Symi update
It’s a bit chilly here today with a north-west wind blowing the clouds away. Apparently we’ve got this for a couple of days and then it should calm down. It’s good weather for sailing though and we’ve had a flotilla of sailing boats in as part of a regatta. They were in overnight Thursday and set off again Friday morning. Hopefully this has given the island its first major visitor-boost and helped those in their ‘end of winter finance’ mode.

I think I left you yesterday at the medical centre waiting for an X-ray. It was finally sorted and, though we’d not finished in time to make the boat, we had a great service from Euromedica and since then I have had an even better service from them via email. It used to be that we had a doctor on Symi who could authorise the paperwork after medical tests to allow you (by which I mean ‘one’) to work in food places; cafes, tavernas, kitchens etc. That doctor has now left and, at the moment, there isn’t one who has the right authority to do this, so another solution must be found. While in Rhodes I made some enquiries and was told various different tales from various people I know in the restaurants and hotels there, some of whom did their ‘books’ under the old system, some of whom had done it under the new system. The new one having come in this year, apparently. I was left not knowing if we would have to come back next week, stay overnight again, get to the clinic, collect the tests and then be at a place called 100 Palms, where the state doctors can do the ‘book’ and spend a morning queuing and waiting while fretting about maybe missing the boat again. So I asked Euromedica.

After some emails they confirmed that there is a doctor at their hospital who is able to authorise these books (which may not actually be books anymore), and that we could return next Wednesday, collect the results and then see the doctor. When I asked where we had to go for that they emailed back telling me to come and find them at the International Department and they would call the doctor to see to us. That simple email took all the stress and worry out of the process and now I am confident that Nephew will be fully authorised by this time next week. Okay, so two trips to Rhodes adds to the cost, but that’s because we live on a small island. I am almost looking forward to the trip, though will only be totally relaxed when he’s got his papers authorised and I know I don’t have to take any more trips across for a while. Well, I have to return the week after for an appointment of my own and then two weeks after that I am off to Tilos for a week, but otherwise, I’m staying home. Meanwhile, because the tests have been done, he is still fine to work in the taverna. I know a lot of people have been talking about this medical process and are not sure of the new regulations. I just spent half an hour trying to find them online without success. My advice would be to ask the doctor, the KEP office, or IKA, make a phone call and try and find out what this ‘new’ system is, if it is new at all. If anyone does get a link to the definitive, correct-department, answer, let me know and I will share it here.

Anyway; talking medical, Jack the cat has just scratched his ear and is dropping blood about the courtyard. He’s fine in himself but his dark patches on his ears and nose are growing slowly. This is what his personal physician called ‘pre-cancerous skin tissue’ and so we expect it only to get worse. Maybe to the point of where we have to have more of his ears taken off so he becomes a cat of the Lugless Douglas class. There’s nothing we can do about his nose but keep an eye on it and hope it doesn’t break out into full blown nastiness, though that is inevitable. People have been asking after him, which is very kind, and he is still as soft and daft, loud and deaf as ever, getting a bit more crotchety in his old age, a bit more grumpy and he loves sitting in laps and next to you on the sofa now more than ever.

That’s my update for today. I’ll just read it over to make sure I haven’t made that many typos -but even if I have I doubt I will spot them. Like the other day when I said I had been watering the pants, I meant plants; I’ve not got to that stage yet.

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No time in Rhodes
Back from Rhodes, again, after missing the boat and staying overnight at the Lydia Hotel (where we were given a very good deal on two single rooms for my nephew and I).

Wednesday consisted of the Blue Star Diagoras boat over to Rhodes, and then getting in a taxi. This where the first piece of excitement happened. We knew we were pushed for time as the boat had left late after already being on a later than usual schedule. We made sure we were among the first off a very busy boat and headed to the taxi rank. It was its usual organised chaos, slightly reminiscent of an Egyptian bazaar, but a helpful driver called us over and popped us in his taxi. He then disappeared for no apparent reason. Meanwhile, everyone else found their taxis and set off, leaving us to be the last to go. I eventually got out of the car and did that very Greek thing of raising my arms in the air in a gesture which was a mix of confusion and annoyance. He came back and brought another passenger with him.

It’s common in Greece for other passengers to join you on the ride and, as our driver knew where we were heading, I assumed we were dropping this chap off en route. Finally, we set off and had a wonderful tour of some of the most obscure backstreets of that part of Rhodes between the Old Town and Sgoupou (I just had to look it up on a map; It’s a rather appropriate name as you will read in a moment). After a couple of double-backs we dropped off the passenger and set off for where we were going. After a little while it was clear that this was not a good day to be out and about on the roads of Rhodes: every traffic light was red, seemingly in all directions at once, and every driver was out stopping to chat to every pedestrian. A little while longer and the main hospital came into sight. I checked that we were going to the private hospital and yes, he knew that but there was [something unrepeatable] about the roads and roadworks on the usual route. Well, it gave us plenty of opportunity to admire some varied industrial estates, warehouses and even more obscure parts of this wonderful island.

