Nearly at November

Looking at the photo taken on Tuesday from ‘Kali Strata Corner’, you might be forgiven for thinking it was taken in June or September. If it was, the one of the Kali Strata taken just after it should have included people labouring slowly up the steps admiring the architecture and keeping in the shade, but as you can see, it’s a little quieter now than in those peak summer months. A little colder too. Socks are making a comeback, as are hoodies and jackets for the evening, the balcony doors don’t stay open as long as they did, but the heaters are still packed away waiting for their annual dusting and checks before they come into service.

The duvet is back on the bed, and the blankets are in readiness for when they are needed to go on top of it, while the quilt-on-a-pole is on hand for when the cold wind blows and we hang it over the doors to stop the drafts. On very cold nights, we take it down and lay it over the blankets over the duvet, but hopefully, that won’t be necessary until further into the winter. The house faces north and is exposed on three sides, hence we feel the cold up here more than the houses facing us on the north side of the harbour which face south and have more sun. The plants are doing well, still in flower thanks to regular feeding, but the vine is starting to go off. This means, hours of regular courtyard sweeping lie ahead as the leaves drop and then, finally, we cut it back and take the debris away.

So, still getting into winter mode with Neil finishing his summer job at the bar today, possibly the weekend, maybe next week, but most likely today, and as it’s Halloween, he’s threatened to be there in costume, including skull mask and top hat. That should ensure either a lot of custom or none at all, not that there is much custom to go round right now.

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Winter draws on

Having one of those frustrating computer things going on again today. Not this time, another Microsoft update, but a data stick failing. It’s the one with my writing on it and 101 other useful things which suddenly won’t work. Not on my machine, not on Neil’s. You plug it in and… nothing. Luckily, my writing folder is also copied up to my Dropbox, so the basic bits are saved – the PDF and Kindle files of published books, on-going manuscripts, but not the last draft Word copy, which means that should I ever need to re-edit or re-write one of them for any reason, I will have to find a way of retrieving the editable text from a PDF, or find a way of retrieving the data from the stick, which after an hour or so of trying, I am still unable to do. I will only know what else was stored on there when I come to need it and realise I no longer have it. Ah well!

Meanwhile, on Symi, we’re still enjoying good weather though colder by degrees. I can still take my tea on the balcony at 4.00 a.m., or whenever, though now in long trousers and slippers, and there’s a chill to the sitting room, but not enough to warrant the heater going on, yet. It’s still very warm in the sun, a couple of the day boats are still bringing people in, many of the tavernas are still open, waiting to decide on closing dates depending on the weather and number of visitors, though some offering a reduced menu.

Were going out tonight for what will probably be our last dinner of the season. We continue to use George & Maria’s during the winter, from time to time, and again, what you eat depends on what Noufris has decided to cook that day, but the taverna takes on a different atmosphere during the winter months. Only the inside is used, where the men play cards most nights around a table of mezethes, and where you have a much more ‘village’ atmosphere. The first football gathering of the winter took place at Rainbow the other night (AEK playing), though we didn’t know it was on and had made other arrangements, but we’ll probably be down there some nights for some of the games, the atmosphere and to make a break from the sofa at home. So, it looks like the winter season is nearly on us which means days and nights at home keeping warm, lots of writing, I hope, and lots of TV under blankets, but probably not much to write about here. We will see.

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A few photos

Just a few photos today after yesterday’s excessive ramble. (But at least the computer is working normally again, despite another ‘update and restart’ yesterday evening.) A couple of distant balcony shots of yesterday’s parade included.

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Oxi, in more ways than one

Today is Oxi Day in Greece, so in Yialos, there will be a church service and a parade with schools, the military and island organisations represented. Many shops will be closed, at least for the morning, but the boats still run, and tourist shops, bars, tavernas and cafes will be open, much as they were on Saturday.

We went to Yialos on Saturday to, among other things, have what will probably be our last lunch of the summer. I mean, at a taverna, not in general, lunch remains our main meal of the day. We were also there to help a friend celebrate his name day which we did by being given a glass of wine the size of a goldfish bowl which rather left the rest of the day happening in a blur. Back in Horio, we were invited to dinner on Sunday night and, attending that, had a wonderful time with people we had, until then, only said hello to in passing. We left having made a new group of friends, and still able to have the meal outside in the courtyard (overlooking the harbour), we had a lovely evening full of very varied conversation, good food and good company.

It was what I needed after a Sunday afternoon Windows update. “We are working on your update, please hold.” As I wasn’t doing much else on Sunday thanks to the goldfish bowl, I pottered around and came back to the computer later to see how it was doing. “6% This could take some time.” I pottered a little more, read a chapter, tidied the living room and returned, “12%, please hold…” Read half a book. “14% We are working on it, honestly…” Listened to Wagner’s Ring Cycle, figured out a Rubik’s cube… “20% Sorry about this, but it’s Sunday here in cyberspace, and we are short-staffed…” Redecorated the bedroom, translated the Bible… “35% see, we’re getting there…” Went on holiday, studied for an MSc… “45% having trouble finding the thingy-whatsit bit, won’t be long now…” Finished a novel (writing, not reading), painted the Forth Road Bridge… Until, finally, the screen changed and I was asked to log in to my Windows account.

Except, it was having its own Oxi Day. “Incorrect password.” No, it’s not. “Yes, it is, please try again.” Why? This is my password. “That password is not recognised” (You could hear the word ‘idiot’ after that, which I thought was rude.) “Would you like to try another method?” Well, if slapping my laptop about the screen and circuit board isn’t going to work, yes, I would. “Sorry, that method is not available. Reset your password?” Ah, yes, that’s going to be the only option. “Please log in to your Microsoft account.” What do you think I’m trying to do? “Please go online and…” I can’t! You won’t let me into my computer… Ah-ha! Mobile phone. Right, found the page, now to request a password reset… Ten pages of questions later (I kid you not. Everything from “Who’s in your Skype contacts list?” To “Tell us the title of an email you sent recently”, to “What was the name of your great-grandmother’s second pet, not the Labrador, the other one?” And finally finished the inquisition with, “Thank you for the information. Our team will review it and get back to you. This usually takes 24 hours.” At which point, I started talking in capital letters, starting with WTF.

It’s at times like this you’re compelled to turn to the dark web and find a helpful little forum where someone with the answer posts it for you to follow, except when I followed the ‘safe start’ route, the ‘advanced options’ thing didn’t come up, so that was no help, and in the end, after – again I kid you not – about 90 minutes of this, I just turned the thing off and on again for the sixth time. And it worked, Automatically logged in and hence I’m able to present you with this early Monday morning ramble and get back to normal.

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Symi Saturday Photos

To keep us going over the weekend, I thought I’d put up the last 12 unused photos from my file. These are the most recent ones and are a bit of a mixed bag. The water channel works at Ag. Marina, pomegranates, plants, the harbour, some recent clouds… I’ll try and get something more interesting over the weekend. It’s the Ag Dimitrios festival today, we’re invited to two celebrations, so I’m not sure which one we’ll be going to, probably the nearest as Neil has to get back for work, and I have to finish an MS by Monday. We’re still living under the sun, though clouds and possibly rain are forecast for later next week, there are fewer boats in the harbour, and a jumper or jacket is now on hand if we’re out and about in the late afternoon or early evening. Winter draws on, as they say, albeit gradually.

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