The trouble with the world today…
It’s turning out to be quite a hectic weekend and it’s only Sunday morning. We were down in Yialos on Saturday and it was heaving, as they say. Well, it was certainly very busy for October 1^st with three day boats in and a cruise ship back in again. We had lunch at Meraklis and it was just about full, George and Maria were scurrying about all over the place, working hard.

We also did some wandering around and shopping, as you’ll see from upcoming photos, had a coffee here and an ice cream there, it’s rather like being on holiday. In the evening we went to a memorial gathering at Tolis Taverna in Pedi where there was singing and dancing, poetry reading and speeches, a nice buffet and a good time had by all. We left at 11.30 and it was still going on – a bus had been provided for 12.30 but if I’d stayed that late I’d not have got up on Sunday morning, it was difficult enough as it was.

Sunday evening: we have an invite to drinks at Taxiarchis, next week we have guests coming on Tuesday, we may all be off on a boat trip on Friday as Neil has a very rare day off work, I have the dentist to look forward to on Thursday and… well, apart from that I think I’ll be on holiday for a while. It’s a lovely sunny Sunday out there, the sea is calm, the temperature was up to around 30 yesterday and it looks like it’s going to be the same again today.

One thing I did note just now online was a supermarket (not here but in the UK) selling peeled oranges in plastic tubs and labelling them ‘fresh produce.’ I mean… come on people – who needs to have an orange peeled and ready to go at a moment’s notice? And how can it be fresh if it’s been peeled and is sitting there in plastic on a shelf? And why waste that money, packaging and advertising on such a thing? And what about the environmental considerations of the plastic container when oranges come in a perfectly good (and edible if you like it) package of their own? Sheesh -I hope you never feel the need to buy an allegedly fresh orange just because someone has peeled it for you? ‘Ah yes, but there are people out there who can’t peel oranges,’ you cry! Well, take a look at the package, I reckon that’s just as hard to open as orange peel. Honestly, makes me laugh – kind of. No wonder the world is going to hell in a handbag. As Kander and Ebb wrote (well, Fred Ebb, as he did the words), ‘The trouble with the world today it seems to me, is coffee in a cardboard cup…’ Or peeled oranges for those too lazy to peel them themselves. Sheesh! Here’s a photo of some shoes:

Please do not turn off Symi Dream, we are updating: 5%
A few photos today, taken while wandering around the village on my way to Taxiarchis Apartments. As you can see, a lovely sunny day. I carried a hoodie with me all day and all evening but didn’t need it at all. It was one of those feast days, lunch at the Olive Tree, dinner at Trata…

I would be writing more today, I was up early enough but someone up there in the cloud decided my laptop needed an update: ‘Please don’t turn off your computer, this could take some time, Windows will restart…’ Two hours later… The only thing that I can see is different is that they’ve unhelpfully changed the main menu to icons (simple enough to work out but… why?) and now all my programme icons on my task bar occasionally flash on and off as something sweeps through them. Firefox is taking longer than usual to do its stuff and… well, everything else looks the same.

So, that was a wonderful waste of two hours, hanging around and coming back every ten minutes to see if I had progressed from 5% updated. Actually it wasn’t a waste of time as it gave me an excuse to read some more of a friend’s short stories that are going for publication later this year. In a word, delicious (all revolving around a certain, small Greek island). I’ll tell you more when I am able to and when the book is published.

Meanwhile: Friday morning, the washing is on, we’re heading into Yialos later this morning for the post office (I think my ‘FitBit’ has arrived), a look at the shops and then lunch. There are no plans yet for this afternoon and evening so it could be a night in at home. That’ll be novel.

One in one out
As you can see, a bit of boat activity yesterday. The cruise ships are still coming in, summer isn’t over just yet! We had one in on Wednesday night for three hours and then this one in on Thursday. It was still parked up as the Panagia wanted to come in, so the ferry had to hang about to at sea for a while until the Sea Dreams boat moved.

As you can also see it’s a lovely day and the temperatures are still in the 20s; we’re still in shorts (as long as it’s not a cool breezy evening) and people are still heading to beaches. Mother arrived Safely on Wednesday night, perfectly delivered by Olympic Holidays and shown into Taxiarchis where she has a very nice studio with a good view and all mod cons. We popped out to Mandeio’s for a light supper after the arrival and I’m heading back down there soon as we’re going to the welcome meeting (it’s Thursday as I write). After that… well who knows? I feel like I’m on holiday myself.

Here’s the culprit for the white dust all over the washing and courtyard, a tamarisk tree that’s shedding its whatever – I have a bit of a sore nose from it, but it’s only temporary.

Symi coincidence
Another quick post today. And they may be shorter for the next few weeks, there may even be days off. Eek! Mother will arrive this evening and so I won’t have as much time during the days to jot down my usual rambles and news. But I shall do my best.

What’s nice to note today is that I’ve had a couple of message sin from people who are here on Symi and reading my books. People are getting a lot of laughs out of Jason and the Sargonuats, Remotely and even Carry On Up The Kali Strata, which I was talking about the other day. That title is still ahead in my monthly charts but only by one point as ‘Remotely’ is catching up fast.

Met a strange coincidence last night, sitting at the Rainbow and chatting to some very nice people who we’d not chatted to before. They were from Deal, in Kent. So? Well, I am from Romney and sitting beside me was Jenni from Hythe – all cinque ports, all in a row along the south coast and all in a row outside the bar here on Symi. One of those things eh? Nice chat though and we made it home just in time for the 5.2 magnitude earthquake that happened just off Rhodes and not too far away. The house creaked, but it stayed upright I am pleased to say. Not had one of them for a while and it’s nice to know the house is so stable; built on rocks, so should be fine.

Right, off to get the shopping now ahead of the state visit. Bear with me If I’m not here so much over the next few weeks.

Symi Photos
Dashing around getting ready for the family visit… still lots of tidying up to do some of which will have to wait for tomorrow… some shopping to get in… phone bill to pay (just paid in, on-line banking with Alpha Bank is so easy) and then to find something to wear that works with the cooler air, the sun and warmth when not in the shade, and which also looks good. So much to do so little time.

And so, some random photos today and not a lot of words, this will give me time to get the lunch ready, put the cushions back on the sofa, clear up the cat litter, hang more washing out, sweep the floors ready for a washing later and… You get the picture. Here are some more pictures; Symi photos to brighten your day.