Friday afternoon: filling the sterna with water which is still coming in at 14.20 today, not that we need that much but it’s always good to have enough. The pump is now fixed and away with the old one went the need to turn on three taps to fill the tank, while not being able to run the water. In with the new came the joy of only having to turn the mains water tap when we need to put water in, while still be able to use the water like normal. Vasilis is a genius.

So, while that excitement is going on, we’re also preparing for a night in Pedi at the fund-raiser/thank-you for/from Solidarity Symi which is happening there tonight at 8pm. We may, if we can, head to The Secret Garden afterwards for some live music. Tomorrow (Saturday – today) we’re doing our shift at the refugee centre and will probably have lunch en famile afterwards, and then… well, we’ve no current plans for the rest of the weekend.

I might spend some time dusting the house. The windows are still open and someone’s doing some building work somewhere nearby so the wind is blowing in dust, the red sofas are now a little bit white and it’s not just the cat fur, but I am sure a little dusting will not be the highlight of our weekend.

Here are a few recent photos to spend time with on a Saturday.

Have a good weekend!

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I am literally copying this email from Symi Animal Welfare directly onto the blog. I am just back from Rhodes, with the family staying, I have half an  hour before an appointment and then we’er off out, so this came in in perfect time for me to fill today’s blog with S.A.W. news, and a few photos and save me having to think of something to write. So, Symi Animal Welfare write:

“We would like to thank everyone who kindly made donations throughout the summer, this winter’s feeding programme has already been discussed with our usual suppliers, with such large quantities of biscuits, cans & pasta required, it is vital that we give the supermarkets ample notice.

Everything in life changes from time to time and, due to a variety of circumstances beyond our control, it is now the time when the way Symi Animal Welfare has worked over the years needs to alter.  Our treasurer has retired, our vet-visit co-ordinator has been at home in Denmark caring for her sick husband, I too am leaving for the UK shortly for an indefinite period.

Apart from fantastic commitment from our volunteers who are provided with supplies to take food to the street cats at least twice a week, the ‘team’ currently, actually consists of only 2 who are pro-active, one of those is Suzan the other me.  This doesn’t mean that caring, animal-loving residents aren’t concerned about either the street cats or those who live with or around them, but aren’t involved with everything else we are called upon to do or investigate. These people will of course, continue looking after their cat-families.  We have always done what we can & when we can and I’m sure,  most of you will agree that generally, the cats of Symi are in ‘fine shape’?

Unless anyone else can organise & co-ordinate a visit, unfortunately there won’t be a vet-visit/neutering programme for some while.  As has been the situation for a number of years, we do however have an arrangement with a vet on Rhodes.  Carers can get cats to the vet, Symi Animal Welfare will cover the costs of neutering but not ferry or taxi fares.  If, as residents of the island, you are genuinely concerned about the welfare and potential increase in the street-cat population, we ask that you take up this arrangement.

Suzan has already started to put a list together of feeding stations & volunteers who have helped in the past, she has contact details for them.  If you haven’t been involved with the winter-feeding before but would like to help this year, please contact her directly.  She too will be leaving the island during November and then again next March

Symi Animal Welfare has always been supported so well by visitors, donations have continued year after year, but sadly, it will be virtually impossible to carry on without  consistent & active participation of other residents.”

Melanie Sharp

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Well, yesterday started out well (pun). Actually, it was Monday night when it started. We had had visitors come to see Jack, the Alarm Cat, and then took us out to dinner which was very lovely and thank you again! Then, when we returned home all the lights were out and the power was off. I did the usual things, checking kettles and connections, and finally tracked the problem down to the water pump in the well…

Which meant no water on Tuesday morning. Luckily we had some in a big bottle outside and Habib at the supermarket had delivered us four cases the day before. But still, no water is a tad inconvenient at any time but especially so when we have a house guest arriving on Thursday. Anyway, I popped over the road and found our landlord and, with lots of arm waving and universal sign language plus some Greek spoken in a funny accent (me) and some Symiaka spoken in a funny accent (Andreas), I was able to explain that the pump had broken. I’d already taken advice from a man who knows about such things and who had warned me that this was not going to be cheap.

