We now have a transformed outside wall. I know. About as interesting as watching paint dry, which is kind of what this is. The bathroom, which is accessed from inside the house, is an extension into the courtyard, and for the last few years, the paint has been flaking off. The concrete was cracked, and the wall needed skimming and all those kinds of things beyond my ken, so we called in an expert. He worked on the two walls for two mornings and hey presto! Everything is gleaming white, sealed and safe again.

During the overnight pause, when the old was off and the new was waiting to go on, Neil was out there with his camera seeing faces in places that most of us don’t notice, and found a figure in the stripped and sanded wall, as only he can. I pointed out to sharp teeth and evil face (that I see) and he put it up on Facebook for anyone and everyone to comment on. Amazing how many people see many different things.

I’ll get you a view of the pristine white wall soon, but needless to say, it now makes the rest of the courtyard walls look dull in comparison, but they will have to wait for when we are working before repainting, as to paint involves buying things. What I do have for you though, is the same old view from the house. The shutters have been closed for a few days, to keep out drafts and chilly breezes, but they were open for a while at the weekend. As you can see, it remains calm and sunny, though around our north-facing house, the daytime temperature is struggling to get about 12 or 13, and it feels even colder inside.

Things to do today and this week: dentist again this morning, collect package from courier (new keyboard), piano lesson, maybe modelling after. I ordered Harry a new model last Monday and it was here by Friday. The joy of ordering from Athens rather than Amazon. Later in the week, we’ll be in Rhodes for a day, so there will probably be no blog on Friday. Other than that… I am 80k words into the next book and heading towards a thrilling last act.

Oh, on which note, if you fancy clicking the link at the end of this paragraph, or the image below, it will take you to a list of Historical novels (two by me) in a special promotion. They’re all on Kindle Unlimited, and you don’t have to buy anything, but the more clicks I get from my link, the higher ranking I get at a place called Book Funnel. It costs you nothing but looks good for me, that’s all. So if you fancy it click over to find some ideas for your next historical action, adventure and military history novels. Thank you!

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Yesterday, I had to visit the dentist, which is never a trauma, not here, not financially nor in any other way. The only downer about it was that it was cold, and my feet hurt by the time I got there. The treatment was quick and painless, and I’ve to go back on Monday for a general cleanup. That’s one thing.

Another was that I noticed what looked like a school class in one of the coffee shops. This isn’t an unusual sight, because, as I understand it from the god boys, the schools have to provide a certain number of day trips out per year. (Or something like that; don’t quote me, because January 30th is also the feast day of the three patron saints of education, and this was February 1st, so…) Because it’s not that easy to take a day trip off the island and be back in one school day (8 to 2 pm-ish), the classes have to make do with a day out on Symi. As you can imagine, for most, that’s like spending a morning down your local high street, or at the mall you usually go to on a Saturday anyway. But still, it’s a social thing, and I have seen students with clipboards carrying out surveys, visiting the castle and museum, and so forth.

On the way back up the Kali Strata – a feat that was performed at an impressive rate of knots I have to say, because the cold weather had necessitated the need for a bathroom not three minutes after setting off – I encountered a group of younger children coming down. Another day out perhaps, this time from the junior school, not the high school. A couple of the teachers and assistants said hello because we recognised each other, and that was followed by a few very polite ‘Good morning’ from some of the students. I replied in English because they had taken the trouble to identify me as such and use my language, and I also used theirs and replied in Greek for the same reason. How sweet and polite.

Of course, no time for photos, and it wouldn’t have felt appropriate to take any, so you’ve only got general shots today. I’ll try and get something of interest over the weekend. Right now, I am typing in fingerless gloves, and creating all manner of new words with my clumsiness. (‘Greek’ just came out at Geerl, as in, ‘Hey! You go geerl!’) I am also going fast because we have Laki coming to fix something in the kitchen and hopefully start on the outside bathroom wall which needs redoing, so, I have to go and move the kitchen around to give access, and do that kind of sensible householder thing. Have a good weekend. See you on Monday.

