All posts by James Collins

Symi, Greece as it happens (Giros and boats)

July 9, 2015 James Collins

Images from Symi Greece by Neil Gosling and James Collins — Emergency services attending to a case on Symi yesterday

Just sitting here on Wednesday late morning with Euronews playing the PM’s speech to the EU – translated by a very clever interpreter. This is obviously yet another crucial week for the Eurozone and Greece and yet another emergency meeting is to be taking place once they’ve had a last minute summit to discuss the urgency of the next emergency meeting that will be a second one-off to discuss the meeting that did not happen the last time an emergency happened a week ago last Thursday tea-time and how they all felt about it. Watch this space.

Symi Greece Sim — Off on a birthday boat bash

Meanwhile, I was watching Yialos on Tuesday evening as we popped down to welcome Neil’s brother to the island for his 14^th or 15^th non-emergency visit. You could hardly see the sea for the boats and their masts. Boats of all shapes and sizes, and the place was fair buzzing. I wouldn’t say it was full on land, there are plenty of cafes and tavernas and never enough visitors to fill them all of course, we could always do with more tourists, but there were lots of people about.

The bank machine was issuing money with no hassles and locals and visitors alike were enjoying a warm evening. Pat and Hazel’s birthday boat went out at 7.30 and Neil took his customary group photo. We usually get this on the return journey but as we weren’t going, due to family arrival, he took it before they set off.

We then dashed to the corner souvlaki shop for a healthy dinner of processed chicken slabs, multiple carbs and salad (that’s the healthy part) before meeting James at Pacho’s, where we also met Jenine. A chat there and a cab up (Neil and the other James walked while I was a gentleman and escorted the lady) and a quick hello to Yiannis on the way home. So, that got his holiday off to a good start.

Now then. ‘Greece as it happens.’ I’ve had a few emails in from people asking what it’s like here at the moment, even some phone calls, and all I can say is that, sorry to disappoint the press desperate for desperate times, but it really isn’t desperate here. Everyone’s getting on with things, many are looking forward to a change in currency no matter that it will bring some pretty dire consequences with it, if it happens, and others are worried that this government will bring the country down and cause all manner of hardships, with no real way to get itself out of the mess. But that kind of high-level discussion I leave to the people who really know what they are talking about i.e. most people on Facebook.

That seems to be a bit rife with people all saying what’s best for Greece at the moment. Some folk have been getting very uppity about their point of view. ‘Leave the Eurozone now!’ is one cry – okay, and have you really thought out what that would mean? ‘Get back to austerity, we were nearly there!’ is another one. And yes, but have you realised how little of these loans go to the people and how much this is all about financing banks? And ‘There must be a middle ground!’ is another rather obvious one that, I think, more and more people are signing up to.

But still. You know I am about as politically well informed as my cat, and as good a representer of the facts as certain British newspapers, so I won’t dwell on what I don’t completely understand, and can do nothing about, which is a good way to be I reckon. I will leave the last word for today with the writer of the excellent piece that was in the Guardian. ‘Want to help Greece? Go there on Holliday.’ “The weather is just as stunning as it ever was this time of year; the archaeological sites just as interesting; the beaches just as magical; the food just as heart-healthy. The prices are significantly cheaper than usual. It is one of those rare everybody-wins situations.”

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As it happens

Symi, Greece as it happens

July 8, 2015 James Collins

And, as it happens, we went out on Monday night, a bit of a treat from Tina for her visiting family. And what a great evening we had. Thank you, thank you! Okay, so it went like this:

Neil was at work, and I was at home working on ‘Straight Swap’ the next comedy novel – now with only two chapters left to go of the first draft and at 120,000 words – so feeling pretty excited about that. Having done a quick interview with The Times (they’d rung Neil who was working so he put them onto me) where I gave my views and experience of: Greek banks – still giving out money and in €60.00 withdrawals last time I saw. Tavernas? Doing fine so far but we could all do with more tourists. Food supplies? Fine, markets gardens in Rhodes, the Tilos veg man, local meat and so on… Having done that, I nipped down to the bar to recover from a 7,000 word writing day.

Then we nipped home to collect camera and things for the evening ahead and nipped back to meet Jenine.

We headed down to ‘Kavos’ in Harani for the evening, some of our party stopping to take some money out of the National bank and others out of the Alpha back en route, no problems there. The harbour was busy. The south side was full with gullets and smaller boats and the north side full of bigger yachts and fishing boats. A great sight to see.

