Athens To Symi: March Blue Star

(Random images of boats included, one from Cyprus.)
We’re now looking forward to our honeymoon in March. Well, we have been looking forward to it since we decided to go to Croatia. We are heading to Split (the place not the verb), and so I have been looking around for what’s on and open there at that time of year. We’re thinking of a bus to Dubrovnik for a night there too, which will mean a 15-minute’ comfort break’ in Bosnia, as that country has about 23km of coastline that interrupts Croatia on the way. I was also looking to see if there was anything on in the theatres or concert halls in Split at this time (21^st to 27^th March), but so far haven’t found anything. Will keep looking.

We also want to come back to Symi from Athens on the Blue Star, and so I am just popping over to their website to see if we can book the cabin yet… And we can. And I have. The boat is the Blue Star Patmos and, if you’re interested, the cost is €171.00 for two people in an inside 2-berth cabin, no car. Discounts are available for families, military personnel and others, but not us. Still, it cuts out the need for a flight to Rhodes (quite cheap depending on the time of year) and also the need for a hotel in Rhodes, taxis and the boat across to Symi. What’s more, we’ve never done the trip before and, although most of it is at night, it should be an adventure. I’m now trying to remember if it’s the Patmos that has the nice cafes and restaurant, or the Paros – so long since I’ve been on the Blue Star. I shall find out. I don’t mind as I have visited both islands anyway so am happy to support either Patmos or Paros.

This trip has been made possible by those friends and family who generously donated to our honeymoon appeal/wedding present fund. Thank you! (I sound like a charity.)

Meanwhile, I now have enough volunteer beta readers for ‘The Witchling’, thank you too, and I should be in a position to get the PDF of the draft sent out to you lovely people in a couple of weeks.

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Some Symi Winter Photos

A quick note today and some Symi winter pictures.

The note is… Thank you to those who replied to yesterday’s request for beta readers for ‘The Witchling.’ What I should have asked was: if you are willing to give it a read when the next draft is ready (a couple of weeks, maybe sooner) and offer up a list of obvious typos, confusions or errors, please would you email me. I can then keep the emails and reply attaching the file when it’s ready – that way I won’t lose you. You should be able to click on this link and open your email thing directly. Maybe put ‘Witchling’ in the subject box. Thank you!

And now onto some pictures from recently as I can’t think of anything else to say – except that, apparently (and unusually) the Blue Star ferry was an hour late arriving yesterday. That’s about as newsy as I get in the winter.

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January thoughts

January is a quiet month for me. On some days I don’t even go outside, and with the shutters closed, there’s not much to look at. I do occasionally pop up onto the roof to make sure the view is still there – it is, I am pleased to say, but otherwise, it’s a commute from one part of the house to the other and back again through the day as I get on with things.

So far today those things have consisted of wiping down the bathroom ceiling to get rid of the condensation, poking my head into the courtyard to see if the washing is anywhere near dry yet, pottering around with some work, trying desperately to think of what to write here and researching, thanks to Louise, a couple of sites about fixing a digital piano without having to send it away for repair. Not that that’s an option. I can imagine popping down to the post office with half a hundredweight of Roland in my arms and plonking it on the scales, asking, ‘How much to post this?’ Not going to happen.

Tomorrow looks to be about the same unless something drastic comes along, and I hope it doesn’t. I’m into editing mode for ‘The Witchling’ at the moment which means a few hours per day reading through and wondering why on earth I wrote ‘his’ instead of ‘him’, or having to look up, for the umpteenth time, the correct use of practise Vs practice, and so on. And on that note…

If anyone out there would be willing to beta read (look for typos) the book when it’s ‘done’, I would be very grateful. This wouldn’t be for a few weeks yet and would be in PDF format. I had some very helpful readers for ‘Symi, Stuff & Nonsense’ and am always happier when a few other pairs of eyes have been over an MS, especially when those eyes are not mine with my dodgy spelling and typos.

And that’s all I can think of today – my mind is in witch hunt mode, Saddling in 1648, and Kentish dialect.

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Monday morning

It’s a cool, clear day today, Monday. The Express has come and gone, but otherwise, the harbour below looks quiet. Up here, the washing machine is churning, the bathroom ceiling needs cleaning of the condensation mould -a common problem at this time of year – and the shutters are still closed against the lower air temperature outside, though it’s not that cold in the sun, quite warm in fact.

I am now back to ‘The Witchling,’ the Saddling follow-up which I have left alone for a few months now to let it sink in. I returned to it thinking it was going to be a mess as it kind of popped out last year, but actually… So far, it’s not too bad, though I am tweaking and correcting as I go and it is a second draft I am now turning into a third draft before having someone else read it. There may be a request for ‘beta readers’ and proofing if anyone would like a free copy before it’s published. I’ll keep you informed.

Otherwise, it’s quiet around these parts. There is rock music at the kafeneion this weekend, we may go to Georgio’s for a meal after payday, but the electricity estimate is in, and I saw the water bill being handed to the landlord the other day so we will have to see. I prefer to stay on top of bills, paying estimates if I can so that the blow is lessened when the real deal comes through a couple of months later. So, that’s it for now apart from these photos taken on a wander around the other day.

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Yialos, Epiphany and things

And off into another week we go. We were down in Yialos on Saturday afternoon, for lunch in Harani, so there are a few random photos from the day out. As you can see, not a cloud in the sky, and not too cold either. I took a coat with me but never had to wear it. Luckily there were taxis about when it came time to head home because the Blue Star was coming in – it doesn’t usually on a Saturday, but there had been some disruption to its timetable that worked in our favour.

We had intended to catch some of the Epiphany celebrations which usually start around 11.00 on the seafront in Yialos, by the clocktower and at Panormitis – and Pedi, I think. But when we got there, it was all over, having happened earlier for the first time I can remember. This was the celebration, the blessing of the sea when after the service, the priest throws a cross into the water and local men swim for it. It’s a great honour to be the one to retrieve the cross, but also an honour to take part.

Everyone is busy taking down Christmas decorations and putting homes back to their usual order after the festivities. We’ve done ours, though there will be strands of silver tinsel about the house for months to come I expect. The sitting room doesn’t look too bare, as we don’t put up many decorations, and, in a way, it’s good to get back to normal.

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