Hot Pink

August is drawing to a close. The departing ferries are full as Greek, French and Italian families return to everyday life and reluctant children turn their attention away from beaches to books, from sand to satchels. Happy holiday snaps on Facebook and frequent peeks at the Symi Visitor webcams will have to sustain them until next summer.


As the nights grow longer Symi is starting to cool off and plants that have been dormant through the hottest days of July and August are starting to put on new growth. Geraniums are flowering once again and scented jasmines scramble over terraces and pergolas. Eye-catching bougainvilleas tumble over courtyard walls in great swathes of hot pink and mauve, vividly visible from across the harbour. Drunken wasps drink themselves into giddy circles on the ripening grapes and fat figs split voluptuously on tangled trees among the ruins of Chorio.

As there is very little natural grazing left on the island this late in the summer, lorry-loads of hay are arriving on the big boats from Pireaus to keep Symi’s livestock content until the onset of the rainy season at the end of October.

The bougainvillea in the pictures was photographed on the Kali Strata steps on the walk down from Chorio to work at Symi Visitor Accommodation early this morning

Have a good weekend.

Regards,

Adriana

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Still a Lot of Work to be Done

Once again the world looks on in horror as Greeks struggle to protect their homes against the ravages of wildfires armed with little more than buckets and shovels. Athens’ last remaining ‘green lung’ is fast disappearing in the flames and at time of writing suburbs are being evacuated as the fires encroach on the northern residential areas of Athens. This is not a happy state of affairs and there is a strong sense of déjà vu in Greece as little has changed since the devastating summer of 2007. For more updates on this summer’s wildfire situation in Greece, see http://news.ert.gr/en/26048-synexizetai-o-pyrinos-efialtis.htm and http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8217433.stm Here on Symi every shop and business with a television set is tuned in to one or other of the Greek TV channels as the story dominates the local and national news. Worried Athenians still on holiday here on Symi cluster round to get up dates on their smoke-filled city.

Yesterday I had reason to go down to Pedi so I took some photographs of the new marina. As can be seen, there is still a lot of work to be done, laying the concrete capping to connect the blocks, fitting bollards and mooring eyes, surfacing the adjoining quayside, constructing amenities, repairing the access road etc. Local residents have been informed that work will resume on 25 August and that it will all be done from the shore so there will be no further visits from the floating crane. Materials are already piled high, awaiting the concrete mixers. When the marina is complete, yachts will only be able to berth stern-to on the outside as the interior space is too narrow even for many of the small local boats that were originally anchored along that stretch of the shore.  It will, however, reduce pressure on the main quay and give visiting yachtsmen an alternative to swinging to anchor.



Have a good week.



Regards,

Adriana

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Hot and Dry

The weather across Greece remains hot and dry with strong meltemi winds in the Aegean, gusting up to Beaufort Force 8 later this week. The summer tourist season on Symi has peaked with the traditional all-night celebrations for the Dormition of the Virgin on Saturday night at the Alethini on the Pedi Road. It was pleasant to hear traditional Greek music drifting across the Pedi Valley, reminding us of the many warm Saturday nights when live bouzouki was a feature of Symi’s audio landscape and tourists tested their skills at the sensuous tsifteteli.

For many Greeks this week marks the return to work after a fortnight’s holiday and there are many cries of ‘Kalo Chimona’ (good winter) as they depart on the ferries for Rhodes, Kos and Pireaus. Many of the island’s French and Italian visitors are also heading homewards and over the next week or so Symi will slowly empty, only to fill up again at the end of the month as many of Symi’s regular British, German and Scandinavian visitors start to arrive, plus anyone else who isn’t tied to school holidays and is free to enjoy the golden days of late summer on Symi at whim.