Our table was right next to the water, which made standing up a bit of a trial, I mean, put the old man with vertigo right on the edge why don’t ya? No, it was fine and, I think, the first time I have had dinner on the water’s edge for many years. The food at ‘Kavos’ is traditional Greek, everything was on the menu and we ordered various mezethes to share and pass around; tuna fish salad, souvlaki, patatas, octopus and some other seafood things I don’t go near, keftethes, roasted vegetables, and some completely acceptable local house wine.

Later, after missing the intended 23.00 bus back up, we walked back around the harbour where the boat party was still going on, though not overly noisily so, and some of the party bought ice creams. There was some mild dithering about waiting for a taxi as it looked like only one was still running so some of the group leapt in that, others waited for it to come back and some of us walked up. And up, and up, and walked off the mezethes via the ‘Lazy Steps’ (misnomer, as I’ve mentioned before), the slope past the school and then the killer steps past the old shop.

A final and quite unnecessary nightcap at Rainbow and home. No sooner had we walked in than the cat ran out and headed off into the wild for the second time in a few days. I reckon he is bored with this house, there’s not enough fight action for him, and he can only get out if we leave the gate open. Or if, like on Monday, he sees us come in and gets out before we have a chance to close it. Tuesday midday and he’s still not back. But if he wants to go and explore and have a few days away, we can’t stop him.

And now to Tuesday – well yesterday as I write. We are expecting Neil’s brother to arrive this evening, and we have been invited to two parties, neither of which we can make. So happy (belated) birthday celebrations to Pat, Hazel and Michelle. Neil’s brother, James, has a friend arriving on Friday, also called James. Neil intends to take a photo showing James, James, James and our hoover, also called James. There that’s something to look forward to.

Don’t forget, if you like these Symi views, and photos, you can check out the three books about living on Symi. The links are over there on the top right. ‘Symi 85600’ the first five years of living here. ‘Carry on up the Kali Strata’ – articles and stories about living here. ‘Village View’ – the collected blog posts from 2013. Enjoy!

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Day to day on Symi

Symi Greece as it happens – concerts and carrier bags

July 7, 2015 James Collins

So, let’s get up to date with Symi as it happens, or as it happened up until Monday morning, which is where we are now up to in our day to day blog from Greece. But fist, let’s start at Sunday morning where we left off.

Symi Greece Simi — Alexandra Koniak live on Symi

Sunday we needed to get the rest of the rent money from the bank so we went down and took it out, no problem. I did have a sneak peek at some of the receipts in the bin and saw that people were still able to take out €60.00, where as in some places in Greece the banks had run out of €20 or €10, so only €50 was available.

After that there was time for some shopping and a quick look at ‘Symi Central’ from the outside. This is a new apartment place next to the Nautical Museum, where some friends will be staying on Friday. Looks nice, quiet and on the flat. We then went along to look at the polling station as Neil wanted some photos, possibly for The Guardian, to whom he had submitted some of the wedding pictures from Saturday. There were one or two people going in and coming out, but with only a couple of thousand people to vote and 12 hours do to it in, it’s never going to be that busy there.

And then onto the shops, avoiding the clock tower at Agios Yiannis which is cordoned off, I assume for repairs. Loads of fruit and veg at the supermarkets so we did some shopping and also got some Jack food, and then as it was nearly 11.30 it was Diet Coke Break time, but as that stuff eats through toilet bowls we went for the Greek beer option. (Neil had sold a couple of next year’s Symi Calendars (as he had a very limited supply at home) and so we thought we would celebrate the new ‘Oxi Day’ (though we didn’t know it at the time) with a beer.) We watched the boats come in and unload the day trippers, chatted with folk, including Hugo and enjoyed a Sunday morning.

Later, finding no taxis, I assume they were busy with family visiting from Rhodes for the vote, we walked up the steps, with bags of shopping at 2.30 in the afternoon. Not recommended. But once there we discovered that The Guardian had used two of Neil’s photos for their web pages, and they used another two later on that day. All good publicity for Symi.

In the evening there was a concert on the steps, just down from our old shop and Neil got the photos you see here today. It was a good turn out and a great concert. It had been organised by a new group who are arranging cultural events and who are running on donations only. As the Symi Festival has kind of ground to a halt, this new group is doing what it can to keep live music and arts going for the people of Symi and those who visit every year. So, Bravo! But no, I have no intentions to play the piano in public. Ever. So I’ll be happily in the audience from now on.

And then Tuesday started with the referendum news – which I’d seen on the TV the night before – and off we go into the next round of question marks. I went up the mountain for a run and very nice it was too, and then got to work. So, I hope you enjoy the photos and I hope you have good day. Keep reading, keep supporting with the advert links and the books, tell your mates and all that, get your calendars and keep living the dream.

