Symi, Weather, Books and Martians

Thunder and rain is rolling in this morning (Monday). It came in at about 6.00, so I was just in time to bring the washing in. I have to head to Yialos later this morning, so I am hoping it doesn’t come back. We’ve had some unsettled weather this May, but the forecasts show that this should be settling down over the next few days. I can see a belt of rain heading towards us now, across the sea from the far coast so I will leave setting off to town for a while yet. I only need to get cat food for the fussy furry thing, but we all know how noisy it can be if he doesn’t get what he wants when he wants it.

The London Greek Film Festival winners

I pulled a couple of photos from Facebook and the London Greek Film Festival pages so you can see ‘The 13^th’ director and producer receiving our awards. He’s the second on the left in the group shot and, obviously, the man in the other one. I’m just waiting to hear what the news is on the distribution deal now. Kickstarter backers should have received an update by now, but I have a copy here so, if you didn’t, email me and I’ll send it on to you.

Chris Hastings, ‘The 13th’ receiving an ward.

We’ve had a great response, still on-going, from the good people of the Romney Marshes who are now gathering not only towels but also shampoo and even hot chocolate and biscuits for the boys, for when they arrive there on Friday for the football. The boys leave here on Friday morning and have quite a journey to get to Camber Sands for about five in the evening, so they will be ready for a shower and hot chocolate by then, I am sure. It’s a wonderfully heart-warming gesture from the Martians – or should that be Marshians?

Yialos

In home news, Neil is due in Rhodes in [checks the time] 90 minutes and back here on Tuesday. Had I known there was going to be a Blue Star sailing from Rhodes on Monday we would have booked that so he was home earlier. He could still catch it, but the hotel in Rhodes is booked and paid for, and he is meeting a friend there for dinner, all pre-planned, so I think we are leaving things as they are. The cat is going slowly mad. Last night he spent half an hour running around the house (he never runs, unless it is towards his bowl), shouting and searching for something. I opened the courtyard gate, and he was out like a shot. He wasn’t home by the time I went to bed, so I had to shut him out. But there he was, at half five the next day, ready for breakfast and into the courtyard as soon as I opened the gate. He’s just been doing the same thing but, as it’s about to rain, I’m not letting him out right now.

Horio

Finally, today I have asked some of the other writers in a Facebook group that I belong to, if they have any books about Greece, or set in Greece. If any of them have anything, I thought I’d give them a mention here as I know our blog readers might be interested. If you have anything of your own that you have written and published on Amazon (so I can link), drop me a line and I’ll do the same.

And that’s that. Hopefully, in the next few days I will have my camera back and can go out and get some up to date images for these pages; I am still running on old ones – won’t be long now.

Share on Facebook

Three awards for Symi Film

I can tell you that ‘The 13^th’, the film filmed on Symi in 2013, picked up three awards at The London Greek Film Festival on Saturday night. Best actress for the lovely Rebecca Grant, Best Music for Michael Bishop (the play-out music at the end of the film includes the sound of Symi bells, recorded on the island) and a ‘special mention’ award for Chris Hastings, director, producer and co-writer. Congratulations all round. I expect there will be another Kickstarter update for backers soon, giving all the details.

Looking down to Pedi

Meanwhile, the good people of Romney Marsh, in Kent, have been rallying around to supply towels and toiletries for the Symi football teams that are arriving there on Friday for the tournament. Due to finance and luggage restrictions, the boys aren’t able to take more than hand luggage, and the Pontins they are staying at doesn’t supply towels to its guests, which are heavy things to pack when over 40 people are travelling. Some of the Marsh football mums with children in the competition are arranging donations, with others, to be taken to the holiday park and then donated to charity afterwards. That’s a wonderful gesture, and I hope it all works out and the boys can have a shower when they arrive on Friday night, and after the games. It’s going to be a long day so they will need it.

The Symi team after winning the league a couple of weeks ago

While all that has been going on, a strong wind has cooled the temperature here down a little, but today (Sunday as I write this), the sky is blue, and the wind has dropped, so we should be warming up again very soon. And when I say ‘warming up’, it’s not cold, it’s perfect walking weather, and I am in t-shirt and shorts at 7.30 in the morning, so there is no need to panic.

Looking down to Pedi

People have been asking about the taxi boats. I have seen one going in and out of Yialos as I watch from up here, and I expect the others will be up and running soon. We are having one of those gaps between Easter and the start of school holidays when things really start to pick up, so it’s probably not worth running the boats just yet. The day trip boats that are coming in every day are bringing lots of visitors for the day, so things must be pretty busy over on Rhodes.

So, a few good pieces of news to start the week off there.

In Horio

Share on Facebook

Saturday Symi photos

Here are your ten random Symi photos for today, to keep you going over the weekend. The weather’s been a bit odd these last couple of days, I was back in long trousers last night, but so far today (Saturday) the rain has not come back. Tonight sees the awards at the Greek Film Festival in London so there may be some news on that next week, and later this week the Symi football teams (under 12/11) are off to play in their football tournament in the UK. I have a weekend of writing planned and, apart from some shopping, that’s all I have planned. Enjoy the photos, and I’ll be back next week.