Symi update

Rhodes was a success, at least my trip there was. Did some business, had a consultation with a specialist (part of my annual health-check MOT, nothing to worry about folks), had our wedding rings engraved (nearly got them the wrong way around), wandered the Old Town, had lunch in the new town, had a rest by a swimming pool, wandered some more… When you have 10 hours before your boat back, and your appointments take only three, and you’ve not got a car to go and explore the island, you need to think of things to do to amuse yourself. I managed, and the boat trip back seemed to be over in a flash.

Meanwhile, back on Symi… It’s early Sunday morning as I write and there are two clean-up initiatives going on today. The Poseidon is doing its annual ‘clean up Sesklia’ trip for any volunteers who want to go along. I believe that this is free, includes lunch and in return, you help clear the flotsam and jetsam from the beach. A bit late to tell you this now as it happened yesterday, but I only found out about it late on Saturday night. Also on Sunday, the scouts are organising a task force to clean up the village playground at Kampos, and paint the equipment etc.

Down in the harbour, I’d say that most businesses were now open and ready; a few may still be putting finishing touches. We’ve had dayboats and day-trippers coming over, and a few regulars have started to return for their summer stays here. It is only April, I keep reminding myself when I see that harbour quiet, it feels like it should be June because Easter seems so long again, but no, it’s still very early season. I have to say, the businesses are looking good, cleaned up and repaired after the storm. Newly painted and ready to welcome punters.

That goes for the village too where everything is now open, apart from Taverna Zoi which will be open soon, no doubt. So, if you want a village wander of an evening, you can take in the whole route: The Secret Garden, Sunrise Kafeneion, The Olive Tree (open soon), Georgio’s taverna, the Rainbow, Lefteris’ kafeneion, the Jean and Tonic, (Taverna Zoi) and Ringo’s bar at Kampos. On the way you can ‘do’ three supermarkets, the Chinese Emporium, a couple of clothes shops, a toy shop, a couple of household stores, shoe shop, greengrocers, bakery x 2, and ‘B&Q’ the ironmongers – and anyone else I’ve missed out. Oh, a couple of hairdressers, another household shop, the herb shop… But no butcher, not at the moment. George the butcher is joining the priesthood, and I heard a rumour that one of Zoi’s boys is training and preparing to open a new butcher shop in the village. Excellent.

So, it’s all go, and I’m also going. Have a good week!

I go0t back later light night, and had a lie in this morning so it’s a hurried collection of random photos for today.

Symi, Stuff & Nonsense

I just wanted to update you… You might remember that my latest travel book, Symi Stuff & Nonsense, came out around the time of last November’s storm. Since then, I have been collecting a percentage of the sales to put towards the island’s high school. We’re not talking much, but we are talking helpful. We’ve passed on a couple of things to the school, maps for the geography classes so far to replace ones ruined in the flood, and I’m going to keep doing it because every little helps. So, if you do buy a paperback copy of SS&N or a Kindle, or even read it on Kindle Unlimited, you are also contributing to things that the school needs. Or at least to some extras that they might not have or otherwise be able to get hold of. The link to the book is over there in the righthand column. >>

On a different subject — and I don’t know why it’s come into my head — I just remembered something from years ago when I worked for a while at the Windmill. That’s the restaurant on Symi, you understand, not the revue theatre in Soho. (I did briefly work at Madame Jo-Jo’s, but that’s another story.) I was probably the world’s worst waiter and still could be, but one night, as we were saying farewell to a couple of guests, chatting at the door as you do, the man surreptitiously handed me a €50.00 note. You know, in the manner of someone passing on 10p to a waiter, with a sympathetic, secret smile as if to say, ‘Don’t tell the wife, but here you go,’ as if 10p was going to pay the waiter through college or something. Well…

The chap handed me the money in a way that I knew it was a tip and there was no darker intent behind it. He carried on chatting to Rhiannon without leaving me a space in which to interject. Not until he had done that, ‘What’s it like in the winter?’ questioning and was about to leave. Then I was able to leap in with, ‘I think you gave me this by mistake,’ as I handed back the €50.00.
He squinted at it (your first clue to the mistake) and then snatched it back in horror.
‘Oh!’ he exclaimed. ‘You’re quite right… I meant… Here…’ He passed me €2.00, adding, ‘You, Sir, are a gentleman.’
To which I replied, ‘And for a minute there I thought you were too.’

