Here’s a story which, in my opinion, came about simply because of greed. Once upon a time, somebody thought, ‘I have a spare property. I will do it up and make it a holiday let.’ So, they put in a sink and fridge unit, supplied a bed, and listed it on that website where the background is blue, and where if you even dare search for a location out of interest you suffer several weeks of constant adverts with, ‘James, booking bargains are still available in Eritrea,’ of wherever you happened to misspell. All well and good (except for a young local family who could have made a permanent home in that spare property but who will now have to move away to find affordable accommodation).

Meanwhile, in a country far, far away, a would-be holiday maker is searching for somewhere to stay and goes to the blue website, finds something within budget and close to amenities, and it’s just what she wants, so she goes ahead and books it. Holiday excitement mounts as travelling time approaches, until one week before departure, the blue website contacts her to say that property is no longer available at €700 for two weeks, but not to worry. They have plenty of places available in Eritrea, and, better still, one of them is up the road from the original booking (in Symi), so she can have that. Yes, it is advertised at €2,300 for two weeks, but she will not have to pay any extra as the blue website is taking the hit. Not only that, but this brand new property is also an ancient island feature, on the crest of a hill, with sea views and not far from anywhere. Here, the blue website enthuses, see these (AI generated) images of what the place looks like. See, it has stone walls and new wood, and a sink/fridge unit, and a bed. Now, how can life be any more perfect?

Well, for a start, it could be finished. On arrival, said visitor finds a few faults. For example: the image on the blue website is clearly an artist’s impression of what the property could look like one day. According to that set of images there’s no need to climb over a building site to get to the door. There is no hole in the bathroom floor, leaving the drainage open, and a wonderful, nay, some would say, unique trip hazard right where your left foot will be when you’re on the loo. No table to eat off? No worries, it’s how they live on the island. Shower? It’s behind that curtain under the stairs… The list goes on. Terrible experience.

The place is clearly not fit for purpose and certainly not fit for €2,300 for two weeks.

What do you do? Some of us would contact and complain, insist on repatriation, or get on the next plane to Eritrea and launch a case of false advertising, bring in health and safety, an inspector or ombudsman, or do whatever you could to point out that whoever listed this property should be thoroughly disbarred and spanked, and that the blue website should take some responsibility for not checking the suitability of their offerings. In this true-life case, however, the visitor decides, ‘Oh well,’ and rolls with it. That’s up to them, of course, but it rather makes my blood boil to think that people think unfinished, unfurnished, and falsely advertised properties is a way to go for the sake of a few bucks.

I’m not pointing out the property publicly but I have seen the advertising and the visitor’s own images of the reality, and it’s despicable. Imagine how you would feel if you had paid over two grand for the place and on seeing it, you could tell you had been lied to. There are, apparently, even neighbouring properties in the main photographs which are not there in real life. Okay, so if you are going to try and grab tourist money from your property at least get it ready and safe before advertising it as available.

It’s pure greed on someone’s part. Terrible. Enough said. Off to make a cup of tea…

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There’s nothing more exciting than a blank piece of paper, virtual or otherwise, except for today when I have a blank piece of virtual paper and can’t think of anything to write about. I have a subject that came to mind yesterday, but I am in a rush this morning and want to give that subject more time and attention than this morning allows for, so I will come back to it in time. It’s all to do with greed of holiday rental owners, or a few of them as I don’t want to tar everyone with the same feather, or whatever that expression is. There’s a word for that… for when you say things like, ‘I’ll burn that bridge when I cross it,’ or ‘It’s not rocket surgery.’ They are called malaphors, as I am sure you know, and that’s about as interesting as I can be today. I can show you what early morning view today, and as you can see, you can hardly sea the coast of Turkey. Looks like it’s going to be a humid day.

I’m going to have to leave you with that as I have a busy morning ahead, and as it’s water day, I can have a shower. Yay!

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Had a lovely evening celebrating the godson’s birthday yesterday, even though they were both at work at the time. We managed to see them for half an hour beforehand and were able to hand over a gift. It was a bit of a working gift – new kitchen shoes, but what he wanted, apparently. After that, we went to Georgio’s and watched one run up and down stairs next door delivering what the other had cooked, so that was that, and this is this.

This ship comes in every year and has done for a few years now. Yours to rent with prices starting at $490,000 a week plus all expenses, fuel, food etc., but it does house twelve guests, so it’s a bit of a bargain really. Either that or it’s obscene; depends on your point of view, I guess. Interesting to look at, but if I had that kind of money, I’d hire something more trad, like HMS Victory. The Cutty Sark would do. You can’t really see it in my photo, but you can learn more about it here.

