Reads on Symi

by **Adriana** » 12 Jul 2006, 13:58

We sailed from South Africa to Israel in 1989 and lived there until the end of 1991. Watching the SCUDS come down during the Gulf War was pretty interesting...!

We were actually living on board our yacht in Jaffa port but as Nicholas was at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem 3 days a week we spent time commuting to and fro. The Butcher's Theatre is set around the Mount Scopus campus.

I read the Source and The Seven Pillars of Wisdom as we thrashed our way up the Red Sea! Something to do when I wasn't on watch, mending sails or baking bread 8-)

I think it must be an age thing because so many of our generation stooged around Israel and the Middle East in the 70s and 80s and it was virtually obligatory to do work experience either on a kibbutz or as an au pair while back-packing. Now all the youngsters seem to do is take package holidays to Faliraki to drink sinister cocktails out of gold-fish bowls...

Does this mean I am subsiding into crabby middle-age?

by **Oor Willie** » 13 Jul 2006, 00:43

Adriana,
Falaraki has changed, or it had 2 years ago, Heather and I were there for 2 weeks in June 2004 and when we came over to Symi for a few days we found it livlier than Falaraki

Most of the "young and livley" crowd had moved out to Tenerife or Aya Napa after the Rhodes police clamped down on their excesses. We had a great time with cheap booze and food as all the bars and restaurants were cutting prices to capture as much of the reduced tourist euro as they could, and Falaraki still has the best beach on Rhodes

Bearing mind that we were there during the Euro 2004 football it was positivley sedate until Greece started winning

by **Adriana** » 14 Jul 2006, 13:07

Just read 'Dark Rivers of the Heart' (? I think ...hopeless with book names unless they are in front of me!) by Dean Koontz. Thanks, Jackie, you were right - it is a good read 8-)

His descriptions are so good, it's better than watching a movie!

And it all seemed horribly plausible too.

by **Ian** » 14 Jul 2006, 14:00

Read the DaVinci Code ( a poor mans WilburSmith/Umberto Eco cross)- gripping but crap.
Roddy Doyles Barrytown Trilogy- hilarious and nicely observed but would be half the size without the rude words and not funny at all.
This thread has reminded me to reread Tom Sharpe- I think I've read them all over the past 25 years- so perhaps time to revisit.
Will have to wait until next visit now as Symi is one of the rare occasions when I can find the time to get stuck in to a book, other than for work or study purposes.

by **MORRIS** » 16 Jul 2006, 13:17

CAN YOU TELL ME WHERE 'PAT and ALI'? FOR BOOKS?
THANKS

by **Richard** » 16 Jul 2006, 22:45

Almost opposite the Gym on the clock tower side. You can swim across the harbour to refresh yourself after the daily circuit training.

by **Adriana** » 17 Jul 2006, 07:36

Glad to know I'm not the only one who thought the Da Vinci Code vastly over-rated

by **Mille** » 17 Jul 2006, 12:15

The Da Vinci COde is what I would call "an easy readable book".
Dan Brwon has written Angels and Demons and Deception Point. Deception Point being one of the better books that I've read recently.

Gerald Durell also wrote som funny and easy readable books, The mockery Bird being one of my favorites :-)

by **gillinoz** » 17 Jul 2006, 13:44

Reading must have gotten a whole lot more serious since my early days on GLA......

We were far too lazy to read in the mid-80s so we used to take "Books on Tape". Not that we were "choosie" but there wasn't much coice so it was Enid Blyton's "Famous Five" for us......if anyone suffered Theo at Roula's shouting "Lashings and lashings og Ginger Beer" it's our fault

by **Adriana** » 18 Jul 2006, 07:49

Travel books are also fun. Just been reading 'A Fez of the Heart' by Jeremy Seal. Wish I could write like that.

Another one, which we've just reviewed in the July edition is 'Travellers' Greece: Memories of an enchanted land' by John L Tomkinson. It's one of those compendiums of extracts from letters and diaries written by people who visited Greece over the last 500 years or so. Hugely entertaining. I think I'll be dipping into it for years to come. Nights in caravansereis, encounters with klephts, sanctimonious stealers of antiquities...

by **MORRIS** » 18 Jul 2006, 23:11

Too many secret codes here? Another query - GLA = ???

by **Adriana** » 19 Jul 2006, 07:30

GLA= God's Little Acre :geek:

by **D and E** » 19 Jul 2006, 12:58

Just finishing Fighter Boys by Patrick Bishop which is one of the best accounts of the lead up to and the engagement in the Battle of Britain with some excellent extracts from diaries and letters from "the few" - unbelievable heroism and sacrafice. Not usually my cup of tea but glad I read it.

10 weeks to go and counting !

D and E

(Mid-Wales and 40 degrees today - good training for Pedi!!)

by **MORRIS** » 19 Jul 2006, 20:32

Adriana thank you for your answers.

ps Is it me (sound like Wogan!) or are some of these anti spam code things really difficult to read?! This is my 3rd attempt!

by **Adriana** » 20 Jul 2006, 12:25

If you log on first you don't need to go through the anti-spam palaver.

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