One week to the Bidet

Sadly, I see there is only one week to go until the Bidet arrives, and I couldn’t feel sorrier for everyone living in the UK. The Bidet, or B-Day, is the day when the hideous Brexit arrives, although it will take a long time before it is finally ‘achieved’ as if such a thing can achieve anything apart from… Well, most of you know my feelings on this subject, so I won’t go on, but next week I will raise a glass to my old country and wish it well in its decline into… No! I said I won’t go on, and so, instead, after this random photo, there is some good news…

And the good news, which is actually a bit old now, is to remind those who may be worried, that the Greek Government has ratified a law that protects the rights of British citizens living in Greece. In a nutshell, whether Johnson Minor of the yUK gets a Brexit deal or not after the Bidet, anyone who has a Greek residency card is entitled to stay on the same footing as they are now, regards residency rights. If you have just moved to Greece or still want to do so, you can still apply for such a permit up until the end of December this year – so there’s nothing to stop you moving to say, Symi, this summer and being given the same rights as those of us who have been here for years. After December 31^st, things will change (not sure to what), but all of us here and registered, with a blue, cream or whatever colour card it is, will be fine and will enjoy the same right to live here as we do now. We won’t be able to cross borders and live permanently in other EU countries perhaps, so that right has been taken away (by Brexit, not Greece or the EU), and I am not sure what’s going to happen with the finer details of yUK pensions and so on. Random photo follows to give breathing space…

But still, although the Bidet is only one week away, I am, frankly, no longer bothered. I am for my friends and family who are suffering this gradual stripping away of their rights and their voice, the benefits of a continent-wide engagement and so on, but the yUK can go to hell in a handbag without me. I don’t even bother with the yUK news much now, I tend to read the Greek news as this is now my country in all apart from citizenship, which may come one day – well, after about five years or however long it takes.

So, get your residency in now – there are websites which tell you how, though a visit to the local authorities for advice (KEP) or direct to the police station is probably the best way to find out exactly what you need, and it will involve proof of address, utility bills, tax numbers, bank accounts, IKA numbers and so on. It can be a trial, but it’s worth it in the end.

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Early start

It’s anyone’s guess as to why today I woke up with an obscure song from Starlight Express going around inside my head, but at least the house didn’t feel as chilled as of late, and the windows weren’t condensated as much as they have been. (Not sure if condensated is a word, but it’s too early to care.) Another day of routine begins; posting this, at the desk, taking a walk if I can be bothered, some shopping and back to the desk for a while before the TV-fest begins. Yesterday’s viewing was pretty much as I described the other day, Survivor, the Circle, Sex Education and a couple of action/adventure films, but still, no reason why the ‘divorce’ song from an Andrew Lloyd Webber show should be in my head.

Anyhow, both heaters are on, the typewriter is fired up, and I’m ready to go, so I’m going.

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Quiet and chilly

All very quiet in Yialos yesterday. People who visit here only in the summer wouldn’t recognise the place; only a few folks in the cafes, no sailing boats, only the essential shops open, other familiar places not only closed but undergoing repairs or even restoration, and no ferries at all, not on a Tuesday.

I biting wind greeted me as I left the house in thermals, jacket, hat and gloves (and everything else). This increased as I took the Kali Strata down, the steps acting as a wind tunnel to bring the north breeze up to greet me. Some local cats were hanging out on their motorbike like a gang of Mods from the 60s, moggy-mods perhaps, I saw few others on the way down, but by the time I reached the bank, I had warmed up. A quick ‘raid’ there and a check at the post office, and then back up the steps again, sweating by that point. I’ve not seen any bills for three months which is a bit worrying, as there’s usually something every month. I reckon they are in our landlord’s post box outside his house, and we will get them eventually, but I’d rather keep on top of them, particularly as the water meter hasn’t been read for about two years and last time it came in, I took the reading down and reported it, and it was, then, a fair amount of money. Anyway, that quick trip was about the highlight of my day yesterday, that and a shower which is not as pleasant or easy as it sounds when your bathroom’s only five degrees above freezing.

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Seven degrees

Woken up to a cold north-westerly, it’s seven degrees in the courtyard, and about the same in the study, so I have treated us to both heaters in here while we set about our morning routine. Later, when the office jobs are done, I expect we’ll settle into the sitting room with the television and books, piano and model making, though when it’s this cold, piano and models tend to be left out. I make the models in the kitchen which requires moving one of the heaters and setting up the table, and today, probably wearing fingerless gloves, ours being an open-plan house.

Also today, I have work to do in the ‘study’ as I am preparing a new book for release in about two weeks (banner below). This is under my pen name. Neil is beta reading the second draft, I have publicity interviews to write and files to prepare while also doing another edit-read in advance of sending it to the proofreader next week. I also need to make a foray into Yialos to visit a bank machine and pick up some grocery supplies on the way back. All that should keep me busy for most of the day, then it will be time to settle into mind-numbing TV and blankets for the late afternoon and evening.

It might sound lazy, but we do watch a lot of TV during the winter, especially when it’s cold and windy, or when it’s raining, and it’s safer to stay indoors. We have worked our way through just about every available episode of ‘The Amazing Race’ both US, Canadian and Australian versions, and are now on our third series of ‘Australian Survivor’, which I didn’t think I’d like, but found I did. And now, thanks to Netflix, we’re on ‘The Circle’ (also wasn’t sure at first, but now find it fascinating), ‘Sex Education series two’ (are schools actually like that these days?), while Neil has worked through every superhero series during the past couple of years. We’ve done ‘Just Deserts’ and other cookery competitions, plus a heap of films. Well, it’s cheaper and warmer than going to the bar of an evening. We went to Rainbow twice last week, once just to get out of the house, and the second time because Yiannis dropped off meals on wheels on Sunday (he’s a good cook) and we popped down to say thank you. Otherwise, it’s office, walk (weather permitting), sitting room and blankets, especially when there’s a north wind and the temperature is in single figures. I’m surprised I can type today.

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Monday chat

We’ve got a chilly but calm Monday to start the week, and not a lot planned for the rest of it. If you are on Symi this week, there will be live music at Eva’s Café in Yialos on Thursday evening when George, Clare and Terri will be playing and singing. There are posters around the village and harbour which state the time, but it’s definitely in the evening.

I must have spooked myself with my talk the other day of boats and storms and delayed ferries. Were away or March, and I’ve decided we should plan to go a couple of days earlier than we originally intended. I’ve said before, but this is usually via Rhodes, and we go early to make sure we’re on the right island (i.e. the one with the airport) well in advance in case the weather changes, which it can do at that time of year without warning. This time, we’re going via Athens, and the plan was: Wednesday boat/Thursday PM flight, which is perfectly doable but leaves no room for error. So, now we’re going to go on the Monday boat and spend two nights in Athens before flying. I need a haircut anyway, and we found a great barbershop not far from Syntagma, so there’s my reason for extending the trip.

Anyway, moving along, I have some typing to do and a walk to take before I can get back to the fun side of life and work on a book, so I’m going to get on and do that. Have a good week.

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