Water, Roots and A Discount

I’m looking out of the office window onto a sky that’s clearing of rain clouds. I was up in time to see the Blue Star arrive this morning at 5.30, at which time it was raining slightly. I’ve also put the mains water on because I am convinced the sterna is leaking. We’re going to add water today (Wednesday), both check the level after, and then check again tomorrow to see if Neil agrees with me or if I am making it up. We’ve had advice from Jean as to what needs doing if the roots of the fig tree in front of the house have reached and breached the sterna, and if so, the process will start with a conversation with our landlord.

After today (Thursday) we’re on godparent duty for a few days, splitting our time between our house and theirs, so the blog posts may not be as consistent as usual, but I will do my best. Back to this morning (Wednesday, are you keeping up?) and I’ve had a text from ACS to let me know I have a delivery, so I will be popping down there later. I was told recently that they now have a loyalty card/discount offer available and if you register you are given a card which when you show it, gives you discounts on the price of what you are sending with them. Recently (before I knew of this offer) I sent a parcel to New Zealand. Being out of Europe, it wasn’t that cheap to do, but it arrived on the far side of the world within five days, which I thought was pretty impressive.

That’s the news, and today’s photos are from a few days ago as I’ve not been out to take anything new of late.

Share on Facebook

Final call for Symi gifts

Final call for your unique Symi Christmas gifts. Here, with a couple of photos from yesterday’s morning wander up the road, are some blatant links to a few books and a calendar that might do as stocking fillers or even major gifts.

Starting with:
Symi Calendar 2019 – 12 exclusive photos from Symi delivered anywhere in the world, with boxes on the calendar for notes and appointments.

And then books:
Symi 85600
My first collection of notes covering our move to Symi and the first five years here, from 2002 to 2007.

Carry on up the Kali Strata
Book two in the Symi series. This one is a collection of articles written for the Symi Visitor, plus some extra parts such as the history of the island, with photos. 2007 to 2012.

Village View
These are the edited blog posts from 2013, and they take us through every month of that year. You can follow life on Symi over twelve months.

Symi Stuff and Nonsense
Brings us right up to date, more or less, with more about our move to Symi, living here and then some other travel tales and articles, blog posts and amusing musings.

The book links are all to Amazon.co.uk, but the books are available from all Amazon stores as paperbacks, Kindles and are free in Kindle Unlimited if you want to keep them for yourself. Delivery varies depending on where you are, but if I order something from Amazon UK, it usually arrives here on Symi in about two weeks even in the winter. That’s it for today, I just wanted to get those links and reminders out there in the hope you might find something you’ve not read before, and so new visitors to the blog might pick up on some background reading. All my books and novels are listed on my Amazon author page here. Have a fun day.

Share on Facebook

Hills, Water, Goats

As you can see from the photos, yesterday was a little bit grey, but at least it was dry. Which is more than can be said for the area around a leaking pipe on the path to To Vrisi. (Perhaps someone else could also share this news to the town hall in case they don’t know yet.)

I took a morning walk, the first time I’ve been able to in about a week. It’s either been raining, or I couldn’t be bothered, but I made the effort yesterday. The highlight was meeting a herd of goats being moved from their pen to a hillside further along the path. The goatdog (I assume that’s what you call them, as in, sheepdog) came bounding up to greet me, and I stood to the side, still so as not to frighten the skittish beasts. On the way home, I called into upper Horio to collect an oil-filled radiator to bring down to the house. Not a light thing to carry, but at least it was downhill. My arms are wobbly now, so if my typing is more off than usual, you will know why.

The view was otherwise unchanged on the path along the side of the hill. I know I do this walk a lot but that’s because I like it, and it’s also a three-mile round trip which is what I aim to do five times per week. A more strenuous one is to follow the main road all the way out of the village and along to the Panormitis turn off and back, that’s just over three miles and constantly uphill. That makes coming back a breeze, and maybe I’ll do that walk later in the week.

I’m just tacking a request on the end of this post in case you don’t see it on Facebook. The talented designer who did my recent covers (The Witchling, The Eastling and others) has a cover entered into a competition. Anjela K lives in Serbia, and I think deserves some attention, so it would be great if my readers could click over to the link below and then click on the vote button. You don’t need to sign up or anything, not until the vote reaches 200; after that, you’d have to register so, if you want to help, it’s better to be quick. There’s no information sharing unless you want your name shown, so it’s quite safe. Just click this link and then hit the orange Vote button. (The book looks good too, he added with a wink.) Thank you!

Share on Facebook

Monday morning catch-up

A few photos from Saturday when we were under some cloud. We still were on Sunday morning, but it wasn’t as wet, and it was warmer than Saturday which started off at 10 degrees first thing in the morning. We had guests over for dinner on Saturday night which made for a very pleasant evening.

In fact, every day is pleasant around here right now, maybe not always the weather, but the quiet, relaxed feel of winter. Well, relaxed until you plug the heater in at 6.30 in the morning and it blows the fuses. It was a fairly old one, but a good one, and the wires had been moved so much that where they enter the body of the heater, they had worn through and finally broke. A few sparks, the room plunged into darkness and the sound of the fuse box complaining. Luckily no damage was done, but we are temporarily down to one heater. So, next week, part of the shopping list is another one of them.

There’s another shopping list building up, one that involves a trip to Rhodes, for Neil at least as Christmas is around the corner now, another fun time to look forward to. The decorations have started to go up in the harbour, people are talking about carol singing at parties and elsewhere, and plans are being made. Very often on Christmas Day, we’re able to sit outside for at least part of the day, and I can’t remember a time when it’s rained or been bad weather, not in the last 16 years. Now I’ve said it of course…

Ah well, into the week ahead with only the usual planned: writing, housework, buying a new heater and also keeping an eye on the sterna as even after the heavy rain last week, there’s not as much water in it as I’d expect. We’re hoping we haven’t had roots growing into it and taking the water as sometimes happens. There is a hideous fig tree in front of the house, though a few meters away. I’m hoping that hasn’t reached the sterna and infiltrated it, but either way, that tree needs to go – another job for the winter when it finally sheds its leaves. But still, that’s all ahead. In the meantime, it’s on with the day to day jobs – have a good week.

Share on Facebook

Symi Saturday Photos

Kalo mina to you.
A random collection of images to look at over the weekend. Actually, not that random. I just looked through the pile and realised I had quite a few images of food, bars or drinks, so that’s today’s theme.

Please remember to share the Symi Dream blog and Facebook page around; the more who see it, the more visitors we may attract for next year.

Share on Facebook