View from the Symi Visitor Office 30 Nov 2007
Polystyrene boxes arriving for the Symi Fish Farm
Polystyrene boxes arriving for the Symi Fish Farm
Welcome, The News of Symi
The Symi Visitor welcomes the launch of ‘The News of Symi’, a Greek language monthly published by the municipality cultural centre under the editorship of Lemonia Tsirimona and Dimitri Chysochoos and published by the mayor in his capacity as chairman of the cultural centre.
In his introductory article on the first page the mayor says that the purpose of the publication is to inform the inhabitants of Symi. He considers that the municipality is now sufficiently organized to make plans and carry out its programs. To this end the publication is offered so that all Symiots can make use of it to become involved in the process of highlighting problems and proposing solutions.
We wish the municipality every success in this new endeavour.
Nikos Halkitis, Proprietor
Nicholas Shum, Editor,
The Symi Visitor
www.symivisitor.com
A Quiet Place Indeed
It is a still and hazy day. Wind-swept streaks of high cloud suggest that it is not this quiet in other parts of the country and strong winds are forecast in the Aegean. We have had extremely heavy dewfall and anything left out overnight is absolutely sodden the next morning. As the sun sets on north facing properties at about 3 p.m the temperature falls very quickly and the nights are cold. At this time of the year the difference between the various micro-climates becomes very distinct, with gaudy geraniums still in bloom in the suntraps while those places in permanent shade are velvety with moss.
There is the whiff of bonfires on the air as locals burn rubbish and clear their terraces. Everyone is trying to get the ploughing done before the next rain turns the fields to clay once more so all weekend there was the happy puttering of rotovators in the Pedi valley. Those who had the time to get this done in October, when the first rains fell, are already looking at neat carpets of fresh green grazing.
There are not many places open now and the harbour has a deserted, boarded up feel to it. Postcards, sarongs and tourist items have given way to winter clothes, electric heaters and blankets in the few places that are still open and one tourist shop has reinvented itself once again as a speciality Christmas shop. There are few strangers on the island at this time of the year and the odd out of season travelers that the ferry brings in are conspicuous with their rucksacks and wheelie suitcases. Symi in the winter is a quiet place indeed.
Have a good week.
Regards,
Adriana
Angel Wings
It is a bright still day on Symi with low white clouds drifting across a clear blue sky. Visibility has been good for the last few days although it is gradually hazing over. Day time temperatures have been around 20 degrees, warm in the sun and decidedly chilly in the shade. At night it drops to about 10 degrees, with heavy dew which lingers in those places which remain in the shade all day. We have had some amazing moonlit nights and the sky should be clear for the full moon tomorrow night. This idyll is expected to change from Monday night as a new front moves in and we can look forward to windy weather and grey skies again from Tuesday.
The resumption of the Pireaus boat service yesterday after an absence of over a year had surprisingly little impact on the island, possibly because the decision had been announced so late in the day that people had already made other arrangements for transporting goods and vehicles this week. The Marina is sporting new blue livery – but one thing hasn’t changed – she was nearly an hour late arriving in the morning en route to Rhodes and equally late in the evening passing through on her way to Pireaus.
The island is becoming steadily greener and sheep are to be found in unexpected places. The municipality has adopted a more conservative approach to Christmas this year – instead of angel wings and other motifs which tended to swivel round the lamp posts in the winter gales and tie themselves up in knots, this year light tubes have been wound round all the lamp posts, in alternating white and blue. The effect is very pretty and nothing can blow away or break. The clock tower has also undergone something of a transformation as it has light tubes radiating from it in the manner of a Christmas tree, with the clock tower forming the trunk. Of course it is early days yet and the angel wings may yet reappear but so far so good.
Have a warm weekend.
Regards,
Adriana
The View from my Window 22 November 2007
The Marina, the first 'big boat' to visit Symi in over a year.
Winter ferry timetables
The Dodecanese Express and GA winter ferry timetables are now available here.
