The View from my window 30 August 2007
Optasia, the newest megayacht in the Greek charter fleet, glides past the window. She was only launched this year but passed through Symi earlier in the season.
Gentleman's Small Ship 'Marala'
All the way from Panama.
She's a 1931 Camper's and Nicholson, a real classic.
Symi Visitor Pest Control
Meet Dulcie - she's responsible for keeping pests out of the Symi Visitor office.
Half Mast
Greece is in a state of shock as the forest fires that have plagued the country for several months have escalated into a national disaster with loss of human life on an unprecedented scale. The sheer lack of infrastructure and preparedness has left villages and communities helpless, homes in ruins and livelihoods smouldering embers. During the winter, when it became apparent that the rains had failed for the second successive year and that the fire threat this summer would be worse then usual, various pompous statements were made in the press about how funds were being set aside and measures would be taken but the inadequacies of these measures have become only too appallingly evident in the face of recent events. Arson motivated by loopholes in land laws, poorly maintained forests where scrub and dead vegetation have been allowed to mount up as kindling, funds for firebreaks mouldering in coffers, insufficient water available to put out fires in any kind of scientific fashion… The list is endless. The political finger pointing and accusations are well under way. It is tragic that events have had to take such a dramatic turn to prove that the national habit of procrastination does not work. Just as talking about allocating funds for desalination plants in the Cyclades in January does not put water in the islands six months later, nor does talking about punishing arsonists prevent them from lighting fires. Greece is no stranger to the problem of forest fires but like winter floods the problem is ignored when it is ‘out of season’. With snap elections scheduled for 16 September we can expect a lot more talk but it is the one most likely to deliver the goods and prevent this from ever happening again who is likely to win the votes. Meanwhile, Greece is in a state of mourning, the flags are at half mast – and the fires burn on.
Regards,
Adriana
The View from my Window 24 August 2007
Smoke billowing up from a forest fire near Bencik on the Turkish coast at midday today. This summer has been the worst in living memory for forest fires in Greece and it doesn't look as though Turkey is faring much better. This is the second time in recent weeks that Symi has seen forest fires on the opposite shore. The cloud of smoke is drifting above Symi at the moment, carried by strong winds.
Megayacht Triton from Seattle
Just in case you missed it -
- that IS a little red helicopter on the back.
It is unusual for yachts this size to anchor so close in among the fishing boats and smaller sailing vessels as there isn't much room to swing but fortunately the meltemi isn't blowing at the moment.
Parallel Worlds
Cypriot cruise ship, The Salamis Glory on Tuesday morning 21 August 2007, shortly before pulling out to continue on her cruise.
What her departure revealed - over a hundred illegal migrants waiting outside Symi police station prior to being shipped over to Rhodes on the Symi and Symi II ferries respectively.
The Maltese Falcon
The world's largest privately owned sailing yacht paid a brief visit to Symi on Saturday night. Sorry about the fuzzy photo - my lowly Olympus is not much good for night shots. I took this from a gap in the buildings on the Kali Strata as she was dropping her anchors. She is 88 metres long and has an amazingly high tech version of a square rig, called a Dynarig.
Happy News!
Jenine and Ian Spalding are happy to announce the arrival of Harry on 20 August 2007.
Heavenly Blue!
One of the delights of August is sitting out under the trees on a starry night, listening to the music drifting across the valley from the Alethini on 15 August. We used to have this pleasure every Saturday night, when open air bouzouki was still part of the island’s audio-landscape, before the advent of sound proofed concrete bunkers and techno pop. Now we have to wait for 15 August to come round each year to listen to traditional music performed live in the open air in the Pedi valley. This year it was definitely worth the wait.
We have had a lot of waterless days this August as the island’s water supply has been rationed to different areas of Chorio and Yialos in turn. The water ship is in daily but still is not sufficient to meet the demands of all the visitors. After two successive dry winters the whole country is struggling to make supplies stretch to the end of the tourist season and a state of emergency has been declared in the Cyclades. At this rate Europeans will soon find that they can no longer take it for granted that opening a tap always brings forth clean water in copious quantities.