Many areas of Chorio continue to be affected by water shortages and the mains supply is still off for most of the time. As the water supply is turned on very much at random, more often than not when people are at work during the day and are not at liberty to stay at home to fill the cistern or catch up on the laundry, this is a very frustrating state of affairs. Symi residents and visitors alike hope that this situation will become a thing of the past when the new desalination plant finally comes into operation. Meanwhile a steady shuttle of laden water boats from Rhodes is coming into Yialos and Pedi to ensure that hotels and restaurants remain fully supplied.

Have a good week.



Regards,

Adriana

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Sunset Retsina

It is a sizzling summer’s day on Symi and Turkish gulets and Italian power yachts are jockeying for space on the quay in Yialos. The water taxis are packed, as are the beaches. As one visitor said, looking out of my office window at the crowds waiting to board the water taxis this morning, ‘it looks like the relief of Dunkirk!’ One newly opened haven of relative peace and quiet that is worth discovering by visitors in search of a more private Symi beach experience is the new beach facility and taverna at Toli Bay near Agios Emilianos. This is accessible by road and, for the energetic, on foot. At the moment the concrete road ends just past Roukouniotis monastery and the road down to the beach is a fairly steep dirt track (4 wheel drive recommended) so it is not as yet accessible by taxi. Visitors without wheels can, however, take a taxi as far as Roukouniotis and then walk the rest of the way, about a half hour downhill stroll along a very scenic part of the island’s coast.


The taverna is situated in a natural grove of oleanders and has beautiful views right across Toli Bay and there are sunbeds and umbrellas provided along the pebble beach. There is a jetty for taxi boats but at this stage boat connections are still irregular as when the meltemi blows across the bay in the afternoons there can be a swell which makes coming alongside in a boat tricky. The taverna is also open in the evenings, as we discovered when we went over for a sunset retsina late on Wednesday afternoon and found the kitchen staff busy with preparations for the night ahead. The venue is popular with locals, particularly those with small holdings and farmsteads in the area, making for an authentic experience.


Something else we noticed on this particular excursion is that the wind turbine is finally in action. The giant windmill seemed to be undergoing various tests as although there was a stiff wind blowing the blades alternated between spinning at an erratic speed and then stopping at various angles. It is certainly a dramatic addition to Symi’s landscape and we hope that it becomes productive soon.



Have a good weekend.



Regards,

Adriana

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Symi Today

Athens is empty. Businesses and offices are closed and even parliament has shut down for the Greek summer holidays. The islands of the Aegean and Ionian are favourite destinations for Athenians seeking relief from the smog and stress of city life and every boat that arrives brings yet more visitors. Those who come with cars arrive with sunbeds and parasols strapped to the roof rack, those on bikes are carefully balanced with rucksacks and touring panniers. The hawkers are heading for the Greek islands too and lorries laden with Cretan clay pots, cane garden furniture and slightly travel-worn bay trees are a common sight by the side of the road or parked in the town square. There are trucks laden with fresh melons and peaches selling their produce in Yialos and Chorio. When it is too hot to think about food, a crisp green and pink watermelon is perfect and there is currently a country wide glut of peaches.

There is a large cruise ship anchored off Symi today and little luminous orange lighters have been churning to and fro all morning between the ship and the customs jetty, bringing souvenir hunters and sightseers ashore and taking away those who have been there and done that. There are a lot more power yachts in evidence too, although the mega-yachts of previous years are conspicuous by their absence.

Meanwhile, over in Pedi Bay, the owners of small boats are taking advantage of the bits of reinforcing rod sticking out of the unfinished mole of the marina for securing their boats as building work has now stopped for the holidays.



Have a good week.



Regards,

Adriana

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Symi is Officially Full

It is a hot and humid day on Symi. A low pressure system with thundershowers and rain is hanging over the Balkans and northern Greece, bringing wisps of mist as far south as Symi. Last night the top of the Vigla was wrapped in a tablecloth of cloud and all the antennae and aerials vanished from view. Visibility is down to only a few kilometres due to the heat haze and the Turkish coast looks far more distant than it really is. The full moon dominates the night sky, bright orange as it rises above Pedi bay. The new wind turbine is a dramatic sight, poking through the cloud cover. It will be an even more dramatic sight once the windmill becomes operational later this year. At the moment is affectionately referred to by some of the foreign residents as the ‘Angel of the North’ as it bears a remarkable resemblance, peeping over the crest of the Vigla, to that famous British landmark. The occasional changes in the angles of the blades have also earned it the epithet, the Symi Semaphore.


