A few shots of the pampered Alarm Cat this morning as I try and get back into the swing of things, back to the more usual routine. Except I’m not yet, as it’s still Sunday. But I want to get ahead of myself as the alarm is to be set for ‘very early’ tomorrow so I can get up and out and back into my morning walks. That’s the plan.

And before moving on, Jack says a big Thank You to Ian and Lynne who look after the animal welfare on Tilos. He loves his ‘Cats of Tilos’ calendar, it’s being hung close to his bowl so he can check it every day, well, every half an hour actually.

It feels like I’ve not only had a week away (working, btw, not a holiday) but also a long weekend off. Friday was mainly pottering around at home, but Saturday was more of an adventure. We went to Yialos for the most important thing ever, cat food, and to visit the bank. And the banks, btw, do have money in them, we’re not yet Russian, there is no civil unrest (well, someone rather grumpily said ‘ela! I’ll do it avrio’ about something but that was it) and everything is all fine and dandy here right now. If you have heard stories about Greece and they are putting you off the country my advice would be to stop reading the British press especially the Daily hate mail, and only pay attention to the television reporters who give a balanced view.

Anyway… back down in Yialos we were joined by Sam and Harry as they both had important missions to carry out. Sam had a new computer to collect and Harry had to buy himself a new towel. Here’s a tip: shop around; we found one towel that he wanted for X amount, and then later, once he’d bought it, saw the same one in a different shop for four euros less. Hmm…

There was, of course, a stop for ice cream along the way, and then we picked up the PC and carried it to the taxi rank. On the way up Thanasis told us that here had been an accident and a jeep had gone off the road in Nimborio and ended up in the sea, but no one was hurt and Harry sang to the mountains all the way up, which was lovely. PC installed, I left Sam with tablet and You Tube in one hand and his new PC in the other, looking up how to put the system language into English.

Later, after a lazy afternoon, K&S called around, and P joined us later, the Alarm cat got some serious grooming and attention, and then we all went out to the opening night of The Windmill. Well, the cat stayed home as he’d already eaten. A great night, great food and a very good price too. Highly recommended when you are next on Symi. Okay, off into my Sunday now which is meant to involve potting up the new plants, cleaning the kitchen cupboards (note: buy more ant poison) and maybe doing another 3,000 words on the book this afternoon.

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First of all: Hello to…. you who emailed me yesterday – the nice lady whose name appears in the top banner occasionally. I want to say Anne, but I only saw the email for a second then accidentally hit the wrong button and it vanished, I didn’t download it so I can’t reply. Sorry! But thank you and please resend! (How embarrassing.)

Here is your helping of Saturday Symi photos, though only the last few are Symi because of my journey back from Tilos on Friday morning.

That went smoothly enough. The boat was only about one hour late. It was a very grey and slightly hazy morning at sea, and very calm. Coming in to Symi we could see a line of life jackets left abandoned on the rocks, no sign of the refugees until we came closer to the police station. These are, I guess, a new lot of arrivals and the previous group would have gone up to Athens on the Wednesday boat; if there had been any new arrivals since I’ve been away. It looks like Greece is getting more refugees arriving these days than tourists.

Still, it was good to be back. I arrived just as Neil’s aerobics session was finishing so he met me in Yialos and we took a taxi up. My main rucksack with clothes etc. was light, but the laptop and books one was a bit too much for the steps. A quick call into the Olive Tree in case Neil’s order of plants arrived there – he thought he saw them in the back of a car on the way up, but they’re not here yet. Must have been another order – and then home.

I’ve just had a quick look at the weather forecast and it seems we’re heading for thunderstorm on Sunday and Monday, but that’s just the weather forecast; things change. And, apart from that, I can’t think of anything else to tell you, so I’ll let you go and view these last few images. I’ll be back on Monday.

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So, last afternoon on Tilos, a few more thousand words down (4,000 and a few more to go after this), a walk taken to the end of the bay and back, lunch had, a free beer up on the roof had, packaging half done, bill to sort later and boat due tomorrow morning at 06.00. I shall set my alarm for 5.30 wake up, see where the boat is and amble down to the harbour which is all of, oh, 90 seconds away. Should be home around 08.00, or just after, depending on how the boat gets on coming down.

