Some Symi things you might not know
I had a couple of very helpful messages in the other day (thank you Jean!) with a couple of interesting facts about Symi that you might not be aware of, so I thought I would share them here.

I know that some people will know this one already as I have seen people with the item in question; Symi salt. Symi now has its own salt beds, just past Tolis beach and the endeavour is being run by Christos Volos and his Czech wife, Irene. Irene designed and organised the packaging and, as far as I know, still packages the salt herself from home. She is also selling her salt in Rhodes – both to shops and hotels. I know that you can buy it at the herb shop on the Kali Strata, just before The Olive Tree and the taverna, I saw someone with some from there the other day. I expect there are other outlets on the island as well.

The second piece of information was more of a surprise to me as I’d never heard of it after 14 years of living on the island. Did you know that Symi has its own museum of musical instruments? Apparently there are santouri on display (not sure of the plural) and possibly other instruments as well. There is a plaque on the wall outside stating that it is a museum (I am not exactly sure where though it’s in Yialos, we will investigate) and it cost €1.00 to go in. A santouri (Σαντουρι) is the Greek word for a cimbalom, a form of dulcimer, originally from Hungary. A series of metal strings, fixed across the sound box by pegs, are struck by sticks held in the player’s hand. I tried one out once at an event at The Olive Tree where Michaelis from the Hotel Fiona was playing the background music. I should try and find myself one as, when I was’ having a go’, it all made sense to me, I just needed to practice a lot more.

‘Excuse me officer,’ the lady said as she asked for directions. ‘How do I get to Carnegie Hall?’

‘Lady,’ the officer replied. ‘You gotta practice, practice, practice.’

Old joke but new information. Track down some genuine Symi salt when you are on the island, then hunt down the musical instrument museum when in Yialos. If I find it first I will let you know where it is. Thanks again Jean for the info., and if anyone else has any similar snippets of useful info, feel free to share them!

[Santouri photo from MusicHeaven.gr]

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Greek City Times
Yesterday, Greek City Times published an article that I had written for them called ‘Why Symi?’ As you will see if you read it, this is one of the most oft asked questions of people who choose to live here and I hope the article goes some way to explaining this hard to answer question. When I was putting together ‘Carry On Up The Kali Strata’ I attempted to answer it and found the only real answer was ‘A lot of things.’ A great combination of things draws people to live on Symi and I don’t think there is one simple aspect of the island life that captures people. Have a read and see what you think: Why Symi?

Meanwhile, ‘Remotely’ has now filtered through into Amazon and should be available in Kindle format there – it is, I just saw the page: Remotely Kindle. If you are a member of Kindle Unlimited you can get it for free, or else it’s currently only £3.76 to buy and download immediately. It’s the same format as the paperback, same layout, and has been checked to work fine on all platforms.

Here no Symi the weather continues to be ‘just right’ as people say. Not too hot, not too breezy, not too humid or cold, it’s ‘just right’ for walking and swimming and doing all those things you want to do on holiday. For me, I still have the window open beside the desk during the day, but other windows that have been open all summer are starting to be closed one by one. I’m thinking of getting the top sheet out in case the nights start to feel cooler and the fan is no longer needed in the living room or by the bed. I still have one in the ‘Workhouse’ as it’s a flat-roofed concrete block and stays hot even after the sun has gone down.

There have been more boats in and out of late, Wednesday was busy with the ferry leaving the Blue Star coming in, many sailing boats and some larger yachts, and then the day boats so there’s no sign of the season slowing down as yet. Everywhere is still open as Symi enjoys a longer summer season than islands further to the north.

So, all is well, and ticking along and things are getting done: pieces for a new ‘Symi’ book, a new novel for next year, a script to be submitted to Amazon TV and a new idea for a set of short stories. So many words, so little time – I’m looking forward to the winter when it’s cool enough to work through the afternoons, there will be more time for typos then. I mean more time for typing. No, maybe I was right the first time.

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Dentist, Island Sky, Antarctica…
News today: I’ve been to the dentist and ‘Remotely’ should be available on Kindle today – the two things are not related. Going to the dentist at 6.30 in the evening was a new experience, it’s great how, here in Greece, services are available ‘after hours’ as it were. Back in the UK it would be a nine-to-five situation (it may have changed now) and you would have to take time off work to get seen to, but not here. The same goes for our doctors and the shops. More ‘official’ places close earlier such as the town hall and schools, though children then go to private classes until quite late in the evenings, and utilities tend, on Symi, to only be open certain hours, usually so the guys working there can go out and fix phone lines and do repairs. But it’s still so much easier to be able to visit the dentist after ‘normal’ working hours than take time off. It’s also great when he says, after making another appointment, ‘I’ll call you if I have to attend a council meeting and can’t make it.’

It’s also great that you don’t feel any injection, you can have a good chat (as much as you are able, considering), it’s all very laid back and not at all expensive.

