A Windy Friday

Today’s photograph is of a beautiful moth I spotted, newly hatched and drying its wings, in the Pedi valley.

It is a windy Friday and white crests are rolling into the harbour and slopping against the quay. Strong winds and rain are forecast for the weekend as the low pressure system which has been over Italy tracks east. Conditions are set to improve from Monday but it is too soon to tell if the weather will be fine for the Easter long weekend or not – weekends have been stormy since New Year as the fronts seem to come through roughly every seven days.

Trucks and people are gathering on the quay, waiting for the Proteus to come in, hawkers continuing north to other islands mingling with tradesmen waiting for their stock to arrive. It is that time of the year when vast quantities of wood and sanitaryware are on the move as people rush to complete renovations and building projects before the season starts. As far as many businesses are concerned, the season proper starts in May and April is the main month for fitting out.

Tomorrow is Lazarus Saturday, followed by Palm Sunday so it is a weekend of jubilant bells and church services before Big Week. Even those who do not fast for the whole period of Lent switch to a fasting diet for Big Week and any visitors coming to Greece for Easter for the first time may be surprised to find the gyros bar grills empty and tavernas only serving seafood and vegetables.

Have a good weekend.

Regards,
Adriana

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A Riot of Poppies

Today’s photos are a riot of poppies. The premature spring has brought them up everywhere, even on the Kali Strata. If you want to see total spring pleasure, watch the bees. They roll and roll in the wobbling flowers until they are completely covered in pollen and all the petals have fallen off the poppy. Then they struggle off to the next one, totally weighed down with the golden cargo.

With the change in the clocks the long afternoons have started, giving that extra bit of daylight at the end of the working day for pottering in the green house and tweaking things in the garden. Neat rows of germinating radishes, lettuces, parsley and basil are already coming up in the trench beds and the roses show promise of a fine display to come in a week or so. Of course the things that thrive by eating the above are also hatching and munching with alacrity and much of last year’s flat-leafed parsley crop is now alive with newly hatched hoppers. Fortunately at this stage it is still quite easy to squash them – they are too small and inexperienced to realize they should move when the hand of doom passes overhead. Left unchecked they eat everything in sight and rapidly become the size of small birds, but a lot more destructive.

Have a good week. I’m going home to dig up some new potatoes for supper.

Regards,
Adriana

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Independence Day 25 March 2007

Rain nearly stopped play but at the last minute the sun came out, much to the delight of participants and spectators alike.

For more pictures, see Out and About.

Adriana

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Storm Bound on Symi

Sandstorms and equinoctal gales are normal at this time of the year but it is unusual for them to last this long. All shipping has been stopped since Wednesday afternoon.

While this sandstorm runs all the way from north Africa, up the Aegean and into the Black Sea, mainland Greece has had heavy snowfalls and Athens is flooded. Heavy rain is expected to reach us too by tonight.

Is the tourist season really just round the corner?!

Have a good weekend.

Regards,
Adriana

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Tributes to Tina Smithson

If you scroll down to last Thursday's post and click on the 'Comments' link at the end of the post, you will be able to read these.

Mike Gadd

SymiVisitor.com

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Bathtubs and Toilet Bowls

Winter is once again rattling at our windows as the approaching equinox brings with it an extensive storm system. Heavy low cloud is rolling over the Vigla and the murky haze blocking the view of surrounding Turkey has the pink cast of an impending dust storm. The long range forecast shows strong winds and heavy rain with thunder storms for the whole country for at least a week. The prognosis for the Independence Day parade on the 25th is not good.

Some of the worst weather we have had this winter actually occurred in October and at this stage it looks as though the winter season may be ending as turbulently as it began.

Meanwhile the first Easter eggs are appearing in the shops and the lambs are almost as big as their mothers. The olive trees are starting to bud and the broad beans are plumping in their pods.

A crowd is gathering outside our office, waiting for the Proteus to come in. This is the first car ferry for some days and people are waiting for bathtubs and toilet bowls, fresh milk and frozen peas.

Have a good week.

Regards,
Adriana

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A Chilly Week

It has been a chilly week with lots of wind and numerous ferry disruptions. The Proteus only caught up with itself by doing yesterday’s trip to Rhodes at 5 a.m today and shipping in the Aegean has been in disarray since last weekend. As we approach the equinox the long range forecast remains unsettled with more stormy weather ahead and possible showers next week.



The hydrofoil broke down on Monday afternoon and is still out of commission, but would not have been able to run anyway in the prevailing conditions. As it is scheduled to come out of service next week for maintenance it is unlikely to leave the quay for some time. The Proteus will be filling in for the Aegli on some routes but the full ANES timetable for April has yet to be released. Dodecanese Seaways has now put up its April schedule. See www.12ne.gr. It is not yet known when the day excursion boats from Rhodes will commence. This depends very much on tourist figures in Rhodes which is still fairly quiet at the moment.

