I woke up this morning to find myself thinking I was chilly. There’s a bit of a breeze, you see, and that means the temperature was only 25°, though the thing on the wall says the humidity is still 70%, but it doesn’t feel like it. I might have to put a T-shirt on as […] The post To End the Week appeared first on Symi Dream ..read more

Not that we need any as we’ve been getting plenty, and the high temperatures to go with them. According to some sources, this is the new norm, and we can expect hotter summers from now on. The planet has just had its hottest day ever recorded, which is another sign of the times. The ‘times’ being the change in the earth’s climate due to natural processes or manmade interference. Anyway… I’m not here to talk about all that. I’m here to show you some sunrise photos, because I have a lot of them I want to clear out of my folder. A cruise ship emerges from the early-morning humidity haze. They c ..read more

I’m feeling rather chuffed, because I have a sporting injury, and I don’t do sports. Apparently, I’m suffering from tennis elbow, which is clearly a latent condition because the last time I played tennis was in 1979, so why it’s chosen now to come out… Actually, it’s because of my incessant typing regime, and it was painful for a while, and becoming more so. In fact, it was getting to the point where certain actions were impossible, and I thought it was high time I saw someone about it. On the Blue Star 2 I’ve talked medical before, so excuse me if there’s some repetition here. First thing y ..read more

I’m in one of those moods again, but have added some of my random photos to decorate the page. I go out to dinner for two reasons; 1) to eat, and 2) to eat. Pleasant company is also acceptable, as is ‘couldn’t be bothered to make a sandwich when I get home.’ What I don’t want to go out to dinner for is stuff like this: Long-line caught lumpsucker nestled on a sumptuous bed of foraged mushroom essence enhanced kinmemai premium rice topped with young coconut powder and the sperm of a bewildered sea snail. I mean, please… Or, how about this one? First year iberico sheep child delicately turned ov ..read more

Here’s a morning ramble of the first degree with some random shots of Symi just so there’s a point to this Symi site other than me rambling about all and anything. I have this phrase which I pass on to newer writers when they ask for advice: Don’t get it right, get it written – then get it right. Meaning, bang out a first draft, it’s going to be rubbish, but then you do it again, only better. (That’s another phrase I used a lot when directing musical theatre, ‘Lovely, love, but let’s do it again, only better, shall we?’) Anyway… I was browsing a social media group over the weekend and came ac ..read more

I’m ending the blogging week with ten photos. Having had another early morning thanks to the stuffy, humid, sultry night, my brain’s not completely on form as yet, but it’s five o’clock and I want to get on with the next project. It’s also 30° and 70% humidity, and the streetlight outside the house has died, so there’s a better view of the stars. Things to look forward to today? Hearing what my tax bill will be, investigating why we have to pay €70 because of the change in Greek law that means same-sex couples can now marry rather than simply have a cohab agreement, which is what we have, and ..read more

Another mixed bag of oddments for you today. Let’s start with some words I was forbidden from using yesterday: Stooge. Acerbic. Claustrophobic. Why, you ask, was I banned? Because I was putting together a chapter set in 1893, and because I am developing a sixth sense about these things. When I started on my first Victorian Mystery book, it was set in 1888, and I intended it to be in a kind of parallel universe, which is why I called Whitechapel ‘Greychurch’ and so on, and why I had characters using words like ‘Okay.’ Well, I soon discovered I wasn’t writing a standalone book, ‘Deviant Desire ..read more

Today, I’m turning away from the ongoing debate about the cost of sunbeds, Greek salads and holidays. I’m not paying any heed to the debate about whether the island is pricing itself too far to the rich right and losing the loyalty of its regulars who, one might say, are from the economic left (of an imaginary scale). I am not getting involved in the worrying thought that there will soon be no properties for locals to rent, and the rising cost of those that are available. Trying not to think that our 21-year-old godson has to pay more for a bedsit in Harani than we’ve ever paid for a house wit ..read more

When I’m writing, I keep a notebook beside me, and some scraps of paper, and I also make footnotes in the MS to remind me of important plot points and items for my author’s notes. Right now, beside me, I have a scrap of paper that reads, “Razor/end of chapter. Will + Jack tied up. (Facebook reel.)” Any ideas? Ah well, it’ll come back to me. Sunday evening – godson’s 21st birthday, lots of hugs, cards, gifts, good food, laughs, and generally had a good time. On a video call to Tina, the fairy godmother. Then, we sat outside Rainbow and chatted, aware there was something going on inside, and ..read more

Sunday afternoon. Hot again, cicadas nearby, boats far away, fans turning, time passing, and people on social media discussing the prices of everything on Symi. Is the island going too far towards the expensive end of the market, and are people being greedy? That’s countered with the cost of living generally and more so here where everything has to come in by boat, and conversations about how it’s possible to spend a day here without spending a fortune. Free beaches if you bring your own shade, cheap food if you eat giros etc, and cheaper accommodation if you shop around. Also, the scenery is ..read more