Before the Next Rain

In the weeks I have been away Symi has made the transition from summer dust bowl to winter green. Good rains and mild temperatures have covered the island with a bright carpet of grass, moss and indigenous flora. The daintily painted leaves of the wild cyclamens turn barren stone terraces and cliffs into elegant gardens. In the vegetables gardens the last peppers and aubergines are ripening and chilli bushes make a final show before the falling temperatures send the plants into winter dormancy.

Symi has had some stormy weather but the rain held off long enough for the Panormitis Festival, see Out and About. The long range forecast shows lots more rain and thunder storms to come over the next few days, followed by some very heavy northerly winds at the weekend, bringing a sharp drop in temperatures for the whole of Greece. Down here in the south we will still be enjoying 12- 15 degrees centigrade but in the northern parts of Greece the thermometer will drop into single figures and the first night frosts have already been experienced.

Now that the Panormitis festival is over and the last visitors have left Symi is a very quiet island indeed. With most of the island’s male working population out on fishing boats, laboring on building sites or engaged in agricultural pursuits that need to be done before the next rain, Yialos is deserted. Coming down the Kali Strata this morning there was a bonfire burning in the grounds of one of the ruins as workmen prepare a site. Up in Chorio, Symi’s womenfolk are making the most of the dry spell to get bedding aired and washing dry before the next round of wet weather and every balcony is festooned. Not many Symi houses have space for tumble driers and indoor airers so every sunny day in the winter is used to best advantage. I am going home now to attend to a few agricultural and domestic chores myself before the rain comes. The potatoes were planted in my absence but there is still a lot to be done while temperatures are still mild enough for seeds to germinate.

Have a good week.

Regards,

Adriana