I came here to get some writing done away from hustle and bustle of Symi, and that’s exactly what I have done. My aim was to start on Sunday and write 6,000 words per day for five days, i.e. 30,000 words, about a third of a book the length of ‘the Judas Inheritance.’ I have actually managed just over 30,000 with a few more hopefully popping out as soon as I’ve written this. More importantly thought, I’ve gone through the middle section of the story, almost, and about three chapters away from the last act; the climax of the piece which should be about another 20 – 30k words or so.

This is all first draft stuff of course, but it’s better to have it down than have it in the head and I can do lots more work on it at a later date.

While being here I have also seen some of the island, though not as much if I were not working. I haven’t, for example, managed to get to the Megalo Xorio and the miniature elephants. But I have done some walking and have seen some sites, and sights. I’ve also been to a few tavernas and a list might be in order, for anyone else who is thinking of coming this way – and also as a bit of free publicity for the places themselves.

I stayed at Apollo Studios, where Andreas and Irina look after you in spectacular fashion; from free trips to collect spring water to towel art and a daily room clean. There are some shots from the roof terrace where I had me beer (a gift) while the room was being done this morning.

I’ve also eaten at Nicos Taverna, daily specials, great hostess Maria, good prices. At Eleni Taverna with the view over the sea, the Oasis when I fancied a change and some pasta and again, right by the sea, the kafeneion/Snak-bar ‘Michaelis’ which is open all day (8 – 23) and where you can have a full lunch or just a glass, and also at Armenon again on the seafront where we had dinner on Wednesday night. I’ve mainly used two bars in the main square and it’s very easy to fall into a rhythm there. Lunchtime beer and people-watch where, after your first day, your order arrives at the table around the same time as you do, and then at Merkouris’ bar in the evening, ditto, which stays open until the last people leave – and I was never the last people. Person.

There are plenty of other places to eat, drink and chill out of course, and had I been staying longer I may well have tried them all, were that possible. I would say that the prices are good, and I have never paid more than, say, €20.00 for a starter, main and jug of wine. In fact, it was more like €17.50, depending on what you have or course, and I tend not to have fish, which can be more expensive. But things like pork in red wine gravy with mashed potatoes (a highlight), and then today’s lunch which was simply an ouzo with water and a plate of gigantes and bread, for under €8.00, well, you can’t go wrong.

So, my little trip has been something of a success. I only need to make sure I don’t miss the boat in the morning, but there are worse places to get caught if I do, and plenty of places to stay. I do wonder how anyone keeps going when I see so many empty seats, but the season, I hope, hasn’t yet completely kicked in and things should, I hope again, pick up.

Any downsides? Well, only the internet connection which for the past few days has been racing along at a local rate of 0.3 Mbps and which sometimes does not work at all, but which has reached a top whack of 1.8 Mbps (home on Symi we get 4.00 Mbps).

But, more importantly, highlights of the trip? Writing a lot of first draft stuff on the new book. Learning that Kerry and Steve have rescued the sight of a stray cat which had a bad eye (piece of prickly grass seed stuck in there, got it out, eye now opening and already looking better), the pork and mash event, walking in the deserted village (though obviously not deserted once I was there), watching the daily fishing activity of boat in, unload, and sell. Listening to the return visitors around me in the square who come back to revisit their Greek friends and without whom, I suspect, the island wouldn’t be alive. And finally, the couple of sunrises I was disciplined enough to get up for. I will leave you with my fav shot of just such an event. Oh, and there should be a blog on Saturday, assuming I make it home and get my act into gear!

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Usual. Routine: up, work (4,000 words yesterday morning) breakfast, walk, was going to do more words but somehow time slipped away, but I was over target and way over target all round, have managed 25,000 words since Saturday and I kind of felt like having an afternoon away from it. So, after a lunch by the sea…

I went for a walk. And once again I forgot to change my shoes so there I am tramping along the main road, uphill, quite happily, when I see the sign for Micro Horio which is where I was heading. And that took me off piste as it were. Then I realised I only had my sandals on.

