Symi Saturday Photos
As it’s the weekend, here are a few photos taken in the last couple of day. As you can see, there are still plenty of day trippers visiting the island, the weather is still good and the sea is still calm.
Not Friday the 13th
Not Friday the 13th
It feels like a Friday today. I know it is now, but when I was writing this yesterday, it felt like a Friday. This is/was because I’m heading down to Yialos later this morning to do the jobs we usually do on a Friday; post office, bank, etc. We’ll probably stop for lunch somewhere while we still can, like we often do on a Friday. After that, a wander back up the hill, or a taxi if there is post or shopping to carry, or the bus if we get the timing right and then… We shall see.
I am well into editing ‘Symi, Stuff & Nonsense’ and am on target to finish that today (Friday) so that I can start on my next project on Saturday and give it all my attention for the next two months up to deadline. It’s a film script, and that brings me onto ‘The 13th‘. That film, filmed on Symi as I am sure you know, was shown again last weekend to a goodly amount of audience. Many of the comments we’ve had back about the film, from the last to showings on Symi, are justly made and can be addressed here. The sound mixing was not balanced and the music was too loud. This was, apparently an issue with the copy sent for this screening and an issue which needs to be sorted out by QC. That’s quality control, and that’s a process which the company have not yet been able to afford to do. If/when they find a distributor (after the round of festivals has finished) then money will also need to be found to fix this, and other quality standard issues that may arise. It’s expensive and they don’t want to do it until they are sure of a distribution deal.
The second issue (sorry to sound American but ‘complaint’ is too strong a word for the feedback we’ve received) concerns some dark scenes. Again, this is a QC thing, but the version of the film is meant for larger screens with brighter projectors, or something. Watching it on a café wall is going to give you some lighting issues when the file is meant for a larger space. And then there is the thing about not understanding the story. All I can say to this is: Due to time limits there was not enough time to film some scenes, and the director then had to make the best of what they had, using some voice-overs to fill in a few gaps. I also say, ‘Yes, I agree with you,’ because it’s not actually my original story and the ninth draft of the film (the shooting script) had input from several other people, was affected by location and time and therefore, parts were improvised on the hoof, as they say.
But I will say, if having seen the film, you want to check out the original story, then you need to get a copy of ‘The Judas Inheritance,’ and you can do that in a moment.
As usual, there is more in a novel than there is in a film (that’s to do with time and structure etc.) and there’s a fair amount of Symi history used in the book, tying in actual events and places on the island with the mystery and thrill of the story. Kindle and print copies can be found here.
Stars and sticks
Stars and sticks
A few random photos today taken a couple of months ago. When I sit on the balcony, and the sun passes behind the house, I am aware that the air has definitely chilled down a little. Not too much, we’re not into the fully-clothed, blanket-wearing season yet, but you can tall that there’s a difference.
For some reason, on Wednesday, I woke up early, and I am talking five in the morning. Fully awake, I went onto the balcony to check the stars. They were still there. The night was so clear I could see some of the Milky Way, a rare event from that position due to the light spill from the harbour. I’d not noticed that Plough in that position for a while, upside-down you might say, appearing as a question mark. Behind me, if I leant precariously over the railing I could see the Seven Sisters and other constellations I don’t usually get to see, and I thought that perhaps I should get up early on more occasions and take in the view. Perhaps walk up to the hills and around the corner to avoid the manmade light and see the stars in all their glory. Then I decided against it. The last time I did that, only a couple of weeks ago, was at Agia Marina when I left the birthday party we were attending and walked up the steps to the other side of the small island. Here, there is very little light pollution, and I was just marvelling at the magnificence of the Milky Way when I heard Neil fall off a wall and damage his bad foot, again.
No lasting damage was done, just a bad sprain, but he did need a walking stick for a while. I found him one at the ‘Rhodes shop’ as I call it, down in Yialos near Elpida’s café. This shop sells unusual tourist equipment, like suits of armour, models of knights, long knives that would never be allowed anywhere near a charter flight, and other classy trinkets. The most useful thing I found was the walking stick collection. Declining the Gandalf model (they’d sold out, actually) and the cobra’s head top, I went for a brass handled, sturdy affair and presented that to Neil.
A few days later and he was off to walk to Pedi with his son. Walking shoes, shorts, a canvas bag over his shoulder, Trilby hat and cane, he looked like he was off up the Matterhorn in 1932. Very dapper.
Anyway, all that came from nowhere and that’s where I am off to now; nowhere in particular. I have a few more sections of ‘Symi, Stuff & Nonsense’ to check through before making a few edits, and I want that job done by the end of the week. After that, I must concentrate on a screenplay, so I’m off to get on now. See you tomorrow.
Boats and plants
Boats and plants
Boats and plants today; a couple of random shots from home. The big thing by the front door has finally decided to flower, and the chilly plant is doing much better now that it is out of the sun and facing north. The green thing that takes over everything has also started to come along, and the ‘Jenni’ (because it was given to us by Jenni) looks better than it has done all year. I suspect it’s a case of less heat and the fact that we finally got around to feeding the poor things a couple of months ago.
It looks like a good time of year for sailing. There have been many boats out there with their sails up, enjoying the wind. Plenty of others with their sails down too, now that’s my kind of sailing – using an engine. Saves all that running around and being butch. Pulling on ropes and being slapped in the head by a boom. But then I am not a sailor.
Fishing boats continue to go out all year round, as it is, after all, people’s livelihoods. I was up before the dawn today and could see lights of fishing boats out over towards Nimos, and coming in from between Nimos and Symi. Later in the morning they return and sell their wares in the fish market in the harbour, or to the new fishmonger by the bridge. Some sell them along the quayside as well, and up in the village, but you need to be out and about early to get the best of the catch.
The weather is back
The weather is back
As the old postcard used to say, we get some kind of weather here every day. Today (Monday) it’s the sun and very little wind, making it perfect weather for walking, sitting in the courtyard and, no doubt, swimming, for those who go in for that kind of thing. There are taxi boats still going out, the day trips and tours too, and with quite a few northern European visitors on the island, the bars and tavernas are still busy.
‘The 13th‘ was shown again on Sunday night, there have been live music sessions in various tavernas and bars, and the village is still active and buzzing. Now might be a good time for a last minute getaway before the winter kicks in. Autumn is a very pleasant time on Symi if you don’t like things too hot, but warm enough.
And I have very little other news to impart today. Well, hardly any; I spent most of the weekend asleep, catching up on rest after the busy month before. I have now found time to work on ‘Symi, Stuff & Nonsense’ and it’s coming along. My deadline for completing the text is early October, and we’re still on course for publication sometime in November. More news to follow.
Meanwhile, I am pleased to say that ‘The Saddling’ has been climbing up the rankings on Amazon and has received a few more reviews. It’s the best-selling title of mine this year, outdoing even ‘Symi 85600’, although that title is the best seller to date – mainly because it’s been around for so long. Follow the links if you’ve not yet read the titles, or click to my author page for my full list. There, plug over, now it’s back to working on the next one.
