A Piercing North Wind

The sun is out, the sky is blue and a piercing north wind is rattling at the shutters. A chilly reminder that much of the Balkans and Turkey is currently under snow. The Aegli hydrofoil ran this morning, despite some apprehensions on that score as the sea is quite rough. The Proteus has just pulled in from Rhodes, laden with fresh fruit and vegetables, the first to be seen in the shops for some time due to the holidays. Crates of red and white cabbages, oranges and tangerines, apples and bananas are stacked on the quay, awaiting collection, and local shopkeepers armed with trolleys are scrambling to unload boxes of groceries into their vans. Tonight will be a good night for shopping!

This is the last holiday weekend of the festive season, culminating in the Epiphany celebrations on Sunday. After that it is back to work for many people as the count down to the start of the next tourist season commences and it will be a case of calculating how many shutters/doors/tables and chairs have to be repainted before Easter. Although the days are getting longer again the coldest winter weather is still ahead of us. Hawkers selling blankets and quilts are doing brisk business and the small halogen heaters that are standard in this part of the world are prominently displayed outside the shops in Chorio and Yialos. Something that is increasingly difficult to find, however, is the old fashioned hot water bottle. Much less expensive to run in these energy-expensive days than an electric blanket so perhaps they will make a come-back!

Have a warm weekend.

Regards,
Adriana