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Sunday and a day at the beach in planned

Well, I reckon I have been at this machine for about 70 hours this week working on a family history project. This has left little time for anything else, though I have explored the outside world a couple of times, manly the Symi Dream shop to use the scanner, and to cover while Neil did business things in Yialos. We’re having a ‘family’ beach day today as we’ve not spent time with Harry and Sam for a while. Harry’s baptism is in two weeks. Most things have been organised; the cross and chain, the clothes (two sets) and the candle… I think.

The baptism will be at Ag. Athanassios, the church that you can see (and hear) from the garden, which is handy for us as it is just around the corner.

So what else…?

I put some information about the Symi wine presses on www.symistories.com The site is building slowly as we knew it would. I am working through my history books for interesting facts about Symi which can go into the history page and jotting down things that local people tell me about the island’s past. I am not actively going out and finding information at the moment but it’s not meant to be a completed project/website but something that will grow over time.

(No apparent reason for that photo.)

Tomorrow is Neil’s birthday and here are some things that occurred on 8th September in the past.

1157 Richard the Lionheart was born
1925 Peter Sellers
1932 Patsy Cline

1565 The Turkish siege of Malta was broken by the Maltese & the Knights of St John (formerly of Rhodes)
1943 Italy surrendered to the allies (WW2)
1966 Star Trek premiered on US TV

And the day will be celebrated in 11 other countries though not for the reason of Neil’s birthday. It’s National day in Andorra, Thanksgiving day in South Korea and Fisherman’s Walk Day in Scotland - which makes me wonder if there is such a thing as a Walkman’s Fishing Day somewhere. 

Off to the beach!

This month’s Village View and some watery things

I just realised I’d not posted this month’s Village View yet. Here’s the opening, the complete ramble is on the Village View page.

Necessary Evil

I don’t want to bring up the ongoing and thorny topic of traffic on the island but I overheard a conversation the other day which set me off:

“I don’t think I will be coming back, there are too many cars.” I assume the visitor was talking about coming back to the island (or not) rather than reincarnation. I started to wonder where else she might go. The Western Sahara, perhaps? Not many cars there, at least, not until the Dakar Rally zips through. And you won’t find the same clear sea, beautiful architecture and loveable, nutty locals. Well, you might find the latter, but the chances are they will also be driving. Camels, possibly.

This led me to think about something I’d read somewhere, some time ago, and sent me scuttling to the Internet to find out some facts and figures. Using various encyclopaedias, the United Kingdom’s Highways Agency and some of those places where clever, nerdy people post useless information, I came to the conclusion that the following statement is true:

There is more combined vehicle length in the UK than length of road.

So what would happen if everybody with access to a vehicle decided, one August bank holiday, to take it for a drive? Disaster… [Read more here]

Don’t worry, Symi comes into it later.

So, I’m sitting here waiting for the water to come through. It seems we are back to rationing again and the mains pipes are not always turned on. It used to be, a couple of years ago, that the village only had its water for two hours or so each week, depending on which area you were in. Then the ‘mains’ system came into play and most of Symi was getting its water permanently. I know several people then did away with their sterna (the water tank beneath the house) and turned them into extra rooms, relying on the mains supply and pressure for household water. I wonder what happens now, when the mains is turned off like it is today?

This photo was taken last winter and reminds me that it won’t be long before I have to cover the kitchen skylight with plastic to prevent the rain gushing through and flooding the floor. It’s a simple job by Symi standards and only involves a trip to the hardware shop, cutting up the plastic, moving 20 rocks, painting the roof with a sealant paint, covering the odd shaped skylight without tearing the plastic, replacing the rocks to keep it in place, painting the roof a second and third time and then waiting for the rain, hoping you didn’t miss any cracks.

If you get it wrong you end up like Sam.

Today’s random Symi photos from the files…

Panormitis

Ag. Marina.

Horio.

A Symi wedding at Panormitis and reception at Pedi

I spent yesterday on the editing of the wedding video from Sunday, hence no post.
The wedding was a lovely occasion; the bride was originally from Symi (Pedi) and both her and the groom now live in Australia – though of course they are on Symi at the moment and are saying here for a while yet.

We arrived at the house in Horio for four pm, to record the dressing of both bride and groom, which happened in the same house. While the bride prepared the women sang in the room with her and then moved on to serenade the groom as his best man dressed him. (The Koumparo.) The party left the house, led by the musician (accordion in this case) and headed for the cars waiting at Campos. The procession drove over the mountains to Panormitis, arriving just as the sun was setting and walked in procession, with the tray of rings and almonds being carried in front and the musician ahead, to the church. The service lasted for just under an hour and included the giving of rings and the swapping of the crowns, the couple being led around the church by the Papas while the guests threw rice. The Metropolitan presided and gave the couple a speech, telling them how proud he was that they returned to Symi and Panormitis for their weddings, bringing some of the Australian culture to Symi and taking some of Symi away with them.

After the service and some more photos, the party drove back to Pedi for the reception and a meal at the taverna. It didn’t take long for the dancing to start, beginning with the ‘Isaiah’ where the newlyweds danced together first and later the ‘kaslamantiano’ with the entire party (almost) joining in a circle dance. We were in the middle of this at one point, for the photos and video, trying to avoid the plates and getting totally caught up in the atmosphere.

We left after midnight to walk (and limp) back up the Pedi road but didn’t get far before three girls in a car stopped and offered us a lift, for which we were very grateful. I don’t like to put too many photos of people’s private occasions here, but there are a few to give you an idea of the day.

As for other news – I have no idea! I was in the ‘editing suite’ all day yesterday and still have a few more hours to do today.

Two Symi weddings, two baptisms and a funeral

Well, that’s according to our neighbour Nikos and his wife Eleftheria. There was a wedding last night at Ag. Maria at the Castro, there is another this evening in Panormitis, a christening there too, another one at Marathunda and yesterday there was a funeral. Gabriel, father of George (of the Georgos and Maria Taverna) died and was buried yesterday. Sad news indeed.

This morning brings a mixture of bells, joyous ones one moment and sad ones the next. Such is Symi, or any small community where so much happens and, even when something happens to someone or a family you don’t know, you still seem affected by it.

I came across this photo that Neil took a couple of weeks ago. We were at the Iapetos Village one evening. If you have not heard of, or seen, this relatively new hotel and apartment complex check out their website at www.iapetos-village.gr

I also found some other photos and have put up a ‘mix’ gallery. Some standard ‘day on the beach at Pedi’ pics and some from a birthday party. Our shop neighbours invited us to share some cake and ouzo to celebrate one evening. We still have some left-overs in the fridge and we are working our way through the goodies slowly.

Off to prepare for the wedding at Panormitis this evening now. We will be joining the bride at her house (usually the men would go to the groom’s house for the dressing, but we have been asked to photograph at the bride’s house) and then going over to Panormitis on the pre-arranged bus. The service will be in the chapel and the reception tonight is at Pedi