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Happy first of the month. Can’t believe it’s February already. The month is starting medically, in a way. I have a dentist appointment this morning, and I just had word that we’re down to have our annual health checks next Friday, so let’s hope the weather is good that day. The temperature is hovering around 10 to 12 degrees, and although we’ve not had to use as much heating as in previous winters, it’s still a case of watching TV from under a blanket, and only being able to work for a few hours in the office in the morning – without having to run too much heating.

This afternoon is piano/music lesson time, but it won’t be followed by a model session as H has finished his Toyota (below), and we’re awaiting the arrival of a Porsche. Unless that turns up today, I will be fixing the masts of the Cutty Sark on my own. While talking about things in the post. I am also waiting for a new keyboard as this one has seven letters missing. They’ve been wiped off over the last year, and although I have stickers to replace them, I already used the necessary ones on a previous keyboard.

Aside from all that, I have been researching Marie Lloyd for my next book, I think I might have told you this… I’ve certainly mentioned it on my other blog. Anyway, I found her addresses via a census search a friend of mine did for me, and I’ve looked them up on my 1888 maps of London, probably the most interesting book I’ve ever bought. It’s like an A to Z, though a large one, and it holds nine-inch and 12-inch scale maps of London published in 1888. Very useful for checking what street was where because so much of the layout changed over time. I have to be careful of things like ‘The Aldwych’, because it wasn’t The Aldwych as we now know it, not then. Similarly, The Strand isn’t actually The, it’s simply Strand or West Strand. I have some good online maps at https://maps.nls.uk/ but they are not always exact to my year, or they don’t have the details and street names as this A to Z does. It’s a more modern collection of maps from the time, rather than being an actual A to Z, because they didn’t come about until 1936, after Phyllis Pearsall walked every one of London’s 23,000 streets to map the project. Besides, if there was such a book from 1888, it would no doubt be so rare, I could never afford it. I’m not even sure how I am going to afford to get to Rhodes next week, but that’s another matter.

Meanwhile, I have some chapters to put right before I go for my appointment, so, it’s off to work.

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I only took one photo on my walk yesterday, but it’s a decent one and shows the view from slightly higher up the road than I’ve been so far this year. As you can see, a clear day, bright and sunny, but also cold. There’s a shipping ban in force further north so today’s ferry was cancelled, though it’s as calm as anything outside right now. That sometimes happens. We can’t go anywhere because bad weather elsewhere means all ships are grounded, yet here, you could be sunbathing on the shore. Well, you could if you were mad enough to go out in under ten degrees, and if you could find a sunbed, put it together, pay the fee and were able to chill out in the chill air.

Anyway. I’ve things to do, so I’ll not keep you or myself, I’ll just put up this photo taken yesterday and get on with writing about the past.

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We’re nearly at the end of January, so I’ve taken down the advertisement for this year’s Symi Dream calendar. If you still want one, you can find them by clicking here. As you can see, over there on the right, there’s a list of my Symi books. The first of these, Symi 85600, is getting so old now it’s almost an antique. It’s a simple book that describes our first impressions of living here back in 2002 onwards. People often ask what’s changed over the years, but it’s a hard one to answer because we live among whatever change is taking place, so don’t notice it as much as a returning visitor might.

More renovated buildings, I guess. More large houses done up by rich people to use as their summer homes, others done up by ordinary working people who intended to live in them after retiring, with some British being disappointed because they can’t now, thanks to Brexit. Many being done up for holidays lets, and very few being available for locals to buy or rent. That’s one big difference, and one which will become an issue if/when we have to move from this house. Also, there are more roads across parts of the hillside, more streetlights for sure, smoother roads, like the one to Nimborio, a new harbour for the larger ships, these kind of improvements have been going on over the last 21 years.

But some things remain the same. The ‘boys’ at the empty peripteron still call me Vasilis thanks to a misheard name back in 2002, you can still get expert dental and medical treatment, see a specialist within days and for a very reasonable fee, if paying privately, and you can still find yourself saying good morning ten times on the way to the nearest shop.

As the poet said, ‘Listen. Time passes.’ And talking time passing, it’s getting on and I must set about chapter 20 of ‘Follow the Van’, the next instalment of the Delamere Mysteries (which you can find here), and see how my main character is doing in 1892 at the Charing Cross Music Hall where he is interviewing Marie Lloyd and learning things about his old man he didn’t want to know.

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