So, let’s get up to date with Symi as it happens, or as it happened up until Monday morning, which is where we are now up to in our day to day blog from Greece. But fist, let’s start at Sunday morning where we left off.
Sunday we needed to get the rest of the rent money from the bank so we went down and took it out, no problem. I did have a sneak peek at some of the receipts in the bin and saw that people were still able to take out €60.00, where as in some places in Greece the banks had run out of €20 or €10, so only €50 was available.
After that there was time for some shopping and a quick look at ‘Symi Central’ from the outside. This is a new apartment place next to the Nautical Museum, where some friends will be staying on Friday. Looks nice, quiet and on the flat. We then went along to look at the polling station as Neil wanted some photos, possibly for The Guardian, to whom he had submitted some of the wedding pictures from Saturday. There were one or two people going in and coming out, but with only a couple of thousand people to vote and 12 hours do to it in, it’s never going to be that busy there.
And then onto the shops, avoiding the clock tower at Agios Yiannis which is cordoned off, I assume for repairs. Loads of fruit and veg at the supermarkets so we did some shopping and also got some Jack food, and then as it was nearly 11.30 it was Diet Coke Break time, but as that stuff eats through toilet bowls we went for the Greek beer option. (Neil had sold a couple of next year’s Symi Calendars (as he had a very limited supply at home) and so we thought we would celebrate the new ‘Oxi Day’ (though we didn’t know it at the time) with a beer.) We watched the boats come in and unload the day trippers, chatted with folk, including Hugo and enjoyed a Sunday morning.
Later, finding no taxis, I assume they were busy with family visiting from Rhodes for the vote, we walked up the steps, with bags of shopping at 2.30 in the afternoon. Not recommended. But once there we discovered that The Guardian had used two of Neil’s photos for their web pages, and they used another two later on that day. All good publicity for Symi.
In the evening there was a concert on the steps, just down from our old shop and Neil got the photos you see here today. It was a good turn out and a great concert. It had been organised by a new group who are arranging cultural events and who are running on donations only. As the Symi Festival has kind of ground to a halt, this new group is doing what it can to keep live music and arts going for the people of Symi and those who visit every year. So, Bravo! But no, I have no intentions to play the piano in public. Ever. So I’ll be happily in the audience from now on.
And then Tuesday started with the referendum news – which I’d seen on the TV the night before – and off we go into the next round of question marks. I went up the mountain for a run and very nice it was too, and then got to work. So, I hope you enjoy the photos and I hope you have good day. Keep reading, keep supporting with the advert links and the books, tell your mates and all that, get your calendars and keep living the dream.
