Is it because it’s siesta time that the village square is just about empty of a mid to late afternoon time? It often used to be quiet in July and August, I recall from when I worked there. Yet, it wasn’t always every day. There were many days with most tables full at both bars from four in the afternoon onwards, with a slight lull between afternoon and dinner time as people left to ready themselves for a plate of moussaka. Yesterday, at around 16.30 this was the sight from my old perch at the bar.

I worked there for about 12 years, and Neil has worked there now for ten, and we both agree, it has been very quiet this season. Where is everyone? Well, some very regular visitors to the island are no longer with us, others we know of are waiting for medical matters and can’t risk leaving their home country just in case they miss a valuable slot. Others… No idea. On one hand, the mayor and the council debate over day-trip taxes, and on the other, meanwhile, so many people have rushed to Airbnb their properties in the hope of lots of cash for little effort, but, it seems, the longer-term stayers are not here to use them. Well, obviously, some are, but not as many as usual. Newspaper reports suggest many Greek families are not travelling to the islands because of lack of finances, and they may be one thing, but we also used to have many Italians and French people coming at this time of year. So far, there’s little sign of them in the village of an afternoon as there once was. If the numbers are the same as usual, then all well and good, but certainly the siesta hours in the village, which were popular, are no longer so.

I just wonder why. I’m not saying this is dire, or good, I just wonder at the reason. All the privately owned holiday homes around us are currently occupied, so it seems holiday home owners are here, but as for other longer-term stayers? Who knows what’s become of them.

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A couple of weekend sunrise shots to show you today. One taken from the house, and one from further up in the village.

Meanwhile, at night, the Symi Festival continues with more concerts in Yialos, and one later this week in the village square where, on Friday, a young band of Symi musicians will be playing from 21.00 onwards. You can find the festival programme on the town hall website https://www.symi.gr/ — it’s under Current Affairs, but you might need to zoom in to read it (in Greek), or use the QR code to send it to your phone.

I’m sure I had something of interest to tell you this morning, but if I did, it’s now gone. Maybe it was about the festival, maybe not. I know I’ve not done much this weekend except write a blurb for the new book, finish my final edits, discuss the cover with my designer, commission an illustration, and do some publicity via those promos I take part in. There’s one at the bottom of the page for you today; pure romance with lots of bodice ripping and heavy breathing by the looks, but all available in Kindle Unlimited.

So, apart from that, we’re starting the week with no great news from up here. There may be something more exciting along in a day or so because I have to go to the post office to pay my insurance bill – yahoo, such thrills. I have been trying to do it online, but my bank won’t let me for some reason. All other bills, sure, no problem, but this one… And did you know, there’s an insurance tax too? So, if you’re sensible and lucky enough to be able to have private heath care, thereby removing some of the burden from the state, they bung on a 15% tax on the value/cost of your insurance? If you ask me, the government should give us 15% off the cost because I’m not costing them anything. Anyway…

And here’s that promo – have a click and a browse, it costs nothing, and you might find something to put on your kindle or in your beach bag for those lazy days by the sea. Go on, you know you want to.

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Kalo mina! First of August and it’s 26° at 6.30, probably the coolest it’s been for ages. I may even have to put a shirt on as there’s a breeze, and it doesn’t feel like a hairdryer this time.

As per, there’s not a lot to share as I’ve not been doing much apart from finishing a book and paying bills, or trying to, but we don’t want to start our day on a downer, so let’s finish the week with some photos older and more recent and leave it at that. Neil is working on a Symi Dream calendar for 2026, and there will be more news about that before long, meanwhile, here’s a gallery of a few photos from various parts of the island.

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Yesterday, a barge arrived, accompanied by a tug, and has ended up over in Petini where there is some major work going on along the quay. Such excitement.

There’s also work taking place at ‘Council Corner’ on the road up, where a treatment plant is being installed. Recently, we’ve had temperatures of 35° at 6.00 in the morning, which is when one of the diggers was starting work on the rocks and ‘road’ around the bottom of the headland, below the new treatment works. This caused some discussion and complaint on social media, and elsewhere, no doubt.

You know, you come on holiday only to be woken at 6.00 by an early start. Can’t be pleasant, not when it’s a repetitive, monotonal hammering from across the bay. Up here in the village, we have the all-night cockerels, the occasional random donkey, and the cat fights, and I can also hear the hammering, dynamite, dumping, crashing, and whatever else work is going on all year round anywhere in the natural amphitheatre below. There’s always something happening. I remember the motorbikes too, during the lockdown period when the island’s macho bikers were bored and so had a competition to see who could be the loudest (or so it seemed) and raced up and down through the village/island at all hours of the night. Until a special police unit came over to sort it out.

Life becomes quiet at three, usually, because, with the temperature higher than it was even at 6.00 in the morning, building work usually stops for safety reasons and many people head home for a siesta. Of course, some, must stay and work through it at the bars, tavernas and shops (our godson is lucky if he has an hour away from the kitchen between four and five pm). Others might head down to the sea to cool off and calm down, and that’s what we can do now with a shot of Pedi one quiet morning last week…

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“When you’re lying awake with a dismal headache, and repose is taboo’d by anxiety…” I had one of those nights last night, where you wake up for no reason and can’t get back to sleep. Or it may have been early this morning rather than late last night, but annoyingly, when I was awake and trying to get back to sleep, the thing that prevented me were those lyrics going around in my head. “I conceive you may use any language you choose to indulge in, without impropriety;” I just looked up the full lyrics and there are a lot of words in there, but I’m not going to read them, or they’ll get stuck in my head too, and then tonight…

Meanwhile… not a great deal to report. Met up with some friends yesterday evening and had a great time. Finished the first draft of the next book yesterday too, and I need to get that sent to my Kindle app so Neil can read it as he always does with my first drafts, poor thing. I still need to find a title then I can start thinking about a cover and set those wheels in motion. While that’s going on, the temperature has been more bearable which generally makes life easier, the harbour is busy during the day, the festival has started and, although I haven’t seen a programme yet, I imagine there is something on somewhere most evenings. The festival usually runs from about now until early September, so if you’re heading this way in August, particularly, you will be able to see and hear a performance of something at some time.

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