Dodecanese, March 7^th
Monday morning, up for an early walk despite the clouds and cold wind, and back again by half seven ready for the day ahead. The March 7^th Parade is set to happen down in Yialos, celebrating the day the Dodecanese were handed back to the Greek state. This actually happened on the first of April 1947 after a few years of British Military Administration, but the day is celebrated on March 7^th as this was when King Pavlos sailed in to Rhodes. There you go.

Looking out of my window now I can see a sailing yacht heading out towards Nimos and the channel between it and Symi, its main sail up and the boat tipping to port. You can always remember which side is port from the phrase: ‘There is no red port left in the bottle,’ a phrase my father taught me. Red, Port, Left are the three words to remember there, the fact that starboard is green and right is left ‘implied’, though you do have to know that starboard is green (when talking about lights on a ship). Where the bottle comes in is anyone’s guess, but that’s about as far as my nautical expertise stretches.

Anyway, I was just looking for some new ‘Books set in Greece’ titles that might be of interest to readers and found this site: http://www.greekislandbooks.com/ It’s good to see Anne Zouroudi with an author interview there, and her novel ‘The Feast of Artemis’ listed. This is one of the seven Greek Detective Mysteries, the first, ‘The Messenger of Athens’ being partly inspired by Anne’s time spent on Symi, the landscape and the people inhabiting the island. As you may know, Anne kindly wrote an introduction to my second collection of tales from Symi, ‘Carry on up the Kali Strata.’

Which kind of leads me on to Donkey news. I was able to get my head down over the keyboard and carry on with the first draft of this unusual ‘novel’ based on my screenplay. I say unusual as it’s not taking a standard novel format, not that there is one. There are no chapters, simply scene headings as there are in the script. For example: EXT: Village Square – DAY. There then follows the description of the scene that takes place in the village square at that time in the script, with dialogue added in as you would expect to see in a novel, rather than formatted as a screenplay. The dialogue is being expanded, as are the descriptions from the ‘black stuff’ as the stage directions are called in a screenplay, and I also have the luxury of adding in some background and other elements which you wouldn’t normally have in a film script. The first draft is chugging along nicely and well on its way to be ready for my second draft in June; or before, if I can get it done.

I have also just booked myself onto a writing course with the South African Writer’s College, as I mentioned the other day, as I thought it about time I did some learning in scriptwriting. I mean, after four musicals, several revues, a couple of plays (all performed) and two films (both filmed, one nearing post production, the other one… well, who knows?) I thought it was about time. So, that will hopefully keep me busy in the in-between times when I am not working up ‘Shocking the Donkeys’ or finishing off ‘Remotely’ (just seen the cover design, latest draft, very nice), thinking about a screenplay version of ‘Lonely House’ and also working on many other ideas, including another set of tales from Symi with other short articles and stories included. Plenty of work to do to keep me off the streets and steps for a while, I hope.

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Monday morning ramble
Having decided not to succumb to the fate of many, I did not waste my Sunday morning on Facebook, pottering around looking at photos of other people’s animals doing daft things with each other, or watching videos of people getting hurt as they try and do really stupid things. I did not spend more than five minutes reading other people’s ill-informed views on refugees, Great Britain, and Europe. I didn’t even have a good laugh looking at some of the dreadful things the potential next American president has to say; I did not say ‘Amen’ and save a child’s life, I refused to ‘share and get good luck for the next seven years,’ or even make a comment and see what happened to the picture. All of that kind of rubbish went out of the window in favour of my own kind of rubbish. This Monday morning blog which is, as usual, written on a Sunday.

Instead of doing any of that time-wasting nonsense I got together this post for today, did some work on the Donkeys, if you see what I mean and then set about housework. The day started off sunny enough, but soon clouded over. I say ‘the day’ it’s actually still only 8.30 in the morning as I write this so anything could happen, weather-wise. I also pointed off some information about a short course I have applied to do. Although I’d really like to do an MA in English Literature by distance learning over the next two years, I can’t afford it. The lowest cost course I can find is still over €5,000 per year as, naturally, these things don’t come cheap. So instead, I have signed up for a short course for interest’s sake and it’s on scriptwriting. I should hear this week if everything is okay and if/when I can get started. Once started it much be completed within five months. And I am able to afford to pay for this (much cheaper) course thanks to Mozart. I won’t go into detail here but next time you see me you can ask me, if you’re really that interested.