Our pump is (was) great. It’s down in the sterna, so you never hear it. It’s attached to the world above ground by a rope and its cable so when you need to change it you simply haul it up. Then, I am told, you just undo some joint thing and attach the new pump and lower away. I have no idea and I didn’t intend to find out. So, Andreas went off to phone an electrician (Frances’ husband, Vasilis, who wired the house when it was renovated). A little while later there’s the sound of Vasilis’ truck outside and some greetings from Andreas, who has a loud voice, is always happy and gesticulates like a tic-tac tic-tacker. A little while after that the doorbell goes and we’re off into the magical world of water pumps.

Vasilis quite calmly checked the fuse box, took the front off, stuck his screwdriver into the wires with alarming abandon, pulled them about without killing himself (he knows what to do, he was well trained… by Andreas who was head of the island’s technical college or something) and after a while confirmed that it was the pump and we needed a new one. He then acted as an interpreter for us and between us all we agreed that we and Andreas would go halves on a new pump as they are not cheap. A new one had to be ordered from Rhodes and, as write this now (on Tuesday) that’s been done and we’re hoping it will be here and installed on Wednesday at the cost of at least €400. Yikes. I know, but it gets better…

While Vasilis was here was also looked at the electricity meter. We’ve been here since February and our bill has been really low. I was kind of complaining to the landlord that we were not paying enough. I know, but you don’t want to end up with a large bill if/when you discover you’ve been paying the wrong bill. And guess what? We’ve been paying the wrong bill. We have been paying for Andreas’ house opposite (who clearly lives by candlelight as we’ve only paid something like €100 in eight months) and, with a little detective work on all sides, we discovered that someone else has been paying ours. Thing is, the wrong meters have been put to the wrong bills and our real one, estimated, is €16.00 in credit. Except it is not as we’ve used nearly 3,000 units more than the estimated amount. So, guess who is going to be getting a large bill next time round? I’ve no idea how much it will be, it depends on various things – how much you’ve used and at what time – but that’s going to be something to look forward to right before Christmas and right after our European trip. Hey ho! But, I am glad we have it all sorted now and am very grateful for all of Vasilis’ help.

Now then, as I write this, Neil has just photographed some more refugees who have been rescued and brought ashore by the port police. And that reminds me that on Friday evening at Pedi (Apostolis taverna) there is a gathering and party to which everyone is invited; drinks etc. for €10.00 which is a donation towards Solidarity Symi.

And that also reminds me to let you know that I am off to Rhodes for Wednesday and back on Thursday, leaving Neil in charge of mother (or vice versa) and so there will be no blog for two days. How will you manage? Well, I always suggest you check out Adriana’s Symi blog if you don’t already. I’ll be back soon when hopefully I will be able to wash.

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On Sunday we hired a car and Lyndon kindly drove us around. So, what do you do when you have a car for a day, on Symi? We started off with a coffee at The Olive Tree, a convenient meeting place…

The next port of call was the monastery/church of Panaghia Mirtidhiotissa, which is above Ksisos. We rang the bell and the caretaker lady who lives there let us in and opened the chapel for us. We had a look round and then headed off again, this time to the monastery at Roukouniotis.

This is now restored and very nicely too and visitors are welcome to look around, for free. Again the caretakers will open the chapels for you and answer any questions you have. There is an older 14^th century church below the more ‘modern’ 17^th century one, as well as the old ovens, refectory, and other rooms to look at.

After that, we wandered up to the windmill nearby to look at the old threshing circles and take some photos, see if we could spot any birds and then we drove to the top of the road at Toli Bay, or above Toli Bay. From here you can see St Emilianos and across to Turkey and Kos, and on a clearer day to other islands as well. There are, below you somewhere, some ‘classic period ruins’ and, when we were there, there was also a man out hunting on the hill high above and to our right. It’s still hunting season here at the moment.

And then, onwards and this time to Marouthounda for lunch. This involved driving right across the island of course and so there are plenty of views and other places to stop to admire the scenery, you pass the monument to the resistance fighters killed in the last war, and then zig zag down the hill 13 times until you reach the turn off for the beach and taverna, farm and accommodation. Lunch was very nice, the goats are kept at bay on the other side of the fence, and there were not too many hornets about (always a bit of a bind at this time of year).

