Three unrelated photos today, and not much to talk about. The weather has calmed (for a day or two, Friday might be a bit rough), and there is supposed to be a strike but apparently, it’s again illegal, so boats and airport should be working as normal. Up here in the village, life continues as usual…

That’s Kalos the cat who has become a familiar set of whiskers at the taverna. He lives just in front of us, when he’s not at Georgio’s, and he’s a handsome old chap; the Bustopher Jones of the neighbourhood, here seen preparing to dine at La George.

My mind wanders to another handsome sight, that of an old doorway found just off the beaten track in Horio (Chorio, Corio, Xorio, Orio – I’ve seen is spelt so many ways and plenty of incorrect ones thanks to the wonder which isn’t AI). It’s at the end of an otherwise dead-end little alley, and, I assume, once led to a home or business. I should investigate further one day and see what’s around the corner, though I don’t want to become one of those snoopers that I wrote about, the ones who think they have the right to climb gates and walk on roofs because they want to see a view.

If you want to see inside a village house, try looking through an open window…

This house was abandoned many years ago. A lady used to live there, and each time we passed on our way home, we would hear her chanting. This was in 2002/2003, and I think the property might have been deserted only a short while later. You can only see this one room, which looks like it was an inside kitchen, and I hate to think what the rest of the property holds.

For me, the day, not the property, holds a variety of entertainments, starting with this blog, my author blog (every Wednesday and Saturday), some publicity bits and pieces, and hopefully some writing as I am halfway through a climax and have left my heroes with a nasty dilemma and an escaping villain…

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It’s another shot from the balcony, I’m afraid, but one that was taken just after we had the first teaspoon of rain yesterday morning. There was more to come later in the day, and although not a great deal by Symi winter standards, there was enough to run down the wall and cause a puddle in the porch. Must get some roof paint when I am in Yialos on Thursday. The clouds had mostly cleared up by the afternoon, and today has started clear with only a few clouds in the distance. The air feels cooler, and it’s a case of shorts beneath, hoodie at the ready above. Too warm for a heater, not hot enough for a fan. An energy-saving time of year which will soon go one way or the other. I.e., back to warm one day, chilly the next, possibly wet the day after. We’re expecting more rain on Friday at the moment, but the forecast can quickly change at this time of year.

In other news… Don’t really have any, actually. I am coming towards the end of the first draft of the next mystery story. For those who follow my series, thank you. For those who don’t yet, you might like to take a look at the current one via my Amazon page (that’s co.uk, but any Amazon should do), and for the current series, click here. (That’s a universal link, so it should take you to your nearest Amazon.)

Okay, enough of self-promo, here’s some important news about tomorrow and why there is no reason to panic:

All Civil Defence alarm sirens across Greece will be tested on Wednesday, October 1, as part of the military exercise “PARMENION-25,” the Hellenic Police announced.

Usually, this thing goes off at 11.00 in the morning, and I always wonder, ‘If this was real, what exactly am I supposed to do?’ Hopefully, I’ll never know.

So, if you hear the siren in Symi tomorrow, don’t panic Mr Mainwaring, don’t panic! Now, here’s the garden rose.

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Good morning, and welcome to the almost end of September. Already? I know! So, what can I be telling you this morning… Well, for those who know him but don’t already know, yesterday, the mayor made Hugo an honorary citizen of Symi at a ceremony at the cultural centre in Yialos. As if by happy chance, Horio celebrated with a rock and roll evening played in the kafeneion in the square. Also on Sunday, we had the first of (I am sure) many picturesque sunrises to come as we head into winter.

It’s not winter yet, but it’s heading towards that vague kind of autumn time, when the vine starts dropping leaves (it’s been doing that all year), the air is cooler, and the weather less predictable. For a while now we have been in the halfway limbo where, for example, we have a duvet cover on the bed, but no duvet, and use it when the fan is on because that makes what was too warm too cold, so you need the duvet cover, unless it’s a warm night, when you might not – unless you put the fan on. I am wearing a shirt this morning, you will be pleased to know, but may not need it in the house in the afternoon. The drying up is taking longer to dry, as is the laundry, which, in summer, dries in minutes; now it’s taking a few hours. Soon, it will have to dry inside the house.

The boats are still coming in, people are still coming and going on their holidays, and everywhere is still open, so don’t get any ideas about things closing just yet. Another couple of weeks or so, and the taxi boats will probably stop as the six-month licences run out, and then, the beach places will close, apart from those with road access, maybe, and slowly, island life will transform from summer to winter mode, via this vague kind of autumn time. And during all of this, the chilli plants continue to thrive.

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I thought I’d leave you with a sky gallery today.

A what?

I was looking through an old folder where I stored photos a few years ago, and among them were several shots of the Symi sky in all seasons. So, I thought, before we see the return of the clouds and rain, and while the sky is still mainly blue, let’s see what we shall soon be in for. I’ve set them up as a gallery, which is a fairly new feature for this blog, so I hope it works. Open one and you should be able to browse through them all. I didn’t put up all the sunrise over Pedi shots because there are so many, and there are plenty of other old pictures I can use in the future, which is just as well, as I’ve hardly gone anywhere recently or done anything to take photos of.

So, have a pleasant weekend wherever you are, and to misquote, remember, we are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars sky.

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Three random photos from the files today.

First, our local supermarket, or as they are labelled here in Greece, super market. This is the place to come for fun while shopping. There’s always something inappropriate being talked about, always a cat or two sleeping among the boxes of bin liners and cleaning products, and sometimes, there’s even fresh food to buy. It can be hard to come by certain fresh veg in the summer as much as in the winter. In the summer, you need to get in before the tavernas and cafes snap it up, and in the winter, you have to rely on boats for deliveries and if it’s bad weather…

You know, you can’t plan a dinner party and say,. ‘We’ll have XYZ’ because, after all, capital letters are hard to swallow. No, what I mean is you have to say, ‘Come for dinner,’ and then serve whatever you can find. At least, that’s how it can be in the winter.

Another random one is this shot from the main road looking down on the houses that overlook the entrance to the harbour/bay at Petini and Petalo, where that umbrella skeleton stands. This is where, apparently, the new marina is going to go, or start, or has started, or is being begun. The barge is still there, along with concrete blocks and machinery.

Then, this third one, which was from last year when the senior school class were organising an event to raise money for their end-of-school trip. This is inside Scena, which is open again now after a short affair with some floor varnish that didn’t go off. This is a good place for families because the playground is right next door, and you can keep an eye on your charges while you have your coffee. You also have to put up with them running in and out as though the whole area was a playground, and the place is known for its children’s parties, live music, cinema, and good food.

Here’s a bonus one. It’s a group of seventeen-year-olds enjoying the swings in that very playground. Odd to think this lot will be living on their own on another island in a month or so. Eek!

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