After the excesses of the holiday to Kos followed by Christmas and all that, I’ve started up my morning walks again. Last week I went out a couple of times and the aim is to go out at least three times this week. These aren’t lazy ambles down to the sea or anything, these are, usually, quite hard work, on purpose of course.

The usual route is out of the house and up past the museum to the top road, all in one go, no pausing until I arrive on the road by Periotisa where I stop for a slug of water by the new house that’s being built. After that it’s down to the main road and then up the zigzag to the cantina, and back again. After a few days of this at a fast pace I usually start running the second stage and go as far up the slope as I can before slowing down and walking the rest of the way up. This stage gets longer as the days get warmer.

The running back down is simple except that when I get back to the top road there’s an uphill slope again, like a final burn before the warm-down, which is the climbing back down the steps, past the museum. I give myself an extra distance to run for each time, the next bend, the next shrub, the shrine or the bulldozer (which is liable to move day by day) and so on. Hopefully by April we’ll be back to the full distance again and will be alternating the road route with To Vrisis and even Pedi.

On Monday, for example, I left the house at 6.30, it was still a bit dark as there was heavy cloud covering the sunrise, and it was cold, but not windy, so not unbearable. I went as quietly as I could down to Kampos where things suddenly got loud. There were some army guys waiting for their lift, a few workers waiting for their pickup, cars going past and soon after, the army truck. The officers living out and about can catch the pick-up truck at around 6.30 to go up to barracks, or drive to their base, and I am often passed by army men in cars at that time of day, plus farmers and agricultural workers heading out.

A little further up the road and the traffic died away and calm returned. And, once I was back on the top road I noticed that the church clock is back to telling the real time. On Monday it chimed seven at seven, rather than at twenty-two minutes past two, or whatever it had been doing for the last few weeks. Add in the sheep that were taking a stroll on the road, the goat bells, the many barking dogs and the cockerels, it was quite a noisy early morning. As it is most mornings when I (or we) head out at the time of day to blow the cobwebs away and get the brain into gear for another day.

Another day of packing (contract almost ready to be signed for new house – all being well we should have the keys in less than three weeks) and sorting things out.

Oh, here’s a quick ‘Symi’ thing to leave you with, one of those things that happens a lot around here. I mentioned we needed boxes or crates and could folk drop them off at the house if passing. Well, after a Sunday at home noticing nothing out of the ordinary, on Monday I noticed there were some new boxes and a couple of crates in the front room. Neither of us brought them in, and I have no idea who did, but they are very useful, so thank you whoever you were.

Share on Facebook

Here are some interesting speculations about what is going to happen in and to Greece over the coming months… Obviously not from me. I am as likely to make an in-depth, considered political analysis as I am a strawberry pavlova, so don’t worry that I am going to get serious on you.

But a journalist friend of mine in England sent me some interesting distilments from the media that I thought I would share. These are quick thoughts from early Monday morning as the results were still coming in:

“The BBC has more or less decided this radical left party with the slogan “Hope is Coming” will be forming the government. They have of course now raised vast expectations among disgruntled Greeks who will expect them to deliver. In fact, the newspapers here are reporting that lots of Greeks have now stopped paying their taxes in the expectation that the new government will just write off the bill. The expectation is that if the new party tells Europe to [Foxtrot Oscar], and refuses to pay any of its debts, then taxes will go down, so why bother paying them now?

The truth is that if the new government does refuse to pay its debts and just writes them off then Greece will be at a position zero (ie no debts) but will be unable to borrow anything. As it happens, the old government has managed to balance the books. They’re managing to raise in tax exactly what they need to pay for public services. So, provided they continue raising the same amount of tax then they should be able to pay everybody’s wages. But if taxes go down, then they won’t.

What they won’t be able to do is modernise, build new schools, new hospitals, and the private sector won’t be able to move forward and create new jobs because there will be no investment in Greece. So the country will stand still – with the notable exception of tourism which will boom, but there won’t be enough money to improve facilities for tourists (new hotels etc).

And standing still also means no jobs for the 25% currently unemployed (which is 50% of young people as well).

So in a nutshell, those currently in work will continue to get paid but basically the country will come to a standstill. Everything will carry on just as it is now and Greece will be locked in austerity for years with no end in sight, or else go bankrupt. Tourism will flourish, but most of that money will be spent on jobs for people working in tourism and building new hotels (not hospitals or schools or roads).

The drachma (if it comes to that) will be a rock bottom currency, which means Greece will be very cheap for everyone outside Greece but people in Greece won’t be able to afford much in the way of imported goods. Everything outside Greece will be hugely expensive for them. Anything imported will rocket in price. And if Greece imports a lot of fuel and energy, then that will also cause price rises for Greek goods depending on them (manufacturing and delivery costs).”

But we shall have to wait and see what happens now. Right, that’s that done. Tomorrow I shall talk about something a bit closer to home.

Share on Facebook

Well, that’ll teach us to do the right thing. Popped into the accountant’s office on Saturday to check up on a piece of paper that came through the post, a fifty-something VAT bill from last year, so no big shakes. And was then told that taxes were due for 2013… I mean, nearly two years ago now, and where did that come from?

Ah, some is personal income tax so fair enough but then there’s this large amount for having a business. Doesn’t matter that a) you only had a small business and you’re not Microsoft or anything and b) you don’t actually have a business anymore, you closed it because c) you had no money… So, that’s now been added to the list of monthly expenditure to be paid off in instalments. And, what’s worse, there will be another one along soon for 2014, including a tax for having a business during that year. The bill, for anyone who is interested, covers 24% personal income tax (no matter what, apparently, and the income threshold seems to be more a serving suggestion than anything remotely helpful), €600 for the joy of having a business during that year, plus something like 45% of that year’s income tax paid again, in advance, towards the following year’s income – if that makes sense. So, the bill due to come along in a few months will be for 2014 income tax, + business tax + 45% towards 2015 income.

