Friday Photos

Here are some of Neil’s recent photos to see you through the weekend. I think it will be a quiet weekend here because let’s face it, it has been a quiet season, to say the least. There are storm warnings for the north of the country, but looking at the Poseidon weather channel, it looks like they will miss us here in the south where we’re still reaching temperatures into the 30s during the day. I have a new book out his weekend and have already started on another because that’s what I do. I think this latest one brings the total to 30. It’s amazing what you can do when you put your mind to it, but then, it is my job. Anyway, have a good weekend wherever you are. Now, here are some photos.

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Symi Colours

Yesterday was Symi animals, today it’s Symi colours.

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Symi Animals

Today, I wanted to share some photos of Symi animals. This came about because every time I open my folder of photos, the first thing I see is an image of a mule I took a few months ago. It stays there for a moment and is then replaced by newer photos, and I just wanted to upload the thing, so I didn’t keep seeing it. Can I find it? No. So, instead, I chose some other shots of birds, animals and a couple of silly ones, just to make a change.

On a serious note though, remember that if you’re here and want to help, the island runs a couple of organisations that help stray animals, and we have the pet shop and a couple of visiting vets. You can find them at the bottom of the Kali Strata. If you are holidaying, you are welcome to feed the stray cats at the bins (but most restaurants prefer you don’t feed them at the tables), and when it’s hot, like now, water is what the cats also need. Also, when dumping your rubbish in the bins, please always check first to make sure you’re not crushing a kitten. We’ve rescued several from our bins over the years. They fall in and then can’t get out, and it can’t be a very nice way to go – having a bag of trash dropped from a great height.

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A meal with a view

I was chatting with some friends last night, and they told me they’d been to the ‘top cantina’ and had a thoroughly good time, so I thought I’d give it a mention. This is the eatery on the main road above the village (sorry, don’t know its official name), and I have to say, I’ve only been there early in the morning when everything is closed. Today’s photos are from up there. You can walk to it if you don’t mind the climb, or arrange a taxi, or have one of the tour buses take you if you are a party of people, and it’s open in the evenings.

My friends were there on a Saturday night when they have live music, and where a number of local people came to eat, see the lights of Symi from above, and dance. Everyone had a good and safe time, they told me, it was very atmospheric and in the end, they wished they could have stayed longer, but a car had been booked. Oh, and the food was good too, of course.

There you are. Just another idea of something to do on the island, and whether you go there at night or during the day, you’re guaranteed a superb view. If you don’t fancy the walk up, there is another overlooking Pedi bed. The Panorama cantina is up the hill just before Ag Marina church, just up from the old Lavinia studios.

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Distantly sociable

It’s Sunday morning, the sun is about to rise, and I’ve had a sociable yet lazy week. The note to self for this coming week is ‘Must try harder’, and I’m talking about taking walks up the hill and back before work. My trouble is, now the sun comes up later, I’m into my work well before dawn and don’t want to interrupt myself. Or maybe that’s just an excuse.  As for the sociable part, we were invited on a short evening trip to Taviri last week, which we accepted because it was a dear friend’s 70^th birthday party, and because it will be the only boat trip we’ll do this year, so we prepared ourselves.

Taviri is the place we held our CP event three years ago nearly to the day, and it was good to see it again. It’s a small bay around the side of Nimos, the uninhabited (apart from churches) island opposite Symi, and about 20 minutes away by boat. It doesn’t look like much, being a concrete landing slab and broken path to one deserted building, but you make it your own. That’s what the party did, putting stools at distances for people to sit, Yiannis Poseidon laying out one of his famous buffet meals, distanced dancing and with only around 30 people in the group, being distantly cautious on the journey too. It’s still possible to enjoy Symi while being careful, and everyone had a good time. Following the instructions given by the police when granting permission for the trip, the boat returned at 10.30, and not wanting to wait for the bus, and finding no taxis, we walked back up the steps — about my only decent exercise of last week.

We also had a lovely distanced dinner with friends on Saturday night, choosing from Georgio’s limited menu. Limited, perhaps, but still with so much choice, it’s hard to decide what to have. Then, of course, there was Neil’s birthday with the godsons, and, at the bar, there is currently a lively atmosphere as we have some regular visitors on the island. It’s not exactly life as normal, but it’s something, and, for someone like me who spends as much time as possible at home, it made a change.

As for the week ahead, I have a new book coming out at the weekend, but I’ve yet to finish the final read-through, set out the pages and make up the book for printing. I also have a piano lesson with godson #2, a singing session, a chat with my financial adviser on Zoom, I’m keen to get back to the current writing projects, stalled while the last one is published, and there was something else… Oh yes. Those one-hour walks in the morning. I’d better leave myself a reminder.

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