Art enthusiasts are in for a double treat this weekend. This evening sees the opening of the new gallery in the downstairs of the big Symi Visitor office near the bus stop. Tomorrow evening the ODAS exhibition, organized by Aruni Constantinidi, opens at the Symi Dream gallery at the top of the Kali Strata in Chorio.  Both exhibitions are on for the whole month so there is plenty of opportunity for visitors pop in and see what creative Symiots and foreign residents are inspired to produce while they are on Symi.

Meanwhile, down in Pedi the floating crane has finally departed and the work crews are busy pouring concrete to level off the rows of concrete blocks that make up the new quay and jetty. It will be a while yet before we see rows of yachts tied up on the outside of the quay as intended but the general idea of the project is now clear. Locals are taking advantage of the concrete blocks for fishing and swimming when the concrete mixers are off duty.



This is one of the busiest weekends of the tourist season and houses, hotels, ferries and flights are all full. Yannis Fotaras is opening the Grace Hotel from today especially for the peak season rush and it is already fully booked for the forthcoming week. Those who were hoping for last minute accommodation may well find themselves sleeping on ferry to the next island as Symi is officially full.



Have a good weekend.



Regards,

Adriana

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Prestigious New Art Gallery Set To Open on Symi.

The island of Symi has long been known as a haven for artists. That reputation is now to be affirmed with the launch of The Symi Gallery on 7th August 2009 committed to the promotion of international contemporary art.


The Symi Gallery, located in an impressive neoclassical mansion on the harbour front, will actively involve the local artistic community of Symi in exploring the practical, emotional and intellectual aspects of contemporary art.


The inaugural exhibition entitled “Suns, Moons and other images of the Aegean” by the British artist, Haycox, will commence on the 7th August and run until 7th September 2009. Admission is free and everyone is welcome to attend.

Prospective exhibitors and anyone interested in the programme for Summer 2009, Winter 2009/2010 and Summer 2010 should contact the Artistic Director, Ian Haycox 0030-6946717851.

Artistic Director: Ian Haycox

Community Activities: Lynne Burgess

Design/Publicity: Jordan Blakesley

NEW WORK BY THE BRITISH ARTIST HAYCOX

SUNS, MOONS AND OTHER IMAGES FROM THE AEGEAN

The Greek island of Symi is hosting the latest work of British artist Haycox. It will be on exhibition from 7th August 2009 at the newly opened Symi Gallery in the main harbour of Symi Town, Greece

All the work, including wonderfully coloured and richly textured paintings and montage, was inspired by and created in the Aegean islands during the last two summers. Haycox moved to live in Symi in1995 but has traveled and worked extensively throughout the Greek islands and these new works are all from the islands of the Aegean. He fell in love with Symi in particular and he presents unusual views of the island.

He says: “The island confirmed a change in my work from large scale paintings to miniatures, reflecting the thoughts and feelings the island muse had inspired in me. My previous work, including collaborations with other artists, is still of significance. This exhibition also includes one site-specific installation. I wanted to return to the roots of my art-making, and the intensity of my emotional reaction to Symi in particular is captured in these new paintings, which are at once brutal and fragile, simple and yet of profound implication.”

Haycox, born in 1950 in England, studied art at Rochdale, Edinburgh and Liverpool Art Colleges. Since 1974, he has had regular exhibitions in the UK and Europe and his work is represented in many public and private collections throughout Europe. In 1995 he decided to live and work in Greece, settling on the island of Symi.

The exhibition, entitled “Suns, Moons and Other Images From The Aegean”, will be open to the public every day from 7th August to 8th September. Opening hours: 11am-1pm and 8pm-10pm.

