Merry Xrisis!

So, the rioting has been cancelled for a few hours to let Santa Claus through to do his thing.


Don’t get us wrong: we have nothing against law and order, per se, but it's freezing and we find the best way to keep warm at this time of year is to set a car on fire and run away from the cops.


So whether you're an enemy of the state or one of the political mafia, we say: MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU!

Another Day in Paradise

The ants have eaten the best part of the fish and now they begin on the head.

The fish herself stopped thinking about anything a while ago.

Never Knowingly Understated

You might have noticed a bit of Athens-based bother on the news lately. There are no riots here in sleepy ol' Kalymnos but I did find this leaflet the other day:

The headline translates (as far as we can make out):

THEY MURDER CHILDREN, THEY STEAL PENSIONS
THIS ISN'T A STATE - IT'S A MAFIA

The headline is followed by a reproduction of Picasso's Guernica for added effect.

We did hear some car-horns and chanting the other morning but by the time we got out to look for the riot, everything had gone back to normal: old men were smoking fags in the cafes and old women were crossing themselves as they walked past churches.

We don't think the Greek state is about to collapse.

Financial Crisis Fails to Rock our Rock

Down here in Kalymnos, we've heard a rumour that there is some kind of huge financial crisis engulfing the world and everyone's going to die.

I don't know. A quick check on the Kalymnos money markets reveal that not much has changed:

Perhaps the hysteria is out of proportion?

Rats, rats, lay down flat.

There have been quite a few dead rats lying around recently. We don't know if it's co-incidence or whether there is something about October which leads to more rats getting caught out.

This one was photographed on the back road to Massouri and there have been several more closer to our house.

It looks as if he was hit by a vehicle and the other ones we have seen have been similarly splayed in the centre of roads. Perhaps with less light at this time of year the rats have trouble looking where they are going. Does anyone know the truth?



Look: there's a fair bit of meat on him!

But we're not that poor yet, so we left him where we found him.

The Church of Elvis

There's this church round the corner from the town beach. It's got a blue-domed roof and all the usual palaver, but the thing that makes it stand out is it's electric cross.



If Elvis was alive today, and into preaching, and living in Greece - THIS would be his place.

Elvos, perhaps?

Greek Health & Fitness 101

The other week we walked all the way to Emborio at the top of the island. From Pothia to Emborio is about 24km.

It took five or six hours and at the end we were like "Yeah! Whoo! Pumped!" and promptly headed to the beach for a cooling swim.

Other people were there too.


The walk was beautiful but we're thinking this fella might have got there in the car. Don't you think he looks a bit like William Shatner?