Read more...Muddy Water
After yesterday’s floods there is a big clean up under way. The bobcats have moved from clearing mud in the harbour to shoveling rockfalls on the Panormitis road. Unfortunately more heavy rain is expected tonight, followed by gale force winds tomorrow. We had 70 mm yesterday, most of which fell in a matter of an hour or so on Sunday morning, followed by some heavy showers overnight. The weather is expected to improve later in the week. The photos show some of the muddy water flowing down from the Vigla. Hundreds of similar torrents combined to form the deluge that roared down the Kataraktis and flooded the town square.
Other bad news is that Jean Manship has announced her retirement and the Jean and Tonic is now on the market. Any of you regulars out there want to make your dream of running a thriving late night bar on Symi a reality? Contact us for more details.
On the bright side, the Pireus- Symi big boat link is being reinstated with effect from 22 November 2007. Those two old faithfuls, the Milena and the Marina, will once again be looming large by the clock tower. At the moment Symi Tours has only released the timetable up to 2 December but GA should be providing a full schedule later. Meanwhile the Spanos, the Dodecanese Express, passed through this morning en route to Lipsi where she will overnight and work her way back down tomorrow. Apart from the option of a daytrip to Kalymnos/Kos for Sunday lunch there are no days on the schedule where it is possible to do a ‘there-and-back’ anywhere from Symi. However, for anyone wanting to do some seriously out of season island hopping it’s an interesting itinerary and does ensure that some less popular routes are served. For some reason they’ve given Tilos a miss although they do stop at Nissyros.
Have a good week.
Regards,
Adriana
Winter Service
It has been a stormy week and seems set to continue that way. Internet connections remain unreliable and are off more often than they are on most days. Television has been a bit wobbly too for those who don’t have satellite dishes and are dependent on the relay transmitters on the top of the Vigla.
Dodecanese Seaways has announced that it will be resuming a winter service, much to everyone’s relief as the ANES schedule for November and December is causing a lot of grumbles. (They have put photocopies of the schedule up around the town so I spent a few minutes studying it while waiting at the bus stop and it is not a particularly helpful schedule for people actually living on Symi who want to get business done in Rhodes without the expense of staying over.) Although schedules for both can be found on their respective websites, www.anes.gr and www.12ne.gr, do remember to check before traveling as it only takes one shipping ban for it all to go pear-shaped! At this time of the year we all allow for the possibility of an unexpected overnight stay in Rhodes.
Speaking of ferries, the Proteus has just docked beneath our window, about twenty minutes late. Small wonder the island seemed so quiet and empty this morning – everyone has been in Rhodes overnight. There is lots of shouting as those trying to get off become entangled with the tide of those trying to get on. The Proteus is heading northwards, next stop Tilos, so the hold is divided up into zones for each island – and vehicles have to be loaded in the order in which they will disembark. A crazy cavalcade of trucks and cars is making its way out around the edge of the harbour, laden with everything from crates of vegetables to wobbling sheets of plywood and monumental furniture. There are heaps of potato sacks and boxes of food out in the street, waiting to be collected. The atmosphere is reminiscent of the Symi I of old, only on a larger scale. There is even a donkey tied to the railing at the bottom of our steps, patiently munching the grass that has sprouting through the paving in the recent rains.
It is a holiday long weekend for the children as the schools remember the events of 17 November 1973. While high school and university students use it as a reason to protest changes in educational policy, for the little ones it is a tantalizing start to the build up to Christmas judging by the huge bags from Jumbo Bebe being carried off by excited youngsters.
As usual I don’t know when I will be able to put this up – the connection is off again!
Have a good weekend – or a happy week - depending on when you get to read this.
Regards,
Adriana
Isolation
There are times in the winter when living on Symi feels not unlike being on a small boat in a large and stormy ocean (and I know whereof I speak). Saturday was such a time. Violent squalls lashed the island until well into the night, snapping branches off trees and turning the sea white with foam. The Proteus managed to get through from Symi to Rhodes but all shipping in Greece was cancelled as there was a Force 10 blowing in the Aegean. Sunday was windy but dry and this morning a heavy cloud bank slid across the sky, starting the week with rainbows and drizzle, as can be seen in the accompanying photographs. Rainy weather (with varying amounts of wind) is forecast for the rest of the week.