We did arrive, in the end, and found the reception area to go to. When you go for X-rays and microbiological tests (as Nephew has to do for his work papers), or any other treatment, you have to pay in advance. This payment station is, rather alarmingly, housed in A&E, but there were no emergencies taking place that day. Well, there may have been as there was something of a slow moving queue, various people waiting for various things and so another delay for us. What was impressive though (apart from the service and the place itself) was the way the receptionists seemed to be able to turn their tongue to any language. I heard Greek, of course, English, German, French and something that sounded like a terminal throat complaint; I assume Flemish. Anyway, after doing all that, we headed to drop off the, er, sample at microbiology. That took all of five seconds and I started to relax a little more as time was now in very short supply.

A quick aside here (as we wait for the X-ray to be done) to explain to those who don’t know what this is all about. Actually, I haven’t met anyone yet who knows what this is all about, though I have had some very helpful friends in Rhodes messaging me and offering help and advice over the last week. Basically, to get your ‘health book’ approved for work in a taverna you need a chest X-ray and some test done on your poo. There. It’s been said. This had to be produced by my Nephew on the day of the trip. (He will hate me for this.) Of course, this can produce anxiety in anyone and not only because you have to do your number two to order. You can do it before you leave home, or on the way. Had he not made use of the excellent, though rather communal, facilities on the Blue Star Diagoras, George might well have been able to produce during the taxi ride. There were plenty of near misses and almost head-ons, and Lord knows, plenty of time. But he had it all in hand before then, so that was fine. And when I say ‘in hand’ I mean… Well, details are not needed but it apparently involves paper towels, latex gloves, a special pot from the pharmacy, some peace and quiet, a little privacy and a lot of skill. Oh, and a tea spoon, or Sgoupou, as we shall now call it. As we left home that morning, I did look in the cat’s litter tray and wondered if we would get away with borrowing something, but thought better of it.

Anyway; the upshot of the late arrival, magical mystery tour, roadworks, queues, blah, blah, and then the trip back (repeat part one above), was that we were too late for the last sailing to Symi of the day. More about the rest of the day another time perhaps, it wasn’t that spectacular except I spent a lot of time trying to figure out what stage two would entail: IKA doctors, collecting results after Friday, another day in Rhodes, maybe private doctors to sign the papers, where to go, etc. But it can all wait as I’ve gone on enough and shared too much detail already.

By the way: no, there are no photos of the trip for obvious and decorous reasons. Today’s are from my general ‘to post’ file.

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Now you see it, now you don’t
Tuesday morning and the long-awaited rain came over after a cloudy build-up to the late morning. It’s a case of now you see it, now you don’t as Nimos disappears in the cloud and rain.

But it’s not windy, the boats are in, the skies are due to clear this afternoon, but there could be more rain overnight and, after all, the island needs the rain. We’ve had a very dry winter by some standards so reservoirs are low, and so are the sternas, and the plants are a bit desperate for something to drink. Our roof tap is open, so we are collecting free water for the house and, a few minutes after starting this, it’s already stopped.

I’m away again today so there may not be a Thursday post – don’t panic if I am not here. We’ve got an appointment in Rhodes around midday but the Diagoras is not due until 9.15 and, if it is late, we will be running at the other end to make it back for 15:00 when the boat leaves to return; which is exactly what the rain had done, as I write. (Looks like it is going to be one of those days.) But, if we miss the boat then there’s an unusual Dodecanese Express leaving on Thursday morning at 11.30. It’s not unusual, actually, it’s the one that goes up to Samos, works there for a while and comes back on a Tuesday. But at least we will be able to get back on Thursday if we are kept late at the appointment.

You can tell that the rain was coming; Neil started working back at the bar on Monday and later in the evening watered the pants. Next day, we get showers. Ah well, it will soon be all sunshine and smiles as the real summer season kicks off. But now I must get on and prepare things for the trip tomorrow (today as you read this). Things that include, getting lunch out of the way, doing some coursework, heading to Yialos to buy boat tickets, shopping and cat food, see the accountant… the usual.

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Did you email me about Symi 85600?
I had a bad start to Monday morning. Apart from a disturbed night due to strange dreams of traffic jams and ‘The Phantom of the Opera’ (the musical) I woke up to find an email in my Mailwasher. That’s fine as that’s where they start out. I usually check the first few lines if I am not sure who the emails are from and then download only the ones I want and trust. I started reading a very nice email from someone who had recently read ‘Symi 85600′ and who was now towards the end of’ Carry on up the Kali Strata.’ I glanced at it and thought, ‘I’ll download that and write a nice reply,’ caught sight of a reference to the sender living on Symi in the early 1980s and then hit ‘Wash mail.’ This is the part where the programme deletes anything marked for delete and sends me those emails I want to keep. Only this email didn’t arrive and I have no idea where it went. I purposely hadn’t ticked ‘delete’.

