Not only should you not take seriously a claim that a hotel is fully booked in June, but do not be panicked by the claim "only two rooms left" or similar. In May I needed to book a room at one pension for a family arriving in August and the website claimed there were only two rooms left. W...

I am very concerned to read suggestions that spare donations should be given to Hydra Ark. This is is not an animal shelter but, behind the guise of inoculations, is pursuing a policy of forced sterilisation of the wild cat population on Hydra. This has decimated them to the point that the gene pool...

Oh, that's PERFECT, hydriot! Please have a Mythos for me! I completed reading the book while on Hydra. I recommend it. It gives an interesting alternative perspective on Leonard's work, a view from the outside looking in. And it is not just a paean to Leonard. The first half focusses on Axel Jensen...

I spoke with Lakis this morning and queried the price. He said it breaks down as 3000 euros for the stone (it is expensive on this island), 1000 euros for the civil engineer who has already made three trips to the island, 23% VAT (tax) ... the rest is labour. I like the design. But I suppose the arm...

My personal opinion is that 9000 euros is excessive, even for this island, but I trust Lakis to get the best deal for us. There is also the interesting complication that we get a new mayor in September. All I know about him is that he is a Cambridge graduate, so hopefully he will be a civilised pers...

I have been unable to find anyone able to get a copy to me before 17 July. However, I am on Hydra right now (hate Greek heat in mid-summer, but my adult children insisted this year we come when the island is abuzz with activity) and have my trusty Kindle with me, so I will download the e-book next T...

I asked my daughter about the use of G-d a year ago. She is studying Theology at Cambridge and is focussing on Judaism. She told me bluntly that the Jewish use of G-d is an affectation of no value or significance at all, and we can all ignore it without fearing giving offence. The point she made is ...

Seriously weird. Do Russians actually understand that they are unsophisticated? Or do they believe their own hype?

I left Hydra on 17 May, so I don't know the result of the election yet. (Election of the mayor is a very serious business in Greece as mayors have almost dictatorial powers: last week loads of Greeks working elsewhere were returning to the island specifically to vote). I agree that the bench should ...

From the New Scientist, to be published tomorrow on St Valentine's Day: "It's Friday: you're in love... They say there ain't no cure for love but science begs to differ in the latest issue of New Scientist. Explore the potential antidotes for heartache and whether it is even ethical to try...&q...

You are of course absolutely right that the narrator is a character and not necessarily the author's voice, something most commercial writers seem to have forgotten these days. For example, 'the lying narrator' is a fascinating subject all on its own. But that is more in the realm of Literary Critic...

I have exactly the same white corner cupboard ... freaky. (Actually, a lot of the antique furniture on Hydra is Russian rather than Greek). I think some of these photos relate to the period of Suzanne's occupancy. Some years ago, she had a big spread in a glossy magazine showing off the interior. Le...

Take very very great care. You are stepping into a minefield (or perhaps an avalanche?) I reckon you are going to have to read this entire forum. For example, do you know where Boogie Street is, and what went on there after dark? Also, many of the allusion are Jewish (e.g. Who By Fire). If you are o...

I presume the underlying intention of posting here was the hope that Jarkko would contact Leonard direct with the request. While such generosity with his time is of course always Leonard's prerogative, the sender must have been most concerned that the message simply might not get through to him befo...

This was my only concert of this tour, and I delayed my return to Hydra to take it in (never seem to be in the right place at the right time). While I of course enjoyed it, I am frustrated at Leonard's indifference to the beat he himself as written, often ignoring entirely the bar he is supposed to ...