Today we’ve got a few shots from last night and this morning. Shopping in Horio in winter, the village lane, inside Mandeio’s Brasserie where we stopped for a moment after shopping, and then some of this morning’s early morning walk.

Yup, I managed it. After going to bed at 9.30 last night, with ear plugs successfully staying in, and with no noise from the cat to keep me awake, I was able to sleep soundly through until around 5.30 when I started looking at the clock to see if it was time to get up. I was, in the end, up and on the road by 6.30.

On the road; sounds like I was in training like Rocky or something. I went, quietly, through the village square and past Sotiris’ supermarket, down to the road and the bus stop where the army guys were starting to gather for their lift up into the mountains. And then, past the doctor’s surgery and along past the sport hall and up, and around, and up, and around, and up… until, after 20 minutes or so of fairly hard work on the legs (which are not used to it at the moment) I made it to the top road. And then came back down again through the village.

Past the new house which is coming on a treat, past the yapping dogs who were inside, ‘Ricardo’ doing his morning ablutions in his outdoor bathroom carrying bowls of water about, through the back lanes and past the church where the bells were ringing and a service was already underway, around past ‘Lambros’ and to the top of the Kataractis, and then around the road –jogging a little to see how the knees were – and finally down the slope past the bins to home – by 7.00.

Talking of bins, I am getting to like going to the bins up here. Not only is it easy, being only around the corner, but it’s a lovely lane, with trees growing over it and with a view down to Yialos. Even taking the rubbish you turn round and think, ‘Wow, how did I end up here?’ But more than that, it’s the rurality (I just made that word up; ruralness…? It’s the way the place is still nice and rural… Something like that) that I like. There are bin cats of course, cats with character and looked after by the animal welfare folk, but also, yesterday I went to the bins and was greeted by a cockerel and two chickens. And then in the evening there was a bull frog croaking out, either that or it was a chicken with laryngitis.

But hey, new words or not, at least I got out and about and started my day with a big of heart-pumping followed by a hot water and lemon and a blog. There you go. Have a nice day.

Share on Facebook

Blimmin’ cat & rain! The plan was, after a reasonably early night, to get up at 6.30 and head out for a fast walk to wake up and reboot the exercise routine, get back for around seven and get to work. Hmm.

The ear plugs went in at around midnight to counteract the sounds of ‘cat Vs cat’, outside, and then ‘cat on a loosely tiled roof’ above. After a very strange dream concerning old school friends, a falling apart hotel packed with guests, brilliant doodle artist, playing the piano on a golf course at night and a room flooding with water, the ear plugs fell out somewhere before 5.30. Which is when the Alarm Cat decided he’d had enough of the great outdoors and wanted to come back in. I tried ignoring him for a while but it didn’t work.

So, I was up just after 5.30, sitting in the living room waiting for it to get light so I could go out on my walk. Just after six it started ringing and it still is, now at 6.40 so that’s put paid to that theory. Instead, I thought I’d come and do the blog and make an early start so I can go back to bed before lunch. Only joking. I am going to spend the day periodically waking the cat up as he dozes blissfully on his new sofa.

I am actually going to spend part of it putting together the second wardrobe in the hope that it won’t look too big in the utility room. I also have to do a bit of shopping but that’s about exciting as my Tuesday is now going to get. Famous last words. You know what it is like around here, anything can happen.

And what’s happened is that Blue Star has put us back on its timetable. Whether we were missed out by accident, due to some dispute or just for a laugh is still uncertain, but Symi, and other smaller islands on its route, are now being advertised again. Good news for anyone aiming for Rhodes tomorrow. And if you are, you might be keeping an eye on the weather (as you have to when planning to use a boat at this time of year, as we saw recently). My forecast says it’s going to be mainly sunny tomorrow, but then it says it for now and you can see by the photos (taken just now morning) that it’s anything but. Friday looks bad, lots of wind and rain, so probably not the best day for a day out in Rhodes. But the weekend looks like it’s improving.

That’s the up to date Symi weather for you. The rain is still coming down, filling our sterna I am pleased to say so lots of free water, but also preventing my early morning exercise. Perhaps I’ll go out later. Perhaps I’ll join the noisy cat on the sofa…

Share on Facebook

March 2^nd, eh? Happy month (kalo mina) to you, and we’re waking up, here on Symi, to a bright day left a little damp after last night’s rain. We’ve had our fair share of rain recently but that’s winter in Greece for you.

This week is going to be a week of entertaining and trying to get back into a routine after the upheaval of moving house. If feels like the weekend was the first real weekend of the new house, and the first settled period for a while. We had friends over last night for dinner and then sat in the new living room on the new sofas and chatted; all very civilised.

This week feels like it’s going to be the first week in a while where we’ve not had to buy anything (for the new house), or carry anything heavy up and down the lane, or put anything up, though there are still boxes and bags to be unpacked and Neil’s office looks like an explosion in a camera museum. We’ll get there.

We’ll be interrupted by tap dance class tonight, the first we’ve been able to attend in two weeks –the last two were missed as, after all the carrying and trudging, there was no more left in the old legs, so tonight it will be interesting to see what, if anything we can remember. Then we have a friend coming for lunch on Wednesday, the boys coming to tea on Saturday, and people coming for a house warming on Sunday.

