Back to Symi and the Symi blog
Here I am back from my week away. It’s Sunday morning and I thought I should get something ready for tomorrow as we are off out later to The Olive Tree for a Queen’s birthday charity tea, raising money for the Symi high school, another Greek school badly in need of funding (for things like desks, books, lockers, the bare essentials really) and another Greek school that is held together by incredibly loyal and dedicated teachers; many of whom are on an unimaginably low wage, earning less than many seasonal bar and restaurant workers earn, even after their years of training.

My week away was a good one and very productive. I was able to get 36,000 words written of the first draft of the next novel and I am rather pleased with most of the results. I’ve now reached the half way point in the story, so there is another half to go, though the action is faster and now most things are set up – location, characters etc. – the second half should turn from the mystery of part one to the drama and action (and ultimate horror) or part two. It’s not blood and guts horror as you will see if you ever read it. I reckon that if I’d stayed on Tilos (or elsewhere quiet) for another three weeks I would have had the first draft written and tided up ready for draft two. But it’s back home, back to work and back to daily Symi blogging.

How do you write so many words in six days? You may ask. It’s a question of a) having no distractions, b) having the plotting and background work done already, c) discipline and d) having a good routine. Mine was something along the lines of: up at 6.00 with the dawn, take a long walk around the bay and back for about 40 minutes to clear the head and arrange the thoughts, get the kettle on, shower and dress, spark up the PC, sit down and start to write for two or three hours. Head out to the square for coffee, come back, check what’s been written and then go for lunch while the lady cleaned the room (meticulously, by the way; great place to stay, the Eli Beach hotel/apartments, check them out), and then, after lunch (with not too much beer and no wine) back for another three hours and check over what’s been done at the end of that. Then relax on balcony time, around 6.30 by now, and then dinner, bed by 11.00 ready to start again. Sorted.

Symi is much as I had left it, some visitors have left others have arrived, more boats are in the harbour, the temperature has warmed up and things seem slightly busier. There was a meeting while I was away, the British Vice Consul and staff came over, met with British residents at The Olive Tree to advise on their role and answer questions. Neil was able to go along and found it useful, and here are a couple of his photos. The Vice Consul also met with the Mayor of Symi and this outreach work is, to my mind, a very good idea and it looks like the visit was well received.

So, I’ll let us all get on now and from today I should be back to daily blogging (almost, not usually on Sundays) through the year as I am not planning to go anywhere else this year apart from perhaps a day trip to Rhodes at some point. Have a great week!

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Nou’s Blue entertains Russian sailors – only in Greece!

Another quick catch up from over here on the first rock from the rock I live on, Tilos in the early morning and later on. A flotilla or regatta, rather, as they were racing, sailed by Russian crews entertained us out as sea on Tuesday afternoon. They called in after the race, stayed the night (not with me), filled up a couple of tavernas and, by the sound of the music, had a good time.

I had one of those ‘no way!’ moments as I sat on my balcony behind one of the tavernas, listening to the disco and watching the night sky. One of the songs they played was a strange kind of disco number that started with deep drums and horns. I thought ‘I recognise that’ and sure enough I hear a piece of music based on a piece of classical music that gives me the shivers each time I hear it. Why? ‘Cos my big brother wrote it and arranged it. (I hope he got his royalties from this disco-mix!) There are various versions of it on You Tube, but this is probably the neatest, though not the longest version. It’s called ‘Nous’ Blue.’

Have a listen and see if you can identify the piece it’s based on. I used to play the original piece on the piano in the days of four hours a day practice for my grade eight. Think I might only be able to manage a few bars of the right hand now. The video is below, but if you want to buy the big band arrangement click to Lush Life music: https://www.lushlifemusic.com/arrangements/pdf/nous_blue.pdf

And back to Tilos, just a little bit more than proud. I can’t remember how many words I am on now but I had a good morning’s work on Tuesday. I was writing a scene that’s set on the Romney Marshes on the night before winter solstice, sunset to darkness, and there’s the sun pouring in through the window, the sea lapping at the front step of the hotel and I’m sweating. Took a little concentration I can tell you.

I’m not hanging around for long, it’s lunchtime and I want to get that done so I can write the next scene; I reckon I am at 60,000 words now (not just this week) and not even half way through, so there’s going to be a lot of editing I am sure. Perhaps a couple of weeks on Patmos later in the year? Enjoy the pics and the music.

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Just a few photos, not many words as I’m settling down to another day of writing. It doesn’t sound like a lot but 14,000 words done so far over the weekend. It’s Monday morning now, I’ve been to a fantastic concert (more about that another time), been for some walks and generally had a good time hanging out, writing and so on. Will try and post more of these later in the week when there’s a good boost on the internet signal.

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Olive, Feta & Ouzo (with or without octopus)

I’ve found a feast of a blog for you today, two in fact.

Coming from only a stone’s throw away from Symi, from Rhodes, Olive Feta & Ouzo is a blog by my mate Amanda Settle. It’s partly food-themed and there are varied posts as well as recipes. We met Amanda through working with the refugee and local charity on Symi, ‘Solidarity Symi’, as she was then running the Rhodes equivalent, ‘Helping Hands.’ There are posts about last years’ crisis of refugees too, under the Opinions page heading, and if you are hankering for photos, then check out the iPhonegraphy section.

You can click this link to take a look at Olive, Feta & Ouzo.

