Sunday afternoon

I had a slightly disrupted day on Sunday because I wasn’t able to settle into anything. You know how it is sometimes. I had been out and bought some paint so we could give the kitchen a fresh coat. Except we couldn’t because the paint was either off (unlikely) or so eco-friendly that it was made from the scrapings of a sewer with white colouring added; there was no way we were putting that stinky stuff on the walls. Will try another brand next time. We also had an appointment to keep in the square in the afternoon, and that was when the day brightened considerably.

Our insurance agent from AXA in Rhodes had come over with her husband and daughter. They were on a day trip, but it was a good opportunity to update our health insurance. In typical Greek fashion, we did this and the paperwork at a table at the café in the square while the football raged around us. ‘It’s so quiet here,’ she said, more used to life in Rhodes and work in Faliraki than the rural ways of Symi. She said this as England were scoring goals left right and centre-forward and the fans were cheering. I explained it’s usually a lot quieter than that, with maybe soft Greek music playing or just the grate of cicadas in the trees. We had a lovely chat and catch-up, and the insurance is all sorted for another year. Just have to save and pay for it when it’s due in August.

Meanwhile, I was also putting the finishing touches to a trip to the yUK I am doing in July/August. The purpose of this is to see an old school friend who now lives in New Zealand but who is in London for one month only. Not a chance to be missed as we’ve not met for about 37 years. While there, I’m also going to see my brother, some other old school chums and friends in Brighton. I intend to spend three days on the Romney Marshes, having lunches, dinners and hopefully some long walks, weather permitting. I shall visit the imaginary area of Saddling (actually Fairfield, if you know the marsh) and take some photos. I’m now working on ‘The Eastling’ the third in the Saddling series – am up to chapter four – so a visit to the ‘felds’ and ‘dowels’ where Tom, Barry, Dan and the others live in my imagination should boost the creative inspiration.

That’s not until the end of July though, and meanwhile, there are things to be done here on Symi apart from the daily writing. The room by room decorating of the house, hopefully without foul smelling eco paint, organising a new computer keyboard, currently in hand with SmartSymi, and trying to keep the courtyard plants alive as the temperature rises. Hardly a rat race.

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Music

There’s usually some music being played live on Symi somewhere, and we have more of it in the summer months. If you are heading this way and fancy an evening of music with your drink, mezethes or meals, there are plenty of choices, depending on the day of the week. Off the top of my head we have, rock music at Lefteris kafeneion in the village every now and then, Greek music at Georgio’s taverna at weekends, guitar and voice at the Sunrise Café from time to time, Greek music one night at The Secret Garden (Monday?) and blues and western music there on a Friday. In Yialos, Steno, in the side street, is known for providing traditional music when the mood takes, Elpida’s café often hosts Greek music, again on various nights, and I am sure there are other places that I don’t know about, and that’s before the free Symi Festival starts, usually in July.

I was woken on Sunday by the local ‘music’ in our lane. That’s supplied mainly by the cockerels who start up way before dawn like a fanfare. ‘Cock-a-doodle-do-get up, please’ rings out and is soon joined by the coo-coo of the collard doves, and then the piccolo high woodwind effect from the sparrows. I was on the balcony enjoying the peace and quiet yesterday morning around six when one of the local doves landed on the house next door and started up its regular, repetitive verse. I noticed a small hawk, possibly a kestrel or a kite, coming towards me. Its feathers were dark, though that might just have been the lighting as the sun was not yet over the windmill hill, and it passed between the two houses about six feet away from me. It was silent, but the dove sensed it coming and cut short its repertoire and made a hasty retreat into the nearby trees. The sparrows and even the cockerels also fell silent which was a bit eerie, but which also made sense.

The harbour was quiet at that time too. No anchor chains being wound in, no chugging engines, it was far too early for the clang of the train bell, and any Saturday night party that had been going on was long finished; we can sometimes still hear the music from certain bars at six or even seven in the morning. So, a peaceful day began. Another peaceful day with plenty of time to write, tidy the house, oversee the godson who is painting our kitchen, meet our health insurance lady over from Rhodes, chat with friends in the square and generally have a relax after the relaxing day the day before.

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Symi Saturday Photos: Random

Have a great weekend!

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Symi Film Festival

The news from the Symi Film Festival now is: “SIFF have reached 150 films submitted. Normal deadline is 30th June and late (more expensive) is 15th July.”

In my news, I’ve started work on the next instalment of The Saddling story. You might have read The Saddling and even The Witchling, well, The Eastling is going to be the third part of the on-going mystical trials and tribulations of my invented, old-world community living in the past, yet in the present, in the wilds of Romney Marsh. It might be too late now, but if you’ve not read The Witchling, it’s on sale over the summer solstice for $0.99 on Kindle. All my books are free on Kindle Unlimited so you can always grab a read there. The reason it’s on offer at this time of year is because that’s when it’s set. The Saddling was winter solstice, The Witchling summer, and The Eastling is set over the autumn equinox. I’ve only managed a rough outline and a first chapter so far, so don’t start queueing at the online bookshops just yet.

And that’s my news for today, except to add that the weather has perked up a bit, the day boats have been coming and going, and life on Symi potters on in its usual quirky, warm fashion.

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New five aside football pitch

This evening the new five aside football pitch will be officially opened and dedicated to the memory of Wendy Wilcox who, through Solidarity Symi, did so much for the younger people of the island. This will be at 6pm. Both football pitches were devastated by the storm last November 13^th, and the larger pitch is still to be repaired.

It’s a bit of a cheap link, but one way to get to the football pitches is via the Pedi valley and, as Neil took some shots of the route last time he went that way, here are some photos. (Sorry to be so brief again today, but I’ve a lot going on and not much time or energy to think of anything else.)

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