Boats and cats
I was going to give you a breakdown of the boats to and from Rhodes – Symi – Panormitis for the forthcoming week, then I looked at the schedules and thought: there’s for too much there and you’re better off going straight to the websites and getting the latest accurate information, But suffice to say, there are lots of crossings to and from Rhodes, Symi, Panormitis, Kos and other islands coming up. Check out Dodecanese Seaways at http://12ne.gr where you can have the site in English.

Also check out the Blue Star line http://www.bluestarferries.gr/en and run a search under their Timetables – Reservations section (scroll down a little) and there you will see that there are boats on Friday and Wednesday, leaving Rhodes at 19.00 on 4^th, 16.01 on 7^th, 17.00 on 9^th and 19.00 on 11^th – lots of varying times there including the rather precise 16.01 – so double check. From Symi to Rhodes it looks like the routine will settle in to 5.00 a.m. on Wednesdays and 7.45 on Fridays, so that’s easier.

For more boat and travel info check out http://symivisitor-accommodation.com/blog/

As you can see, not much news to share and I can’t stay long. Michaelis from the pet shop just rang to say he is on his way shortly with the latest delivery of Jack-cat food; a whole box of the stuff which will probably last the Master only a few days the rate he’s been going. He’s bored, I reckon, and as he doesn’t/can’t go out (for fear of endless chases around the village with a cat box) he spends his mornings bothering me for repeat bowl excursions. The afternoon he spends on the sofa and the nights in the laundry, until around 4 a.m. when he does his business. I read that cats go a bit happy and loopy after a good… download, and run around. Jack doesn’t run very often so he celebrates his… achievement with a big yowl and a lot of shouting. He does this regularly at 4 a.m. I’ve noticed. He’s obviously up and bored then as he ‘goes off’ several more times until I finally give in around six and get up.

Anyway, that’s what I must go and deal with now; the aftermath of his four-a.m. triumph while waiting for his delivery. Everyone is quite right, this cat like many others, doesn’t have an owner, he has staff.

Share on Facebook

Calmer day, quiet harbour
Yesterday was a much calmer day, the sea was flat, the clouds and wind had blown away and though it felt cold, it was warm in the sun. I headed down to Yialos in the morning with no jacket on; now there’s daring for you.

The light on Nimos always gets my attention as I sit at the desk looking out. There are two shots here today, one in the morning and the second one later in the day, during the afternoon when I was back at the desk working on the next novel. I didn’t realise until yesterday that the day before (I think it was) was World Author Day, or some such. It seems everything has a day these days.

That was just an aside; aside from what I don’t know as this is one of those afternoons when I have no idea what to write about. I guess I can tell you what I found in Yialos; peace and quiet. Lots of places are still open though the tourist shops have either closed or are closing. Some tavernas are staying open until after the Panormitis festival next week, after that more and more places will close down for the winter. I checked out the post office to find three important documents. The WGA registration certificate for the short script I wrote for my college course; Neil’s marriage certificate of years ago from Scotland; and his Irish passport application. We’re now waiting on two more documents and the translation of the affidavit from Rhodes and we should be able to complete the form and send it off not long after he gets back from Scotland in a week or so.

You may have heard that the Blue Star has changed its schedule slightly for the winter. The Friday sailing remains the same but on a Wednesday, it now comes in at 4.45 in the morning and departs at 5.00 – this is because it goes on to Karpathos after Rhodes (returning here from Rhodes at 17.00). A friend was on that sailing yesterday, which meant getting up at around three (not me) and arranging a taxi for 4.15; not a pleasant start to the day, not when you are then flying later in the afternoon. I woke up around five and heard the boat but didn’t go out to wave it off. It’s just something to bear in mind if you are planning a winter visit to the island, or a winter leaving, more to the point.

Right now the cat is again mithering me to go and do something. He’s been to his bowl about eight times today so it’s not that, I think he wants me to sit on the sofa for the rest of the afternoon and evening and watch Time Team, so he can fall asleep next to something warm. Sorry, mate, I have dinner to get ready and, while that’s cooking, another chapter to check over and edit. Later though, I’ll be watching something necessary on Netflix, perhaps Versailles or some other historical make-believe that plays out like a modern drama series. Ah well, have a pleasant day.

Share on Facebook

Cold Tuesday
One word for Tuesday: cold. At least if felt cold, the thermometer read 17 but that was tucked out of the north-westerly wind that found its way into the house via the balcony doors (closed) and around my office window (closed). I shut the shutters and have put up the thermal curtains across the mousandra to keep the draft from up there out and any heat from below, in. I’ve also put up a temporary windbreak at the bottom of the office window, a towel with drawing pins to stop the draft blowing across my fingers as I’m working. All holding up fine for now.

I didn’t venture very far from home, though the rain had left and the sky was bright. I did go to the shop for a few supplies and the sun was warm, when you’re in it an out of the wind. The supermarket was its usual jovial experience with people in and out, jokes being cracked, the phone being ignored until the last ring and then long conversations happening as you’re half way through checking out, cheery greetings from all and sundry passing by. And then more on the way home, passing the taverna which, although its doors were shut, was grilling something very tasty, judging by the smell of it; perhaps cooking ahead for the evening. The square was quiet although there were two visitors there with walking poles and a healthy complexion apiece, settling in for a drink of some sort at Lefteris’ in the last remaining patch of sunlight. And this was all at midday.