Exhibition Opening: 8 pm on 7th August, Symi Gallery, Yialos, Symi. Members of the press are invited to view the exhibition and meet the artist.

Further information and PDFs of Ian Haycox’s work available:

Phone: 6946 717851
Website: http://www.haycoxart.com/
http://www.symigallery.com/
http://www.symiart.com/

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Sticky Elbows

It is a scorching hot day on Symi. Italian, Greek and French are the main languages heard on the streets and in the cafes of Symi at the moment as the weekend’s new arrivals sort out their hire cars and bikes, book boats and arrange to have their groceries delivered from the local supermarkets. It’s August and Symi is humming with activity. Yachts are milling about in the harbour, untangling fouled anchors in a variety of colourful languages and jockeying for berths on the quay. Tenders from those prudent enough to anchor off shore nip in and out at speed, dropping off laundry at the Sunflower and collecting fresh bread and vegetables from the shops in the town. Children race to finish their ice creams before the heat sends them trickling down their arms to drip off sticky elbows. In the lane below the Symi Visitor Accommodation office Lucas and Stelios push endless trolleys of fruit crates and bottled water from truck to shop while yachtsmen wait patiently for Dino the chandler to weigh out bales of anchor chain.




Chorio is quieter during the day time as visitors are on the beach and residents are at work. The old village comes to life at night and Sunday evening was no exception when the Symi Women’s Association hosted a Symi Shrimp evening as part of the Symi Festival. Chorio has a very different character to the harbour as this is the oldest inhabited area on Symi and most of the Symiots still live in and around Chorio. The old town sprawls from the windmills up to the lower slopes of the Vigla and although much of it was badly damaged during the Second World War many areas have been rebuilt and restoration projects are popular with foreign property owners. The stone houses are connected by a network of winding lanes and ramps with very few steps and it is rare to find the perpendicular flights of stairs that are characteristic of the harbour’s tiered neo-classical neighbourhoods. Instead the remains of ancient tunnels and arches looping over the lanes hint at centuries of continuous habitation at a time when space was short and there was safety in numbers.

Have a good week.



Regards,

Adriana

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The Busiest Month of the Year

It is a bright and breezy sunny summer’s day on Symi and the weather forecast for our corner of Greece is set fair. It is not for nothing that the Greek word for summer is kalokairi which means ‘good time’. The pile of empty beer crates outside Pachos is testimony to thirsty weather and ice cream has taken over from gyros as the street food of choice during the midday promenade. The meltemi is blowing hard this year and the weather forecast for the central Aegean and Cyclades is for Force 8 northerlies but in our small corner of Greece where the Aegean meets the Mediterranean, there is little more than a ripple on the water, a slap of waves against the rocks and a fluttering of flags in the harbour.




The Symi Festival has its official premiere in Yialos tonight and many visitors are coming over from Rhodes especially for the concert, starring popular Greek musicians Eleni Tsaligopoulou , Giorgos Andreou and Manolis Karantinis .  Restaurants with views of the town square are already booked out for tonight. As Symi harbour is a natural amphitheatre shape and funnels sound the music is audible right up to Chorio so many people enjoy the festival events from their terraces and balconies. The premiere traditionally ends with a firework display over the water, a safety measure to avoid fires as Symi is, like the rest of Greece, tinder dry in high summer.

August is the busiest month of the year on Symi with more visitors arriving than departing every day for the next four weeks. In the present economic climate people are taking shorter holidays and many regular visitors who used to take houses here for the whole month of August are now only staying 1-2 weeks. This means, however, that more individuals are actually visiting the island over all and people who have been wanting to visit Symi for years are finally able to find August availability. The British August edition of Conde Nast Traveller includes Symi in the list of Top 20 Greek islands. Symi has also been receiving a lot of attention on Greek television in the form of various travelogues which has given local tourism a boost.



Have a good weekend.



Regards,

Adriana

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