Something different today – videos, thanks to Roger who wrote:
This is a short and long blog; short as I am a man of few words and long in that it has links to five videos I have uploaded to YouTube – four of the Symi Festival 2015 and one of general views of Symi. Sit back, relax and enjoy. Part of your one-a-day Symi fix. Roger
1) A classical guitar performance by Christos Rossos in the grounds of the Evangelistria Church Symi Greece, Part of the Symi Festival 2015
on the 29th August 2015.
2) Traditional Greek dance and music in the central square of Chorio Symi Greece. Part of the Symi Festival 2015.
3) We came across this group playing in the main square at Yialos, but as we had seen no posters and could not understand the announcements, unfortunately we do not know their title.
4) Stefanos Korkolis and Sofia Manousaki in Concert in the grounds of St John’s Church Symi Greece, 3rd September 2015
The Concert was part of the Symi Festival 2015.
5)Random sights from around the Island of Symi. September 2015
(Today it’s about The Symi Visitor Webcam – this from the chap who looks after it:)
The webcam on the offices of Symi Visitor continues to click away taking a new picture of the harbour every minute twenty four hours a day all year round: http://www.symivisitor.com/webcam.shtml
Symi Visitor webcam view
Being a bit of a geek with time on my hands I’ve persuaded a computer to grab these pictures, produce a daily video from them and upload it to YouTube. The program has been running more or less continuously since early June (which is something of a miracle given my limited programming
Early videos were fairly poor resolution but after changing the program at the start of November they look a lot better. Each video lasts about a minute and a half covering thirteen hours of harbour life from seven in the morning until eight at night although these times could change.
If you want to pick a sample video to watch I recommend you try one from a Wednesday when the Blue Star Diagoras docks twice. It’s an amazing sight.
A couple of my favourite things, my best beach on Symi and my beautiful 12 year old standard Poodle who we named Symi so that we would be able to say “Symi” everyday. Have a good holiday and thank you for your blog – Deborah Ratcliffe
St Nikolas beachSymi!
I thought that was rather a sweet email (and photo) thank you – thanks to everyone who sent in guest blogs for while I am away. I should, today, be in Belgrade and about to head back to Rhodes. J
Lonely house
I know horror stories are not everyone’s cup of tea, but this one isn’t too bloody. Well, okay, so there are some slightly gruesome bits in it, but it’s more of a thriller than a blood and guts rip’em up horror. I’m just showcasing it today in case you have friends or family who might fancy a copy for Crimbo, something dark and menacing to read by the fire on a cold winter’s night…
Here are parts of some reviews: “Having served up the excellent The Judas Inheritance which has been made into a film set on the wonderful Greek island of Symi, he now invites the reader to the Birthday Party from Hell. This excellent story has a very satisfactory outcome – depending on your moral compass. You will not be disappointed if you are a fan of the macabre.”
“A very good thriller. I loved it.”
“A real page turner and kept me guessing right to the end.”
Full cover
Here’s the blurb:
Drover and Pete are two hopeful drifters looking for a better life. Desperate for food, they break into an isolated house deep in a forest. There they accidentally shoot an old man just as the rest of his family arrive for a birthday gathering.
Under intense suspicion from the family, the boys attempt to cover up the accident. But they are not the only ones keeping a murderous secret. Mistrust and deception unearth a primeval ritual as the lies give way to a terrifying truth.
With time running out and a deadly force closing in, Drover and Pete’s survival rests on the strength of their friendship, but they must face some horrific choices in order to stay alive.
James Collins is the author of The Judas Inheritance on which is based the forthcoming feature film The Thirteenth, starring Kurtis Stacey, Rebecca Grant, Wookie Meyer, Richard Syms, and Lorna Doyle. He lives and works in Greece. This is his ninth novel and second horror-thriller.
(BTW: I just checked the 1066 Production website, the company making ‘the Thirteenth’ and it still shows ‘The Judas Curse,’ which was the original name for the film that was based on The Judas Inheritance. I know a lot of people are waiting to hear about the money they gave to this project and are wondering what is happening with it. Last I heard, it was still in post-production waiting for some edits, but the editor they found was working for free and now is on a contract with someone else and hasn’t got the time to finish the final visual edits; so that’s holding up the sound and music process. I suggest anyone wanting to know more contacts 1066 Productions directly as this is all I know. Their contact page is here: 1066 Productions contact.
We fell in to our first trip to Symi, only having booked our first holiday on the Island the week before. The usual research that goes in to a holiday never happened, no maps had been bought and no itinerary designed and no must visit list made. So at the orientation get together with Katia our tour company rep we signed up to do a trip across the island to visit the monastery of Michael Roukouniotis, a walk through the woods to the wine presses, on to the monastery of Panormitis where we were promised pies and at the end a trip at the beach at Marathunda.
Marathounda
It was very hot as we waited for the bus at the Hidden Courtyard but soon we were sitting in the cool of the bus. At the first stop, just off the road above the town, we looked at the view of the town. The view was fantastic looking down on Horio and across the harbour with the hills of Turkey in the distance.
Monastery of Roukouniotis
The next stop was the monastery of Michael Roukouniotis. We wandered all around the site looking at the old church sitting under the newer church, admired the frescos and the twinned trunk of two trees growing in the grounds of the monastery. Then as the heat got hotter we were on to the walk through the forest to see the ancient wine presses.
Wine press
Here we got lucky. We stopped by the Megalo Sotiris monastery and it was open. Never slow in looking at a bonus monastery we all had a quick look around before heading off into the woods to see the wine presses.
Rocky path
The woods thankfully were cooler and the hours walk wandering through the pine trees and looking at the presses and Mihail Kourkouniotis church, was not as tiring as we feared but the path we were following was across some rocky terrain.
Panormitis bay
Dropping down to the road again to be meet the bus we had our first view of Panormitis.
Panormitis Monastery
The road to Panormitis is a series of sharp hairpin bends that drop down to the monastery. By the time we arrived the only pies left were cheese so as we wandered around we were looking at everyone wondering if it was them that eaten all the pies. As time was short we did not do the museum leaving that for next year. A drink at the taverna and it was back in the bus and on to the beach at Marathounta. Here the big decision had to be made food or a swim. As it was very hot the swim won so after fighting the goats we had a short swim in the clear water of the bay.
The trip back in the bus was fun with the stereo blaring out traditional bazooki music. What was interesting was the speed of the bus seemed to be directly related to the beat of the music. This was fine until the last bit of the trip dropping down from the hills into Horio which synchronized with the climax of a very fast piece of music!
Other photos from Ian:
Megalo Sotiros monasteryMegalo Sotiros monasteryMonastery of RoukouniotisMonastery of RoukouniotisMonastery of Roukouniotis
