Slowly Getting Back To Normal

As you can see from today’s photos, the clean up is progressing remarkably well thanks to the hard work of many people and organisations. There is still brown silt in the harbour and much around the main road through, and I’ve not been further back to see the work there, but the island is getting there. Slowly.

We chatted to one of the shopkeepers when we were down there on Wednesday, and he wasn’t happy. Apparently, although the tax men came over quickly to see what had been damaged (why the tax men? I’m not sure – to see what was to be written off I guess), they have now been told that a further inspection of damage is necessary. The problem is, he was told not to throw anything away until it had been seen. A bit late in many cases, and who wants to keep rotting produce and stock making the premises even worse? There’s a form to be filled out via the town hall, and then an inspector will come to look. This, of course, is taking time and meanwhile, many businesses have to remain closed. Not good news.

It might explain, though, why many places are still closed; the shops from ‘Comfy Chairs’ around the corner to Vasilis taverna, and probably others. Let’s hope they can get back on their feet soon.

As for us up here, it’s back to normal: writing, watching TV, doing the housework and occasionally popping out to take up our regular winter chairs in the Rainbow. The chilli plant is doing well, I think. It’s a race against time to see if the chillies will turn red before the plant’s leaves drop off if that’s what they are meant to do. With the temperature dropping, it could well be a chilly and chilli winter.

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Light on the mountains

I’m still saying, ‘By ’eck, Ma, it’s parky’, even with my thermals and writer’s cardigan on. A writer’s cardigan is an Aran style, white, knitted one that has to be too big for the wearer, and have grubby cuffs where they rub against the desk as you write. No writer should be without one. Can’t guarantee it improves the writing, but it makes me feel more like the title I give myself.

We did nip down to Yialos yesterday afternoon to raid the bank, nicely, and climbed back up the hill again, and we’re returning there shortly for another adventure. Well, to go shopping and stock up on things you can only find in Yialos. After that, it’s back to the desk for a few more hours. The good news is that the screenplay I have been working on has pleased the client and I only have a few draft two changes to make. After that, I can start editing ‘The Witchling’ and prepare that for publication. Meanwhile, ‘Symi, Stuff & Nonsense’ is doing well. It’s currently up to #17 in Amazon’s rankings for Travel/Greece books (Kindle) and #32 for the print copy. Thank you to everyone who has ordered a copy so far and thus contributed to supplying a few new books for the high school. I am looking forward to your reviews… I think.

The photos today were taken yesterday morning from the balcony (very parky out there and it’s only going to get colder for the next few months). I was trying to capture the light no the mountains.

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Bit chilly

By ’eck ma, it’s parky! A line from a Victoria Wood sketch I saw years ago – she was poking fun at Emmerdale, or Emmerdale Farm as us oldies still call it. I only mention it because it’s a bit parky up here today (Tuesday), even though the thermometer in the porch reds 12 degrees it feels colder. The thunderstorm and winds came and went overnight, and I hope there’s been no further damage anywhere. I’ve not heard of anything. It wasn’t that bad a storm, not compared to this time last week.

The photos I took of the cleaning up are now out of date, but one of us should be going to Yialos sometime soon so will have another look around for you. So, I’ll put a few more here but bear in mind they were taken last Friday, and I am sure things have moved on a pace or three since then.

As regular readers will know, I don’t get out an about much in the winter, so my images tend to be random and sometimes very out of date, but at least it’s something to look at over your morning coffee, tea, or gin and tonic, depending on who you are. I have picked up on the news that the fundraising for the repairs to schools, and other projects, is doing very well. I have made a few book sales to help in my own small way, and the other organisations, such as Solidarity Symi, have done well. Click back through older posts, over the last week if you’ve not caught up on how you can help the island rebuild, and check out the links. I have also heard that the government will be putting aside some money to help flood and storm-damaged communities; there are several around Greece at the moment.

I can’t even tell you what the view is like today because all the shutters are closed, and unless I go up on the roof, I can’t actually see anything apart from my PC screen and the bookshelf opposite me. Maybe I will venture out later. Oh, actually, just remembered: We are going to visit Jenine and the boys tonight, so that might yield some shots of something and some more news.

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A weekend with a bang

Before you get excited or wonder where this is heading – it was a lightning bang, a thunderbolt I guess, hitting the island somewhere within two feet of me. That’s what it felt like at any rate. The photos today don’t go with the story, but the story goes like this…

A Sunday afternoon/evening drink at the Rainbow bar was on the cards, so we shuffled off down there to meet Miss DJ late in the afternoon. Next door at Lefteris’, a rock concert was taking place as Steve and later Georgos did their things with electric guitars and the like. The volume was just right, sitting next door, where we could hear the singing and the music, and yet still hear ourselves – and the basketball on one TV and the football on the other, and then the Travel Channel and Animal Planet when there were breaks in sports. The Rainbow is a bit of a multiplex with its two televisions.

We chatted, and Miss DJ left. We were going to leave too, but another glass arrived along with several village guys coming to watch the football, AEK Vs Panathinaikos, playing in the Greek Superleague on Sunday night. The atmosphere is the thing at these times. The youngsters who are part of the Symi football team, their dads, younger guys and old all gathered together to look at their phones and occasionally look up to the screen when something is about to happen. Rodrigo Moledo scored after 10 minutes (for the opposition – Rainbow is an AEK bar) and halftime came and went. But not before everyone leapt out of their seats as the thunderbolt struck somewhere close by.

Blackout, rain, what the…? One by one, phone torches and others came on, some people went to take a look outside, and the whole village was out, streetlights and all. Ah well, better stay for another glass then. The power was back on in a few minutes, but the score hadn’t changed. We headed home before act two started, but I noticed that it was a draw, in the end, Marko Livaja scored in extra time (impressed? I copied that from a website) and the game ended up one-all. The rain and thunder continued through the night, but not as heavily as last week. It grumbled on until the morning and now, 9.50 yesterday as you read this, it’s a case of showers and sunshine.

The other bang has been the fundraising for the Symi charities who are collecting donations to put the island back together – see previous posts down the page or on the next page back for links and info. Also, on a more personal note, ‘Symi, Stuff & Nonsense’ has launched with a bang. Thank you to everyone who has so far ordered a print copy or a Kindle, all contributing towards the high school here on Symi. I hope you like the book, and if you do, remember to share the news and maybe order copies for friends and family for Christmas.

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Cleaning up

Sunday morning. The sun is trying to come up, and the view is lightening (6.30 a.m.). So far I can see heavy clouds, we’ve had a little rain and some distant thunder, but we are expecting more over the next two days. Hopefully, it will only be enough to wash away the mud and won’t hamper the clean-up operation, or lead to any more mudslides or rockfalls. Today, I wanted to put up some photos so you can see the difference between last week (which is shown in Saturday’s post’s photos) and Friday when I was last in Yialos.

Before I do that, this is just a re-mention of the fact that I’ll be using proceeds from my Symi books (see the links in the righthand column >>) to help replace books and things at the village high school. Scroll down for other posts about other fundraising that you can help with, and check out the link to the fourth and latest ‘Symi’ book (it covers other places as well) which you can find here: Symi, Stuff & Nonsense. That’s the Kindle link, but the paperback version should also show up there in a couple of days if it’s not there already.

Here are some photos from Friday so you can see what a wonderful job everyone has been doing in Yialos.

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