Last Post of 2023.

 

As this is the last post of the year, let’s focus on positive topics in what has become a really bleak mid-winter here: harrowing reports of fatalities accidental and deliberate, illness, aggression. We need a break in more ways than one.

I’d like to share two of our little Christmas corners.

 One is our reading nook brightened up by a candle-design cloth and crystal tree.

                                                              

The other is our hearth, as yet unlit, but Hogmanay will see it ablaze. In the meantime, these seasonal poinsettias bring chromatic warmth.

                                                        

We enjoy going away for Christmas, but not to venture too far lest bad weather prevails. We returned to a place we had enjoyed last year – a hotel in Leptokargia, near Katerini.

 This year sadly for the Reveillant they had decided to forego the silver service and went for a buffet instead. This definitely lowered the tone of the meal. ☹ Silver service generally offers a reduced range of selected foods, delivered fresh to the table.  This time the turkey had got cold, one had to jostle for access to the serving tables and – worst of all – most of the sweets were cream-based so, after the scrum to cram plates to the fullest, they had been reduced to a sludgy mess – not appealing. I went instead for the traditional melomacarona sweet, steeped in honey. I adore them so this was no hardship.                                                         

Here I am sitting- in short sleeves even - in front of the hotel with the glorious Mount Olympos in the background.                                                        

We decided to drive up a little closer to it. I’m proud to say that Z has scaled its slopes and reached the summit where the final phase is a fairly sheer climb. :o

 We walked down to the Enipeas river that flows from the seat of the gods. Z can confirm that that water was ice-cold.

                                          

In contrast, the atmosphere of 16oC despite being at a fair altitude. The town of Litochoro we were visiting is 293 meters/ 961 feet above sea level.

                                      

Z, as ever, always seems to find cute animals to cater for. This local doggie wagged his tail every morning to greet this kind man who brought him breakfast treats.

                                         

And then it was time to be homeward bound. In Greece Santa does not come on December 25^th but comes in the guise of Sant Basil – same coca cola outfit !! – on December 31^st as he celebrates his name day on January 1^st. We leave our presents to be opened until then.

                                              

 We had just finished organizing how we were going to celebrate the New Year and were getting down to planning the menu. BUT Z then had to phone round our six guests to cancel – he had just tested positive for Covid! Fortunately, his symptoms are not too severe but it does seem our trip to Leptokrgia came with an unexpected value-added component!

Have a Happy Hogmanay and may 2024 smile on all of us!

My New Decoding Project

 

This is the new project I’ve embarked on: to break what is for me the impenetrable code that is written music. To be more precise, my challenge is:

1)      To be able to read these unfamiliar symbols, this foreign language,

2)      To translate it into notes     and

3)      To be able to play these notes on the keyboard.

That’s my aim – no exams to be sat, no levels to be attained, just these three abilities to some extent.

Now, when I use the particle ‘just’, I by no means wish to imply this is simple. From my eight lessons so far, I know this is certainly not the case. I am involved in complexity. So, every Thursday, I make my way to the music school Crescendo in the nearby village of Souroti, along with lotsa little ankle-biters! 😊 The school is owned by Loukia and is tastefully decorated with notes and other musical symbols, which contribute to a cheerful atmosphere.

  Here’s the welcoming outer-door design.                                                

 The 45-minute lesson comprises:

Theory – where I grapple with new symbols and concepts

Solfez - which must be the Greek equivalent of the French term solfege - which relates to the musical quality of each note     and

Keyboard practice which is self-explanatory.

 

 Here it should be noted that I’m following the course in the Greek language. I started out at least feeling a little familiar with school-day memories of where the notes were placed on the pentogram with the use of the mnemonics EGBDF (every good boy deserves favour) and FACE, for the lines and the spaces, respectively.  Alas, here the notes positions are rendered differently: do re mi fa sol la si do.  So back to square one to commit new mnemonics to memory☹ - and to refer to the good Julie Andrews from time to time.  😊

You might be wondering why at this late stage I’m taking up music. It all goes back to the time when I was working in Yemen. I had a lot of spare time on my hands and decided I would try to learn to sketch. This was a skill I yearned to develop but always thought it was way beyond me. The Art teacher in Tarbert further confirmed my doubts to be reality-based! :( But then I found this wonderful book ‘Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain’ by Dr Betty Edwards. The blurb describes it as a life-changing book and for me it was. It is fascinating and I can’t recommend it highly enough. I managed to produce images I was happy with – and isn’t that all that matters? Fired up with this success I then turned my attention to music and bought a mini-electric keyboard. But I was moved to a new BC management post in Kuwait which was much more time-demanding, so that lyrical dream was shelved.                                                   

Back to the now. With the move to our new home, I have more free time and while unpacking I came across a box unopened since the 1980s. With a little bit of tinkering from an electrician friend, my long-abandoned keyboard burst into sound! :O

I tracked down the music school in a nearby village and they were ready to enrol this oldie! 😊 And things got even better. A friend of ours, hearing about my new venture, gifted me a wonderful Yamaha keyboard- he’d bought it for his daughter who showed no interest at all. It’s magic! It comes with all sorts of facilities, including an attached music stand- which kind of implies the user can actually read music. :o                                                

I started out the lessons with a friend but she decided to drop out. Kind of scary to go to my first solo lesson last week – I really need to prepare my homework very carefully now.

 I love my teacher and I enjoy the fact that I can feel I’m making progress- albeit slow. I’m actually beginning to use the left hand as well but my middle and ring fingers find it a bit hard going.

 And I think it’s gonna be a long, long time before Elton Joan emerges!