The spring clean up has started down in the harbour and over the last few days people have been taking advantage of the dry weather to open up businesses that have been closed since October and assess the amount of work required to get them ship shape for the season. One advantage of the drying north wind is that it has shrunk doors and shutters to summer dimensions so the usual spring ritual of literally kicking them open has not been necessary. In sheltered corners, away from the grit-laden wind, paint pots are already being deployed as taverna chairs and tables are refurbished.

Meanwhile in the Pedi valley the spring flowers continue their parade. My apricot tree is covered with blossom this year.


Have a good weekend.

Regards,
Adriana

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Tina Smithson

We are sorry to report the recent tragic death of Tina Smithson in a fire in Paris.

Tina was a regular and frequent visitor to Symi for over 15 years and was godmother to many children on the island. She was a good friend and will be sorely missed.

Memorial Services in London and Symi will be announced later.

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Speed Humps

A few weeks ago I mentioned that the municipality was installing dark green posts with red reflectors on them along the edge of the quay on the road out of the town. This isn’t the only attempt at improving Symi’s road infrastructure. Today’s photograph shows speed humps being installed along the harbour outside the tourist shops.

Although Easter is only weeks away it is still very quiet on the island and the big spring clean up is not really underway. There has been some whitewashing for parade purposes but there is little point in doing the major painting and weeding until it is certain that the weather is settled. Most tourist businesses are still firmly closed with no signs of activity. Rhodes was slightly busier last week with a few places in Mandraki being gutted and refitted but the notice in the door of the Spartalis Hotel saying ‘Closed for the winter’ was still firmly in place.

Strong winds are forecast for this week, with a drop in temperatures as they will be from the north. It is about 15 degrees today and will be about 12 degrees on Wednesday with a minimum of 7 in the evening. There is no rain on the horizon and as it is unusual to have significant rain after mid-March this is likely to be a dry year.

Have a good week.

Regards,
Adriana

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Looking Good

This week has been truly spring-like with mild temperatures, calm seas and a sense that everything is growing at a rapid pace. We spent yesterday pulling up weeds in the vegetable garden – nettles are supposed to be an indication of fertile soil and we have enough to suggest that our plot should be rich enough to feed the entire island and then some. Once we had cleared away 10 big hay baskets full, wavering rows of coriander, parsley, lettuce and spinach once again came to light. The chickens really enjoy these weeding sessions and tuck into their greens with gusto, squabbling over the choicest poppies and juiciest sow-thistles. The new potatoes are looking good, as are the spring onions. In a few weeks we should be enjoying the first globe artichokes and young broad beans. It is at this time of the year that ‘growing ones own’ really is good in the kitchen. Meanwhile it is also time to start planting the stuff that carries us through the summer – aubergines, courgettes, chillies, peppers of all colours and, of course, different kinds of tomatoes and pots of big-leafed basil.

Down in the harbour spring is also making its presence felt. Michaelis had the flowery canopy fitted a few weeks ago and the floral arrangement on the cab appeared in time for the parade on Wednesday.

There is a big storm system moving slowly eastwards across the Mediterranean so there may be some showers over the weekend and quite strong winds are forecast for the middle of next week with a drop in temperature as northerlies are expected. It may feel like spring but it isn't quite, not yet!

Easter is only a month away now and the whitewashing brushes are already out.

Have a good weekend

Regards,
Adriana

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Dodecanese Day - 7 March 2007

Folk dancing at the Parade this morning.

It was a beautiful day with glorious sunshine. More pictures on Out and About

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Starting to Stir

Spring is splashing cheery colours across the garden. Billows of almond blossom drift on the wind and blazing nasturtiums scramble wherever they can find a purchase. An army of snails is munching its way through the lettuce patch and the coriander is in flower. The hoppers are hatching in the hollyhocks and the lizards are starting to stir in the stone walls.

Down in the harbour a cold northerly breeze has sent the clouds packing and the gulls are riding on an inky sea. It is chilly now but in a month the first tourists will be heading our way – and in a few weeks we should start packing away our winter waterproofs.

Wednesday is Dodecanese Day and a local holiday. Shops and businesses may be closed but it is worth coming into town for the parade. Speaking of things being closed, the local OTE office is shut for a month and it is necessary to go to Rhodes to pay telephone bills (unless one belongs to that happy minority group who manage to receive the bill before the due date, in which case it can be paid at the post office). The technicians are still on the island, it is just the administration side of the operation that is on holiday.

Have a good week.

Regards,
Adriana

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Twittering Madly

We had torrential rain on Tuesday afternoon and evening after which a high pressure system moved into the area and the weather has been quite spring-like since. It is about 14 degrees today. The birds are twittering madly in the trees, the cats are a-courting and the bees are rolling themselves silly in the poppies. The last laggardly almond trees have opened and daffodils and hyacinths are perfuming balconies and terraces. Showers are forecast for tomorrow with possible windy weather on Monday but generally speaking the worst of the weather seems to be blowing itself out before it gets here.

Andonis is busy installing my new office computer which is all bells and whistles and I am looking forward to testing it once he is done. In the meantime I will share with you the hyacinths outside our office.

Have a good weekend.

Regards,
Adriana

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