Symi in the winter #4Power cuts.
Ah, the absolute peace of waking up to a power cut. I think this was the first of the winter, and I’m still not sure what it was all about. And when I say ‘absolute peace’ I actually mean, waking up to the sound of the cat screaming at the front door, loudly, wanting to be let in, at 5.15 in the morning.
But later, sitting in my office listing only to the sound of the clock ticking, and then being in the kitchen and, after turning off the gas having made a hot water with lemon, listening only to the kitchen clock ticking – no fridge, nothing else humming – and the rural sounds of sheep and geese outside. (If it’s not geese we have down the lane then it’s someone with a very consistent nose-blow sound.) And of course no water as the pump will not go and no heating, no cooker, and using a candle or a torch at that time of day. And not being able to connect to the internet so no messages or emails, not even SimCity Bulidit (unless playing off line), and no morning walk/jog because I don’t want to risk spending the rest of the morning wet with sweat, and catching anything thanks to being cold and damp all day.
It’s okay though, I think to myself, I can go and do some work on a book, only to remember that all my work is up there in the ‘cloud’ and I can’t access it without the internet being on and that needs electricity. The copies of the work that are on my laptop (which has four hours battery) are not the latest versions so no point going back over on them.
And so you’re reduced to pottering about: checking on the photos I took yesterday when we went for a short walk to Pedi, during which Neil took a phone call about work, we saw people working on the roofs of the new holiday blocks, saw that Apastolis Taverna is still full up with chairs and tables and boat bits, and its beach is still the winter boat yard extension. We waved to a few people who were out and about, saw the cargo boat high in the water having unloaded, and walked back up the road to the sound of bleating goats, sheep, and then the squawk of chickens, and back to home for a quiet evening in and an early night.
And who says nothing happens around here in the winter?