Someone is having a laugh, and why didn’t this arrive back in June or whenever it usually comes in? Perhaps Sunday’s elections will cause a change for the better and this ridiculously high (for a small biz) business tax will go by the wayside – I am sure it’s never been that high before. (Used to be €250 a year. No wonder small businesses are going out of business.) And here endeth the Sunday morning rant – as I am writing this on Sunday morning with ‘death bells’ ringing rather atmospherically, though interspersed with joyful bells – as if someone is secretly happy that someone else has passed on and can’t resist pressing the happy button every now and then – the wind has died down and the sun is out. Once I wake up and get over it I may actually go out and about.

We did that yesterday (Saturday), with a visit to the new Well Being centre in Yialos which was opening its doors. That was followed by a wander around the harbour looking for a cover for my tablet, no joy but I should hear today (Monday) about one that can be ordered for me. I could buy one online and have it delivered, but other people have small business taxes to pay, so I would rather support them. And that was followed by a visit to the Wind shop. It’s amazing what you can buy on Symi, you can even buy wind.

No, actually, you used to be able to buy Symi air, from Neil, at his shop (taxes included) but I am talking about my mobile phone service provider which used to be called Telestet then changed its name to Tim, found that rather too informal and so became Wind. Now lots of people in Greece have wind, myself included. I’ve been on a contract for a few years now paying around €30.00 per month. For that I can make calls and send texts until the balance is used up, and then on 19th of each month they make the balance up to €30.00 again, so, if I use it all up I do okay but if I only use, say €5.00 worth, they still only make it up to the €30.00 limit and I still have to pay €30.00 – yes I know, takes a bit of getting your head around –though I do get a ‘free’ smart phone every 18 months.

But not any longer. I cancelled it yesterday, and I will go back to a pay as you go one instead. This means a new sim card, but the same number, apparently. So, if you have my phone number it remains the same but I may lose yours when I change sim cards (March 19th) and forget to transfer them over. I hardly use the phone anyway, and now I have the tablet I will miss the thing even less. Always best to send me an email or a text, rather than ring me, I sometimes watch the phone ringing and think, ‘No, not answering that, it could be someone wanting to speak to me.’ Which is, I know, pretty daft as that what phones are for, but I just don’t like their intrusiveness and the way they keep ringing.

So, that’s me got that off my chest, I’ll let you get on with the week ahead now. The cat is bothering me for his second breakfast and I have Harry’s washing in our machine to tend to so best go and get on with that…

Share on Facebook

(Actually, I haven’t been anywhere, I was just suffering a Doris Day earworm as I wrote that title.) Suffering from a bit of wind you see, Friday, with shutters rattling and roof tiles clattering, the olive tree outside bending and flapping about and the Blue Star ferry unable to dock. Apparently it left several hopefuls stranded on the quayside after almost making it in. Such is Symi island life in the winter.

We took a walk on Thursday afternoon, just up and out along the valley path, via crazy dog, passing a couple of dog walkers and their rather large hounds, avoiding the poo left by dogs, their owners (I mean as in, no pooper scooper… you know what I mean!), sheep and goats (such is rural living) and up to the monastery. It had become a cloudy day as you might see from the photos I took, but still, a pleasant walk. We checked the museum on the way back. The outside looks, to me, to be finished. I have no idea what is happening inside but I did notice, over the wall, that the facia on the roof of the old servants’ quarters/house was as it had been; un-renovated but not removed.

We also walked by the supermarket on our way home in case there were any boxes to be had, but there were none. I must find out the best time to pop down there and collect some. I’ve already asked George (at the ‘American’) if I can take them, and it’s not a problem as they only throw them away. There is often a truck load of the things outside waiting to go to the bins, but I can’t remember what time of day that is. Still, there’s been no word yet on when we will be signing the contract for the new house and no desperate reason to rush around packing just yet. Moving in is still three weeks’ away.

And so to the weekend and what does that hold in store? Well, not a lot so far. Perhaps some packing and box hunting, perhaps a walk on Sunday if it’s not too windy and wild, perhaps a quiz, maybe some housework and sorting out, perhaps some writing, and possibly attending the opening of the new Well Being centre in Yialos – more about that, with photos, after we have been. The weather is set to be cloudy and wet over the next week or so, with a day off on Tuesday apparently, but with this mighty wind due to have calmed and settling in around four or five Beaufort only. Here’s wishing you a good weekend and I should be back with you on Monday.

Share on Facebook

So, that’s one small cabinet emptied and a couple of large boxes packed. Strange how there seems to be more things outside of the cabinet than there were inside. At least the packing has started. Well, I’ve chucked a few books and things into a few boxes…

We went to the celebration for Brian yesterday, there was a minute’s silence, we had his non-religious order of ceremony to read, some of his favourite songs were played and many stories were told. Neil’s silver boat was floated in a bowl, and candles lit inside it – the closest we could come to a Viking send-off, and we stayed far too late. But it was a bitter sweet time and glasses were raised and the bells were rung as a mark of respect.

Thursday dawned bright and warmer than it has been of late and we were able to get on with a few things around the house. It’s now Thursday afternoon and we may be heading up the hill for a short walk, or perhaps along the valley to ‘To Virisi’, one of the monasteries that look down onto the valley.

Apart from that, there’s not much going on, not too much to report. So I’ll just put up this short blog and then get ready to go or a walk. That’s it. Short but sweet. I may not be funny but at least I’m quick.

Share on Facebook