Good morning, welcome to Saturday and a collection of photos from the file with a catch up and some ideas for some Symi holiday bargains. First: Thursday evening: down to Yialos to attend a meeting about the refugee situation. That was followed, slightly ironically, by a pizza at the Dolphin. There was a family on the next table making an awful lot of noise…

Friday was spent doing very little. Neil was in Rhodes (reporting lots of police checks on people getting off the ferries, sniffer dogs and searches; I am assuming there’s been news of some smuggling from Turkey) so I covered the bar – not completely, just one chair and a couple of hours – and spent the rest of the day at home fiddling with ‘Straight Swap’ which is now only two major scenes from the end of draft one. But when I say major I mean – a variety show, a failed sabotage attempt, the denouement and the epilogue. I’m kind of standing back from it for a day or so to let the strands filter through the old imagination, and then will set about it.

I think the weekend holds in store a little frivolity with the boys coming over on Saturday, I believe, and a calm day planned for Sunday before getting back into the working week on Monday. The wind has died down up here, after Thursday’s blowing about, and the sun is set to ‘warm and above’ for the next few weeks.

Meanwhile, on Symi: we continue to have day trippers and regular visitors visiting, though numbers are down. So, if you want a last minute quick and quiet break there are probably plenty of deals around. You’ll be okay, even if we do go a bit bankrupt next week, something which seems to have been a possibility for five years now, so no great change there. Check out the ‘Search Hotels’ link in the right column >> you can change the location from Symi to Rhodes if you need an overnight there, otherwise, there are some neat deals to be had. I checked out Olympic Holidays, on Symi for the last two weeks of August, and found under £500 per person including flights, and that was staying at the ever popular Anastasia in Horio. I was almost tempted to book it myself.

Here’s another one: 8^th July for two weeks, two people, from Gatwick, flights included, staying at Sevasti Studios in Horio (greats views of Pedi), self-catering, £388 including flights and transfers. If you want to stay in Yialos there’s one there for £408, or Anastasia’s in Horio for £424 which isn’t a bad price at all, considering you have the flights included. A self-transfer at Rhodes could cost you around €20.00 for the taxi to the harbour, and then €16.50 on the ferry times two, so that’s at least €73.00, not to mention the possibility of an overnight stay. I know that package holiday companies do strange things with people, like put them down beyond Lindos for a night which means two hours there, two hours back and three hours in a hotel room. Or else they put you in the foyer of a hotel in Rhodes town (all depends on when you land and so on), but it’s bearable – you could always check yourself in for a night somewhere, for those prices you can’t go wrong.

Anyway, I didn’t set out to sell you an Olympic Holidays holiday, just thought I’d give it a mention. (And there are many other tour operators working here: Kalodoukas, Symi Visitor, Symi via Travel A la Carte…) I’ll let you ponder on it all though and let you get on with your day.

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Thursday morning, getting ahead of myself again. There’s all kinds of malarkey going on in Brussels or somewhere at the moment, and I’m getting updates in from my UK ‘stringer’ who is keeping his finger on the pulse firmer that a surgeon performing a heart transplant, so all kinds of things may have happened by the time you read this. We shall wait and see.

Meanwhile, the sofa bed (very basic but hopefully will do the job) is in place and has its first fan. Luckily I put a white throw over it. Jack has found his morning sleeping spot now, after investigating the cupboard to check up on my old scripts and manuscripts, scores and other work that is kept in there.

I am typing on my new keyboard kindly sourced for my by Spacephone Symi. The keys are the same size as standard keys, which is why I tend to hit two at once, but it has a larger surround which somehow make me feel the keys are larger and this easier to strike. Which is probably also why I hit more than one at a time. Should have gone to typing lessons and learned to type properly rather than churning out 100 (incorrect) words a minute with three fingers on one hand, plus an occasional little finger, and two on the left hand. Still, five out of ten ain’t bad.

Neil’s been to town again and today has organised boat tickets for Friday. He’s off to his allergy doctor person in Rhodes, so I shall be covering the bar on Friday afternoon. I’ve also been chasing up some medical matters. My national health insurance runs out at the end of this year so I need to fix up some private scheme. I’ve checked with Euromedica in Rhodes and found a list of insurance companies they deal with. I’ve emailed one (the Greek branch of ING) and they have had their local agent from Rhodes call me up this morning.

We had a funny chat. ‘How tall are you?’ Told him. ‘How much do you weigh?’ Told him. ‘You are too short,’ he said, ‘but I am shorter.’ ‘O-kay… And?’ ‘Ha!’ He laughed. ‘When I say I am too short I mean I am too fat because we are not fat we are just under-tall, but I am fatter than you and they still insure me.’ Well, charmed I am sure. I shall post him some photos of the sunrise and sweat I see every morning. Anyway, they should be sending me a quote through the email post at some point. And, when I have seen that and recovered from my heart attack, I’ll start to work out a way to afford to pay it. Nice thing is, he said, the insurance company might want to have me checked by Euromedica before finalising, and they will pay for it all. Another medical holiday in Rhodes looks to be in the offing.

