Symi Weather Today Yesterday

Today I thought I would show you what Symi looked like yesterday, at least, my view of it. As you can see, calm and clear, blue and tranquil. A few clouds were came over later in the morning, stray, white fluffy things over the hills of Turkey.

We are waiting for one of those weather fronts to come in. You know the sort. Promised a week or ten days in advance and due to arrive on Wednesday/Thursday. Then something happens, and it gets shifted to a later shift, and the forecast sites promise Friday through to Sunday instead. Someone has to go off sick, and it’s needed elsewhere, so it then gets a day off, and Saturday is clear, but we are to expect it on Monday, with the chance of overtime until Wednesday. Whatever it’s arrangement, the weather front has not materialised yet.

The variation in forecasts might come from the fact that there is no weather station on Symi unless someone has a private one. Most people around here look to the Vigla and, if the cloud is coming over it, then they say to expect rain. Others probably tell by the behaviour of cattle or the way certain fish gather in certain places at sea. Others have aching bones to tell them that bad weather is on the way and some, apparently, have water to feel these things in. Me, I just look out of the window and deal with whatever comes along.

Another weather chat, I know, but there you go. Today (and I do mean today) I am mostly writing. Having said that, I may have to break off to finalise covers and things, but that’s an excitement more than a chore. Otherwise, my weekend looks to be all about writing, apart from Sunday when we are invited to a party. I will have to play for my buffet, which is being supplied by The Olive Tree, so I am looking forward to that. In fact, I know I will have to play because that’s what I am there for. My singing pupil is holding a birthday party and giving everyone a recital. Which means I may have to forgo the writing after all and set about some piano practice.

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A quick catch-up

The sun is shining, the weather is calm, the sea flat, it’s warm out there, over 20 degrees and the village is quiet. That’s all be because today (Wednesday) most of the islanders are down at Panormitis for the island’s saint’s name day and the famous Panormitis festival. If you want to see photos, check out our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/SymiDream/ if you use Facebook. These are photos there that I’ve been able to share from people who are able to get to the festival. (Todays are of the Pedi Valley and windmills.)

Up here in the village, the computer on the desk is fair steaming. I have managed to get a screenplay first draft finished within my self-imposed deadline, the next book is nearly ready to go (Symi, Stuff and Nonsense) and the one after that is ready for its next draft. The house is prepared for winter – and we are expecting more rain in a few days’ time – and things generally are settling down into the winter routine. That for me means loads of time at the desk doing what I like to do most; making up stories and putting them out there. I can add on to that, walking in the hills and chilling out in the café, when I get around to doing those things.

We sat at Rainbow Bar on Tuesday evening, on the way back from shopping, and it was warm enough to sit outside again, so we made the most of that while we still can. The harbour is very quiet below because most of the boats are coming and going from Panormitis this week, though I was up in time to see the Blue Star come and go just before six on Wednesday. If you are heading this way anytime soon, then check the boat timetables as they have changed, and may change again as winter settles in.

There, a few more words than yesterday, but still not much to report as I’ve been deadlining it these past few weeks, and there are more to come. Well, that’s my excuse for not getting out and about much. I am sure something more interesting will come along soon…

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Just photos

Just photos today. I’ve nearly at the end of the screenplay draft I am working on, but if I don’t prepare a post before lunch, I tend to forget and then have my morning routine upset the next day. I will tell you that it’s beautiful weather here today, 20 degrees and calm. Excellent weather for the Panormitis Festival.

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Sunday/Monday

The weekend ended with a wonderful bonfire and barbeque; thank you, Adriana and Nicholas. Most of my photos were too dark to use, apart from one or two, but we all enjoyed ourselves under the stars and the moon, a lovely way to round off a weekend.

Monday morning, and it feels very quiet out there. Fewer day boats, if any, I expect many people are down at Panormitis or preparing to go there, the town hall has been making announcements that I can only hear the bing-bongs off when I am inside, and the weather is fair and warm. 18 degrees in the courtyard in the shade during the morning. It feels colder inside the house.

As well as everything else, Neil popped down to Yialos on Saturday and took some photos while on the way there and back. There was a boat in, from Turkey I guess as the passengers had to go through the Schengen hut, and I wonder where they found to have lunch. I must check out what is still open in Yialos as, some winters, at least two or three tavernas operate all year round. In the past, Aris and The International have stayed open, along with the usual souvlaki shops. I’ll try and remember to look next time I am there.

So, a couple more photos for today and then back to work.

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Panormitis Week

[Today’s photos are from this time last year; it looked remarkably similar this weekend.]
This week sees the festival of Panormitis, the celebration of the archangel Michaelis (of Panormitis), the island’s saint. There will be special boat schedules laid on to bring pilgrims and visitors from Rhodes and Kos, the buses will be going back and forth across the island, and the taxis, some people will walk there, and others will come to stay for the week or a few days, some staying at the monastery cells. I expect they have been booked up for a long time. There will be a market, our school has its souvlaki stall already set up, and there will be others. Some local businesses will set up stalls too, while others will consist of off-islanders and their… wares, or bewares perhaps.

Apart from a few basket weavers, a candle seller and a smattering of other arts and crafts, the market tends to be plastic toys, underwear, household goods and things you never realised you needed until you realised you didn’t have one; multi-purpose tools, plastic implements for the kitchen and novelty desktop knickknacks. The atmosphere of the market is usually more entertaining than the things for sale, and I don’t mean the local business like Michaelis’ pet supplies, or the school’s and others souvlakis and fast food stands, of course.

I’m not sure what our plans are this year as the festival is on a working day. I think we’ll see how the mood takes. A couple of years ago we walked there, taking the not so short short-cuts (and still coming out ten paces behind a lady who was walking the road in front of us). One year we celebrated up at Kokimides, actually, two years, one of which was blowing a gale that nearly swept us off the road. In other years we have: travelled there in the back of a transit van, gone there in the back of a flatbed truck, and we’ve even stayed at Marathunda for the festival weekend, making a holiday of it.

If we don’t make it this year I’ll see if I can rob some photos from someone to share with you. I only say I might not because a lot is going on at my desk. In a nutshell: one book is 90% ready to release, just waiting on a cover. Another is at 70% of the editing stage (this is an old one, re-edited which is going to be re-released under a new cover), another is at the 80% draft one stage – that one’s just been pouring out for no apparent reason, and ‘The Saddling’ follow up, ‘The Witchling’ is ready to go into final draft stage next, when some of these other tasks are out of the way. I am also 80% towards the end of a screenplay, first draft. All that is one of the reasons I’ve not been keeping up my author’s blog (must get around to it one day), and a reason why I’ve been at home in the office a lot. At this time of year, I can.

Saturday was a perfect day for me. Up at six and to work: a few hours on the screenplay (too many hours in one sitting and the writing becomes unfocused), a couple of chapters edited for the rerelease, some discussion with cover designers about two covers currently on order, and a chapter or two of the other thing that’s currently snowballing towards its denouement. While I am doing time at the desk (nine hours), Neil is tidying the house, putting the laundry away, making mugs of tea, nipping to the shops, dusting things, and preparing lunch, which he later feeds me and washes up so I can get back to the writing. I heartily approve of this marriage lark. No, seriously, if you enjoy what I write (there must be one of you) then you’ve Neil to thank because he gives me the time to do it.

Anyway, enough ramble. Have a good week! Now it’s back to the edits and the plotting and the typing…

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