finished. So, there’s plenty going on, and the sun is still shining. (Famous last words?)
