A Wonderful Place

The golden days of August have arrived and the island is filling up fast. Every boat, ferry and hydrofoil is packed. Unfortunately we cannot say the same for Symi’s water supply – the island ran dry yesterday and the situation is not much better today with only limited water supply in some areas and none at all in others. While the island’s regular summer visitors remember the water shortages of years gone by and slip into survival mode, for first time visitors it comes as something of a shock not to be able to shower after a day on the beach. Needless to say, sales of bottled water are up!

Meanwhile in my corner of the Pedi valley we are glad that we filled our rainwater cisterns in the winter. While the water in some of the tanks may be a dubious soup of moribund mosquito larvae and drowned lizards, it has none the less enabled us to keep the vegetable garden alive through the summer drought. The cats enjoy snoozing on the damp sawdust mulch among the ripening melons and the kittens chase blue-tailed lizards through the dry leaves under the almond trees. The figs are slowly turning purple and the grapes are plumping on the vines. We still have a dish of fresh cherry tomatoes from the garden with our supper each evening, fragrant with a handful of Genovese basil. The Pedi valley must have been a wonderful place when it was all market gardens, vines and orchards.

Have a good weekend.

Regards,
Adriana

Anonymous –   – (Saturday, August 02, 2008)  

Splendid, Adriana. As poetic as ever and really gets the sleepy atmosphere. Delighted that the Eirini has appeared with some water.

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About this Blog

I sailed into Panormitis Bay, Symi, by chance one windy July day in 1993 and have been here ever since. The locals tell me that this is one of the miracles of St Michael of Panormitis. A BA graduate with majors in English, Philosophy and Classical Civilisation, the idea of living in what is to all intents and purposes an archaeological site appeals to me. Not as small as Kastellorizo, not as touristy as Rhodes, Symi is just the right size. I live on a small holding which my husband and I have reclaimed from a ruin of over-grazing and neglect and turned into a small oasis over the course of the past 22 years. I also work part-time for Symi Visitor Accommodation, helping independent travellers discover and enjoy Symi's simple pleasures for themselves.

This page is kindly sponsored by Wendy Wilcox, Symi Visitor Accommodation.


Adriana Shum

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