Surprising Incidence of Modern Art

You don't see a lot of modern art in Kalymnos. It's not really their style, but these little 3D panels adorn th outside wall of a local shop and they are quite modern/urban.

They are roughly 60 x 30 cm and protrude maybe 5 cm from the wall at their deepest.

We like.

Secret Backstreet Casino

You find stuff out all the time. Apparently this completely innocuous building in the backstreets behind the Alphabank is actually a casino and is full of blokes gambling each other into early graves, all day long.

No lights, no sign, no nothing and yet there it is, the pit of all morals. Fancy!

Disco Inferno

Here's something that we've never seen in Kalymnos: a burned out shop. The Old Jukebox Record Shop disappeared in a puff of smoke last week.

God only knows how they put it out. In the year and a half we've been here, I've not seen anything resembling a fire station or a fire engine. If we had a fire in the house I wouldn't know who to call. Mind you - we don't even have a phone, so I suppose its a moot point.

Anyway, this was kind of nostalgic because life in Glasgow was full of burned out shops. So, to whoever started the fire: thanks. (Not that we're saying this was an insurance job because as we all know, record shops are the businesses of the future - this "downloading" nonsense will never take off.

Happy Valentine's Day

Valentine's day is traditionally celebrated in Greece by buying your loved one a large cuddly mouse.

This stuffed mouse shop round the corner from us has had a great week for business. Shame it doesn't do much for the other 51 weeks of the year.

Perhaps they should diversify.

Read the label

Vitales supermarket is great for oats and apples but they also carry some right old crap.


"100% cashmere like"... what does that mean?



Ahh, I see. It means 'acrylic'.

Broken Model

As ever - there is much to be learned from the island's window dressers.

Here's an innovative diaroma in the chemist near the post office in which a fashion mannequin models the very latest in bandages, braces and supports.

He looks cool. Doesn't it just make you want to run out and jump under a truck?

The Wedding Cake

And tonight, the cake will be...


...worn by the bride!

All dresses for sale in the many wedding shops follow the rules:

1. Yes - you may see the shoulders
2. No - you may not see the pussy
3. No dress has enough material
4. Or chandelier-style attachments
5. More is more
6. And then some