Delos and Delightful

We hopped a boat to Delos today, but I can't post any pictures because my Windows notepad won't accept the Lexar Media Jumpshot CF card reader as a USB device. I'd forgotten the intricacies of this compared to my more usual Mac, which just works.

Never mind; the above is a Myconian church.

Delos is the tiny island at the centre of the Cyclades and was once the epicentre of international trade between many empires, helped no doubt by its tax free status. But I'm talking about a couple of millenia ago, when the around 166BC the Romans created the tax avoidance mechanisms to encourage trade.

But to be fair, it had been doing quite well before that when it already operated as a confederacy, driven from the nearby island of Naxos. The Delian Confederation prospered in the circa 1000-500BC period and amassed plenty of cash, which was eventually removed 'for safe keeping' by the Athenians, who took it to Athens and after counting it decided they would spend it on building their Acropolis, Parthenon and so on.

Early politics, eh?

To add to it, the clever Pisistratus, who was the chief Athenian involved, decreed a form of purification for Delos which meant that everyone buried there was moved to the adjacent island and then in a second purification they added that no-one could be born or die on Delos.

Apart from any mystical qualities, this meant that no-one could claim to be from Delos and therefore have claim over any of the borrowed money.

But before any of this - and we are now going back to around 3000 BC, Delos had already built an advanced civilisation, with temples, shops, theatres and major sporting arenas. The remains of this is again visible on the island, which today has a population of about 10 archeologists, but in its heyday from 3000-88BC had a population of around 25,000-30,000 people from the very wealthy to regular citizens as well as a regular quota of slaves.

And even before this, the piece de resistance of the island would be its claim as the birthplace of not one but two of the Greek gods. Firstly Artemis (the huntress - Diana later in Roman) and  secondly Apollo, her twin and the god of light.

There's a proper tale to tell about how all of that came about and how the isleand eventually settled down in it's current location, but I think I'll save that fascinating tale for a day when I have some pictures.

pass the ice and another lemon sorbet sounds good

Sometimes its good to step back from the daily rushing around.

My work pattern can be somewhat 25x8 so its good to appreciate a few days of 0x0. Well okay, I've had a few texts and the emails are still coming through to my blackberry evben when it does have an 'out of office' message switched on.

This break is also a chance to step back and review options.

We shall see...

a smart car for getting around

The car might look small to those accustomed to other roads, but around here it's still one of the giants.

That is, compared with the scooters and all-terrain-hoppers that many drive.

Being a car, there's no requirement to wear crash helmets (although at times it almost feels as if one should).

Neither, it transpires, is there a legal requirement for the bikers and scooterists on the twisty roads around here to wear any form of headgear.

Best to drive slowly in any case. I've noticed that even the bus drivers and taxis drive sedately around here.

It's also easy to see that the main season hasn't started, because the hire shops are still full of the little four-wheeled scooters in luminous colours and we didn't have any trouble ordering the Smart as a cabrio.

Highly useful as the temperatures nuzzle thirty degrees.

midday sun

The streets around here are looking a little different from my usual ones.

Somehow brighter.
Quite often narrower.
Noticably steeper.
And in some areas just as bustling.

Like London there are also different personalities, based upon time of day. This picture is probably around mid day, when only the mad dogs and Englishmen abound. Later the area goes a bit bonkers.

But my mission later is to pick up a car.

It will be very small.

refreshment

A mini mission was built into today as we were told of a particular bar to find a particular drink. The cloudiness of the drink in no way represents the sky above, which remains resolutely blue.

Quitr often this is the time that we visit rashbre north in Scotland, although this year's change of venue gives scenery a little different and the deer have given way to pelicans.

Sunshine week

This post is a hint that it might be difficult to post during this week. Although I do seem to have discovered a wi-fi signal.

It's also rather fun having a famous film star as a next door neighbour.

white kitten intermission conference call wait video

Am I the only one that sometimes watches these videos when I'm waiting for a conference call to start?

if you know what I mean

Just refreshing my iPod (yes old school) ready for some time away. I think Cults need to be on the playlist.

They've come up through the bandcamp route (a few online tracks preceding success). I know its all a bit retro, but it's certainly not twee, if you know what I mean. Edgy twee, maybe.

If you've not heard them but want to decide on a new band for some great listening this weekend, then here's a track, complete with the listening comments. If you know what I mean.

Cults - You Know What I Mean by cultscultscults

prepared, for once

It's slightly unusual to be prepared to travel several days in advance. It's usually the night before, chucking a few items into a well used bag with wheels.

This time there's already a little heap of clothes and bits ready for tomorrow's departure and I may even put some into the car tonight to save time in the morning.

But for now, it's work.

more marmite

This was in the adjacent cupboard.

You can sort of sense the gloopyness.

marmite moment

I've always liked the advertising for Marmite, along the lines "we don't care whether you like it or not" and the subsequent quotes around "its like Marmite, some do, some don't".

There's always been the Marmite Love and Marmite Hate sites - both with links from Marmite's home site.

It's reached a whole new level now that a whole country has banned it.

The guilty secret cupboard at rashbre central now has a stash of substance that's illegal in Denmark.

a Grimsvötn's gonna fall

I've been sniffing the air to try to detect this year's Icelandic volcano dust heading my way.

Last year's one did create a sort of brown smear in the air but at the moment it's all clear blue up above.

We do already get those mystery days when the car has a sudden layer of glittery dust on it, although I usually put it down to sand storms in a distant desert.

And I'd have thought that planes flying around in Arizona or parts of the Middle East or Africa would also have to filter away various kinds of dust particle?

I suppose its like the British railways with 'wrong kind of snow', where this would be 'wrong kind of grit'?

Anyway, now we've got the Cobra committee deciding what to do as the days tick nervously towards a long weekend when I intend to use my passport.

Well on Dylan's birthday Grimsvötn's 'grim waters' do indeed become a hard rain that's gonna fall.