Panormitis week

This is the week of the Panormitis festival. I was out yesterday for my walk and saw various coaches and lots of cars heading up the mountains to the various churches that celebrate the feast of St Michael, and other saints around this time. I was doing my usual trek up to the monastery and back and took a couple of photos village en route.

Tomorrow, I am heading to Rhodes for the weekend so there won’t be a blog after Friday until next Wednesday, probably, and then I will be heading off to Athens the following Friday and back the Wednesday after that. Not quite jet-setting as I’m going by boat, so boat-setting maybe? I’ve paid for a cabin (on the way to Athens, it’s not worth having one for the Rhodes trip, one sneeze, and you’ve arrived) and paid the extra to have it to myself. I once made the mistake of sharing a cabin with a stranger – this was when I was in my 20s, poor and doing the boat/train to Amsterdam for a long weekend. The horror of what came next is outlined in ‘Symi, Stuff & Nonsense’ my book of travel tales, observations and life on Symi as we saw it when we first arrived. The Symi sections give you more details on certain days and events than you find in ‘Symi 85600’ which covers our first five years here.

As usual, the links to the books that I put here are for Amazon.co.uk, but they are available from all Amazon stores around the world.

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A bit personal

I wanted to share a couple of pieces of personal news with you today (and some photos from Rhodes last week). I am now officially retired – which makes me feel very old, although I am not. I had a private, company pension running when I was 100 years younger and now that I am over a certain age, I am able to do things with it. That’s what I’ve done, and yesterday, they started to pay me. It’s not a lot, but it does mean I can relax a little and spend more time on my books – sorry about that, but there will be more novels from me over the next few years, I hope.

On which note… ‘The Eastling’ has started off well and has received a glowing review. (Thank you, Joan.)

“Brilliant. A great read from start to finish. I wanted to know how it ended but didn’t want to finish it. This is not my usual genre of books I read but like the other two in the series couldn’t have enjoyed it more. Congratulations James on another superb book. Thank you.”

No, thank you! And thanks also to anyone who has bought or downloaded a copy, or read it through Kindle Unlimited where it is available for ‘free’ – i.e. included in your KU package at no extra cost. The more reviews the better, as I am always saying, and here’s the link to the book if you want more details. The Eastling – James Collins.

From there you can find my author page for Symi books and the rest, with links to each publication. I advise that you read ‘The Saddling’ first, and then ‘The Witchling’ if this, my only series, is new to you. That’s my news and begging letter (more reviews, more sales please). Oh, the other personal news is that thanks to the five long walks per week (only three miles but when half is uphill it feels longer), I’ve dropped nearly ten pounds and am aiming to get rid of another six by Christmas, so I can put it back on again during the festivities.

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Warm, Quiet, Calm

We’re still enjoying warm weather over here. I was at the Rainbow Bar on Sunday night, outside watching the world go by – as you can see, it was very quiet. Actually, there were quite a few guys in the bar behind me watching the football and basketball, and more people inside next door. The taverna is open and stays open all through the winter, and it’s a good place for when you can’t be bothered to cook. Mind you, it’s also the only place in the village to eat out at this time of year, everywhere else is shut apart from the bars in the square, The Sunrise, Secret Garden and Ringo’s. We’re a five-bar village.

I took my usual walk yesterday, up to the monastery and back while trying not to sing along with the soundtrack of Hair. This walking lark is much easier with music playing. I never thought I’d get into that plugged-in state while out and about, but I like it now. I imagine how I would stage the concert version of what I’m listening to or the stage version, and before I know it, I’ve reached my destination, I’m not out of breath, nothing hurts and I’ve been walking in time to the music, varying my pace. I don’t have it on very loud so that I can hear if any cars are coming, so don’t be worried.

Finally, as you can see, the chilli plant isn’t doing so well. No chillies this year and it’s been in the same state for the last three months. It’s been fed and watered and is in the same place as last year, so maybe it’s just having a holiday.

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Hello Monday

After a weekend that saw baptisms, sunshine and calm seas, what lies in store this week? Well, the festival of Panormitis takes place, and already there are visitors on the island, with many staying at pre-booked cells at the monastery, others staying with families and no doubt, more at some hotels. Some people will walk the length of the island to attend on certain days, as we did a few years ago. Others will arrive by boat from Rhodes and approach the chapel on their knees as pilgrims bringing new brooms to sweep away the old. Votive offerings will be made, services held, there will be a market and stalls, including some run by teenagers who use this time to raise money for their schools.

The Dodekanisos boats are going to and from Panormitis rather than Yialos for the next several days, which means if you need to travel, apart from a few crossings, your journey has to start from the other end of the island. As for me, I will be taking the Blue Star on Friday morning, going to Rhodes for the weekend and coming back on Monday. More shopping? Maybe. More writing? Definitely. Well, more planning and plotting and a couple of appointments and yes, perhaps some more shopping.

As you might have seen on our Facebook page, a submarine paid a visit the other day. Apparently, it’s always out there on patrol and only surfaces occasionally at Symi. Nothing to be alarmed about.

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Certain Smells

I took a walk yesterday morning along my usual route from the village to To Vrisi, and very pleasant it was too. In fact, the sun wasn’t yet up over the ridge when I set off, and it was already warm enough for shorts, though I was wearing a t-shirt and hoodie in my best imitation of someone who gets a kick out of exercise and has all the gear. On the way back, with the sun above the hill, it was warm enough to stop and do a bit of sunbathing. Not that I did. I wandered back listening to music and stopping for a couple of shots. That’s shots as in photos not as in Tequila as this was eight in the morning.

You can see from the photos how clear the day was, and how calm. What you don’t get, however, are the smells. Not only the herbs on the hillside, and the goats and their leftovers at times, but there is, in the shady places, a smell of the rocks, damp and humid. I notice that a lot in the narrower lanes of the village. Passing one of the small chapels yesterday, and often when I pass the cemetery, I could smell the incense. It’s often Frankincense, those small chips of what look like Turkish Delight that you see in the supermarkets. Yesterday it was different, and I’m not sure what it was, but it wafted across the main road in a couple of places and enhanced the bright, warm morning no end.

Back at home, I did the various this-and-that’s to the taps and pipes in order to top up the sterna as it was a water day and we still haven’t filled up after the summer and visitors. I was hoping for more rain. A couple of days of it and the well would be full, but we’ve only had one decent spell of wet weather. Mind you, that’s enough to set off some of the hillside plants and shrubs, and what was recently grey and ochre, is now starting to come green.

Anyway, that’s me for today. Have a good weekend.

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