That’s all there is for local village news today. A quick thank you to everyone who has recently written to say ‘thanks for the blog’ and who has sent best wishes for the winter months. I’ll be here as much as I can, filling you in on all the non-news from Symi as it happens, if it happens, if I see any of it, or learn about anything. The next big event is the Panormitis Festival which is held over the 7^th, 8^th, 9^th, November with services and festivals at other churches dedicated to Saint Michael(s) on the island. Not sure if or where I will be going yet, but if I do get to one of them, there will hopefully be pictures.

Share on Facebook

First Symi rain for a while
Now that feels much more like winter. Monday: started with some sun and low clouds that soon built up and, by 12.00, it was raining, slightly. No downpour as yet and, as I write, not enough to make any difference to the water levels in the reservoirs I expect, but there’s hope that we’ll get a lot more rain later – both Symi and Rhodes are suffering from lack of rain water at the moment and the farmers are worried about crops.

But yesterday it certainly felt as if winter had finally arrived and the season was definitely over. No day boats, no taxis, very few sailing boats in and a chill breeze, plus the rain. Lights on during the day and the windows finally closed. Next it will be the shutters, when the wind starts, and later I must put up the thermal curtains across the mousandra to help keep the heat in the sitting room. I hope my patch repair on the bathroom roof worked so the rain doesn’t seep in there again. If I am very lucky then it will rain harder later today and I will be forced to spend the afternoon on the sofa watching Time Team instead of going out for the walk I had told myself I was going to do. Yesterday was all about getting back to the Ws. Work, Water (fill the sterna), Walking, Washing and Weight, but…

My lovely neighbour called around with a ‘meals on wheels’ for me, a large slice of meat and potato pie with gravy; whoops, there goes the diet I wasn’t on!

Mind you, the rain didn’t deter a trio of canoeists who I saw heading out around the headland alongside a catamaran yesterday. I don’t have the benefit of Neil’s long lens as he has it with him on his trip to Scotland, but I zoomed in as much as I could on my rather appropriate underwater camera to get a shot. The sea was calm enough so I am sure these intrepid explorers were safe enough.

Right then, back to the Ws, the Work and the Washing, the Water (rain) and the Watching of TV or Wreading of a book… Kalo mina!

Share on Facebook

Settling in for winter
And here we are back to the usual day to day blogging. All being well, I will be with you through the winter every day apart from Sundays, with maybe a few breaks over the Christmas period. I can’t say that the posts will always be interesting as winter is a quiet time but, for new readers, they may give you can idea of what goes on, on Symi, over the quieter months. Today’s photos were taken last Friday at The Oxi Day parade. On this day, the school children march in their uniforms (they only wear them on special days like this); it’s not compulsory for them which is why it’s always good to see so many there. Godsons Sam and Harry were both in it this year looking very smart and very serious.

On the way down to the parade on Friday I managed to catch Michaelis at the pet shop and order more cat litter for HRH Jack Cat (the Alarm Cat) and later picked up some more food for the same rather demanding housemate and later walked back up the Kataractis, sweating madly in the sun before making it home full of giros and good cheer.

On Friday night I watched the last part of The Hollow Crown, the TV version of Shakespeare’s Henry VI and Richard III – I thought it was a great production. I have since found out that there is an earlier series with Richard II, Henry IV and Henry V which I must look out for. If I’d known I would have watched them in the right order. It made me wonder if it’s possible to get (good) film or TV film versions of all of Shakespeare’s plays; there are some classics already of course, and some rather odd ones, but wouldn’t it be great to have one good film of each play – Olivier in Henry V, the Judi Dench and Ian McKellen ‘Macbeth’, NOT the Mel Gibson Hamlet (Olivier again instead?), and so on. An idea for things to collect in the future, maybe.

Anyway, Saturday was a day at home writing and working on the next novel, The Saddling. I am now up to chapter 20 of 40 in draft two form, and it’s coming along nicely, to use one of the ‘non-words’ that I am trying to replace in the text. Not that I use ‘nice’ unless it’s in speech, but other ‘non-words’ are being examined along with the typos and repetition, and many other things. Non-words, by the way, are, for me, words like ‘went’ and ‘goes.’ He went into the room only tells you a piece of action, he staggered into the room, tells you the action and gives you a little bit more. I also notice that a lot of my characters look at things (unnecessary unless it’s to do with plot), they turn around a lot (ditto) and things are always on their left or right, north or south… It’s like I’m stage directing them in the narrative, so a lot of that needs to go.

And Sunday started chilly and with an extra hour (that the Alarm Cat didn’t allow me) I was able to get this blog written and get back to the book. The sea out there was a kind of reluctant grey, first thing, it’s quiet in the harbour now after being so mad on Friday where all the bars and cafes, and tavernas (that I saw) were full at one point – we had to wait around 45 minutes for a giros and that’s actually a good thing because they were so busy. It was good to see the businesses having what might be a last good day before winter sets in. Mind you, I’m still sitting there watching my Shakespeare with the balcony doors open at night, unless the wind gets up. How long will that last? Not long, I fear. The duvet is down from its summer storage and ready to go on the bed… soon.

Share on Facebook