It’s Clean Monday today here in Greece, the start of Lent.
“Today marks the end of “Tyrini” the week where Greeks worldwide enjoyed loads of cheese and cheese based dishes. This is the last day of Carnivale, just before Greek Orthodox fasting period for Easter Lent begins. It’s also known as “Kyriaki tis Tyrinis” which is marked by delicious, but meatless, dishes that end with a big family meal on Sunday night.” Greek City Times.
Symi-style delivery
We had one of those ‘only in Greece’ moments on Saturday. The men were finishing off the path outside our gate (it should be fine to use now), so when Neil came home and saw a bag hanging on our gate, he assumed it belonged to one of the guys doing the road. Later, when they’d gone, and we were heading out, it was still there. Looking inside, I found some ‘church treats’, left for us by… Well, there’s the thing. It could have been anyone but was most likely our landlord opposite or Yiannis Rainbow or his wife. Whoever, thank you, a lovely surprise.
My week ahead looks the same as any other during the winter, but now the weather is (temporarily) spring-like, I feel more inclined to get back to my daily walks. One of those regular, long-term stayers has already returned which, to us, makes things feel like summer, and more day-trippers and visitors have been seen in the harbour. In the harbour cafés and walking about, I should say, not actually in the harbour.
Anyway, I’m off to get on, as it were. Happy Clean Monday!
Happy Saturday, or whatever day you are viewing this on. Here is a collection of photos from the files, just to keep you connected to Symi and Greece over the weekend. As you can see, the new path is coming along nicely, and the photo of the work was taken on Thursday, only a couple of days after work started. I reckon it will be done by Sunday and the concrete set in time for the road to open on Monday – but that’s my guesswork and not official. Cars and bikes are being parked in the square for the time being. Have a good weekend.
Photo by Neil
There’s a coal tit in this tree somewhereBoth are lemons from the same treePhoto by NeilPhoto by NeilPhoto by Neil
You’re going to have that song on your mind all day now, aren’t you? “Spring is in the air, every sight and every sound…” Wrong song? Mixed them up? Ah well, you’ll have two annoying tunes to get rid of now. Still, it’s a lovely day here on Symi (March 7th), and I’m just back from a short walk up a slow hill, hence the photos.
I was out just before eight and, at first, couldn’t remember why the school was closed, the playground was empty at pre-school, time and there was no drop-off taking place. Then I remembered it’s March 7th, the day the Dodecanese islands were liberated after WWII, and there is a service followed by a parade down in Yialos. I passed a couple of army trucks heading down the hill, the soldiers in the back suited and suitably booted, but otherwise, it was quiet out there. A few farmers at work on the hillsides, shepherds and goatherds and their dogs, wandering sheep and goats, and spring birds back again. Swallows, the coal tits I saw in a tree – impossible to photograph, and the cyclamen coming out all over the place. Here are a couple more shots for you while I get back to work.
There was a lovely, calm sunrise yesterday, as you can see from the photo below. I popped out and took a couple of shots of the road too. Yesterday, the guys drilled up the flagstones from our gate to the join in the road where the stones meet the concrete and, as the song says, ‘They’ve gone about as far as they can go.’ No prizes for guessing the musical, but if you want a clue, I was once in it playing Ali Hakim, the Persian peddler who has a song in the stage version that’s cut from the film (I think). I was also once in the Sound of Music playing Uncle Max (always the comedy role, never the hero) who also had a song that was cut for the film, but that’s all by the by. So, Wednesday morning sunrise…
In other news… The tooth reconstruction for Neil is progressing. He popped down on Tuesday for the treatment to start and had a root canal. He has another visit today (Wednesday), and the plan is, I believe, to fix things up so the part that broke off can be screwed back in. He kept the thing in his wallet, but it’s now safely at the dentist’s surgery ready for the transplant, in time. That’s not all that’s going on. I am working on a series of novels under my pen name, and have part one written, edited and proofed (104k words). Today, I am starting on the layout in Adobe In Design, a process which should only take me a day or so to complete. The first book is not due out until the end of April, so I have plenty of time, but before then, I have to also edit and have proofed part two (95k words) and have a cover designed ready for the end of May. Meanwhile, I am working on part three for the end of June (30k words so far). So, it’s all go at the writing pod and study desk. As you can see, nearly a quarter of a million words since Christmas. That may go some way to explaining why you don’t see much of me during the day.
One day’s work
We are also coming into Lent here in Greece with Clean Monday next week, I believe. If you’re heading this way, expect lots of bangers and bells, celebrations and services. We’ve already seen some visitors. We were at the Rainbow last night, and I saw a couple walk past I’ve never seen before. Hopefully a good sign for an early-start season and a good ‘n’ busy time for the island to come. Now though, it’s 7.45 yesterday, and I am gearing up for a short walk up the hill before I set about setting out a book. Must go.
The new path completed to our door. Much easier to walk on than before
Tuesday morning and the sun is out, yesterday’s cold wind has dropped, and it all looks calm out there. At least, it does towards the front of the house, at the back, the roadworks have begun again. Well, I’ve not been out to look, but it sounds like they have. Either that or someone is drilling their way through our wall thinking we are a bank vault. It makes for an interesting time when using the vibrating bathroom because the road is two feet away on the other side of the wall. And let’s leave it at that. Except to say, I’ll get a photo when I can.
Symi, Monday
The drilling is appropriate as Neil is off to the dentist this morning to have one of his teeth examined after it broke off at the weekend. We were down in Yialos on Monday and heading to the dentist when we found him in discussion with the council chairman and others at Spice Corner. Neil went to arrange an appointment, everyone had a good laugh at his missing front tooth, and Vasilis said he would phone him in the evening when he was at work and had his diary. This he did, and Neil’s off to see what’s what a little later on.
On the subject of dentists, many people ask about the costs. I can only speak from experience, and I have no idea what treatment costs in other countries, but here, I recently paid €250 for a crown, fillings are around €40 or €50 and an extraction €100, depending what’s involved, I guess. I also like the way there’s no fuss or messing around. Yes, you have to pay, but you’re not paying for an army of assistants and hygienists and so on, just the dentist, expert and well trained, and everything is attended to when you need it to be. It’s also hygienic if you were worried, though there’s no reason why you should be. Our dentists probably trained alongside yours. There’s a professional, yet friendly and laisser-faire attitude to appointments. Turn up, wait, or fix a time over the phone as the dentist will give you their mobile numbers, and away you go. Actually, I’ve recommended to people that they get their treatment done in Greece when on holiday to save money. I remember lengthy waiting times back in the yUK, with a costly X-ray for every visit and having to take a morning off work to have a hygienist clean my teeth which I do two or three times a day anyway. It’s so much more relaxed here. No disrespect to folks who work in the profession, I have at least two friends who do or did, but when you have your treatment here on Symi, you realise that all you need is an expert who knows what he is doing, not the trappings of a posh surgery and so on. Simple, to the point, clean, hygienic, painless (even injections) and no-frills means excellent treatment and at a lower cost. As our dentist is also the deputy mayor, you can also get some up-to-date town hall news while you’re there chatting about all and sundry.
Ps, I know why you have X-rays, hygienists, assistants, piped music, records and all that jazz so no emails please, but when you need your tooth doing, you just want it seen to there and then, and that’s usually what happens here, and at any time between ten in the morning and ten at night.
