Fruit and Flowers

Sunday was calm and cloudy and conditions were perfect for the Dodecanese Day Parade. It was very much the calm before the storm as the weather deteriorated in the late afternoon and by early this morning Symi was being lashed by a full blown Force 10 south-easterly wind which is showing no signs of abating. Rhodes airport is closed due to gusts of 82 kilometres per hour and all passenger vessels have been stopped in the Aegean.  At the moment many are sheltering at anchor in the lee of Rhodes and other islands, unable to dock with safety.

We took advantage of the still conditions on Sunday morning to make sure our boat was well secured against the forthcoming blow. Sitting out in the middle of Pedi bay in the dinghy I realized to what extent that view would have been THE view of Symi in the days before the neoclassical buildings of the late nineteen century were built in Yialos. The castro, or the remnants thereof, perched on top of its acropolis and the houses huddled round for safety. The fertile fields and orchards of the Pedi valley rolling down to the sea. The Symiots with their pirate steps leading to look out points on the rooftops of Chorio would have had plenty of warning of the arrival of trouble.

Wild weather aside, when it is good it is very very good on Symi at this time of the year. Bees droning in the lavender, citrus trees laden with fruit and flowers - and drifts of dainty pink cyclamens continue to perfume the air in every patch of shade.

Have a good week.

Regards,

Adriana