Yialos, Epiphany and things

And off into another week we go. We were down in Yialos on Saturday afternoon, for lunch in Harani, so there are a few random photos from the day out. As you can see, not a cloud in the sky, and not too cold either. I took a coat with me but never had to wear it. Luckily there were taxis about when it came time to head home because the Blue Star was coming in – it doesn’t usually on a Saturday, but there had been some disruption to its timetable that worked in our favour.

We had intended to catch some of the Epiphany celebrations which usually start around 11.00 on the seafront in Yialos, by the clocktower and at Panormitis – and Pedi, I think. But when we got there, it was all over, having happened earlier for the first time I can remember. This was the celebration, the blessing of the sea when after the service, the priest throws a cross into the water and local men swim for it. It’s a great honour to be the one to retrieve the cross, but also an honour to take part.

Everyone is busy taking down Christmas decorations and putting homes back to their usual order after the festivities. We’ve done ours, though there will be strands of silver tinsel about the house for months to come I expect. The sitting room doesn’t look too bare, as we don’t put up many decorations, and, in a way, it’s good to get back to normal.

Two In The Bush: John Manuel

Here’s a new book you might be interested in. ‘Two In The Bush’ is a new novel from John Manuel. The book is set in Greece and concerns an Englishman who moves to find his paradise, but, “A ‘chance’ discovery of a woman’s body in a quiet location not far from his home starts a chain of events that just may turn his idyll into a nightmare.”

Two in the Bush

“With a plot that twists like series of old olive branches, “Two in the Bush” carries enough surprises to keep you wondering to the last page.”

Read the full details here.

John lives in Rhodes and has published several books, some are novels, and some are about his experiences of moving to live in Greece. You can find a list of all his books on this Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/johnmanuelbooks/

And his Amazon author page is here

And, just to keep your mind on Symi, here are a few random photos for the weekend.

Standard Symi Winter Day

So, the second quick blog post of the day, ready for tomorrow so I don’t have to worry about being buffleheaded about it in the morning. (For an explanation of buffleheaded, please read ‘The Saddling.’) Gosh, it’s scary how I get a quick plug in the first paragraph.

Having said we’d had only a little rain or something, yesterday morning was a damp one. Rain falling off and on, the gutters dripping, the sky grey and the air cold. It was a bit like August in England. Only joking. It was, though, a quiet and restful day after the last of the Christmas shenanigans – a games afternoon/evening up at Villa Jeanette with friends. Neil was awarded player of the match for his performance in ‘Just a Minute.’ We had the board game version and a timer, our wits, or some of them, and after some quizzing decided to give this game a go. Neil knew it was coming and was worried about it, as he’d never heard of it let alone listened to it on the radio. Turns out, he won.

It was a great night and a not too cold walk home afterwards. I’d not over indulged because I remembered that my door key should be waiting for me in a secret hiding place near the house. Sure enough, it was there. Harry had come earlier to collect his bike, kept with us for now as it’s close to the square where he rides it. We’d had a workshop on how to use the gate (the lock is the wrong way around) and where to store the bike, where to hide the key etc., and he’d obviously listened. Everything was in place, and he’d clearly had no trouble returning it when we were out. That’s what being a boy scout does for a chap.

And so, it’s Thursday lunchtime now, and Neil is rummaging around in the fridge to see what we have to eat. Neither of us wants to leave the house today, but there is the rubbish to take up and maybe shopping to do. It’s a standard winter day here on Symi, and that means writing, and later, films on television under blankets with the heater on. The photos today are rural ones taken recently.

Still asleep

Early start this morning. I woke up just before six reminding myself that I’d not prepared a blog for today and, as I’d just said something about getting back into the habit of doing a daily… something, I thought I should get on with it. The fact that I’d not gone to bed until eleven last night doesn’t have a say in it, so here I am trying hard to think of something to write here. I can’t, so instead I’ll throw some pickle at you.

You know that Christmas is over when…

I’m sure I had some good ideas yesterday, a list of things I could witter on about here, but now I’ve forgotten them, perhaps that’s because it is still very early. It’s dark outside, there are stars, some cloud, the moon has been and gone, and the temperature is down again. I mean, around ten probably, I’ve not looked, but it’s not that bad, and it’s not windy.

Apart from a thunderstorm and some showers yesterday, it’s been wetter inside our bathroom than it has outside the house, of late. Condensation with a bit of through-drip from the flat roof above. (Must get the paint and paint the roof, been saying that for a couple of months now, but with the post-Christmas dip in finances to below floor level, it’s going to have to wait.) It all leads to flaking paint and mouldy ceilings, it’s not too bad right now but will be. So that’s all on the list of jobs to do.

As is, later this morning, writing another blog for tomorrow so I can have a lie in and not wake up until my usual time of 6.15 instead of this ridiculously early hour of… oh, 6.00 – ah well. Winter life! I now have all day to potter about.

Back to the desk

I’m trying to get myself back into the routine of (almost) daily blogging now, starting with a couple of half-remembered things from the last couple of weeks, and some photos taken over the New Year period.

One of the things that popped into my head was a chat we had with a local friend. He’s a keen card player and was, when we saw him, off to play a game with some friends. This was no ordinary game, however. They were gambling, and their winnings were going to be given to the Symi football teams, as was a percentage of the bar takings from the bar where the exhibition game was to be played. Gambling for charity, I call it. Sounds like a great idea.

Another thing that happened occurred on New Year’s Day. You hear a lot of expressions at this time of year, and there are many best wishes style greetings in Greek that you get used to saying. Over Christmas, apart from the Kali Christouyena for ‘good Christmas’, you hear several others, and I wondered which was the appropriate one for New Years’ Day as I wandered through the village to deliver a wine box before taking a walk. Should you say Xronia Polla, as you do on name days and birthdays? Should you say Tou Xronou, as you do at church festivals? Should I still be saying Kali Christouyena? What is the correct one? ‘Ah,’ I thought as I saw Papa Lefteris approaching me. ‘I’ll wait for him to say something and then I’ll know.’ As we passed each other, he said, ‘Happy New Year,’ so that idea didn’t work. You can always wait for someone else to speak first and then just say ‘Episis’ for, roughly, ‘Same to you.’ I guess any of the greetings will do as long as it’s said with meaning.

So, back to the desk and back to work. The fun is over for another year now, and we have to return to being adults. Ah well, easier for some than it is for others.