‘And another hundred people just got off of the train…’ A Sondheim lyric from ‘Company’ but I was reminded of it yesterday when I saw a note that another hundred refugees had just been rescued and taken to the authorities on Symi. I was further reminded when I saw another five hundred day-trippers get off of the boats and start their day on the island, browsing the harbour, having talks on the sponge diving industry, the herbs and spices and the leather industry, before heading off to have ‘time at leisure’ before their lunch.
Symi life goes on with the day to day grind for most as they work from the early hours to the late evening, or do double shifts at the tavernas or bars, or as they head out to sea to fish. Others spend time at home, the grandparents caring for the children while mum and dad go to work long hours, while others keep house, cook, tend to the churches, the graves, the streets, the council business and the other services needed to keep an island running.
The day to day of island life eh? All kinds of things going on from arranging the festivals to driving the bus on the hour every hour from eight in the morning until midnight, or whenever. And then there are the guys on the boats. I’m thinking of the Skiedani here which set off yesterday at six thirty, so was got (gotten? No…) which was made ready probably from six a.m. onwards and then sailed across to Rhodes in time to come back again via Panormitis then Symi harbour, then back to Rhodes in the afternoon and, on many days, then back to Symi in the evening. Now there’s a long shift.
So, all kinds of stuff is going on and now folk are also finding time to help out the new island charity that’s helping the refugees – one (relatively) newly arrived ex-pat has been helping at the port police by building a sleeping platform I understand, now there’s ‘Bravo!’ for you. We’re volunteering every Saturday 10 to 13.00 from now on, as long as we’re needed and able, as we both work from roughly 7.00 to 17:00 every day, save Sundays when I write my books and Neil, as you might have seen from the photos, goes to the beach, or cleans the house, or cooks, or entertains before going back to the bar to work at three…
And so, life goes on as the visiting southern-Europeans, French and Greeks and Italians start to head homewards after August and we look forward to in Brits and Scandinavians, and others, who come here regularly in September. Actually, today is the day that, historically, we would always arrive on Symi. We always came for the last weekend of August to cover our anniversary (18 years on Friday, table and chilli stuffed peppers booked at the Windmill) and also Neil’s birthday on September 8th (must remember to book the Roof Garden table next week). But all that’s another story. I’m off, have a good day.