It just slipped out, but he saw the funny side of it, and there is a funny side to it, though you may have had to have been there to see it.

Anyway, no idea where that anecdote came from, but I know where I am going to. Off to do some writing. Have a good day.

Symi Is Waiting For You

As you can see from the chairs, there’s plenty of space for you at the moment, but don’t delay, these will soon be full. They were actually, a couple of hours later. I took these photos during the siesta shift at the bar, that time of day when everyone has gone home for lunch or a sleep. That time of day is busier later in the season, a season which hasn’t really started yet, it just feels like it has because Easter was a while ago now.

Having said that, there are visitors here enjoying the warm but not too hot weather, there are some yachts in and walking groups. Not long now until the chairs will be occupied by people relaxing after a hard day on the beach, or a long, peaceful trek through the hills and the forest. Of course, on some nights things might get a bit wild, and you may have to sit on the steps, which you can do at both kafeneion in the village square if there are no vacant seats.

We were invited to dinner on Monday evening (thank you R and L – the time went so quickly, but we did make the bus), and I was able to take a couple of snaps of the Blue Star coming in. I’m planning to be on it on Friday for a day in Rhodes. Not as exciting as it sounds, but I am still looking forward to it. I always like travelling on the Patmos, well, I always like traveling. I’ll be back in the evening having seen to my appointments and maybe had the wedding rings engraved at last, and after a wander about the Old Town, the New Town, the beach and my usual route when killing time after the duties have been seen to. I shall wear my Fitbit which, for a reason known only to itself, started working again last week after taking 11 months off. Can’t explain it, but there you go.

And here I go, off into another glorious day on Symi with the sun shining and the sea calm, the air is clear and… Well, you know the routine.

Symi Mornings

On waking up, the first sound I usually hear will be one of the following: Cockerels, bells, collard doves, sparrows, or a barking dog. It’s usually something rural, occasionally a complaining cat near the window, on Sundays if I am late waking up, people passing on their way to church, and very occasionally the alarm clock. It’s one of those that is supposed to play a different tune each day from a playlist on a memory card, but it’s stuck on the same song and won’t budge no matter how I treat it, but most days, I am awake before it kicks in.

The routine from then on rarely changes: Kettle, bathroom, cup of tea/coffee/lemon in hot water, depending on mood. Some days (and not enough – must try harder) the tea waits until I’m back from a stroll through the village. On these mornings, the routine is always pretty similar. Across the square, wave to Lefteris at the kafeneion – I’ve been out at 5.15 before and he’s already there setting up. In the summer, a quick nod to folks leaving the Jean & Tonic bar, startled by the realisation that it’s daylight and they only popped in for one at eleven last night. I remember those days… somehow. On through the lanes, maybe up the road waving to Sotiris on his way to or from the farm, and at others, strange looks from the army guys heading to work, the occasional toot of a car horn, and later, if I’m on time, a sunrise.

Back to the house, tea etc. done and to the desk. I also slip into the routine, turning on the computers and then coming back to them to open the programmes I will need so when I’m ready, it’s ready, and away we go. The sounds from then on, apart from the tapping of keys and the swearing at my appalling typing skills, are mainly to do with the harbour, as that’s the way the window faces. Anchors, boats coming and going, sometimes the motorbikes on the road straining their way up the hill, more bells, the ping-pongs from the town hall announcement system and the distorted words thereafter, repeated as echoes from other speakers at Lemonitisa, Harani, even from Pedi if the wind is in the right direction. And so on into the day.

I mention this because a thought came back to me this morning. We’ve heard people here on holiday (usually for the first time) complaining about being woken by chickens, or donkeys, or cockerels and my answer is, don’t let them in your apartment. What they mean is, the sounds wake them. When I lived in East London, I’d be woken by fire engines, police cars, the rumble of buses and the rumble of rumbles between warring factions at the local community centre after a late night. I’d rather have the sound of wildlife and rural living, but it can take a while to get used to. So, if you’re heading this way for a holiday, expect to be a little bit rural and enjoy the sounds of island life – expect and accept, I guess is the advice.