A New Age has Dawned

A new age has dawned in Greece as the long threatened anti-smoking regulations came into effect on Wednesday 1 July. In principal the smoke-filled nightclubs of 1960s Greek films should be thing of the past and the sultry image of Melina Mercouri, cigarette in hand, is no longer the one to which Greek women should aspire. At the moment here on Symi the new laws have been greeted with the same skepticism as clamp downs on crash helmets and seat belts. It certainly isn’t clear how the new regulations will be enforced and judging by this article, it may be a while before any real impact will be felt in rural Greece and islands such as Symi.

So far it seems to be business as usual down in Yialos and there are no signs to indicate that half the island’s adult population has gone into nicotine withdrawal. Far from it. The sun is shining, the sky is blue. The excursion boats and water taxis are busy and the Proteus, the Symi II and the Nikolaos have just arrived within minutes of each other, creating the usual merry chaos of cars, trucks and people. I took this photograph yesterday afternoon while waiting for the bus – a happy juxtaposition of Cretan clay pots, ropes of garlic and traditional café chairs.

The weather forecast for Symi remains set for sunshine with temperatures in the low to middle thirties. Some parts of Greece and the Balkans are continuing to experience heavy afternoon downpours and thundershowers but Symi remains dry.

Have a good weekend.

Regards,
Adriana