So, I went carefully along the track, which is part path, part rocks, part prickly things, and started to work my way around the hillside. Every now and then you come across an abandoned house or agricultural building and eventually you can start to see the old, mostly abandoned, village. There are a couple of done-up houses there, and a bar that does a party on a Saturday night I’m told (perhaps other times as well), but I couldn’t actually get that far. Not safely.

I did wander around some terraces, stamping a lot in case of snakes (didn’t see any), and then occasionally came across an old threshing circle, or a corn grinder (I am guessing), and then holes in the ground which must have been for storage. It’s all very fascinating and a little sad, and next time I shall wear my walking boots and do the thing properly. When out on the drive the other day I was sure I’d seen a road heading up to the top or near, and there probably is, which is why I didn’t think I’d be going across country. Anyway, done now, and I was back in 90 minutes, a bit sweaty but feeling like I’d had some decent time away from the keyboard.

I didn’t see much wildlife I have to say, a few thistles, some goats, trees of course, and some bright moss, but not a lot else. Lots of crows, a few sparrows, some seagulls, and cats, and that’s about it. I’ve not seen any dog-do since being here (unlike some other places I could mention), no rubbish in the streets, and everyone seems very happy to see you. Well, to see me. I am sure they would be equally as happy to see you too.

I have made a small donation to the Tilos cat protection programme thingy; there’s a book swap up the road, a shelf unit with a combination safe money box on it where you can drop in whatever coins or notes you want. Leave your books on the top shelf, take another to read and away you go. The books get recycled, the stray cats get fed and de-wormed and you get to see what other people bring on holiday to read. I picked up that James Herbert the other day but have only read one chapter, so I might leave that behind, and I was tempted by a book about the Tudor times and just after, but it was pretty dense and rather like a textbook, which is exactly what it was actually, so I didn’t bother.

And on the way back from my walk I thought I might have a go at writing a few short stories, once I’ve got the first draft of ‘Straight Swap’ out of the way and put aside to fester for a while. But then I realised I knew nothing about writing short stories so may have to see if there are any books on the subject at my Kindle store. That’s something for later when I have posted this and cooled down a little. I hope you enjoy the photos.

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I’ve done too much typing today so I really am not going to stay long. Today’s target was 6,000 words in three batches of 2k, and I managed 8,000 in two batches of 4,000. It’s not the typing that takes the time as I can type at around 80 words per minute. It’s going back and having to correct 98% of those 80 that slows me down.

So, what I thought I would do is put up a series of photos taken this morning. I had a reasonably early night last night as the alarm was set of 06.00 a.m. After a great meal (pork in red wine sauce served with mashed potato, I mean, they must have known I was coming) I headed straight home, finished off reading Lonely House and then hit the sack. (They don’t give you sheets here.) (Only joking.)

This morning involved: an early walk along the beach at sunrise, several hours work, and then, when my room was due to be ‘done’ I went to the square, via a sit at the harbour watching the fishermen bring in the catch.

The square is wonderful here and it’s so nice to hear so many people meeting old friends, both Greek and English and Danish (?) well, other nationalities. Many people have been coming here year after year, as they do on Symi, and it’s easy to see why. I didn’t bother trying to order anything different; my beer arrived just after I’d sat down even though it was only 11.00 and I was making myself an offer on a coffee.

There I met K&S just arrived from Halki and on their way to Symi via Tilos, so I sat and had a pre-lunch drink with them. Then another, and then pulled myself away from the abyss of one too many before lunch and got me to a munchery; actually to my apartment and beans on toast, followed by a siesta, shower and the next 4,000 words. Mashed potato? Mashed keyboard more like.

And here I am writing this and starting to feel hungry. So I’ll act like a cattle ranger and put this post up, then check for messages, sniff my two shirts to see which one is the least offensive to wear out, and then head out to meet K&S for dinner. And, after bringing my 1^st draft total so far to nigh on 80,000 words, I kind of feel I deserve it.

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