It was cold out there yesterday morning at 6.45 as we trudged up the steps through the village to the top road, and then along and back down via the main road, for a bit of a wake up with 20 minutes exercise. Neil later went off to his Pilates leaving me surrounded by heaters and boxes in the front room, where the thermometer read 12 degrees.
At least it’s nice and sunny outside with no wind, clear skies, and a blue but cold sea to look at. The Accuweather forecast is showing a low of seven degrees last night and nine today, slightly warmer tomorrow and then, after a showery weekend, a clear week ahead for moving boxes.
Things are starting to fall into place. Neil rang our phone company, Ote, on Wednesday – the phone is in his name – and explained what we are up to. The helpful person there said that the arrangements would all be made for us to move our number and package from one house to the other next week. An hour later our local engineer phoned us and we arranged to meet ten minutes later at George (the younger’s) supermarket so we could go to the new house, so he knows where we are going. We did that and walked over there and he had a good look around. He called in, told our new landlord (who is still clearing things from the house) what was going on, and that was that. About half an hour later the Ote lady rang back to ask what day we wanted the switch-over to happen. We said Tuesday.
So, this means that there may not be a blog for Tuesday/Wednesday or some days next week, though I can get Monday’s ready on Sunday, assuming we don’t get cut off earlier by accident; it’s been known to happen. We also double checked the keys hand-over arrangements; I’ll be getting them at nine on Monday and doing the inventory and learning how the water and electrics work at the new pace, Neil will be joining us a little later and then we can start actually moving in.
But in other news, I should probably mention that Thursday was ‘Sooty Thursday’ or Tsiknopempti, on Symi and in Greece, the traditional day for eating meat before the start of Lent, which is on its way. Clean Monday, the start of Lent, is February 23rd, which will be our first real full day and night in our new house, which seems oddly appropriate, and Easter weekend this year is April 11th (Jack’s birthday) with Easter Day being 12th April. We are planning a joint housewarming and birthday party (for me) on the last Sunday in March which I know is still in Lent, but anyone invited doesn’t have to eat, drink or celebrate.
And talking of celebrations, for those who don’t know, Yianni Rainbow has been back on Symi a while now and is looking fit and well. No sign of the bar opening yet, but then it’s often closed at this time of year, and no news on what’s to come for the summer. But all seems well.