And, while we are on the subject of blogs away from home, you might want to take a look at An Octopus In My Ouzo, a blog by Tilos resident, Jennifer Barclay. As well as posts about life on the island, and her travels elsewhere, there is a handy section towards the bottom listing links to other Greek books, destinations and information, as well as info about Tilos itself. I just checked out the Tilos section to find some photos of where I am going on Friday (though I have been before) and to read some of the readers’ comments. I think I’ll save the rest of the site and its links for when I am there, though I am supposed to be on a working break.

You can click this link to find Jennifer’s blog.

And now you will be wondering if I will be blogging while I am away. You weren’t? Oh dear. Well, I may be, let’s put it that way. I am heading over to ‘next door’ on Friday night with the aim of getting down to some uninterrupted work on the next novel – while the editor beavers away on ‘Remotely’ (he is now thinking July will be the release month, I’ll keep you posted). If the mood takes me, I will put up some photos, like those here today which are from last years’ visit, and if anything amusing happens I will, of course, report on it. I must make sure I don’t get into trouble though, like last time when I made some comment about everyone going to bed early – but that’s another story.

I’m looking forward to it and am taking many books and a laptop with me so I can get on with the next story which is set in the south of England in the week before Christmas. That might be a challenge as, of June 1^st, someone here has put the thermostat up and we’re suddenly hot again. But that’s what it’s all about: imagination. I also have to work on my next college assignment, writing a treatment for the film I’ve been working on, not a job I enjoy doing, but a necessary one. I think I will think on that during my writing breaks as I sit on a balcony and look at the sea, in the sun, before taking an evening stroll and heading to a taverna. Sounds a lot like being at home.

Anyway; take a look at these other two great blogs so if I don’t pop up with anything for a week, after today, you will have something else to check up on to get your Greek and local-to-Symi, and Symi fix, while I am away.

And, while I am away don’t forget, if you live on Symi, that the ladies from the British Consulate in Rhodes are coming over and will be available for an informal chat about life on Symi, and what work they do in Rhodes, at The Olive Tree between 6.30 pm and 8.30 pm on Wednesday, June 8^th . And also, don’t worry about Neil. Jack, the Alarm Cat is staying behind with him to make sure he cleans up his dirt tray and gets his various breakfasts during the day. Or is it the other way around? No, I think I was right the first time.

You can click this link to take a look at Olive, Feta & Ouzo.

You can click this link to find Jenifer’s blog.

And, of course, you can click this link to read Adriana’s Symi blog.

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Blue Star Paros, Für Elise and a Stylophone
A very pleasant sight from the balcony yesterday morning: the calm sea, several sailing boats coming in and going out, a few cars moving slowly around the harbour and several people waiting for the Blue Star Paros to arrive. This it duly did at eight, gliding into port as our friendly neighbourhood swallow sat and chatted on the wire about three feet from me. Overhead, our friendly neighbourhood kestrel wheeled around and, soared and watched from high above, and then passengers and lorries came on and off the boat.

[Today’s photo theme: small things in large places]

About fifteen minutes later the ship set off again. One of the quirky thing it does is play a rendition of Beethoven’s Für Elise as it leaves harbour. It has also done it while arriving and the speakers must be somewhere in the cargo bay because, when you are there waiting for the drawbridge to go down, your ears are battered by this metallic, electronic clanging. I have this suspicion that the second officer is in charge of this, or someone in the engineering department does it for a lark. I see him, or her – but probably a him as I am sure a her would have more subtlety – sitting at a small desk with a microphone set up before him and a Stylophone in his hand. He taps out the da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da (beat) da-da-da-da (beat) da-da-da-da (repeat etc.) with alarming precision, robotic timing and at full volume. Not only can you hear it from the cargo hold where I reckon even our deaf cat would hear it, but we can hear it from our house too. It keeps going until the first section is nearly done while the boat is sailing away. It does stop, eventually, before it gets to the tricky bit with the chords and the up-tempo, at which point the second officer, or assistant shaft-greaser, or whoever, puts his Stylophone away and turns his attention to other, more musical, activities, like banging the propeller shaft with a hammer or some deep angle-grinding.

But it’s good to see the boat coming in and being so on time. Apparently we are to have the luxury of this faster, more stable craft for the summer. That’s handy for me as I am due to be on it on Friday (no reports of any strikes as yet) and it means that, as long as nothing goes wrong, it should be in good time and I will arrive at my destination at around 10.00 pm, rather than the 1.30 a.m. arrival of last year.

And so on with the day (Wednesday actually) which has already seen a batch of friendly visitors leaving after their two or more weeks here and will see later, I hope, a new batch arriving. They can come over on the promptly departing 3pm Blue Star Paros, if their flights arrive in time. At the moment that, and the Friday at 7.30 pm run, are the only boats that will get you to Symi after 8.30 or 9.00 in the morning; unless you come on a Thursday and can make the 11.30 Dodekanisos. Anything else is all early ferries leaving Rhodes at 8.30 or 9.00, some going via Panormitis which is actually a good way to ensure you see the monastery on your way over. Enough rambling now, I’m going to go and play Für Elise on the piano and try and put some expression into it. I should also see if I can locate a Stylophone just in case I am on the boat and there is a call for a musician. Well, they ask any traveling doctors to check in with reception when you board, so I don’t see why they shouldn’t hunt out an alternative fanfare player for arrivals and departures. Maybe I will take my oboe on Friday and provide some uninvited wind support for fun.

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