Problems with the internet continue and at time of writing I don’t know when it will be possible to post this diary page. Last week fibreoptic cables were accidentally severed on the mainland, causing internet problems for most of the 8th November. Connections have been sluggish ever since and today they have dwindled to nothing. Some areas are also reporting problems with ordinary telephone lines. This adds to the feeling of isolation.
Fortunately the sea was calm enough this morning for the Aegli hydrofoil to make the trip across to Rhodes. She is scheduled to leave Mandraki at 14.00, bringing fresh produce and also the newspapers, confirming the re-election of George Papandreaou as leader of PASOK.
Have a good week.
Regards,
Adriana
Read more...
Fortunately the sea was calm enough this morning for the Aegli hydrofoil to make the trip across to Rhodes. She is scheduled to leave Mandraki at 14.00, bringing fresh produce and also the newspapers, confirming the re-election of George Papandreaou as leader of PASOK.
Have a good week.
Regards,
Adriana
Panormitis - a Multicultural Experience
Here are two pictures taken at the Panormitis Festival last week that show a rather different side to the festivities:
Read more...
Counting our Blessings
It has been a stormy week but the rain held off for the Panormitis festival yesterday and the sky is blue today. Electrical storms have caused a few problems on the island this past week and with more stormy weather forecast for the days to come the season for fried faxes and dodgy electrics is only just beginning. Gale force winds up to Force 9 are expected in the Aegean this weekend so there may well be disruptions to ferry schedules. Temperatures have dropped all over Greece and the high price of heating oil dominates the local television news. Those of us with wood stoves are counting our blessings.
On a more cheerful note, all the rain thus far has been of the good soaking variety beloved of farmers and everything is growing quite rapidly. The spinach seeds I planted only a few days ago are already up like hairs on a dog’s back and we are enjoying the new season’s assorted lettuces and horta. The chillis are turning red fast, ready for the winter’s curries and chutneys. I planted several different kinds this year to cover all contingencies from Asian through Middle Eastern to Mexican dishes and they make a very colourful display.
Have a good weekend.
Regards,
Adriana
Panormitis Festival
After a calm weekend of starry skies, flurries of rain came rattling in during Sunday night. Shortly before daybreak a sustained rumbling sound, like aeroplanes immediately overhead, heralded the arrival of a violent storm. Our poor webcam on the Symi Visitor office terrace pirouetted so violently it snapped clean off its mounting and was hanging, suspended by its wires, when I arrived for work a couple of hours later.
Unfortunately it looks as though we are set for a week’s worth of unsettled and stormy weather and it may prove to be a wet Panormitis festival this year. A country-wide drop in temperatures is expected and many parts of Greece have had their first snowfall. Here on Symi temperatures should drop no lower than 14 degrees at night and be around 20 at midday as the rainy weather usually blows in from the south but northerly winds will prevail in the Aegean. At this stage no strong winds are forecast apart from the squalls associated with thunderstorms so the ferries for the Panormitis festival should not be affected.
Have a good week.
Regards,
Adriana
Thundershowers
The Callisto is docked beneath our window, generators roaring away. She is a regular late season visitor in these parts, usually with parties of walkers, mountain bikers or kayakers on board. Everyone on whichever side of the harbour she berths is always relieved to see her go, however, as for some reason the Callisto has the noisiest air cooled generators in the world and never connects to shore power. The sound rises up the hill and is audible on the Kali Strata. Just as well she only comes in once a week as otherwise the residents of Yialos, Pitini and Petalo would never sleep at all. It was the Callisto which was visible in last night's live webcam.
It is very humid on Symi at the moment and we had some rather muggy rain yesterday. Thundershowers are forecast for the whole of Greece over the next few days and temperatures are still in the twenties.
I went to Rhodes yesterday and there were some enormous cruise ships in Rhodes harbour – the sort that tower over the town and add to the skyline. Rhodes Old Town was quite busy, mainly with elderly American tourists. There was a certain irony, whether conscious or not, in the Greek busker moving from one table of Americans to another, singing songs associated with the student protests at the Athens Polytechnic on November 17, 1973. For those of you whose modern Greek history is a little rusty, the Junta was very much regarded as an American ‘occupation’ of Greece and even to this day the commemoration of the events o f November 17 1973 includes a protest march on the US Embassy in Athens.
Have a good weekend.
Regards,
Adriana
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