Sunday afternoon
I had a slightly disrupted day on Sunday because I wasn’t able to settle into anything. You know how it is sometimes. I had been out and bought some paint so we could give the kitchen a fresh coat. Except we couldn’t because the paint was either off (unlikely) or so eco-friendly that it was made from the scrapings of a sewer with white colouring added; there was no way we were putting that stinky stuff on the walls. Will try another brand next time. We also had an appointment to keep in the square in the afternoon, and that was when the day brightened considerably.
Monday’s view
Our insurance agent from AXA in Rhodes had come over with her husband and daughter. They were on a day trip, but it was a good opportunity to update our health insurance. In typical Greek fashion, we did this and the paperwork at a table at the café in the square while the football raged around us. ‘It’s so quiet here,’ she said, more used to life in Rhodes and work in Faliraki than the rural ways of Symi. She said this as England were scoring goals left right and centre-forward and the fans were cheering. I explained it’s usually a lot quieter than that, with maybe soft Greek music playing or just the grate of cicadas in the trees. We had a lovely chat and catch-up, and the insurance is all sorted for another year. Just have to save and pay for it when it’s due in August.
Meanwhile, I was also putting the finishing touches to a trip to the yUK I am doing in July/August. The purpose of this is to see an old school friend who now lives in New Zealand but who is in London for one month only. Not a chance to be missed as we’ve not met for about 37 years. While there, I’m also going to see my brother, some other old school chums and friends in Brighton. I intend to spend three days on the Romney Marshes, having lunches, dinners and hopefully some long walks, weather permitting. I shall visit the imaginary area of Saddling (actually Fairfield, if you know the marsh) and take some photos. I’m now working on ‘The Eastling’ the third in the Saddling series – am up to chapter four – so a visit to the ‘felds’ and ‘dowels’ where Tom, Barry, Dan and the others live in my imagination should boost the creative inspiration.
That’s not until the end of July though, and meanwhile, there are things to be done here on Symi apart from the daily writing. The room by room decorating of the house, hopefully without foul smelling eco paint, organising a new computer keyboard, currently in hand with SmartSymi, and trying to keep the courtyard plants alive as the temperature rises. Hardly a rat race.
