We had a very nice weekend thank you, not that I much like the word, ‘nice,’ but you know what I mean. “You’re not good, you’re not bad, you’re just nice…” (‘Into the Woods’). We went into the valley, the Pedi Valley, with the family and friends and had a fabulous walk and explore, taking in the ancient fortification Drakos, Pedi, and later, lunch at Niki’s Kitchen. I’ll drop in more photos during the week, but here are a few from yesterday and one of just now.

Our walk started when we all met at Kampos and set off up the hill, dropping down to the left just past the famous Mediterranean oak tree. As we have had no rain to speak of since… May(?, I can’t remember) the ground, grass and scenery is very ochre in colour, with some trees still sporting greenery and others in the autumnal colours of red/brown. Grasses are spindly and have lost their flowers, and the ground is hard underfoot. Overhead, we have a collection of migrating and resident birds including ravens, warblers, and various hawks. We have a couple of robins in front of the house who always turn up at this time of year.

The company was lovely, of course, with some keen jokers among us, a teen interested in shotgun cartridges as well as history, an older brother interested in the plants and wildlife, and some middle-aged people interested in the archaeology, everything else, and the next beer stop. That happened when we reached Pedi and called into Kamaris where Neil went inside to use the loo, and where the owner came out to explain to the rest of us that they were actually closed, oops. So, we had a drink at the Blue Corner and then walked up to have lunch outside the Junior School at Niki’s Kitchen. This included a huge plate of pork reared and slaughtered locally, and served by family. A classic, Sunday afternoon in Greece home-cooked lunch, followed by too much wine with the squares in the bar, I mean at the bars in the square.

And so, a new week begins with writing work, a piano lesson and a quiet night in. I hope.

Share on Facebook

Yesterday was Halloween as I am sure you are aware. We don’t have so much of that trick or treating around here, although it sometimes takes place. There were a few younger people out and about in costume yesterday, maybe heading to a private party or just dressing up for fun, but no great big American style street decorations and all that spam. We did, however, have a treat and it concerned this piece of music…

My pupil came for his Thursday lesson at the appointed hour, and after the usual, Hi, how are you? Ola good. Sure? Yes. Any news? No… kind of overture that usually precedes an hour’s concentration, we got on with it. Scales: A major, A harmonic minor, A melodic minor, arpeggios of A major and A minor, and on to the next sex in the key of E flat… Then, a look through Bach’s 48 Preludes and Fugues to identify keys from the key signature and first/last notes of a piece. Then, on to the pieces. We started out five years ago by meeting once per week for around 15 minutes. Now, we meet twice a week for an hour at a time. One day we do the usual warm-up scales etc., followed by work from the course book, duets (for a Boxing Day concert we’re planning), and other random pieces for sight reading practice. The other day of the week, we start in the same way and then move on to the grade four examination pieces. Soon, we’ll concentrate more on the exam pieces and technical stuff, anyway…

After a quick break to admire that random photo… Yesterday we worked through a Chopin piece which focuses on playing in octaves, dexterity and speed, and then moved on to the exam pieces, blah blah, and after fifty-five minutes, I decided that was that, so we sat at the piano and chatted. Oh, then he played through the Bach prelude we’d opened on Monday (Neil had joined us by then) and which he’d played by himself for the fun of it (there’s your first result right there). We started chatting about Halloween, and it turned out H and his mates had recently watched the last Halloween film. In fact, he said, ‘We watched this…’

… and played the theme from the film score. It is in moments such as that one that you realise you have made a difference. It might look simple, but have you tried playing in five/four time? Have you heard and then transcribed a piece of music? I’d not taught him how to do this, there had been no music, he’d heard it and gone to his piano and worked it out. Heard it, replayed it, and (and this was the most stunning thing for me who can play nothing by ear not even Happy Birthday), he’d done it in the same key as the original. Hearing/playing is not something you can easily teach, and I don’t think I have, but needless to say, my gob was more than a little smacked. You might think it’s only one line of music, but it went on, the bass came in after the repeat, and that was accurate too.

