The news from the Symi Film Festival now is: “SIFF have reached 150 films submitted. Normal deadline is 30th June and late (more expensive) is 15th July.”
In my news, I’ve started work on the next instalment of The Saddling story. You might have read The Saddling and even The Witchling, well, The Eastling is going to be the third part of the on-going mystical trials and tribulations of my invented, old-world community living in the past, yet in the present, in the wilds of Romney Marsh. It might be too late now, but if you’ve not read The Witchling, it’s on sale over the summer solstice for $0.99 on Kindle. All my books are free on Kindle Unlimited so you can always grab a read there. The reason it’s on offer at this time of year is because that’s when it’s set. The Saddling was winter solstice, The Witchling summer, and The Eastling is set over the autumn equinox. I’ve only managed a rough outline and a first chapter so far, so don’t start queueing at the online bookshops just yet.
And that’s my news for today, except to add that the weather has perked up a bit, the day boats have been coming and going, and life on Symi potters on in its usual quirky, warm fashion.
This evening the new five aside football pitch will be officially opened and dedicated to the memory of Wendy Wilcox who, through Solidarity Symi, did so much for the younger people of the island. This will be at 6pm. Both football pitches were devastated by the storm last November 13th, and the larger pitch is still to be repaired.
It’s a bit of a cheap link, but one way to get to the football pitches is via the Pedi valley and, as Neil took some shots of the route last time he went that way, here are some photos. (Sorry to be so brief again today, but I’ve a lot going on and not much time or energy to think of anything else.)
Just a few photos today. These were taken a week or so ago when we were out and about, so they are a mix and a bit random. See if you knew where these places are. Some are easier than others.
We were in Yialos on Sunday and discovered that there is a new boat connection planned. I don’t have all the details yet, and I’m not sure if they have been finalised, so don’t take this as gospel. But, we may soon have a local ferry that will leave Symi for Rhodes in the morning, come back and then do the trip again later, returning to overnight on Symi. That will be a great help for the tour operators and guests trying to get here, not to mention the morning crossing to Rhodes which, at the moment, you can only do three times per week.
Still in Yialos, I’ve also learned that the new laundry in the narrow street running from the Harani Bar to Sarantis Stationery Shop, have restored the public toilets male & female, and showers are also now available. Handy for everyone by the sound of it.
As for my news… There isn’t any really. We had cloud and rain over the weekend but not as badly as they did in Rhodes by all accounts. Half an hour of that and then the sun came out again, then it clouded over but didn’t rain, and the wind got up, then it was back to normal in no time. As the old postcard used to say, ‘We get some kind of weather here all the time.’ Yesterday was sunny/cloudy/cooler/warmer, so the weather’s clearly not quite made up its mind what it’s doing. Mind you, when I say cooler, I mean back down to 29 or something.
This is all slightly out of date now because the boats have changed, and we have the Hellenic Seaways ‘Nisos Xios’ serving the route from Athens to Symi, but I took the Blue Star ‘Patmos.’ You need to check out Andy’s Travel Blog (I’ve put new links in the right-hand column) for up to date news on the ships and routes, planes and airports etc. and have a search around online for images of this new ship and what amenities it has. Meanwhile…
Thiseio station
Leaving Athens to travel back to Symi could not have been easier. I had plenty of time as the boat didn’t sail until 3pm, and I was, as usual, up at half-five. I tided up my apartment and later went for breakfast at a nearby hotel where there was an all you can eat buffet for €8.00 including juice and coffee and had another mooch around the local area until heading for the metro at 11.30. The metro ticket machines are straightforward to use and come in various languages. A helpful robotic lady talks you through the process, and you can buy a ticket valid for 45 minutes, or a return ticket, a ticket for five or more journeys and so on; plenty of options. I took a 45-minute one as I was only going six stops (€1.20). You scan the ticket at the open gates – you could risk not paying but I wouldn’t – and then waited for all of two minutes for a train.
Piraeus railway station.
Twenty minutes later I was at Piraeus still with plenty of time to get to the ferry which departed from dock E1. There are maps of the port so you can see where you are going and there are courtesy buses to take you to all of the boarding areas/docks. If you look back through this blog or search (and there’s a site search box on the right too) you’ll see how in April, we took the bus from Athens Airport to Piraeus, which is another way of reaching your boat if you’re coming in by plane. The bus from the airport took about 90 minutes and cost €5.00, and it stops at all the docks until it terminates at E1, so it’s very handy for the Symi ferries and you can’t get lost. But I had plenty of time, the rucksack wasn’t too heavy (it was heavier about half an hour later), it was a sunny day, and I had a new hat, so, after a coffee (€1.20 for a huge mug of Nescafe decaf) I set off to walk around the port.
Piraeus railway station
Of course, I followed the map, well, the edge of the sea and the road which comes with a pedestrian path marked out, a couple of cafes and WCs en route and ended up at a roundabout where I then doubled back. There is a shortcut if you’re on foot, but I missed that. Not to worry, still plenty of time. You can board the ship two hours before departure, and I arrived there are 13.00. To find several passengers already keenly aboard.
The main entrance is right-centre near E8. E1 is far left. I did the red line including double-back at the roundabout. The walk took me 45 minutes.
I checked in, collected my cabin keys – I was given two even though I was on my own, well, you never know who you will meet – paid for the internet for 24 hours (€5.00) and settled in. As it happened, and rather unusually, the boat was 2.5 hours late setting off because the refuelling barge was late, but I was in no hurry. In the end, the ship arrived on Symi only one hour and twenty minutes late, so it caught up some time. I spent the afternoon on the stern deck, one of three, and wrote a little, observed a lot and drank lots of water and another decaf coffee or two to pass the time. I also had lunch in the self-service restaurant (not sure about the dining arrangements on the Nisos Xios) and later that evening had a takeaway salad from one of the cafés.
Harbour artStill walking…
The boat trip is a lovely way to journey to Symi, watching the sunset over Skiros or Mykonos, or wherever we passed. Listening to the well behaved American students on a trip, some doing their assignments on their laptops, others just chilling, man, as they were from California, and watching people walk their dogs. Sleeping can be something of an adventure in the inner cabins – rattle and hum, sliding when the ship turns corners and so on, but so much easier and more comfortable than choosing a cheaper airline seat or grabbing a piece of floor space and, half an hour before arrival, reception rang my cabin to make sure I was awake.
Blue Star Diagoras
And so, home again and back to Symi. As I said, check Andy’s blog for info about the boats and travel as he is the expert, or ask in the Symi Chat Forum (also now linked in the right column) and see if anyone else has more recent and relevant news on what ship is doing what. It’s also worth noting that Lakis and his son, Thanasis, offer the bus to collect passengers from Pedi, Horio and Yialos and from the boat. The more this is used, the longer the service will stay, so use it, and if in doubt, ask at Lakis Travel or on the bus about times and pick-up points. It’s a very easy journey from Athens to Symi, and it will be interesting to hear from anyone who does this, or the route the other way, on the new Nisos Xios.
Sunset over TinosTaviri on Nimos (Symi) where we had our CP ceremony last yearSunrise over TurkeyAnd back to Symi
