Panoramic insomnia

I am heading off to Rhodes today, just for one night as I have an early appointment on Friday. The Sebeco at 11.45 going over and the Blue Star at 16:00 on Friday coming back. A night at the Savoy (cos it’s cheaper than the other ones), some shopping and hanging out, and that’s that. I was up the road yesterday after four hours’ sleep, and felt a bit panoramic, so here are a couple of shots I took. They should enlarge (but I am not sure) otherwise they are a bit narrow.

And if you were wondering about the lack of sleep, I put it down to heat and mosquitoes, and the general excitement of being semi-retired and not having to get up early. So I get up early. Bed on Wednesday night at 20:30, awake again at 23:00 thinking it’s a bit soon to be getting up for the next day. Asleep again until 01.30 when I finally gave up and got to work. Neil’s suffering the same, but I actually feel surprisingly good on it, though I do drift off after lunch and go to bed very early. Not sure it will be these same in Rhodes as I will have air conditioning – the sound of which will probably keep me awake anyway.

If you don’t hear from me for the next couple of days, or there are only photos, it is because I am away and have much to do before the family arrive next week.

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Humidity and water

It was very humid yesterday morning as I sat out on damp chairs on the balcony. The rail was dripping and, when the sun came up, you could see why. Cloud across the mountains of turkey, some across Nimos, and you could even smell the humidity in the air. This was after a very warm evening the day before.

Talking of humidity (water), our plumbing has started doing another strange thing. I noticed a drip from the flat-roof overflow on Sunday night. Only a very small one, but still, it was precious water coming from somewhere. I investigated and found it came from the trough beneath the plastic water tank on the bathroom roof. Why there is a trough there in the first place is another mystery, it’s not as of we keep sheep on the bathroom roof – not since the last time – but it’s a three-by-1.5 foot concrete thing and, presumably, served some purpose.

Anyway, the water was trickling from there, across the roof and into the overflow. Now then, when the, um, expert plumbers put in the black plastic tank, they put it directly on top of some black plastic pipes. There was no other way of doing it without rerouting the pipes which in their ‘expertness’ they decided not to do. Now there’s 500 litres of water in the tank (500 kilos, or half a ton), my guess is that it’s pressing down and the heat has made the pipes brittle and caused a split, and that’s why the water is leaking out. One day, the pipe will crack completely, and we’ll have a waterfall. But, as this isn’t coming from our tank but from one of the pipes that does lord-knows-what and goes to anyone’s-guess, and it’s not causing the pump to run, I’m leaving it until there’s another of the landlord’s, um, experts doing something up there. Meanwhile, it stopped on Monday night and dried up, only to start again on Tuesday morning. All very odd, no rhyme or reason, but then what else do we expect from this place’s water system?

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We’re Air B&B now

Sunday night saw the Symi Shrimp Festival in the village square which meant, for us, a disturbed night with children ringing our doorbell at midnight, and playing with stones in the street outside. The music didn’t bother me, it sent me to sleep, but the bell thing gets to be a pain after a while. We ignore it now, so if you’re planning to come and visit us, let us know first. By the looks of the square the next morning, a good time was had by all.

I found my camera the other day and used it to get some distant shots of the fun being had at sea. The large cruise ships, people on that water-boot-thing and on jet skis off Nos, people at Petallo… It’s a good zoom for catching what’s going on that my phone wouldn’t get. It’s also good for catching photos of birds when they stay still.

We were on the balcony the other day, with the breeze coming up from the sea and with it, came any number of insects. At least, I assume that’s what the birds were after. There was a flock of sparrows going mad, and a flock of swallows darting around and coming very close to the house. One even came inside, a young one I think, and having flown in through one of the open windows or doors, then decided the only way out was through the oxeye (closed). I opened the side window to the room and left it alone, and a few minutes later, another swallow flew in, and when I looked, both had gone. I assume it was mum or dad come to pick up the naughty teenager and take it home for its insect tea. That’s why I decided we were for a time, an air B&B – Air Bird and Board. At the same time, we also saw our local blue rock thrush and a younger kestrel hanging on the thermals just overhead, presumably waiting for a younger swallow to swallow.

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Refugees on Symi, How to Help

Here is some information about how you can help the increasing number of refugees arriving on Symi seeking sanctuary. This is taken from the charity website, Next Stop Symi.

The donation page is here: Donate.

The small Greek island of Symi is close to Turkey. In 2019 there has been an increasing number of refugees arriving on the island.

There is a need for-

1 FOOD AND WATER
The most urgent need is for breakfast supplies and water for the refugees. One meal a day is provided by the Greek state in the afternoon.

2 HYGIENE SUPPLIES
Soap, shampoo, toothpaste and toothbrushes, sanitary items are needed.

A special account has been set up with a local business to supply these items, so we need to raise money to help pay for them.

Thank you for checking out my page. Making a donation is fast, easy and secure thanks to Give as you Live Donate. They’ll take your donation and pass it onto Next Stop Symi.

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Symi Festival 2019, Symi Shrimp festival and things

As mentioned previously, a couple of morning photos from a walk the other day. We went out yesterday too, Neil ahead of me at 6.45, and we met on the road up near the bridge and walked back together. About three miles each in total. You have to go then to avoid the heat of the day which starts around 7 a.m., not that the nights are much cooler at the moment, but that’s how it is in July and August around here.

There’s a festival programme out for the Symi Festival 2019, and I’ve seen a page for July so far. There’s also the Symi Shrimp festival on Sunday. If you’re in Horio in the evening, there will be the usual free Symi shrimps, music and wine, dancing too I expect, and the square will on doubt be busy. If you’re planning to eat at one of the two tavernas up here, it’s best to book in advance, as it is on busy nights like Friday when there’s live Greek music at Giorgio’s.

And on the subject of music, I see the new bar (and, I heard, live music venue) now has its name up. ‘Scena’ is by the car park and bus stop in Horio, very handy for coming up and down from Yialos or Pedi by bus, just below Taverna Zoi. I don’t know when it will be open or what exactly you will find there, but it’s certainly coming along. If you are looking for other places to eat and meet in the village, don’t forget you’ve got the Olive Tree (open until mid-afternoon), The Secret Garden on the Pedi road, the Sunrise Café, Ringo’s, the two bars in the square and the late-night bar, the Jean and Tonic… Have I forgotten anyone? I hope not, and I don’t think so… Oh, there’s the cantina on the hillside out of the village on the main road that’s open in the evenings and looks down over the Pedi valley, while down in Pedi itself, there are two tavernas open for lunch and dinner. There; a quick roundup for you.

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