Symi Dream

Living on a Greek island

A Greek island blog from Symi in the Dodecanese islands of Greece. "James’s great talent lies in his careful observation of the absurd and the amusing, the dramas and the difficulties..." Anne Zouroudi.

Symi Dream - Living on a Greek island

Early Morning Dreaminess

Early Morning Dreaminess

We have a guest arriving today, so it’s another early start. I had a very early start yesterday too. Heat, mosquito, strange dream, waking to look at the time hoping it said it was five, and I’d had eight hours sleep; it read 2.45, and I’d had nearly six, so that would have to do. It was already 28 degrees in the courtyard where someone’s cat was playing with the leaves that had blown from the vine, though there was no breath of wind. There was some roach activity, but I chased it around with a can of spray while trying not to wake the husband, and lost it under the sofa. I found it later when I stepped on it by accident, so that saw it off. Then I set to work on chapter 22 and imagined myself on Bodmin more at three in the morning, in August 1890, looking at standing stones and relating the symbols carved on them to the plot of the novel, and found my smoking gun.

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It was an interesting start to the day, and, as I write, it’s still only six (Tuesday morning). We plan to head to Yialos later. I have some modelling paints to collect from ACS, there’s the post office to check as I am expecting a book about Victorian workhouses, and we need to raid the bank. All being well, today (yesterday) will see our first lunch out of the season. No doubt there will be more when said guest arrives tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow, creeps in this semi-retired pace from day to day. To the last syllable of… Talking of which, I must get over this lack of sleep-induced dreaminess and get back to stringing syllables together to make a coherent story. Smoking gun, here I come.

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Monday

Monday

After what seems like an age of nothing much happening, things are starting to pick up. When I say not much happening, I mean for me; writing, the occasional walk, piano lessons, staying home a lot. Now, though, with more visitors, things are becoming more social. Not so much this week, but next when in the diary we have a breakfast, a BBQ and a dinner, and that’s on top of the daily routine. I’m still waiting to hear when my annual health-check MOT might be, and I need to collect my biometric card from Rhodes at some point. Before then, we need to make sure the card is there, and that means trying to get through on a phone that’s hardly ever answered. On top of that, I need to visit the dentist. I was planning to do this when I’d saved enough because I want a couple of cosmetic things doing, and now it feels like I have a wisdom tooth finally coming through. I had three out years ago, but it seems the fourth might finally make an appearance. As I have to collect something from ACS today (Monday), I will see if the dentist is around and make an appointment. And that’s about the highlight of my day. Meanwhile, here are some recent hinterland photos for you to peruse while I prepare myself to ‘do’ the Kali Strata in temperatures of 34 + degrees.

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Latest Chicken News

Latest Chicken News

Sunday morning, Neil’s off for a swim, the bells are ringing (not because he’s off for a swim, but for the Sunday services), the sea is calm, and I am on chapter 20. A typical Sunday morning at our house. It’s not so typical in front of it where a chicken has taken up residence. I think she came wandering down to check out the ’hood, and her two chicks came with her, but then realised they can’t get back up the steps. They’ve now moved into the old garden next door, which is overgrown and difficult to access. I was going to take the chicks up to the road, where they usually hang out, but now I can’t get to them. There was something of an owl disturbance right outside the house the other morning, so there may not even be any chicks left to move. Either way, mother hen will simply have to hang out in the wasteland until the young’uns are large enough to get up the steps as we can’t now reach them.

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In other news… We spent a little time counting 10 cents pieces the other afternoon. I say ‘we’, it was actually Jenine, Neil, Collette and Yiannis. I wrote down the tally, which was €80 in the end, all donated to the SNiP organisation by Peter who’d given his change jar. Rather than haul a hundredweight of coins to the bank, the change was exchanged for notes at the supermarket. It reminded me we have an overflowing bucket of tens and 20s to deal with, so when Sotiris has recovered from his run of 10 cents, we’ll negotiate another exchange.

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And apart from that… We’ve got yet another Blue Star boat calling into Symi, making it five times per week now. Plus, we still have the daily Sebeco, the Spanos and Stavros, and the day boats which, last week, were fuller than we’ve seen in a long time. Some visitors from the UK are still suffering the frustration of cancelled flights and the quarantine on the way back issue, while we’re basking in temperatures over 30 degrees, cooled in the evenings by some strong winds. That’s about it for today. Now back to chapter 20.

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