The recent wet weather has given the wild flowers a boost. The cyclamens are growing out of the rockface behind the bus stop. The chamomile and poppies are near Stavros' metal shop behind the Opera House, just where one turns off the Kataraktis.
The strong westerly winds that brought rain to Symi on the morning of Independence Day were still pounding the island that afternoon. We took these photographs of the coastline around Panormitis monastery at sunset yesterday afternoon after a visit to the Marathounda farm. The discolouration of the water inside the bay is caused by sand churned up by the sea pounding in through the entrance. For an idea of the size of the waves slamming the shore, look at the red roofs of Kalodoukas’ dairy farm on the left of the slope! 
The weather is expected to remain unsettled for the rest of the week, with more showers and strong winds to come. Temperatures are quite mild, though and whenever the sun breaks through the stones steam.
This branch came down in the course of Saturday night. As for Lakis on the right, sometimes it is better to just let sleeping dogs lie!
This squall practically knocked the cameraman off his feet.
Michaloutsos and the williwaws.
Line squalls dancing towards NOS beach and Harani.
And another whisking straight up the harbour. Not a good spot to be tied up in an easterly blow.
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It is the season for mud rain and murky skies and today is no exception. Symi has been blanketed by low cloud for much of the week and last night sporadic light rain began just before midnight. It has been raining steadily since the early hours of this morning. The high dust content in the air, product of sandstorms in North Africa, gives the light a strange orange glow and where the water pools the reddish particles settle out. The long range forecast is for more of the same for about a week, punctuated by gale force winds.
Meanwhile, the Greek government sat until late last night and finally passed the pension reform bill. It was quite interesting watching the debate on Vouli, the parliamentary channel, on television last night. What they didn't show was the demonstrators outside parliament and their clashes with the riot police - for that we had to watch the BBC this morning where Greece's social security woes knocked the Tibetan lock-down and the health of the US dollar out of the top slot on the 7 a.m broadcast. The unions have said that they won't accept the reforms so we can expect more industrial action in the weeks to come. As this may affect people's travel plans we will try to give advance notice of airport strikes whenever we can. As it is, some visitors to Symi have already been affected by this week's airport strikes and have had to cancel their Easter breaks or try to get onto later flights. Fortunately Symi, unlike Athens, has not been affected by either dustbinmen's strikes or power cuts, so as long as you remember to bring your plastic for the hole in the wall (which usually works, even if the bank workers are on strike) there is nothing to stop you enjoying Symi once you actually get here, strikes or no strikes!
On that cheerful note I wish you all a happy Easter – we have another month to go yet before Greece and the other Orthodox countries celebrate theirs and the shops are still largely devoid of chocolate rabbits and gift wrapped eggs. Instead we are fasting on mussels, prawns and chocolate-coated halva.
Regards,
Adriana
Spring is in the air and typically unsettled equinoctial weather is buffeting the country with squalls and showers. Snow is expected on high ground in the north but down here in our little corner it is quite warm, if overcast. The poppies and corona daisies are already taking over in the countryside and the ground is starting to crack from lack of rain.
Greece is still in the grips of major countrywide strikes which are affecting the airports as well as banks, power, refuse collection and public transport. As journalists and state television are also on strike until Friday in effect there is a news blackout. In a nutshell the strikes are a response to proposed long overdue reforms to the Greek social security system which, like many other European countries, is suffering from an increasingly elderly population and not enough people paying in. While in small communities like Symi the demographics have changed favourably with more young families on the island as the benefits of tourism have enabled Symiots to marry younger and afford families, in Greece as a whole the birthrate has dropped, with the inevitable result that more is coming out of the pot than going in. In the time I have lived in Greece I have seen the retirement age for women raised from 55 to 65 and I should imagine that by the time I am 65 retirement will be a concept people look back on with nostalgia!
I went to Rhodes yesterday to do the usual round of errands for this time of the year and it was very quiet. One cruise ship arrived in the course of the afternoon but the Old Town vendors evidently did not think it was worth unpacking for them and the place remained closed up. The season proper only really gets under way with Greek Easter in April and for many businesses it is not worth the effort and expense of opening up for a few hours in the middle of March on the off chance someone might pass through. Even in Marks and Spencer I had to cajole the solitary salesperson to open a till so I could pay for my purchases. Browsing in the computer shops, on the other hand, I was practically mobbed by enthusiastic sales staff as the first potential customer they had seen in days!
Have a good week.
Regards,
Adriana
Wendy gets to meet Sesklia's new custodian, a very friendly bitch living in the farm house on the top of the hill.
This morning we woke to find the island surrounded by a sea of mist with just the highest points poking out above the clouds. The gardens dripped with dew and the Kali Strata was running with water when I walked down shortly before eight. The March equinox is only weeks away now and the adolescent gurglings of my young roosters herald an ever earlier dawn. The almond blossom is giving way to perky bright green leaves and the verges are alight with glossy yellow buttercups. We will probably only have one more serious cold snap before spring gives way to early summer. Night time temperatures are already around 12 degrees centigrade and last night, cooking on the wood stove, I had to open the kitchen door to let some of the heat out!
Down in the harbour some businesses are starting to get ready for summer, to the accompaniment of cheerful Greek 'hits of the 60s' drifting around the amphitheatre. The Dimitroulla has just called in en route from Piraeus to Rhodes. The big boat schedule is now so erratic it has become a case of 'take it as it comes - unfortunate for both potential passengers and the shipping company concerned as it is obviously preferable to book on something that is definitely coming than something that might pass through if circumstances permit.
As this weekend coming is Carnival and the weather looks promising for Clean Monday everyone is planning picnics and outings up the mountain or on the water. Displays of kites for sale have appeared outside unlikely vendors and the supermarkets are filling their freezers with mussels and other approved fasting foods.
Have a good week.
Regards,
Adriana
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