Quirky Symi

Here are a few quirky Symi photos and an update from the weekend just gone. I guess I was in a silly mood, but the only way to carry your free-range eggs, straight from the farm to the shop to home is, of course, in a recycled container in a pink bucket. No home should be without one. I was also interested to see γαρύφαλλο (garifallo) on sale as both Clove, which is it, and Glove, a name which somehow doesn’t seem to fit.

That was Saturday’s shopping trip, down to Sotiris for the usual comedy and mayhem and the running gags. ‘Where’s Neil?’ is a common question asked when he’s standing right beside me, and ‘For the cat?’ is another one when buying wine – even though we haven’t had a cat for a long time now, and the person asking the question was the one who kindly put the cat to sleep for us when he was unsavable. There are other on-going jokes to be had at our nearest store, the caged birds above the deli counter are named after a couple of ladies who own a nearby café and chat a lot, and as for the others… Well, they’re often too dirty to repeat here and don’t get me started on what happens when you buy a cucumber.

What makes a shopping trip even more of an event around here is having the wife of the shop owner slip a bottle of wine into your bag as a present from the family. It goes very nicely with the bag of biscuits left anonymously on the gate the other day and the general bonhomie which I’ve never found in any other local supermarket no matter where I’ve lived.

On Sunday, the 15/16-year-old year from the high school held a fund-raiser for their annual trip. Similar to the one we attended at Georgios recently, this was a live band and a drink for a €10.00 donation, and then you ordered your dinner. We had a dinner at home already booked in so couldn’t go but saw godson #2 who is in that year, heading in to play his part (and a great time he and his mates were having when Neil passed by later). We made our donation through him, so I assume it got to the right collection bucket, pink or otherwise. Meanwhile, carnival was being held at the sports hall, there was a parade and loads of costumes. Neil played his part with his semi-steampunk outfit. I say ‘semi’ because he’s still waiting for the top hat, and he’s working on appropriate trousers and shoes. A nice tailcoat will, maybe, one day replace my old flying jacket.

Oh, and finally, the road is now fully open and passable. It’s odd isn’t it, how when you take something apart and put it back together you always seem to have pieces left over…

It’s all gone now and the path is finished.

Share on Facebook

Cheesy Sunday, Clean Monday

It’s Clean Monday today here in Greece, the start of Lent.

“Today marks the end of “Tyrini” the week where Greeks worldwide enjoyed loads of cheese and cheese based dishes. This is the last day of Carnivale, just before Greek Orthodox fasting period for Easter Lent begins. It’s also known as “Kyriaki tis Tyrinis” which is marked by delicious, but meatless, dishes that end with a big family meal on Sunday night.” Greek City Times.

We had one of those ‘only in Greece’ moments on Saturday. The men were finishing off the path outside our gate (it should be fine to use now), so when Neil came home and saw a bag hanging on our gate, he assumed it belonged to one of the guys doing the road. Later, when they’d gone, and we were heading out, it was still there. Looking inside, I found some ‘church treats’, left for us by… Well, there’s the thing. It could have been anyone but was most likely our landlord opposite or Yiannis Rainbow or his wife. Whoever, thank you, a lovely surprise.

My week ahead looks the same as any other during the winter, but now the weather is (temporarily) spring-like, I feel more inclined to get back to my daily walks. One of those regular, long-term stayers has already returned which, to us, makes things feel like summer, and more day-trippers and visitors have been seen in the harbour. In the harbour cafés and walking about, I should say, not actually in the harbour.

Anyway, I’m off to get on, as it were. Happy Clean Monday!

Share on Facebook

Symi Photos

Happy Saturday, or whatever day you are viewing this on. Here is a collection of photos from the files, just to keep you connected to Symi and Greece over the weekend. As you can see, the new path is coming along nicely, and the photo of the work was taken on Thursday, only a couple of days after work started. I reckon it will be done by Sunday and the concrete set in time for the road to open on Monday – but that’s my guesswork and not official. Cars and bikes are being parked in the square for the time being. Have a good weekend.

Share on Facebook

Spring is in the air

You’re going to have that song on your mind all day now, aren’t you? “Spring is in the air, every sight and every sound…” Wrong song? Mixed them up? Ah well, you’ll have two annoying tunes to get rid of now. Still, it’s a lovely day here on Symi (March 7^th), and I’m just back from a short walk up a slow hill, hence the photos.

I was out just before eight and, at first, couldn’t remember why the school was closed, the playground was empty at pre-school, time and there was no drop-off taking place. Then I remembered it’s March 7^th, the day the Dodecanese islands were liberated after WWII, and there is a service followed by a parade down in Yialos. I passed a couple of army trucks heading down the hill, the soldiers in the back suited and suitably booted, but otherwise, it was quiet out there. A few farmers at work on the hillsides, shepherds and goatherds and their dogs, wandering sheep and goats, and spring birds back again. Swallows, the coal tits I saw in a tree – impossible to photograph, and the cyclamen coming out all over the place. Here are a couple more shots for you while I get back to work.

Share on Facebook

More teeth, more books

There was a lovely, calm sunrise yesterday, as you can see from the photo below. I popped out and took a couple of shots of the road too. Yesterday, the guys drilled up the flagstones from our gate to the join in the road where the stones meet the concrete and, as the song says, ‘They’ve gone about as far as they can go.’ No prizes for guessing the musical, but if you want a clue, I was once in it playing Ali Hakim, the Persian peddler who has a song in the stage version that’s cut from the film (I think). I was also once in the Sound of Music playing Uncle Max (always the comedy role, never the hero) who also had a song that was cut for the film, but that’s all by the by. So, Wednesday morning sunrise…

In other news… The tooth reconstruction for Neil is progressing. He popped down on Tuesday for the treatment to start and had a root canal. He has another visit today (Wednesday), and the plan is, I believe, to fix things up so the part that broke off can be screwed back in. He kept the thing in his wallet, but it’s now safely at the dentist’s surgery ready for the transplant, in time. That’s not all that’s going on. I am working on a series of novels under my pen name, and have part one written, edited and proofed (104k words). Today, I am starting on the layout in Adobe In Design, a process which should only take me a day or so to complete. The first book is not due out until the end of April, so I have plenty of time, but before then, I have to also edit and have proofed part two (95k words) and have a cover designed ready for the end of May. Meanwhile, I am working on part three for the end of June (30k words so far). So, it’s all go at the writing pod and study desk. As you can see, nearly a quarter of a million words since Christmas. That may go some way to explaining why you don’t see much of me during the day.

We are also coming into Lent here in Greece with Clean Monday next week, I believe. If you’re heading this way, expect lots of bangers and bells, celebrations and services. We’ve already seen some visitors. We were at the Rainbow last night, and I saw a couple walk past I’ve never seen before. Hopefully a good sign for an early-start season and a good ‘n’ busy time for the island to come. Now though, it’s 7.45 yesterday, and I am gearing up for a short walk up the hill before I set about setting out a book. Must go.

Share on Facebook