Snippets

Getting the week off to a start with a few snippets as I remember them.

I was at the desk yesterday morning when I heard a strange noise coming, I thought, from the courtyard or beyond. Our landlord opposite up to one of his home improvement tasks perhaps? But no, it stopped, and a moment later started again. Neil was in the bathroom, but even he doesn’t make noises like that, so I investigated, and we found a young pigeon in the living room, trying to get out of a closed window. I was able to pick him up gently and show him the open balcony doors through which he’d come, and all was well.

It reminded me of the other day. We were sitting on the balcony when one of the local kestrels flew by about four feet from us. Nothing new there except it was being seen off by two sparrows, one trying to peck its wing and the other acting as an outrider. The power of the little people. We also have a house lizard who we found checking out the hall the other morning. I’m not sure what it’s called, Edward I think, but he’s a bit of a slacker as he’s meant to eat mosquitoes. If he ate all of the ones who have moved in with us, he’d be the size of a goanna by now.

Back on the balcony, we’re often out there early as the sky changes from orange to pink to red and later blue, and the sea mirrors the colours. Now, for anyone who says the Greeks are the laziest workers in Europe (or whatever tripe it is those so-called newspapers come up with), you should try doing a summer shift on a Greek island. A friend of ours works at a swanky bar in the harbour, opposite our house and down. I know for a fact he goes to his shift at 3pm and, this being Greece, only finishes when they’ve cleared up after the last customer leaves. On Sunday morning, the last person didn’t leave, and the lights didn’t go off until after six. So, that was not only a fifteen-hour shift but an overnight one as well. I’m not sure if he has a morning/lunchtime shift, I wouldn’t be surprised. Btw, the other day he told me he’d not finished until 7.30 in the morning and the party that had kept them up all night only spent €150.00 – so I doubt there was a tip involved.

Another snippet: The Secret Garden, I am informed, no longer has Greek music on a Monday night as I mentioned before, but tonight they are hosting their first open mic night. Anyone can go down and present their talent to the audience (or simply be an audience), sing, play an instrument, tell a joke, bake a cake, I don’t know, whatever you want to do, you will be welcomed.

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The weekend’s photos are from the ‘old photos’ folder, which means they were taken last year, or the year before. The thing is… how can you tell?

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Symi Weather

As I’ve said before, we get some kind of weather here all the time and yesterday we had all kinds of weather in one morning. I woke at 5.45 (a bit of a lie in after an evening at Taverna Zoi) to the sound of heavy rain. My first thought was for the bathroom ceiling which I’ve still not fixed, but it only leaks a little through cracks caused by the heat, and my second thought was that I wasn’t going to be going for a walk. That was a relief as I really can’t take to this exercise malarkey. I then did a quick check of windows and took a few dodgy photos from the balcony doors.

The rain passed pretty quickly, leaving a gloriously pink sunrise over the bay. The cloud moved over too just as a cruise ship was coming in, and a little while later a few more posh yachts pottered in and hung about off Harani. Perhaps the downpour will wash away some of the dust and humidity, and it’s certainly done the plants good. It’s also caused locals to get out there with their hosepipes and wash their roofs and steps. I suppose that’s to remove any traces of water…? I mean…? Well, there must be a reason. It also meant we have topped up the sterna with fresh water which will save a few pennies on the water bill.

My weather stations online tell me that we’re not due any more rain apart from perhaps a couple of drops today. Looks like that wet front has left Greece, at least for now. So, if you’re about to jet off and jet into Rhodes and on to Symi, it looks like you’re in for our more regular summer performances from the skies from now on.

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Rain and Rainbow

It’s good to see that the Rainbow Bar (and others) have been busy this week. Neil’s had a couple of non-stop shifts, one due to the football match and the other… Well, like all other days, because it’s a nice place to be of an afternoon. Tuesday, another busy day, saw clouds and, later, rain overnight. Wednesday morning felt more like autumn, but hopefully, the wet weather will release some of the humidity and let it ‘Fly, my pretties,’ as in The Wizard Of Oz. It’s still plenty warm enough though, and the taxi boats and day-trip boats have been going out as usual.

I had a wonderfully unexpected day on Tuesday too. We had to nip down to Yialos to get some money, and I wanted to look around for a slimline camera to slip into my new bag, which I did, and then the day just slipped into one of those where nothing is achieved except relaxation. Very important. Lunch at To Spitiko, meeting friends in the afternoon, chilling a little at the bar and not worrying that I’d done no writing, and then watching ‘The Ghost Train’ as an evening film. (No idea where that compulsion came from, but it’s a fun film.) Bed at nine, up at five and onto the next day…

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A Greek Summer

I’ve just started reading ‘A Greek Summer’ by Patricia Frew, and I must say, I am enjoying it immensely so far. I’m not yet very far into it, not because I’m not enjoying it, but because I don’t have much time for reading, generally saving that treat for when I am travelling or having a day off. It’s a mix of delightful poems interspersed with short anecdotes and stories, all about Greece, and one island in particular – and I think I can imagine exactly which one. I can even recognise some of the places and possibly people. So, if you’re a Symi fan, and I assume you are as you’re taking the time to read this, I can recommend it as a good, well-written read that also offers lots of variety. And plenty of opportunities to identify local places and possibly people.

Click the image or this link to find it on Amazon where you can download it in Kindle format or buy it as a real book.

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