Studying might make afternoons at The Rainbow Bar more of a luxury than a daily occurrence for the next few months then, depending on how much work is involved. We stopped for our first one of the season there on Saturday evening after shopping. Actually, it wasn’t that we stopped there it was more that we were stopped there – is that the difference between an active and a passive verb in English? Yiannis whistled us back and indicated to sit for a glass, on him, and of course you can’t argue with the boss. He’s back there open every day now after his winter wind-down and it’s expected that Neil will start work again in a month or so. How soon the time flies.

And time is flying as I am rambling on, so I’m now heading off into Hooverland to run the old ‘James’ (the vacuum cleaner, not me) around the floors, put the washing out, put the washing away, ‘take away the sardines while leaving the receiver’* and do all that kind of jazz, while Neil sees to the courtyard and starts repotting things. Here’s wishing you a good Monday and week ahead.

*Noises Off

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Friday morning jobs done, weekend ahead
A fairly successful Friday morning has been completed. It started with an email from my old local authority in the UK saying I am now successfully registered to vote for the up-coming referendum and can apply for a postal or proxy vote. I’ve already sent back the application for a postal vote. Then I was able to get some work done and finished another chapter of ‘Shocking the Donkeys’ (first draft form of course). And while that was going on, the artist designing the image for the next novel, ‘Remotely’, sent in his latest draft which contained all the element’s we’d discussed and looks good. I’m looking forward to seeing the next stage, the colour version.

We had some rain overnight on Thursday but luckily it didn’t start until after the Tsiknopempti celebrations had ended. This was ‘meat eating Thursday’ which goes by many other interpretations. There was a barbeque in the village square with live music and recorded music, children in costumes, and free food. There might have been another similar event taking places in Yialos, but we were at home enjoying the bass line of such Greek classics as ‘Reet Petite’ and ‘La Bamba’ until just after nine.

There was some more rain on Friday morning, rather, there was a hail storm of biblical proportions but short story length. Neil had just gone out to go and buy some plant pots and had to shelter around the ex Kali Strata bar area; shame it’s not still open. Not that it was ever open in the winter months, nor did it have any shelter, but you know what I mean. And now, writing on Friday, another weekend is upon us with all chores taken care of and all writing targets met. I’m waiting to see what the weather holds in store before planning any walks or trips out and the only thing on my list of things to do is some more writing on one of the many ideas that are floating around at the moment.

And so, with that, I will wish you a happy and safe weekend as I head off into the kitchen to prepare lunch, an event which may well be followed by some more Netflix programmes, followed by another Donkey chapter. Only 11 more to go before I reach the end of draft one, and I wanted to have that ready for early June, so it looks like I am getting ahead of my schedule which is never a bad thing. Have fun!

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The sounds of morning
Standing on the balcony on a Thursday morning, looking down over Symi harbour, I paid attention to the sounds that you can hear from this side of the village. Why? Well, I’d been out for an early walk up the hill – from Syllogos Square, to Kampos, up through Leoni to Agia Triada and then down through the village and back to home. The first such early walk since last year due to cold and weather.

The sun was still behind the hills as I left at around 6.40 but there were signs of life in the village. Nikitas had already opened his peripteron and Lefteris was already at work at the kafeneion, despite the fact that the sun was not yet up. The bakers had their wood oven open and there was the aniseed-tinted smell of baking in the air. A couple of soldiers in uniform passed me on their mopeds as they set off for work up at the barracks, and the rubbish collection teams were already out and about on the roads.

The usual sounds of the morning greet you at this time of day: the cockerels sounding off, chickens fussing about something vital to survival behind ruin walls, the early birds out looking for worms, and the distant sounds of a motorbike struggling up a hill, or the quiet rumble of one coming down with no engine yet switched on, a common trick around here to save fuel. The road was pretty deserted, only a few army guys and farmers passed in cars and trucks and, by the time I reached the top road to Periotisa, the sun was only just starting to drag itself up over the hilltop.