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Day to day on Symi

Sunday morning Symi

July 6, 2015 James Collins

Wedding on Symi — Wedding reception in the village square – Saturday night

It’s yesterday morning here on Symi, the country is voting in the referendum and, to be frank, I’m done with all the ‘What if?’ and ‘They should…’ and ‘No!’ and ‘Yes’ and ‘He’s lying,’ and ‘they should never have…’ and ‘If only,’ and so on. I have my opinions on what should happen but, as I can’t vote in this one, there’s no point trying to force them on others, and certainly no point in calling those who disagree ‘stupid’ or ‘ignorant’, ‘ill informed’ or just plain ‘wrong’, as I’ve seen some people do of late.

By the time you read this it will be all over bar the shouting, at least the vote will be. I reckon that on one side there will be years of hardship imposed by outside, and on the other there will also be years of hardship but at least it will be self-imposed. Let’s see what happens and, in the meantime, return to our usual programming. And, in today’s case, a set of photos taken over the weekend.

A weekend that started on Thursday with dinner at the taverna, went into Friday with the boys and Tina coming to the house in the evening for films, pizza and ice cream, and then into Saturday where I managed to write 7,500 words of the new book, ‘Straight Swap’ and now have only three scenes left to go. There was also a wedding on Saturday and a huge reception in the village square. We sat on the balcony listening to the music and trying to take photos of the view at night. Mainly unsuccessful.

We also put up some lights in the courtyard on Saturday, solar powered so they don’t cost anything, and they come on when it gets dark. Jack also went exploring for the first time in several weeks. He had been watching other cats from the balcony and then, when he saw the gate open, headed down there for a good look around. He even came back of his own free will to use his litter tray, which kind of defeats the object of having the big wide world to dig in, but there you go.

Sunday, well, it’s only 8.40 and I am getting this out of the way so I can get straight down to work tomorrow morning. But we’re heading into town later to get some decaf coffee and have a look around. Then there’s a concert tonight on the freshly painted steps of the Kali Strata which we hope to get to. Like all of these summer events though it doesn’t start until 21.00, which usually means 21.30 and that’s about the time I’m usually heading for bed, with the alarm set at 05.15, but I’ll see, we may make it.

And that was our weekend. I’ll drop in more photos during the week as the country enters the next phase of its mismanagement and keep you up to date with what we’re doing on Symi, and how the new book is going. Neil’s brother is visiting us this week so the days ahead could possibly involve beer.

Here are a few more photos from the weekend:

And two more from Neil who is a great wedding photographer, as we know.

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Day to day on Symi

Symi Photos – Greece as it happens (2)

July 4, 2015 James Collins

It’s going to be a fun weekend here on Symi, Greece. There’s a festival being held on the Kali Strata on Sunday, a concert by Alexandria Koniak, with Christos Serenes on the piano, organised by Ομιλός Αζιών Σύμις and starting at 21.00. Everyone is welcome and it is all completely free.

Oh, and apparently there’s a referendum taking place as well, though it’s still pretty unclear exactly what’s being referendumed and what the exact question is. I did see a post online that said anyone who is registered to vote in the mayoral elections is able to vote in this, Greek or not, but that was only a fleeting post and I’ve not seen or heard any more about that. I’m assuming it’s Greek nationals only. I did look around for more information but I reckon what I saw was a rumour that was quickly scotched. Anyway, that’s also happing on Sunday and so Monday’s blog post should be interesting. (Unless I write it on Sunday morning in which case Tuesday’s post will cover any photos I get at the concert.)

Meanwhile, from some reason Symi seems unperturbed by the growing disaster. Maybe we’re lucky and day trippers are bringing in cash, though they don’t usually spend much here as they are often doing the small business busting ‘all inclusive’ to the extent of bring packed lunches, or having their meals included in their trip. But, as far as I’ve heard, people have been managing to get their money out, everyone is knuckling down and getting on with it, and in the traditional Symi way, putting on a big smile, opening arms wide to visitors and friends alike, and enjoying the fact that we’re alive.

We had a lovely meal in Georgio’s on Thursday with Jenine, Ian and the boys, and the boys are coming to us tonight (Friday) with their fairy godmother (Tina) for an evening on the balcony. Here are a few more shots from Yialos:

As I write, with my window open, I can hear the carriage bell ring as it goes around the harbour. I can also hear the engines of the boats coming in and out, the day ferries and the super yachts, and I can hear Greek music playing somewhere. Someone’s lunch smells good as the smell wafts in through the window on a lazy breeze and through the leaves of the massive fig tree I can see groups of people walking around the harbour enjoying the day.