Speaking of water, this far into the dry season and after so many searing heatwaves the only splashes of greenery are where there is a steady source of moisture. Leaky pipes, vothras and old cisterns are marked out by flourishing oases of vegetation in a desert of frazzled brown. The luxuriant morning glory scrambling over the ruins adjoining Georgio’s taverna must have its roots deep in an old soak pit to be putting on such a splendid show. Heavenly blue indeed.
Have a good weekend.
Regards,
Adriana
Kwikumat
Luxury yacht Kwikumat lying off Nimos on 16 August 2007. Apparently she even has a grand piano in the salon.
More Migrants Arrive on Symi
A Turkish registered gulet, Eye of the Storm, is in Symi harbour under police guard after it was brought into Yialos with approximately 170 migrants and 3 people traffickers on board. The people traffickers have been arrested although the leader of the smuggling ring is believed to be based in Marmaris. The boat originally resisted arrest when engaged by the coastguard and we have been told that shots were fired although no one was injured.
Walking to Work 13 August 2007
Pedi Bay in the early morning. A good reason to live here!
Hot, Busy and August
It is hot, busy and August. The harbour is a dance of circling yachts, powerboats and ferries. Everything from the most lavish gin palaces to the most lovingly restored caiques passes through Symi at this time of the year. Ferries pick their gaps as best they can and the Spanos only managed to dock on the second attempt this morning, squeezing in between the power boats outside Katerinettes. This year boats have been allowed to anchor in a row just past NOS beach, on the way to Nimborio, as well as in the basin off Harani and many larger boats choose this rather than risking scraped paintwork on the quay in Yialos. Pedi is just as congested and the meltemi stirs up some excitement every afternoon. Hasty anchoring is ill advised and can cost more than time in the long run as boats drag quickly into deep water in the middle of Pedi bay.
Temperatures on the island are still in the high thirties, hitting forty when the breeze drops. The days are, however, perceptibly shorter now and the sun only comes up around six. In a few weeks the gardens will start to grow again as the island cools off.
Tomorrow is the eve of the holiday and blazing torches will line the road to the Alethini. The Greeks celebrate the Assumption with style.
Wednesday is a bank holiday in Greece but many businesses are closed for the first two or three weeks in August anyway as this is the traditional summer holiday period in this part of the world. Athens is practically empty – and so, judging by the number of Continentals on the island, are Paris, Rome and Milan.
Have a good week!
Regards,
Adriana
Proteus Reflections
Even the prosaic Proteus takes on a little romance at this time of the year.
Wednesday 8 August 8.30 a.m
Waiting for the Aegli to arrive from Rhodes. See if you can spot the donkey!
The View from The Symi Visitor 6 August 2007
The modern elegance of the Delaware 'Sea Star' and the traditional gleaming varnish of a bevy of Turkish gulets - there's always something interesting to look at in Yialos.
Local Lore
The meltemi has been blowing steadily since Thursday and if local lore is to be believed, this portends a windy winter. Be that as it may, the drop in temperatures is most welcome.
The first fortnight in August always places the most demands on the island’s infrastructure. The population effectively doubles and when this is combined with extreme heat resources are stretched. We had a power cut early on Friday morning and there has been some water rationing to different residential areas for the past fortnight as demand exceeds supply but these are normal for this time of year. The season peaks with the festivities on 15 August and after that the weather turns markedly cooler and demand for air conditioners and showers starts to tail off.
The Louis Lines cruise ship Ruby is lying off Nimos at the moment. The Aegli is just pulling in from Rhodes. Yachts are departing for a day’s meltemi-bashing and here in the Symi Visitor office preparations are nearing completion for tonight’s opening of the Daniel Spoerri on Symi exhibition. Passers by have been poking their heads round the door to look at the photographs since yesterday. The exhibition will be open to the public from tomorrow evening.
Have a good weekend.
Regards,
Adriana
The View from the Symi Visitor this Afternoon
Although ferry connections are more frequent so we can go shopping more regularly in Rhodes and the island shops are better stocked, hawkers are still a common sight in the islands. This one has been doing the rounds of Symi for two days, selling garden furniture and pot plants. The next time we see him he will probably be selling duvets and wellington boots as the stock changes according to seasonal requirements.
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