Later, on the balcony, I was treated to the sight of a flat calm sea and some activity down below. The sound of the navy ship as it started up and prepared to leave port, signalling its leaving with three solid blasts on its claxon. The coastguard launch starting up, churning the flat harbour water into ripples of lighter blue and white, and then speeding off into the bay and beyond where another navy boat could be seen far out; possibly one of the NATO patrols now in the Aegean. And for other sounds: a neighbour’s water pump whizzing into life, a tell-tale sign that someone was doing the washing, or in the shower. The sound of the school below and away to my right, with a bell ringing, soon followed by the sound of teenagers at play in the playground. A hawk of some sort wheeling about over it all, set against the distant white clouds that are the remains of a rainstorm from the night before, and the cats, somewhere nearby, in heated debate over territory rights or food.

And behind all that, a peaceful calm, the sun starting to warm the green hillside where weeds and herbs are now flourishing after only a little winter rain. The calm sea in shades of blue reflecting the sky, and the glare of the low sun on white-painted buildings across the harbour where only a few people were out and about, coming to and fro from work. All very calming and pleasant. My coffee break on the balcony came to its end and it was time to head back to the desk to try and write. The cat was in the courtyard finding the morning snooze spot, the washing was able to go outside in the sun, having spent a day and a night sheltering from the rain, and one hundred and one small jobs needed attending to around the house; tidying up, putting things away, airing the rooms with open windows and doors… and so back to work.

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From boats to book reviews
You will be pleased to hear that the wind did die down and the boats were able to come and go. In fact we had two on Wednesday, the Blue Star and the Dodekanisos. I noticed that the Symi Visitor Travel Blog has details about the now published timetables for the ferries; Blue Star up until the end of August and Dodekanisos Seaways for the summer. This is going to be of great use to everyone planning a holiday in Symi this year.

By the way, if you are thinking of a holiday in Greece this year, don’t be put off booking now. We’ve been hearing of some islands expecting a massive drop in tourism this year, those who are at the frontline of the refugee situation. I’ve not heard that about Symi or Rhodes, however. Mind you, I am sure that most, if not all, of my blog readers would not be put off their plans by what they might see on television, or read in the papers. Those islands, more than some, need support.

Anyway, back to Symi and your possible holiday. Here are a couple of books you might like to get hold of before you come. Actually one is a map and it’s good for walkers, being the most like an OS map that you might find. It’s Symi Terrain Maps, one of the Terrain Editions and is well worth ordering in advance so you can look at the terrain and plan your walks. (I love looking at maps. I could sit and read an atlas for hours; which reminds me, I must get an Atlas.)

Another idea for a pre-holiday book would be a guide book, and if you are planning time on Rhodes as well as Symi, then you might find The Rough Guide to the Greek Islands, by Nick Edwards, useful. There are loads of other guide books out there as well of course and you can pick up maps and guide books locally when you arrive. And now we do a quick segue into Amazon reviews via a lilac, plastic loofah found on the shore en route to St Nicks.

These are vital if an author is to sell more books on Amazon. (Reviews, I mean, not plastic loofahs.) The more positive reviews a book gets, the more chance there is of Amazon promoting it. As I understand it, you don’t have to have bought the book from Amazon in order to put up a review (you may need to register), and it’s a quick and easy process and so helpful to the author. (That ‘so’ was meant to be read as ‘sooooooo.’) What’s also good about the set-up is that books that receive more than average bad reviews get reviewed (there’s a revue to be made out of this one day); someone at Amazon looks at them and, if they really are not up to scratch (and the bad reviews were not a vendetta), then they withdraw the book until the publisher can put things right. So, your reviews help us authors sell more books and help protect us readers from badly produced books. And behind this paragraph is the broad hint that if you have one of mine on your shelf – more, if you have one and I’ve signed it – see if you can head to Amazon, search for it and put up a review (if you haven’t already). Thank you!

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