Monday morning, grey sky, more rain, inside and out, woken early by the rain on the roof, and then the alarm cat going off at six, but hey! It’s Monday and the start of a whole new week.

The final week of packing before the big week of moving, carrying everything across the village to the new house; due to get the keys next Monday, and have already started planning what’s to go where, though all that will probably change once we start moving things in.

Finally managed to order a fridge freezer. I did have a look around in the harbour on Saturday, but in the end went for a place in Thessaloniki that delivers. We tried twice to order something only to find out that neither version was in stock. The helpful people from the company then sent an email politely pointing out that items with a whacking great green tick next to them are the ones that are available, so found an Indisit in silver which is the same size and layout as our current antique. That’s going to fit nicely with the new colour scheme for the new kitchen, silver and red.

Neil was admiring a red salad bowl on Saturday, and I saw some carpets that will go well in the hall, and some new saucepans (at €26.00 and €29.00 each) that we could do with. Well, a new house sounds like a good excuse for a bit of shopping…  Once we’ve got the bills and things tied down and can see what’s left over, and once the monthly tax bill has been paid. Honestly, no wonder so many businesses are going under, it’s nothing but tax bills this winter and we don’t even have a business anymore. This one dates back to 2013 apparently and only came through a few weeks ago.

But we’ll not get started on that. It’s Monday, there is the whole week ahead, we have Harry’s name day tomorrow so will be going to church in the morning with him and then we are taking him and his brother (and mother) out to dinner in the evening. Which reminds me, must call in and tell Noufris at Georgio’s, and ask him to get some chops in. We can do that on the way back from tap tonight.

That’s the plan. Right, now back to some more packing and mopping up.

Share on Facebook

It’s getting harder to reach my desk, the front room is filling up with boxes and bags and stacks of things. And to think, when we moved here 12 years ago all we had were two rucksacks and a laptop.

But today, Saturday, has dawned as a lovely day. Calm after yesterday’s daftly big winds, sunny after recent cloud and dry after recent downpours. I am not sure what the forecast is, I’ll have a look later, but today is a day for being out and about and going for a long walk.

Which is why I think I am staying home, packing, sorting things out, taking rubbish to the bins and doing all that kind of malarkey. Ah well, it needs to be done. And today was also a lie in which is why this post isn’t as early as it usually is and why it’s a bit shorter than usual. It’s nearly nine and I am still on my first hot water and lemon drink, not even started the coffee yet let alone anything practical.

So, with nothing else much to report, I’ll leave you with a couple of Neil’s photos, wish you a pleasant weekend and I’ll see you back here on Monday.

Share on Facebook

I have been out and about taking photos in the rain recently though yesterday was remarkably dry, though cold. So, lots of photos to come over the next few days, and possibly some non-blog days, particularly in the week of 16th, which is the week we are planning to move house.

The contract is signed, we’re secure for the next three years, with a proviso that we have six months’ notice should the property be sold. And a very nice property it is too. I won’t put up photos, I know you are interested to see the inside but we only took a couple to remind ourselves of the layout so we can plan what is going to go where; and we are not in the house yet so it doesn’t look ready. But there are some details I can share with you, I guess.

We have a fairly large courtyard that has steps leading up to two flat roofs, not that I will be going near them very often, only one has railings around it and there is a huge drop at the front of the house, and one on the side. And the other side is a pretty decent drop from the courtyard wall, the fourth side would be into the neighbour’s courtyard, though they are also slightly down a hill, so we don’t really attach to anyone – not in the traditional way.

The property is really two properties joined together by a common, open porch, and on one side we will have our office and guest rooms, and on the other our main living area. This is made up of a nice saloni which looks towards the harbour – there are a couple of shots on yesterday’s blog. There are windows on two sides here, good for summer. The bedroom is, like in the current house, in the middle of the property with a moussandra above. This comes part way across the sitting room as well. This room also has a window, handy for the summer and at a height where the cats can’t leap in.

The kitchen is large and fitted, though we may have to rethink where the cooker goes; there’s a nice extractor fan, standard size, sitting over a 45 cm gap, which is a bit slim line for a cooker. But that’s a consideration for another day. The bathroom is off the kitchen, which means it’s an inside bathroom. You’d be surprised (or not) how many are still outside on Symi, some are even across the street from the houses they serve.

