Symi Christmas: Singing

Today’s photos were taken on Tuesday from up near the windmills.
I have a little more time today, though things are still a bit rushed around here at the moment, what with preparing for Christmas and being only five chapters away from finishing something. Should I bash on and work up until Christmas Eve to get it out of my system? Or should I take a break and have it playing on my mind over the next few days? I’ll do whatever feels right at the time. Meanwhile…

We are ready for Friday. Remember if you are on Symi there are the carols and Christmas songs to sing along with or just listen to at Lefteris Kafeneion on Friday from 5pm, with all money raised going to the orphanage on Rhodes. There is also Peter’s Christmas Quiz at the Sunrise tonight (Wednesday) which we are going to with Miss DJ, so there will no doubt be an update about that tomorrow. Out next engagement after Friday is, at the moment, not until Sunday afternoon when we’ll be in upper Horio with the Godboys and their mum preparing vegetables and other things for Christmas Day.

That’s become rather a tradition – us going to help with the veg, not Christmas Day, that’s been around a while now – and I look forward to it. Sitting around the table chopping carrots and potatoes and keeping an eye on Neil. We have to do that, and we don’t let him prepare the sprouts else he would fiddle with them and drop each one in the bin when we’re not looking. I have difficulty not eating them raw as we’re getting them ready, whereas he would up-chuck his breakfast across the table if he tasted even a leaf. (Been there, done that, not letting him eat them again.)

I may take next week off from blogging, we’ll see, but I’ll try and upload a couple more posts tomorrow and Saturday with any images of anything that might happen. For Symi weather followers, it’s clear and dry again but the temperature is dropping, and there was a slight breeze. It’s supposed to be getting windy again soon, and then the warmth will be gone. Back to the thermals for Christmas maybe.

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Sorry, no news or rambling today, just a few archive photos. I’m dashing out to dash through the snow (metaphoric), hark the heralds, and be away in a manger managing a keyboard, complete with a descant (I remembered, Terri) that’s hopefully in the right key. After that, there’s a chapter needs finishing, and the first of the Christmas events at the godboy’s house. May have more time tomorrow. Not that May, we don’t talk about her.

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Monday morning

Monday. Neil has just set off to Yialos for a few things, heading out into the drizzle that’s slowly adding to the water in the sterna. The Dodecanese Express has just come in, and Nimos is shaded grey by the gentle rain. It’s very quiet up here, apart from the trickle of water into the sterna, and the distant rattle of a dill that’s digging up a lane towards Ag. Haritomeni.

The sound is now joined by the washing machine. I discovered a pair of shoes (made from a kind of suede substitute material, I suppose you could call in pseudo suede) that were starting to grow mould, so I thought I should wash them. I should point out that the mould was on the outside, nothing to do with my feet but all to do with the damp conditions we get on the island in the winter. Leaving them in the shower room for three months probably didn’t help.

So, as the washing machine tap-dances on and I wonder how wet Neil is down there, I turn my attention back to the day-to-day which, today, is about writing. Tomorrow we have another practice for the carols and songs on Friday – 5pm, Lefteris’ kafeneion in Horio square – and a dinner out, so there’s lots to look forward to (for me) as I leave you with these three photos taken yesterday (Monday).

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Sunday Morning

As it’s a bit of a grey day outside today (Sunday), I thought I’d put up random Symi photos with colour. Actually, one of them is from Cyprus, but… Whatever.

It’s Sunday morning, and I’m going Christmas shopping. Online. I have some things to order for people which should arrive in time for next weekend, mainly Symi Dream calendars to be delivered to Australia, England and even Dungeness. Because they are printed locally (i.e. the UK or Ireland rather than America, and actually in Australia) they usually arrive after a couple of days of the order. After that, I am getting back to writing as it’s a Sunday.

Friday evening was fabulous, with the godboys and their mum here for dinner. Neil made as a roast, Harry entertained us with his wit, Sam contributed to discussions with his dry humour and was much more grown up about things than the adults, and he and mum had made the pudding as well. Jenine has a dislocated finger, so the boys are chipping in with housework and chores. We were going to watch a film after dinner but with The Family around the kitchen table chatting and having fun, time just slipped away.

Neil’s been up, and down the Kali Strata and elsewhere collecting deliveries, the Blue Star came in late following a general strike at some point along the way (not just by the boat), the weather has turned slightly cloudy and that harbour, as seen from up here, is a-glitter with festive lights.

I’m pleased to add that the sales of the new ‘Symi, Stuff & Nonsense’ have been going well and raising some money for the school. I’ll have a proper update after Christmas when the ‘offer’ (buy a Symi book and contribute to the school books fund) expires.

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Symi Saturday Photos

I’ve delved into my ‘old’ folder for photos today as I found some from this time last year. They’re not very exciting, as you can see. Symi can be a quiet place in the winter, with people staying indoors out of the weather (which is currently as warm as a British June), or going away to visit family for Christmas, or going away to work a second job. It’s busier at certain times.

For example, after a music practice yesterday, we sat at Lefteris’ Kafeneion for a beer on the way home, making the most of the sunshine. This was around the time school was finishing for the day, midday, one o’clock, that kind of time. The schoolchildren come past at that time of day, parents pass as they go to collect them, the teenagers hurry past in groups on their way to their Xbox games, homework and private lessons as a lot of children have to take private lessons to secure them through the exams. What’s nice about this time of day is the way you are greeted and said hello to, in a polite and pleasant way. The rush dies down and, apart from the stalwart footballers in the square, things soon quieten down.

Not sure what the point of that was, and it has nothing to do with the photos, which are all bit bland if you ask me, but it might give you a small idea of what December is like over here. And, talking of politeness… We were at home during the week, as we are most of the time, when someone started work on the apartment below us, Some kind of building work was going on that involved a pretty hefty drill going into the walls. I think the landlord was having an aircon unit installed. We were going about our usual business when the doorbell rang, and a man stood there. He greeted Neil, who answered the door, and Neil replied in Greek. The chap then spoke English, saying, ‘Sorry, I didn’t realise anyone lived upstairs. Am I being noisy?’ Neil said, ‘Yes, but it’s okay.’ The workman was very apologetic and said he wouldn’t be long. He’d known we were upstairs because he’d heard our footsteps overhead – our floorboards are also the downstairs ceiling. How he’d heard us walking about over the sound of the drill is anyone’s guess, but still, a very decent thing to do, I thought. Seems like the work has stopped now and we’re left with only the sound of the drill that’s breaking up the stone or path one tier up from us. Not intrusive for us (you get used to hearing building work around the island, there’s always something going on), I’m just glad we don’t live in the house directly next to where the drill is being used, it’s been going on for days.

Anyway, more ramble than you usually get on a Saturday. I’m off for the weekend now, so you have a good one and remember, it’s not too late for Symi books and calendars to be delivered in time for next weekend. Wink, wink. The links are in the righthand column.

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