That was the view the other morning, and this morning was pretty much the same. Temperatures in the courtyard starting the day around 28° and rising to 37° by mid afternoon, humidity between 40% and 80% depending on the breeze. Fan on in the sitting room when there, beside me at the desk here, and overnight. You get used to the constant white noise.

And that’s about all the news today.

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I am just this second back from paying the phone bill. This used to be a case of going down to town, collecting the post, taking it back up the hill, opening it, finding the bill, going back down the next day with the bill, to find the OTE office closed, going home again, going back down the next day – rinse and repeat ad infinitum – find the office open one day, queue, pay and have a beer (somewhere else). Now, it’s a case of clicking a link and paying. Sorted.

So, the weekend… In Yialos on Friday to have lunch with the godson…

That was one of his dishes, not mine. Me and seafood don’t mix. Although we lived by the sea (and sometimes it lived in our house because the house was below sea level and if there was a very high tide or a storm it would come over the sea wall…) and although we used to go shrimping and eat whelks etc. from stalls along the seafront, I can’t do that anymore. I once had oysters in Selfridges and was off work for two weeks. My first time on Symi, I tried the Symi shrimps, and woke during the night to expel everything (if you see what I mean) and to discover myself covered in great red lumps, sweating like mad, and all rather worrying. Two cans of Fanta lemon and two large bottle s of water later, and there was no need for an airlift but I was still slightly perturbed. Can’t even stand the smell now, so no, I don’t do things that are either still in or have come from shells.

Other weekend events included watching the recording of Live Aid on the TV, and looking out for Neil who was right at the front somewhere. Meanwhile, I was driving in from Wiltshire to collect friends at Barron’s Court to drive them across town to somewhere beyond Walthamstow for a party I didn’t want to go to, and by ten that evening, I was asleep in my car. A fantastic day only made bearable by listening to Radio One.

This was the sunrise this morning.

As for any other weekend news… A couple more chapters done on the next story… we had water in on Saturday (unusually) so I was able to have a shower… I made a Caesar salad dressing… Er… Um… No. That’s it. It’s the adopted godson’s birthday today (22), and we hope to catch a rare glimpse of him for a drink on his way to work. Or, I should say, on his way back to work as he works a double shift and does approximately 12 hours a day in a hot kitchen. So, next time you’re having a seafood platter when it’s 37° outside, spare a thought for those who are preparing it for you at 40° + inside.

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Is it possible to pop over to Rhodes for 3.5 hours? Yes. In fact, I’ve popped over for a shorter time. When collecting my biometric residency card a few years ago, I went on the early Blue Star, came back on the Sebeco and was home before lunch. Yesterday, was more leisurely. I left on the 10.15 and came back on the 15.30 Panagia. That gave me roughly 3.5 hours, during which time I walked from Akandia to the New Town and back again, via the optician, a spag bol at Napoleon’s, a brief rest at the Symi café in the new fish market, and a walk along the seafront because there was a very slight breeze there. Needless to say, with the temperature at 37° + and humidity at 70%, I was sweat wet before I even boarded the first boat. Not pleasant, but then I get like that when I walk to work each morning and that’s only across the porch.

I didn’t do well on photos. There was no time to stop and take any, really, but I got a few snaps from the boat. There are three sailings of this ship each day at the moment and I expected it to be virtually empty. For a boat that size, it was, but there were still plenty of people coming and going with luggage, so not on day trippers, a few young guys on mopeds and a little freight, but generally, it was a quiet and uneventful crossing there and back. The inside air con was down to -5°, it felt like, which was, at first, refreshing and then too much, so I sat up top among the noise of the engines, but luckily, the fumes were blowing the other way.

Anyhow, Rhodes was as to be expected. Busy with tourists, though Dimitris at the restaurant said it was a ‘usual season so far, not like last year when it was very busy.’ There were some cruise ships in dock, people swimming at the small beach between the harbours, and the usual fume-pumping busses carrying the inquisitive to various destinations. The authorities are extending the boardwalk around that dangerous section of road between Akandia Gate and the commercial harbour, so that’s currently even more dangerous to walk around (use the cut through at Akandia). The section at Kolona, the oldest part of the boardwalk, is quickly becoming dodgy with many loose boards, some rotten, others replaced and new, but mainly it’s getting a bit creaky and needs redoing. I hate to think how that will be by the end of this summer. And that’s about all I can think of to moan about this morning. That and the state of my chaffage – the Klunke Voks was soon washed away by sweat and I didn’t take the tin with me so couldn’t freshen up. Walking back up from the boat yesterday evening was something of a challenge after six miles and 13,000 steps.

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