That’s a basic rundown. Currently, the landlord is making a good job of removing everything bar the fixtures and he even told us he would have someone in to clean the place first. Our current house is slowly stacking up with boxes, so much so that I now need to move my desk and rearrange the front room so that I can carry on doing what I do while making more room for more boxes. I’ve had a word with Habib and he is going to organise us some strong guys to carry the heavy stuff when we are ready, and some very kind folk have already volunteered to help us on the day.

So, I’d best get on and get back to more packing.

Share on Facebook

Yesterday we signed the contract for the new house. Today I can give you a shot or two of what will be our new view. A week on Monday we can collect the keys, take the inventory and start moving things across.

On the way back we stopped off for a few supplies at one of the village supermarkets (see photo) and it’s a question of ‘What shall we have for lunch today?’ As you’ll see, supplies have become a bit scarce. But not to fear! The Blue Star came through in the morning and, all being well and calm, should have come back last night. (I will be able to give more accurate details once we move as we’ll be able to see and hear it arrive and depart from the comfort of the living room.) So, Thursday morning will probably see a scrum at the vegetable department, so might give that a wide berth.

But it’s also good news for empty boxes, and we still need a heap more, with only about 60% of the house packed up. The more we pack the less we can use, obviously, so the house will probably stay mainly as it is until only a few days before we actually start moving things. Then it will be open season.

Meanwhile, the nights and mornings have ben wet, everything is feeling damp and it’s also cold; standard February weather here. I’ve not been able to get out for much ‘jalking’ at my preferred time of day, but have been trying to get out for your more standard kind of walking in the afternoon. Neil’s not been 100%, having had a bad tummy, but is on the mend now.

So, off into Thursday, with plenty to do and plenty to look forward to.

Share on Facebook

First of all, thanks to everyone who has so far sent in notes and tips, and things about the pension topic mentioned yesterday. I’m hoping to distil all the info for a future blog, but it sounds like things are due to change in April. So, watch this space.

So, it’s Wednesday (well, actually it’s Tuesday as I write this) and today we are going to sign the contract for the new house – day 24 of ‘moving house on Symi,’ so we’re looking forward to that. I walked past it yesterday (Monday – do keep up!) on my way back from Yialos and saw the landlord heading back and forth to his house opposite, so that bodes well. I went down to sort out a few things, check the post and get the deposit out of the bank, all done successfully, and took some grey, winter photos while I was on route.

Funnily enough, I took one of the sea coming onto the road by the customs house and it was more or less the exact same photo as Adriana put on her blog on Monday. http://adrianas-symi.blogspot.gr/ Check it out, ‘Surf’s Up Symi Style.’

I also almost took the same shot of the dog in the tree, and got some shots of stones and… well, great minds obviously think alike. Adriana also has some info about the recent Sunday Times piece about Symi, and links to the ferry schedules, which are kind of all over the shop at the moment.

I also noticed on my way past that the old Symi Dream shop is now up for rent, so that’s not gone to anyone new as yet. If you fancy having a small business on Symi and need a shop, this could be the place for you! Down in the harbour there was the navy boat in (or is a customs boat? Looks more military to me, must examine closer next time), but no other ships coming or going. We’ve not had many recently, not for some time now due to the bad weather. You can tell by looking at the empty vegetable racks in the shops.

Monday is a busy day though, down there, with folk doing their admin things like banks, post office, catching up on shopping; a bit like I was doing. Heading back up the Kali Strata I decided to go in a different direction and went up almost vertically past Villa Papanikola, the recently done up accommodation that overlooks Yialos. Then it was back to the house to find Neil ill with the tummy big that’s been going around the village/island, and, after lunch and some pottering about, a tap class that was mind-meltingly hard work but good fun.

And then Tuesday morning and… Another night disturbed by the sound of rain on the shutter-less window and wondering if there was going to be thunder, and did I need to get up and unplug things? I heard the clock strike five, drifted off a bit and then my alarm started signing ‘Good morning, good morning!’ to me at 6.30 as it does. I dragged myself out of bed, was not impressed to see it had stopped raining, so fed the cat, put on my trainers and headed off up the steps and to the quarry for a bracing, early morning job/walk. (I could call that a ‘jalk’ as I mix jogging with walking, but that sounds like too silly a word to use, and the alternative is not PC at all. After all, I can’t call my early morning exercise a ‘wog.’)

Managing to dodge the rain, until the last few steps, I was back and at my desk by 7.30 ready for a morning of, yes you guessed it, more rain. Ah well, at least we’ve had some time away from it, off and on, recently so the towels are dry.

Share on Facebook