Ramble

It seems to me, the busiest places on Symi right now are the post office and delivery stations for couriers. Hardly surprising as much is being ordered online, especially in the run-up to Christmas. As well as singing carols this year, we should be singing the praises of the post office and courier workers who keep our post flowing. It’s not uncommon to be walking somewhere, or (when you could) having lunch at a taverna, and someone comes past, stops their motorbike and says, ‘You have a delivery.’ Often, a few minutes later, they return with that delivery and drop it off at your table. I’ve had text messages, phone calls and messenger messages from the staff at the post office, bookshop, ACS and newsagent informing me that something has arrived, and it’s that kind of personal touch that brings a smile and helps make this place what it is.

That was just my first thought as I sat down to post some pictures I took on Tuesday when wandering up the hill on a cold, but at least, non-raining morning. I must have been on the path before feeding time as the goats and sheep were gathering, bleating and baaring at me as if I was a delivery person come with a bucket of feed. On the way back, I passed Arabi the goatherd dog and his team, and sad to see, noticed he was walking on three legs and hanging one of his back legs and not using it. He was in the company of a pup, so I assume Arabi is nearing retirement age and passing on his knowledge to a younger generation, as is the way of the shepherding world.

I also saw a fair few Lefterises gathering by the bus stop at dawn, and a couple passed me on the way up the mountain on their bikes. It was Lefteris’ name day, and I assume they were heading to a country chapel. The parish church, by Zoi’s Taverna was festooned with flags and lights, and the bells had been ringing there the previous evening. So, some things continue as usual, or as best they can under current restrictions. That’s also what I am doing, with my daily typing session in the mornings, though the afternoon sessions have fallen by the wayside a little in favour of a warm sitting room and the ease of television. I’ll get back to a full writing schedule after Christmas.

For now, I’m happy to take things easy and wait for inspiration to strike. It happens even when I sit down to write… something, not knowing exactly what, and pump out a few thousand words. It may be rubbish, but it’s still training if nothing else. I feel a little as though, after completing ‘Banyak & Fecks‘, I’ve rather drained myself as if I’m not currently sure if I can write anything as good for a while. I’m sure I can, but maybe not until I’ve had a break.

Anyway, that was another stream of semi-consciousness thought as I can’t think of anything else to say right now. I have a mug of decaf to warm my fingers, and an idea for something to write, so I’ll turn my attention to that as soon as I’ve posted this ready to go in the morning.

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Monday

I made a quick dash to the harbour on Monday between the rain showers. I say ‘quick’, I ambled along the zigzag path between the church and us, said hello to the chickens, dropped down past New Villa George and took the steep steps that cut out the curve of the Kali Strata to arrive outside the ‘red house’ near the bottom. Not the easiest journey with your glasses steaming up from your mask and the path slippery underfoot.

I wasn’t able to take my usual route around the quayside because the tide is up, and the road is flooded. Apparently, this is due to nearing winter solstice, a full moon, I think, and probably other scientific reasons I don’t know about, and bad drainage may also be to blame, I don’t know. It happens every year, isn’t anything really to worry about (unless it reaches your business premises), and you simply take another route. In my case, around the back to the post office where there was a queue at 9.15 (note, must get there earlier), around the town square to avoid the flooded road behind the bridge, and on to the bank. That done, I rechecked the post office – still a queue – and headed back up the Kali Strata at a sedate pace, reaching home 45 minutes after I’d set off. It poured down ten minutes later.

For the rest of the day, I finished off my model kit, cleared the kitchen table of paints and pieces, reread some writing I’d done, dithered about whether the story is going anywhere and what’s going to happen in the middle, and generally did a lot of nothing until Harry’s video piano lesson later in the afternoon. After that, it was the Thomas Crown Affair remake followed by Rocketman (again), before what has become a standard early night. Today, Tuesday, I am up at 3.00 again, ready to face writing another chapter of something, thinking about taking a stroll if it’s not raining later and looking forward to opening my office shutters for the first time in several days. Simple pleasures.

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Preparing for Christmas

I thought I’d share some of our Christmas preparations with you. This time last year, Bev and I were meeting to practice some carols for a charity sing-a-long at Bulmas. This is something Dawn has organised each year for several years and raises money for the orphanage in Rhodes. This year, of course, it’s not going to be happening. I believe some bars are open for takeaways, and I’ve seen people having their takeaway in the streets outside the bars/cafés, but that’s not exactly the same as gathering around candles with treats and decorations, dragging in a piano and bashing out Christmas numbers. A shame, but that’s how it is.