Meanwhile we want to get back to Aerobics, for Neil, and early morning walks – as long as the rain stays away. And I also want to get back to finishing the book and starting on another, or doing some kind of half-decent writing work at least. So, there’s lost planned for this week, and only time will tell if any of it actually happens.

It should also see an advancement for Jack as last night was the first night since being here that he was out all night. I put my ear plugs in but could still him in heated debate with the ginger cat who thinks she lives here. He’s outside now, throwing kitty litter around the porch (that can move across the courtyard as soon as we get a couple of dry days) and complaining about being unable to wander in and out of the house when he wants; we can’t keep the door open or else Ginger will come in and make herself at home and we don’t want kittens in the wardrobe.

So, off to work we go, into a new week and a new month, and, it seems a new Blue Star ferry schedule with, so far, no stops at Symi (and other smaller, non-subsidised islands) advertised. Ooh-er, what’s going to happen there?

Share on Facebook

Saturday morning, in a silly mood, and otherwise at a bit of a loss as to what to tell you so here’s a rundown of what’s in my ‘Mailwasher’ in box – today’s spam and junk headlines (that are printable).

Apparently, Ed Miliband has been in touch and is desperate to let me know that he is going to cut tuition fees by a third. From £9,000 to $6,000 – well whoop-di-do and Bali High that’s some news but not nearly enough of a cut. And then Sports Direct tell me it’s pay day (I wish) and I can treat myself to something. If only. Next there is something from Russia I can’t repeat and then Aegean Airlines have sent me their newsletter which I am not interested in today as I am not planning to fly anywhere anytime soon.

Ancentsry.com asks me, ‘Who do you think you are?’, which sounds rather brash, and I find it rather impertinent so I ignore them, and something called Fun Cards tells me that it is Colin Brown’s birthday to day. Well, that’s just dandy but who the hades is Colin Brown and why should I want to know about, let alone care about, his botherday. (I meant to write ‘birthday’ but I am still waking up, my fingers are really stiff after putting the furniture together after carrying it up the steps/hill/road and botherday came out and I rather like it. If you don’t like birthdays have a botherday instead.)

Oh get on with it. It’s a Saturday morning and I have a new wardrobe to put my clothes away in at last. (Which took two days to put together).

Ah look! Denny’s invoice for something requires Microsoft Office to be installed on my system (it is) and Xpat Athens has sent me a headline: Need a break? Actually yes, I do, from all this silly spam – though I have to say, Xpat Athens is okay and I do usually read their emails and newsletters and see what’s going on.

And while all that rubbish is being washed away by my Mailwasher programme (you should try it, it’s great), down in the harbour below the sea is calm, the light is bouncing off the houses over in Harani, it all looks far too bright and cheery for a Saturday morning and I am going to head off and, finally, put the DVDs and CDs away and tidy up the now rather smart looking living room. Have a good weekend and I shall be back with more nonsense on Monday, insha’Allah.

Share on Facebook

In house, at desk, washing machine going in utility room next door, Neil at work in his office, Jack having a good old ding-dong with Ginger over whose courtyard this is now, and I can see the lorry driving along the quayside below.

That’s THE lorry apparently. Okay, so when you read this it’s actually yesterday morning but that’s because I have a busy day and evening planned and will want an early start tomorrow. So, blog done and out of the way seems the way to go today. Apparently Lefteris is delivering lots of Ikea things to The Olive Tree (for us) at ‘messimeri’ – midday, or thereabouts. We shall be waiting here, or hereabouts, hanging around like a couple of eager furniture removers, or layabouts.

(Old ‘Carry On’ gag twisted a little there, sorry.)

Not sure if the fridge freezer is among the items that are apparently on their way to the village any time soon, that’s coming from a different supplier, but we’ve prepared the sitting room as best we can for the sofas, and then, once they are in, will upturn the bedroom so we can make room to make up the wardrobe. Sam might be coming to help later as he’s a Wiz with Ikea instructions. Anyone who can build today’s Lego challenges without any hassle can surely cope with Ikea instructions.

And then, later today, after bringing things up the hill and hopefully having time to put some together, we are off for a tap practice, postponed from Monday due to it being Clean Monday. It seems so long since I’ve been (as the previous Monday was moving in day and we were shattered) that I can’t remember what my feet are meant to do. No doubt we will get a gentle, or not so gentle, reminder later.

So, that’s yesterday for you. On Wednesday we went out and about for a brief walk, so there are a few village walk shots to add to the blog including a few chickens, and the boat coming in bringing our delivery – and probably some other more important things too. I mean to say that when Neil was at the doctor’s surgery in Yialos on Wednesday morning, half the town council were also in there with a video camera. Apparently some new equipment had arrived and there was a bit of a publicity thing going on. Not sure what new equipment, but no doubt I’ll find out one day.

Oh, and our digital channels have now disappeared from the TV; will have to pop down to Yialos and see what needs doing/buying in order to get them back. Will also check the post office where hundreds of sacks of delayed mail arrived on Wednesday.

Share on Facebook