That’s that. What’s next? Nothing really. No more news since yesterday. A bit windy, still warm, quite pleasant actually, and a few pics form the harbour on the blog. We may or may not be in the Euro by the time you read this, but, as the sign said, “Keep calm and have another summit.”

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Thank you for the wonderful comments on yesterday’s blog, sent in by email. A piece of fun. Today we’re back to the usual old ‘what I did on my holidays’ stuff. Though yesterday was far from a holiday.

In fact, there was so much going on that I didn’t have time to prepare a blog in advance, as was my intention. The day started with work, as per usual, and then we had to head to Yialos to get some bits and pieces done and it turned out to be a day of deliveries. First of all I went to get my tax form, delivered to the accountant, but he was in Rhodes. And then I went to deliver a message but the person I needed was also in Rhodes, so we went and bought salad things instead.

That done there was time for a drink at Pacho’s (Coke Lite before you ask) and time for some people watching. The boat had come in and the groups of tourists were slowly making their way around the harbour, quite happy and no need to be airlifted out. We saw the ice delivery van go by – look closely; it’s a freezer on the back of a truck. What more do you need?

And then we headed for a light lunch at Meriklis. White sitting there with a chicken souvlaki the phone buzzed and a message came in from village HQ, “Ikea is at Olive.” That translates as, our delivery from Ikea (the sofa bed) is waiting for us at The Olive Tree. Luckily Justine, who now works there, came past and was able to deliver the message up that we would get it after lunch – our phones were out of credit at that point.

So, after putting credit on the phones and getting back to the souvlaki, suddenly the man from ACS Deliveries rode up on his moped, dropped off a package for me at the table and whizzed off again. Thank you very much! That’s my router-booster that might help expand our wireless coverage through the house to the kitchen where, incidentally, the light fitting is flashing like a sound to light unit at a mobile disco. (Must deliver message to electrician…)

So then, after lunch, with bags heavy with salad things and random pieces of electronic equipment delivered fresh to your table, we taxied back up and set about the Ikea order. There was also a table and cabinet for the bathroom, so we took them home, changed clothes and came back for the sofa bed. While Neil was at work later, I managed to wrestle the thing into shape, sweep the courtyard, clear out the cat’s personal though not so private garderobe, tidy the house, put the bathroom table together, hang out the washing, have a shower and get down to the bar to meet our evening guest by five.

The rest of the evening was spent in great company overlooking the harbour and watching the cruise boat leave and the Skiadeni come in. Later, we saw a quick video of Neil’s grandson opening his birthday present delivery we’d sent via Amazon. Then an early night, awake by 5.00, up at the top of the village by 5.30, quick walk to the kantina, back to the desk by six and here’s the blog. Getting on with Thursday now.

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News coming in from Rhodes of a major incident concerning some British tourists. The UK Government are currently seeking ways to extract them from the danger zone and make sure all those affected get back to Middle Britain safely. They are calling in the Royal Navy and there have been rumours that the R.A.F. may be airlifting out those worst affected.

Apparently, and my source in not official, the incident started just after breakfast on Tuesday. Mrs Armitage-Shanks, having beaten the Germans and completely towelled the poolside area, then dispatched herself to, in her words, ‘The funny little man who sells the papers by the market.’ She spent a good ten minutes searching through the German, French, Dutch and even, god forbid, Greek newspapers in search of the only one she ever reads and believes, only to find there were NO copies of The Daily Mail to be had, not even for ready money.

When news of this complete collapse of the British overseas newspaper service reached the rest of the group back at the hotel, a panic started. ‘We were not expecting such a rush of protests,’ Mr. Kiriadis, the hotel manager, said. ‘My staff did admirably but were no match for the horde of half-dressed chubby ladies (very nice, thank you) and under-dressed men with bigger bellies who marched on reception. We simply had no copies of the Daily Mail to give them.

‘I was disgusted,’ said a Mr Pyramid (54) from Barnsleydale. ‘I’ve been coming to Greece for nigh on two weeks now and every day I get my copy of the Mail delivered to me fresh by the wife along with my socks, sandals and Union Jack T-shirt, freshly ironed, mind. But today? Nothing! Who’s going to pay for the inconvenience? I might have missed something vital.’

A Mrs Ideal Standard (46) told our reporter that, ‘We have to read it to see what we should be doing! They said that the sky might fall on Greece today and that we might have to get shipped out to Sheerness because of the million immigrants coming into Britain tomorrow who are going to steal my son’s dole money and squat in my house and I’ve only got the three spare rooms that the council pay for, I have to keep one free for my back copies of the nation’s favourite newspaper.’

