Before we get onto birthday bashes, here’s a note from Melanie at Symi Animal Welfare that I should have put up a couple of days ago: “Thankyou Tove, the unusual glass cats have now all been sold at the Sunrise Kafeneion, €300 was raised for Symi Animal Welfare, in a very short time too. During these last weeks with so much uncertainty & cash-flow limits, our supporters have once again shown such kindness. We have recently explained the vet situation on the island, please read the report on our website www.symianimalwelfare.org
Thanks again, Melanie”
If you’ve not checked out the website you should, it is very informative about the animal situation and care on Symi.
Meanwhile, back in birthday bash-land. A great time was had by all down in Pedi on Tuesday evening where ‘several went mad by the sea.’ No dressing up as a pirate for Neil this time, just a sober time at Katsaras Taverna, who looked after us perfectly. The boys were swimming and snorkelling, finding starfish and playing in the sea. The adults were at the table chatting, some went swimming, and then, later in the evening, dinner was served.
It was just the family with godparents and a couple of Sam’s friends. And dinner was amazing – thank you Ian for that. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a large chicken fillet. And those Gigantes (my favourite) were some of the best I’ve tasted, bar mine. The taverna, with the jetty, is a good place to have lunch and watch the sea, or dinner and watch the many boats. There were loads in that night, a good sign that numbers of ‘yachties’ have not obviously dropped off this year.
And what’s happened to the ‘Greece as it happens’ posts? I hear you ask. Well, nothing, as nothing much has been happening yet. We’re waiting for the Wednesday’s results (I’m a day early as usual) of the laws that need to be passed in order to get some money to pay back some money that was lent by people who now say that there shouldn’t be any money paid back just yet, but then others do and they are screaming out for the country to sell itself off in pieces so those who shouldn’t have lent so much money can get some of it back and therefore stay in their high powered and well paid jobs. Or something.
There are various laws being put forward today (Wednesday), apparently and, as I understand it… No, as a web page and news site that’s usually pretty accurate understands it and I get the info from, those new laws are going to be:
- Ratifying eurozone summit statement
- VAT changes: Top rate of 23% to extend to processed food, restaurants etc. 13% to cover fresh food, energy bills, water and hotel stays, 6% for medicines and books
- VAT discount of 30% to be abolished on islands, but remotest islands to keep discount until next year
- Corporation tax raised from 26-29% for small companies
- Luxury tax for big cars, boats and swimming pools up from 10-13%; farmers’ tax up from 13-26%
- Early retirement to end (phased in by 2022); retirement age raised to 67
- Greek statistics authority Elstat to have full legal independence
I’m not sure which are the ‘remotest’ islands (apart from Kastalorizo I guess) not sure if that includes Symi. Corporation tax rise for small business will help finish most of them off I imagine. (See yesterday’s post.) And that’s as political as I am getting right now. I am rather tired of all the conjecture in the social media and anti-social media (and I don’t just mean the Daily Mail) so I am on a bit of a ‘crisis overload’ at the moment. So, should you pass me in the street don’t expect an intelligent conversation about it, you’re more likely to get a yawn and whatever. Eyes are on the situation of course, just my heart’s not in it at the moment. Far more important things to be getting on with, like new novels and birthday parties.
