Sunday morning in our house. Me beavering away on publicising books before settling down to write another author interview and hopeful then move on to actually writing half a chapter while being careful of my bad arm. Neil and Ms Tina Turner in the sitting room. Her growling her way through a couple of hits from the ’80s, him doing his grandpa yoga or whatever cabalistic activity he does in there when no-one’s looking. A lady up the road, glimpsed through the kitchen window as I make another cup of tea, feeding the cats, shooing away the chickens then leaving. The chickens flocking back as if to roost, and a party of fur and feathers devouring whatever she left for them. The sky a little grey and cloudy. The harbour calm and quiet, for now, and containing the ‘pencil boat’ that’s been there for well over a week now; long, narrow and apparently rather swank close up, I’ve not seen in move for days and wonder at its story.

The boat was thus named when we first saw it and has been the topic of discussion after at least three piano lessons now as me and the H bomb stand on the balcony and discuss boats, the meaning of life, the future, and anything random that springs to the alert mind of a 17-year-old on the cusp of becoming a grown up. We had dinner with the two of them last night, a #BoysNight and hopefully the first of many to come this winter depending on what the S man does for work. (If anyone has a live-in chef job they know of, pass it along.)

Last night (Saturday as I write) we went to the Taj Mahal, each of us had a different main dish so we could share a taste, we added a couple of sides, and of course, it was wonderful, as was the company and conversation. People often say, ‘You’re so lucky to live here,’ but we’re not. We made it happen through planning, design and action, not luck. Where we are lucky, me in particular, is to have had the opportunity to watch these two young men grow up, and to be a part of that growing up. I’m not sure if it’s lucky to have them vomit on you when babies, or break your heirlooms when toddlers, but it’s all part of the experience. As is going to parents’ day in absentia, collecting school reports, taking them to medical appointments, helping them move into their first home, having that discussion when they’re at that age, teaching them how to shave, play the piano, and all the time to be an ear, a sounding board, a wallet. The other evening when out for dinner with the S man, he said about someone, ‘I told them to watch out because my uncle writes books.’ Uncle? I’ve never been prouder.

But enough of boys and boats, sentiment and Tina Turner. It’s time to turn my Sunday morning attention to that interview and then hopefully, to half a chapter before my arm gives up the ghost. I’m sure I will be back to the more usual dull blogging tomorrow.

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To end the week, some photos. As I was coming back from a short walk yesterday, I noticed the rising sun in this tree up the road, and it looked spectacular. More so than it looks in this photo. I cropped it and still it doesn’t look as spectacular as it did at the time. Hey ho!

I also offer you some other random shots taken during the last week, a week which has seen the temperature drop to more rational levels, and a week that’s not yet ended. We are out to dinner at the Taj Mahal with our boys tomorrow night, there is live music in the usual places over the weekend, including Scena on Saturday, the Secret Garden tonight (I assume), and in the village square on Sunday. Before that, my job today is to order a Symi Dream calendar for 2025 before I forget. Here’s the link so you don’t forget:

And now, a few photos, and I’m off to work.

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There used to be a British TV show called ‘Sale of the Century’ (I can still hear the theme tune and the ‘Live from Norwich’ announcement), but these days, I appear to be having a ‘Sale of the Month.’ Yes, it’s that time of the month again when I seek your assistance in gaining me some kudos simply by clicking a link or two. In this case, there are three to choose from. These are book promotions I get involved with in order to sell a few more copies. As I write historical mysteries, there are a fair few mystery/thriller promotions to play along with, but I also put some other books in other promos too.

How it works: All you have to do is click on one or more of the promo pages where you can browse the covers and click them to read the book blurbs. If you like the look of a title, you can then go ahead and buy it or add it to your Kindle Unlimited collection. None of the above incurs any cost or leads to any dodgy adverts or anything, but the more clicks my links generate, the more ‘points’ I get in the club, so the more promos I can join in with, thus, the more books I can put out there. So, if you have nothing better to do today, click a couple of the banners below, and everyone’s a winner. You may even pick up a few new titles to read, or discover a new author.

Normal Symi chat activity will resume tomorrow. Meanwhile, here’s a cloud as seen from the Kastro…

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We were down in Yialos yesterday to meet friends we met in Canada in 2020 who were meant to come over on the Sebeco, but it was cancelled, so we’ll have to wait until next year to see them on their next trip to Rhodes. Still, we had lunch with our departing family who left on the 16.30 Panagia, and that did come as go as planned. Another lovely lunch at Trata, then home for Neil to prepare for work, which at the moment includes putting on a jumper or a hoodie. This morning has started calm, as did yesterday, but I think, unlike yesterday, the wind is forecast to remain mild today.

Things didn’t look so busy yesterday, mainly because there were few or no daytrip boats running. The taxi boats and other excursion boats didn’t go out either, but some stalwart regulars managed to get in some beach time no doubt. We started off up in the village where the wind was wild, and headed down with our extra layers on, but the difference between pano and kato was marked, and Yialos was warm. It was sheltered, I guess, and without the wind, it was a lovely day down there. Normal service will soon be resumed.

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Our niece and her husband have been on the island for the past few days, and yesterday evening, we all walked up to the top of the Kastro to take in the view. It was a little windy up there, as it was everywhere, and as the wind was from the north and west, the temperature dropped. It’s that time of year when it’s winter up top with hoodies and jumpers on, and summer below where you’re still wearing shorts. Still, the walk was lovely, as was the early evening view, as was dinner at Taverna Zoi afterwards.

In the afternoon, my godson came for his piano lesson, and after, as has become our habit in the summer, we stood on the balcony watching the boats and discussing… well, it’s whatever comes along. Boats, yes, but yesterday, also the strange light I and now he and everyone who works at the Kali Strata Restaurant see over Turkey. It looks like it’s over Nimos, but it’s further away, I’ve noticed it over the past few years, and it’s always the same. Only the time of night changes as this very bright, static light appears well above the mountain ridge, therefore, in the sky, stays there, and gradually fades out. Odd. We discussed in what direction it lay, which then resulted in a lesson in basic navigation and how to use a compass – as much as I could remember at any rate. There was also a discussion about how binoculars work, but sadly, I wasn’t able to answer all the questions. For example, why, when you look through a magnifying glass held at a distance, does everything turn upside down? I suggested asking a physics teacher, but at the technical school right now they’re lucky to have any kind of teacher; they’re short of teachers for maths, language and English. Terrible, if you ask me.

The evening finished off with news about what’s happening with our rented house. It looks like we are safe for another year continuing as we are, and then the new owner will reexamine the contract. Whatever that means. I may discover more when I see the new contract and go over to Rhodes to sign it. Meanwhile, it’s back to work this morning, followed by meeting friends on a day trip for lunch, saying farewell to the family, and, hopefully, returning to something approaching autumnal normality.

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