Anyway… Enough about spooky Little Mozart, and back to the island. We’ve been promised a weekend with temperatures into the early 30s, it’s sunny out there, and I’m currently in here about to work on chapter 18 of the next release. Neil’s weighting next door before heading out, the washing machine is already churning, the water tank is filling, and we’re out to dinner with Miss P tonight, so there’s that to look forward to. Have a great weekend!

Share on Facebook

Here are a few more shots from a recent morning in Yialos. Boys fishing, fishing boats moored up after being washed down and having had their nets mended; those two things remind me of the age-old question, ‘What do you do in the winter?’ Although I don’t go fishing, it continues through the winter months, with professional fishermen on their boats, and amateurs with their rods. As long as you have a licence, I guess you’re good to go.

Random thought: Licence. Another of those English words that’s easy to confuse, as in ‘license or licence’? To put you out of my mystery, Licence is the noun, as in fishing licence, while License is the verb, as in to license someone to fish.

Of course, being an ‘English’ word, Licence is not English at all, but has arrived in our language from Latin, via Old French, to Middle English. License, however, derives from Licence, so that can be counted as being English, based on a word derived from Latin and Old French.

I think that’s right.

Meanwhile, Practice and practise work in the same in in that the noun has the C in it, Practice, while Practise, with an S is the verb. In this case, the verb came first, from Latin and Old French, and the noun, Practice, came from it.

I have no idea how or why I drifted into that, so here’s a fishing boat, and I’m drifting off to work.

Ps. A collective noun for a group of fishing boats? A drift.

Share on Facebook

It is starting to sound like the winter season, at our house at least. Today’s activities have already begun with a one-hour workout (Neil), and a cup of tea (me). After posting this blog, and my Jackson Marsh update blog, and after typing up half a chapter, and sweeping the floors, we’re having an ice cream workshop. That is, we have some friends coming later this morning to make ice cream with Neil. I’ll probably read, take a walk, or carry on writing. Later, I have some piano playing to do, which I am looking forward to, and this evening, the same friends are coming for dinner, part of which will be the ice cream. I’m on starters (tomato soup, homemade, of course), and laying the table. Meanwhile, outside, it’s still busy in the harbour during the day…

Also, to show that it’s finally calmer season-wise, we were able to get together with the family on Sunday and have a roast pork dinner, including gravy by Sam which is always a treat. Sitting in the courtyard under the shade of the umbrella because it was too hot in direct sunlight, chewing the cud or whatever, and catching up on news with all of us together for the first time in ages. we’ve also talked about our first ‘boys’ night’ maybe the weekend after next. The weather isn’t playing winter at all, which is both good and troublesome (some rain would be handy), and it’s still warm enough to sleep with the window slightly open and only one sheet on the bed. Looks like it’s going to stay that way for a while, too. Oh, and the train continues to run.

Share on Facebook

What can I tell you? It’s still pleasantly warm, there are fewer boats coming in but still day trippers, and the Blue Star timetable and booking only reaches to the first week in November at the moment. Hopefully, that will be extended soon. I expect the company is waiting to hear the details of subsidies before deciding what will be possible and profitable. On Friday, we went for a short walk through the boat yard at Harani…

Yesterday saw the Oxi Day parade in Yialos, and today has dawned clear, calm and a little humid. I have half a chapter to write after this, yesterday my piano pupil sightread an entire Bach prelude at a reasonable pace and with more than reasonable accuracy, and right now, Neil is throwing weights around the living room while my lightbulb flashes on and off as though I were in a 1980s disco. (Note: Must buy a new bulb.)

As you can see, not a lot to report today. I’ve been doing some writing and a fair amount of little else, and I must force myself out of the door for more strolls around the neighbourhood while the good weather lasts. On the one hand, we want it to stay warm so the cost of heating is lower, but at the same time, some rain wouldn’t go amiss. Apparently, we’re going to see longer, hotter and drier summers followed by warmer and drier winters, which sounds lovely, but which will eventually cause problems through lack of rain. Which reminds me, we must buy some paint for the roof. I’ll put that on the shopping list for later too.

Share on Facebook