Today we’re going on a walk, in photos, mainly. We set off at 9.30 on Sunday morning, reaching the end of Nimborio bay an hour later, after stopping to buy bread and chat to a couple of people. Our usual route, which we took, is up and over and then around and back. That’s up and over the hill via the road/path from the town square in Yialos, and down the donkey path at the other side, around the bays to Nimborio itself where we met our friend for brunch at her house.
The return journey was around the coast road which although feeling flatter, offers little shade so if you are going that way, always wear a hat and sun cream. A quick stop in Yialos and then a taxi to the village as Neil had to go to work and the stop in Yialos gave him time to dry off (very sweaty as it was about 32 degrees). The whole walk, according to my app, was four miles. Here are some more photos and there will be others in the days to come as this is only part of the walk.
Early Sunday morning on the balcony looking at the stars, listening to the people turning out after a late night at LOS in the harbour, planning the day ahead… A walk to Nimborio and back is planned for this morning, setting off at 9.30 to meet a friend over there at 10.30 for a couple of hours before walking back so Neil can be ready for work at 15.00. Looks like it’s going to be a lovely day, though it’s still dark outside so I can’t say for sure, but I’m looking forward to the walk and the time in the next bay along.
There was a wedding in the village last night (a couple of photos today of people on their way), and a concert in the square for the Symi Festival. We said goodbye to some friends who were leaving after a seven-week stay on Symi and then stopped for one or two more in the square. I managed to get some writing done on Saturday morning, another two draft chapters for ‘The Eastling’ which is nearing the end of draft one. I am still hoping to have the book ready in time for Christmas, but there’s a fair amount of work needed on draft two and beyond to bring it up to scratch.
If you’re wondering about the sweeping going on, it’s because someone up the street has a habit of emptying their washing machine water down the steps. It floods through the bars and needs to be swept out of the way so the stones dry as quickly as possible before people slip over.
And backtracking further, I was able to collect some papers on Friday which, with others I had been working on, were put into an envelope and sent to Spain. This is all to do with my private pension arrangement, so I am hoping that everything is in order and I’ve filled in all the forms correctly. I sent the envelope with the courier, paying a little extra for the speedy delivery option, and I hope to hear from Marbella in the next few days, saying they have received them safely. After that, I reckon about six weeks before everything is in place and I can officially say I am retired, or rather, semi-retired as I will still be writing and working where necessary as it’s not a huge amount, but enough to take the edge off the monthly bills. So, that’s another milestone done with. I will also feel a lot happier when it’s all done as my investment will no longer be in the UK, but in Europe and Euros. I hope they transfer it all out before the pound slumps completely against the Euro – if it does – but whatever happens, it will all be European, as it were, and I’ll feel a lot happier for that.
And so, on with the week and (looks in diary) a birthday party for godson Harry today, a dinner invite for Thursday in Harani, and another for Saturday along our lane. Apart from that, I intend to get to the end of my first draft of the next Saddling story so that I can rest it for a couple of weeks when mother is here.
As we know, things are tough in Greece at the moment, and many small businesses are suffering. The downturn in the economy, the rise in taxes and VAT, the fall in tourism in some places… Well, sadly, another old Symi business will soon be closing.
Yiannis took over the whitesmith business in Yialos from his grandfather a few years ago. This is the workshop/shop in the backstreet that runs parallel to the sea. You can find it at the end of the lane that runs from Pacho’s to Taxas, but you will only be able to find it there until the end of September. We chatted with Yiannis and his wife, Honnie, the other day and they have sent me the following message:
“It is truly a sad time. Giannis is feeling sad, as the business was passed down from his Grandfather with the promise to keep it alive. So many of the older men come and sit here for hours reminiscing about Patsakis and their times, and the older woman leave their shopping, so they don’t have to carry it. The tourists and their memories of Giannis as a young boy and his Pappous and the dark and dingy workshop. When he is working it takes him somewhere safe, somewhere familiar in his heart.
I would like to send you a link to look at, click here for a Vimeo video of the workshop.
I will send you photos. I am not a photographer at all. We are asking if there are any orders they should be placed by the last week of September. All stock excluding Giannis’ work is 30-50% off.”
I have included some more of the photos below so you can see that the shop not only sells the homemade, crafted traditional metal items that Yiannis makes but jewellery and other wonderful items. If you go there, you will find a friendly reception and be able to see one of the few remaining artisan shops that Symi currently has to offer. Times are changing, though, and these kinds of craft workshops are dying out. It looks like you have until September to make the most of it before it goes the way of many others and becomes only a memory.
This week I have been going to the harbour every day to check the post office. I am waiting for some papers from Rhodes which were posted on Friday. I’m not sure exactly which boat the post comes on, but they hadn’t arrived by Tuesday. We went down on Wednesday even though the post office was closed because we’re getting into the regime of at least walking up the Kali Strata each day. On days when we don’t, we’ll try walking up the hill from here instead. It’s Thursday as I write and later we’re doing another assault on the post and the steps. I’m also waiting for my new glasses to arrive and some other things, so it’s a good excuse to get me away from the desk.
Cruise ship
On Wednesday in Yialos, I counted at least five day-trip boats, the Dodecanese Express and also a cruise ship, so the harbour was fairly buzzing in the late morning. It may not look like it in all the photos as many people were in the shade and my phone camera didn’t pick them out. The Poseidon was busy and just setting off, the taxi boats had lots of passengers, and many of the cafes were nearly full. All hopeful and a good sign, as long as it keeps up and the day-trippers are not bringing their all-inclusive packed lunches with them.
Yianis and crew about to set off
And then the walk back up the ‘lazy steps’ which is not actually their name. The ‘lazy steps’ are further along the harbour where those who weren’t working or didn’t want to work, used to sit in the shade. Still, the slope ‘n’ steps is a good walk. Not as long as the Kali Strata walk up, but steeper with more steps being almost too high to manage. That’s a 1.5-litre bottle of water there which is just over one foot high so you can see (below) the height of some steps.
Thanks to Jean for alerting me to the progress of the nursery school kin Yialos. As you may know, this was critically damaged in the storm last November. Now, it seems, work is progressing well, and the building looks, on the outside, almost as good as new. (Assuming I have the right building!) I believe the work is funded by your donations received from an appeal – and possibly by national and EU grants? It’s situated by the basketball court at the back of Yialos if you want to walk by and take a look.
In home news, those who were following my trip recently and the cancelled flight business here’s the update on my claim with EasyJet. I first tried a site that offered to do it all for you for a %, which was fine by me as I am lazy and wasn’t expecting anything back anyway and didn’t take out travel insurance as a) I never bother on short/cheap flights, 2) I already have medical cover on my health insurance and c) once a thing is paid for the money’s gone as far as I am concerned. Still, in his case, I thought I’d give it a go. The first company took all my details and a couple of days later got back to me saying they couldn’t help. This made me think that EasyJet has already found a way of saying the delay/cancellation was not their fault, even though they must have known it was going to happen before the cancelled plane took of for Rhodes on its previous trip.
The second company I tried, after loading up the info, told me their site was broken and please call back later. Hm, maybe. Meanwhile, I’d contacted EasyJet themselves and a day later, someone rang me to talk me through how to do the claim online, which was a bit surprising. So, I’ve done that, and it’s now with them. They will take a good couple of months to get back to me with some excuse. After that, I’ll try to find some kind of European Union ‘claim your delay’ thing as I am sure I have seen such a service/right advertised.
And that’s it for today. Have been up since 3.30 (no idea why) and am off to walk to Yialos and back for some gratuitous exercise.
