A Sunny Spring Day

It is a sunny spring day on Symi with a cool northerly breeze riffling across the water. Wednesday’s thunderstorms and showers have brought a freshness to the air and the vegetation has perked up perceptibly. The snails are out in the shady places and the island’s insect life is hatching in profusion, much to the joy of the arachnids who are busy shrouding everything that does not move in cobwebs.

The roses are coming to an end, slightly battered by the recent storms and succumbing to the aphid onslaught. The geraniums are taking over in every conceivable shade and hue, from cool whites and candy colours to hot pinks, purples and sizzling scarlet. Speaking of opulent colours, Wendy has just come into the office with some perfect fresh black cherries – an encouraging sign as the recent strikes have caused disruptions in the fresh produce supply lines in Greece and truckloads of fruit and vegetables are stuck on Crete at the moment.

Speaking of strikes, the pilots of Olympic Airways propeller fleet are on strike which means flights to many of the smaller islands are cancelled. There are also strikes affecting OTE (the Greek telcom company), the air traffic controllers, various banks and health workers. INKA, the Greek consumer watchdog organization, is also calling upon consumers to boycott the fresh produce markets today in protest against profiteering and high prices. It is not just tourists who are grumbling about high prices …

Have a good weekend.

Regards,
Adriana