The last I heard, some of our restrictions might be eased over the Christmas period, but we’re waiting to see how this week goes first. I think (and I stress think because I’ve not looked into it) that we should be able to have gatherings of up to nine people, but from only two households, and as long as we’re home by 10 pm for the curfew, no-one’s going to get arrested or fined. As I say, I’m not 100% sure, but we’re hopeful that we might be able to be with the logical family as we always are on the day, and they with us the day after, but we will see.

My birthday earlier this year was conducted in lockdown not long after we got back from Canada, but the logicals came to the rescue. I had a shoebox delivered to outside the gate, brought it in and unpacked birthday decorations, balloons, and a card plus treats, and later, we had a virtual party across the video-waves. We could try that for Christmas Day, but as our day tends to start at around ten in the morning and run until after midnight, it could be a very long video chat.

Anyway, that’s all remaining to be seen. Meanwhile, we put our decorations up yesterday, wrapped up those gifts that have arrived, and settled in to watch a Christmas film or two. Well, we got as far as two episodes of Australian MasterChef, the new Netflix film, The Prom (sniffing with joy through most of it), and then Bohemian Rhapsody, so not exactly Christmassy but the intention was there. Today (Monday) we’ve woken to high winds and some rain, and I’ve not yet dared open the shutters to see whether I will be able to get to the post office to see if anything else wrappable has arrived. Like Christmas itself, that’s still a wait-and-see.

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Sunday morning catching up

Sunday morning, early, and it’s raining again. It’s not getting light until around 6.30 to 7.00 these days, by which time I am into my working day. I still can’t get out of the summer habit of waking up at 3.00 or 3.30, although the other day, I did manage lie-in until 4.00, which was very exciting.

As promised at the end of last week, I have several more photographs Neil has taken when he has been able to go out walking. First, though, this is what I have been up to over the weekend. Finishing off my Invisible Man model. There is still some touching up to do, but he’s almost there. This was a detailed model. All those books on the shelf, for example, had to be individually painted, and all the tiny bottles stuck together. I put washing up liquid in one, and in a beaker, for realism. The figure is about 10 inches high, and if you look closely, his left arm is indeed invisible between glove and shirt cuff. A neat trick, I thought.

I am waiting for The Phantom of the Opera (glow in the dark re-mould) to arrive from America so I can build him after Christmas, and in the meantime, must source some paints and tools from somewhere in Europe. We have no model shop near us, and even if there was one on Rhodes, I can’t get there at the moment to ask an expert or buy supplies. So, like everything else, it’s a case of ordering online. (Our bookshop does have artists’ equipment, but not the paints suitable for these kits.)

Anyway, a few more images of winter on Symi to keep us on track.

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Weather, Free books, New books and an invisible man

Today, I have some of my photos taken during the last week. As the old postcard says, ‘We have some kind of weather here every day’, and during the past few days, we’ve had sunny days at 16 degrees, colder evenings, wet days, some with hail, a thunderstorm or two and some high winds. We have also had our fair share of rainbows and double rainbows.

I’ve been promoting my new novel, ‘Banyak & Fecks,’ a prequel to the romantic Clearwater Mysteries. This isn’t like the others in the series as it’s not a mystery. It’s about a Ukrainian refugee and an Irish immigrant meeting in the slums of London’s East End in 1884 and the friendship that develops. The story takes you from Ukraine, via a long walk to Genoa and by ship to London, and from the Wirral to the East End where the pair meet. From then on, it delves into ‘Dark London’, slumming tours, street workers, slums, and the workhouse. But, honestly, there are lighter moments, some drama and excitement, some ‘ahh’ moments and, in the end, I hope, a good feel-good ‘kind of’ ending which leads into book one of the series. That’s set at the time of the Ripper murders, and apart from a lot of research and the inclusion of facts, the novel also incorporates some newspaper reports of the early Ripper murders (with the names changed to suit my novel).

I have also been running a free book giveaway on my Jackson Marsh Facebook page. I know several Symi visitors have supported my pen name novels and read quite a few of them, and this competition is open to all. It’s a simple case of checking my page each day, and, if you can, identifying a new quote. These are all from the books or their descriptions on Amazon. So even if you’ve not read the books, you can work out some of the answers from those pages and have a go anyway. We’ll draw one entry on Christmas Eve and whoever that is will be sent a signed copy of ‘Banyak & Fecks.’ With a new quote every day, you’ve got plenty of chances to win. Check out the page here, and even if you don’t enter, a like and share would be appreciated.

While doing that, I have been making the Invisible Man. Well, a model of him at any rate, covering the kitchen table with paint pots and glue, pieces of plastic and instructions, and the thing is almost finished.

That’s my ‘me’ update for now. Next week, we’ll have a set of images from Neil taken on one of his many morning walks which he has been doing when the weather allows.

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