So, if that was you, and you will know who you are, then please would you accept my apologies for not replying straight away and resend the original mail if possible, so I can read it properly and reply properly? I think it mentioned that you read the blog and if so, this message should reach you. If not, then there will be a reader out there who took the trouble to write in and who won’t get a reply because the Mailwasher not only washed the email but then proceeded to eat it and never gave it back.

Apart from that, Monday was fine, a little cloudy with some spots of rain around in the morning but nothing to write home about, and I was able to get on with some work, and do this blog, and look at my submission for my college course, before Neil went off to start work at the Rainbow at three.

On Easter Sunday, after catching up on some work I had missed on Saturday, we went to Yialos to have a walk around. There were many spits out on the street with lambs roasting, visitors over from Rhodes, and Greek families enjoying the hot day, as it was very sunny. Later we wandered back via the bus stop at five to see that Thanasis was just turning up to drive up, so we took the bus to the windmills and walked down into the village where Yianni had opened up for the evening after being closed for the day. So, an Easter glass of wine was in order, followed by a night in and an early night. Followed by strange dreams of traffic jams and Phantoms (complete with crashing organ chords and orchestrations) and some other strange stuff I no longer remember, and the next thing you know, Monday has started and my emails are being eaten. Ah well, on with the rest of the day and let’s hope the right person reads this and sends the mail again.

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Symi Easter blog
My weekend, my Symi Easter, can be put into two parts; Friday evening and Saturday generally. There was also Sunday and there will, I hope be Monday, but I’ll save that.

On Friday we went into Yialos to meet some friends for dinner at To Spitiko. The number of the party had been growing through the day but finally, and very appropriately, settled itself on thirteen. Thirteen for dinner – yes, not only an Agatha Christie book and film adaptation (Actually, it’s ‘Thirteen at dinner’) but also the subject of a famous Leonardo mural as I am sure you know, and a happy coincidence for us on Good Friday. So, we sat down and our waiter served us calmly and very politely and with humour and efficiency – and I’m not only saying that because he is my nephew, it also happens to be true. A lovely dinner and we even had some cabaret thrown in thanks to big boys and bombs.

Big boys and bombs? Well, not so ‘big’, but brash and stupid really. There we are, sitting among the remains of a large dinner party -some of the guests had left and the tables were being cleared- the bangers and dynamite were going off as the Easter procession was making its way along the other side of the harbour, carrying the bier from church to church, when suddenly some bloke on a boat decides that he doesn’t like these bangers and shouts out, very aggressively and with some threatening gesticulation, ‘Don’t throw them I don’t like them!’ The standard response to this from any self-respecting banger-thrower would be to light one and carry on throwing, that is, after all, the custom. It is, after all, your island and it is, after all, Easter Friday. That is, after all, what happened. This was too much for Mr Seven Stone-Macho (hyphenated) and he was straight off that boat, fists raised, and into the party of diners a little way up the quayside. He was a bit outnumbered and things were calmed down, Neil was in there sorting it out too and calm was restored; a little too much of the falling down water methinks. Clearly if you don’t like bangs, explosions and fire crackers, then you don’t come to Greece at Easter weekend. Such things (trying to start a fight) are uncommon sights on Symi, but a bit of cabaret for us after dinner. And no animals were harmed, nor any humans and the bar owner (whose fault it certainly was not) sent them over drinks as a gesture of hospitality, but they were rejected and the boat set off into the night to find a quieter country. Anyway, that was that and then…

Then we spent a very quiet Saturday at home, after the mild rain on Friday night as we walked up the steps. I read, and watched television, we popped out for some shopping and then, around midnight, spent some time up on the roof watching the Easter fireworks and listening to the dynamite – more fireworks than previous years and less dynamite I thought. There were displays going on at Pedi, Ag Triatha, at the Castro, Lemonitisa, Evangalismos and elsewhere, and loads of red flares being sent up. The ones from the Castro were spiralling down right over our heads and looking like they were going to land on the house but they were out well before that. The scene was enriched (ha ha) by the massive super yacht that was in the bay, all lit up. This was, I am told, the floating palace of some Chelsea football club owner or something (I don’t follow and am not impressed by this kind of thing) but what was nice was that he had come over to Symi for his Easter, to attend church at Evangalismos and was then on his way just after midnight. Mr Abramovich his name is, or something. Seems like a nice man. Anyone who can spend over 1.5 Billion on a fleet of private yachts and chooses Symi for his Easter can’t be all bad in my book.

Anyway, enough ramblings, off into Monday and back to the grindstone. Have a good week and I’ll be back tomorrow with more nonsense or some such. Happy bank holiday and May Day and kalo mina for yesterday and have a good month.

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