‘We are dealing with a major crisis,’ Mr Kiriadis told me by phone at lunchtime. ‘The police sent out scouts to every newsstand and peripteron we could think of and yet, no Daily Mail. These poor British have no idea what to do next. Some are in tears, some have refused to eat, saying they have no idea what to have for lunch until the paper tells them what they can and can’t eat. Some have offered their children  in return for a copy, but no one is admitting to stocking this particular newspaper. And I’ve not even had my coffee yet.’

Police Lieutenant General Takis Papatakisopolous, called in from Athens, reassured the tourists that, ‘All was being done to make sure you get your daily dose.’ At a riotous meeting of tourists, tour operators, hotel staff, newsagents and some happy Dutch girls who had wandered in to see what the fuss was about, Papatakisopolous called for calm and offered that the Greek authorities should pay for copies of The Independent or The Guardian to be flown out before lunch. But this only led to more tears, and calls for his resignation. Mr W.C. Flush of Gaddleminge (65 and three quarters) said, ‘I’m going to sue over this. Someone is responsible, and we want compensation. This is the second day of our three day holiday and it’s been ruined. I’m writing to someone important this afternoon and demanding a four week stay in the five star Hilton as minimum compensation. No Daily Mail? It’s an outrage. What’s the little woman going to read on the khazi now?’

There was a happy outcome to this Greek tragedy. After several hours of tough negotiations and research, a copy of the Daily Mail was located in Nusaybin on the Turkish/Syria border. The Greek authorities gladly put all the disgruntled DM readers into a small fishing boat and paid the owner the rest of their holiday spending money to sail them across to Yeşilköy on the Turkish coast so they could make the rest of the pilgrimage on foot – knowing full well that when they got there the good people of Nusaybin would only send them back to where they came from.

 Crisis averted. For now.

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“Are you in Greece? What impact is the risk of leaving the single currency having on your life? You can share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk .

 If you are available to talk to a BBC journalist please include a telephone number.”

So far (Monday late morning) everything seems to be the same around here except it’s pretty obvious that tourist numbers are down on the island. And I reckon we can blame the lack of British visitors on the good old British press and their mad scaremongering tactics to sell papers through invented misfortune. Neil went to the bank yesterday and got some money out, we went out for dinner as a Sunday treat, and, despite the best creative efforts of one of the Brit papers, Greece was not comparable to ‘the last days of Pompeii’, which, having seen the film with Frankie Howerd, conjures up all kinds of debauchery – yes, no, titter ye not.

Besides, wasn’t Pompeii a bit of a surprise to everyone? Did they have time to chill out, eat, drink and be Mary before the thing blew up? There must have been a few rumbles and such like but to suggest that they (and now ‘the Greeks’) were acting like Nero in Rome as the place burned… well, I think the newspaper was mixing its mythology, history, and probably metaphors.

So, there I was last night, fiddling while Rome burned and enjoying a very nice pork dish at Georgio’s, and that followed on from a very nice light lunch with friends in the courtyard, so we had a very pleasant Sunday thank you very much. So much so that we missed our 5.15 appointment on Monday morning, though I was awake and could have gone, and instead, settled into some writing work.

And, as I write this, the BBC might be interested to know that, as at 11.05 on Monday: day trip boats are arriving, the taxi boats are going out to the beaches, there are many pleasure yachts in the harbour, a couple of big ‘uns too. Last I heard both banks were giving out cash – though I think Alpha may be limiting their amounts – and all seems perfectly right with the world. A few locals I overheard yesterday were on the side of ‘get out of the Euro and be done with it,’ and presumably they are coming from the vantage point of having large families to support them, growing their own food and catching their own fish, being used to hardship, having nothing much left to lose and having a feeling of wanting Greece to be Greek again; national pride and all that.

As for me? Well, whatever. You know? I’m not the most politically active cushion on the back bench, and I can’t vote in Greek elections anyway (only local), so that’s that, but don’t get me started on the referendums… Had a brief chat about that Scottish referendum the other day: one country voting to leave a union of four, but only that one country’s residents allowed to vote. How democratic was that? Load of rubbish. And the possible 2017 one on leaving Europe? Well, heaven forfend! That’s going to be won or lost on the strength of headlines in the likes of the Daily Fail. “Leave Europe and you won’t have any more smelly foreigners getting their hands on your taxes, not that you pay any as you get all kinds of benefits yourself, but that’s okay because you’re white and read this newspaper.’ Daft. Vote in a government and let them get on with it. Don’t like them? Well, you should have gone and cast your vote rather than sitting at home saying ‘not interested’ and doing the tea-time quickie.

And, that’s me for you. Have a good Tuesday – hope you like Neil’s photos from last weekend.

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