After lunch we went home, had a rest and then met up again in the evening for a drive to Panormitis, arriving there at dusk. There was a group of ladies from Athens and some men staying, who were in the tavernas singing Greek folk songs and having a high old time. That added atmosphere to our glass of wine as we waited for darkness to really take hold and then…

Then we drove back up to hill and stopped at a viewpoint to star-gaze. We did try taking photos of the stars, but really need to work on the technique, the photo here is one Neil took and it’s the best of the bunch. Mine looked good on the camera, but when you blow them up there’s nothing there. Also, on this photo, you can’t see the Milky Way which stretches from one side of the sky to the other. And after that, home via a last drink.

So, plenty to see and do on Symi in one day with a car. Even without one there’s lots to see and do and the weather at this time of year is good for walkers, though it’s set to get a bit dodgy next week as October starts to become troublesome. It really does feel like we’re heading for winter again and so soon already! A timetable for volunteers to help at Solidarity Symi is being drawn up, we have booked our holiday flights, and I’ve organised two of the three train journeys we need to book for it. All we need to do now is find the money to pay for the hotels. I’d best be off to search down the back of the sofa.

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Abud is an Arabic name derived from the verb ‘To worship.’ We met Abud at the port police station on Saturday morning with 13 other refugees who had spent the night on the rocky shores somewhere on the east coast of Symi. They had waited there 10 hours overnight, after making the crossing from Turkey. We didn’t take photos of the group as we didn’t want to worry anyone. (Today’s photos are a mix of recent pics.)

Abud told us that he was aiming to get moving, he wanted to get cleared through the paperwork as quickly as possible and get to Athens so he could start the overland journey to Germany where his people were. There were a few children in the group waiting patiently for the port police to do their paperwork. We brought them some donated colouring books and pens which lit up their faces and, we hope, relieved their boredom. We were also able to give out some basic medication for people with tooth and stomach ache, some fruit, biscuits, water and advice. Once finished at the port authority, the group would go to the police station and could then come and use Solidarity Symi to find clothes and washing facilities while waiting for their boat.

This brought up something which I thought I would mention. Abud is a big guy, he looked like your classic body builder and he’s not the first big, muscled man we’ve seen come through. His backpack was lost in the crossing, when they had to go into the sea for the last part of the journey ashore. He lost all his clothes. We told him there would be clothes at the aid station but whether there would be anything to fit a bodybuilder is another matter. So, if you have mates at the gym who might have some old, XXL clothes they don’t need, maybe ask to send them over and mark them up ‘for XXL’ or ‘for bodybuilders’ or something. Men like Abud, who only had one pair of wet jeans and a wet vets to wear all the way to Germany, will be very grateful.

While we were doing our very meagre bit on Saturday, we also took in donations from visitors – thank you for that, and you know who you are. Over €200 in one morning, very generous and very useful. We sorted clothes, mother got involved as well, as did other long-term residents and visitors, and the place is now well organised and properly arranged. So, when the 14 visitors we saw at the port police do come over, they will find not only medical aid for the cuts sustained when scrambling ashore on Symi’s razor-rocks, but new clothes, washing facilities, toys for the children, a little food and shelter and a warm welcome.

You can help via: Solidarity Symi, PO Box 32, Symi, 85600, Greece

Now back to Sunday (as it’s Sunday morning as I write this). The soldiers have just done their flag raising ceremony at the war memorial (see above) down in Yialos and I am getting this ready early as I have a day out in a car ahead of me. We’re going bird watching with Lyndon who has this amazing knack of finding unusual birds and wildlife out there in the hills and getting good photos of it. I only seem to catch a dodgy sparrow or a rather ubiquitous raven. Saturday night in the courtyard, a hawk flew over us, very low and close and it was grey/blue underneath. We think it might have been a peregrine or a kestrel. Who knows what we shall see today?

This week is going to be a busy one, the dance card is already filling up. We have friends coming for drinks on Monday evening and then a dinner, on Tuesday I am heading to Rhodes and going shopping on Wednesday, then meeting my nephew at the airport who is coming for his first visit, back here on Thursday, a singing session in the afternoon, Mythos in the evening (must book it) and then on Friday we’re aiming for a small party in Pedi and then hopefully an hour or two at The Secret Garden in Horio – if we can get in; it’s so popular on a Friday night now that you need to get in early. And before we know it, it will be the weekend again and our Saturday volunteer session, which is where we came in, so I’m now heading out. Have a good week.

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