Sunrise shots

And off we go a-wandering… Yesterday, before down, up the hill to the first bridge over the old riverbed just beyond the top cantina. The sun came up as I was coming down, and I saw the usual succession of cars and motorbikes with army officers on their way to work. I passed the goatherd and his dog, three other men walking their large dogs up or down, and was serenaded by the summer cicadas as they deafened from the trees. It was a pleasant, sultry morning, and I returned home dripping but invigorated ready to get on with the day’s work, which unfortunately began with having to pay my health insurance bill for the year. That was okay, I was expecting it, and it’s all part of the master plan. Actually, considering what it offers, the price isn’t bad, but if you are thinking of taking private health insurance, all I can say is, get in early, before you get any older because the older you are when you start, the more costly it is to get started if you see what I mean.

If you’re living in Greece and have independent means (private pension, savings, etc.), then you need private insurance. If you’re working for a company, your IKA should be paid for you, that’s your national insurance, and if you are self-employed, then you have a government scheme you can pay into. If you were thinking of emigrating here from the UK, then you need to do that and be registered to live here before the last day of this year, and there are various things you will need. I’d suggest asking the consulate or your embassy to be sure as I read conflicting information on Fakebook and only trust the groups that are run by the embassy staff.

Anyway, that’s not what I mean to talk about. In fact, I don’t know what I mean to talk about. I think I only intended to show you yet more sunrise shots from myself or from Neil who, yesterday, walked to Pedi for a swim and then headed off to Nos and back as his morning walk, arriving home just as the Blue Star One arrived on its new Monday sailing. No doubt, even more sunrise shots will be added to the album and stuck up here in the days to come.

Bits and pieces

We are well and truly warming up into August now, with temperatures in the high thirties even at night, and the courtyard plants are gasping for a drink, which they will get this morning. (Our hosepipe is connected to the mains, and so we only get water in it three days a week, so on the Friday to Monday stretch, the plants come last in the pecking order.) I’ve had a quiet weekend at home working, as per usual, though I did pop out yesterday for some fresh air, and sat in a more or less empty square with a glass of soda watching the world go by, or not, as no-one was going anywhere because everyone had gone to the beach, I hope. Either that or they’ve been transported to the colonies, and no-one’s told us. All very quiet. But also very pretty as Neil’s photos today attest…

One of the things I have been busy with is getting a new book out there. This is one of the Clearwater ongoing mystery stories, but this one can be read as a standalone (and it’s not got any nookie in it like some of the others, though there are references). Obviously, when you’re on book seven of a series, it will be more gratifying to have read the others, but with this one, there’s no need (not really). You’ll get an idea that there’s a history behind the story, but you don’t need to know it in detail. It’s mainly about one young man coming to work in service below stairs in London in 1889, and finding his new house is nothing like the regimented, authoritarian and backwards household he has been used to. There is a mystery involved, and it is based on real people and events from the late 19^th century, much of which is actually true. It’s quite a sweet story, is called Home From Nowhere, and it’s available on all Amazon platform. Anyway… Enough rambling, on with the week.

Something for the weekend

To see us off into the weekend, here are a few photos Neil has taken during his 100-mile walk this month. He’s done brilliantly, getting up early and going for long, regular walks, sometimes being out for three hours or more. Me? Well, I’ve written 90,000 words this month, and am about to release another book (100,000 words), so my brain and fingers have had some exercise at least. Have a good weekend.

Oops!

I am so into the last few chapters of a new story, I forgot to prepare a blog, so just some photos today.

Yialos

I’ve been picking up a vibe that lots of regular visitors and new ones from the UK are coming to Symi in September, and that’s good news. Who knows what the situation will be with boat timetables, flights and overnight hotels in Rhodes where necessary, but assuming everything is running as smoothly as it can be, some people are asking what to expect when they get here. Well, on Monday, we went to Yialos for a socially distanced lunch with the bother-in-law (sic) who is here for two days, and I had a taste of how things are working down in the harbour.

I met the bothers at the Allegrito Bar where the chair arms were sanitised before I sat, and the table too, and where the staff were masked. The health inspectors are on the island, but staff have been wearing masks for some time now. On which note, you will be expected to wear one when on the bus/public transport. Not everyone is doing this, and some are even ignoring the tied-off seats and sitting in them when Lakis and Thanasis have cordoned them off for your own safety, so don’t be as stupid as those people. Many tourists are not wearing masks there either, and there’s a €150 spot fine if you’re caught endangering others this way, so watch out. Anyway, back to lunch…

We went to eat at the Trawler (Trata) because the bothers wanted a certain kind of fried fish, and there, the tables have been thinned out, and our menus arrived with a bottle of sanitiser so we could do our hands before and after using them. Again, masks (not while you’re eating), and as expected, wonderful fried fish, but sadly, no homemade taramasalata as it doesn’t keep for long, and customer numbers are down. That’s something else to expect; limited menus because of the risk of wastage. But what are still the same, are the friendly service, the good prices and good food. After lunch, it was back up the hill to distance at the bar while Neil was at work, before home and an early night. The bother-in-law had been into Nissiros and thus, caught the 2.00 a.m. ferry out of there arriving on Symi at 5.15, so was in need of sleep, and that was the end of that day.