As for ‘Remotely’, this has now been tidied up and a new printed version is available. It’s exactly the same except we found a couple more of my famous typos and took them out while working on the Kindle format. If there are yet more, they can stay there. The Kindle version will be at a reduced price for a while so you may want to grab it now and store it away for later when they may put the price up. Try the Amazon UK page ‘Remotely’ to see if the Kindle link has been added yet, if not come back in a day or so. You can also find it on various other Amazon country sites within the next week, or so I am told.

We had a cruise ship in the other day, the MS Island Sky, a Nobel Caledonia ship with 57 suites all done out in wood and bras. (I left that typo in just to amuse you.) It looks very swish inside and nicely old fashioned. I see that they are doing a ‘In the Wake of Shackleton’ cruise to the Falklands and Antarctica in December if anyone fancies joining me. It’s only ‘from’ £10,495 so I will have to sell a huge amount of ‘Remotely’ before then, but you never know. (I do actually. It’s a dream destination for me which will have to stay as a dream. Ah well.)

Off to check out other impossible holiday destinations I know I shall never go to now, have a good day.

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The dreaded All Inclusive Holiday
The children are back as school, from yesterday, after their long summer holiday. They break up around June and don’t go back until a week or so into September – it would be impossible to work in the heat of July and August, so it makes sense. I expect there will be a few grumpy faces around for the next few days; I don’t suppose the children are enjoying it much either.

There was a lot of boat activity in the harbour yesterday, with plenty of pleasure yachts coming and going, the ferries coming in and the gulets from Turkey. The taxi boats weaved their ways in and out between them and there were quite a few in Harani and also heading around to Nimborio. Looking at the amount of day trippers coming off the boats in the morning, the season is showing no signs of slowing down on Rhodes either.

Apparently Rhodes has had one of its best years on record for tourist numbers. However, I also read that there are more small places having to close down because of lack of business, plus all the austerity measures and extra taxes. So how do those things match up? More numbers and less business. Well, it’s pretty clear and was explained to me by the chap at Napoleon’s restaurant in Rhodes a while ago. The blame, if you want to call it that, lies at the feet of the All Inclusive Deal (AID). People buy a holiday that includes accommodation, all their meals and certain drinks; the quality of which will vary according to where you are staying (see the TV series ‘Benidorm’ for the worst of the worst). Not that I am suggesting there’s anywhere on Rhodes like that! There certainly isn’t on Symi.

One thing that gets me about these AID users, I mean some of the holiday makers who take up AIDs, is that they miss out on things. Okay, so some people have no choice but to take a cheap deal – family, children etc. – and that’s understandable. They spend two weeks on a sunbed looking at the sea, they have daily excursions to the bar, buffet and bathroom. Fine. And I know that some people do go off-resort and explore the local areas too and everyone says ‘We’ve done Rhodes’ when they mean they’ve spent two weeks on a sunbed in-resort, or they’ve paid a quick visit to the Old Town. And some folk come over to Symi and other places for the day so that’s all well and good too. But it is still having a poor effect on the smaller hotels. My friend at Napoleon’s tells me each time I visit of another family-run hotel going out of business because of the AID style holiday. Let’s hope things get better for them next year.

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The master returns
Regular followers of the blog will be pleased to learn that Jack, the Alarm Cat, is home again after a nine-day holiday. Justine and Lyndon were passing our old house when they saw him on what used to be the terrace. Thanks to them for calling us with the news, and for Lyndon for the photo.

We set out in the late afternoon armed with a Symi Animal Welfare cat box and arrived at what is now a building site shortly afterwards. The house is being completely renovated, the land in front is stacked with building materials and bits of old house, the walls are all rendered, there’s concrete everywhere and the old balustrade has now gone. Luckily the gate was open so we didn’t have to disturb our old neighbours who were on their steps in the side lane. Last time we had to snaffle the cat away from his old home we had to go through their house and up their back garden steps onto our old flat roof and catch him there. This time it was much easier. I walked up the steps to the garden and there he was. He started to dash off when he saw me and then changed his mind and came to me. I was able to pick him up and pop him in the box with no injuries.

He made quite a fuss on the way home, much the amusement of our old neighbours who knew exactly what we were up to… again. Back at home he was straight to his food bowl in traditional fashion and only spent a few hours shouting the place down before settling in on Neil’s lap to watch a film. The following day, Sunday, he was a bit ‘clingy’ but otherwise his usual self and he looks quite well and fit. His ears even seem a bit better, though that’s temporary and his black nose is spreading. Nothing is yet too nasty in that department and a slight weight loss seems to have done him good.

The house where we are now is the third house in his life, he was born up at Ag Triada and lived there for a year before moving to Ag Athanasios; he never went back to the original house from there, but this is the second or third time he has tried to get back to the last house. Maybe because there’s a garden there with his familiar smells, he was there for eleven years and he does have some descendants there from a quick-fire round he got off before he was ‘done.’ For now, though, he’s going to be staying in, with the courtyard door closed, much as he might want to go and explore he clearly has no idea of how to look after himself while he is away. I hate to think who he had been annoying with his noise, or where he got his food and water from, but like I say, he looks fine and is home again. And I was just getting used to the peace and quiet too.

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