A Warm Sunny Day

It is a warm sunny day on Symi. White clouds drift slowly across a powder blue sky and the palms outside my office window are fluttering gently in the breeze. A voluptuous Turkish schooner has just dropped its anchor in the middle of Yialos and is reversing rapidly in the direction of the pharmacy, hoping to get its lines ashore quickly before the crosswind catches the wheelhouse and sends it sideways. At this time of the year Symi’s mooring men really have to be on the ball, guiding yachts, ferries and excursion boats into the right slots on both sides of Symi’s narrow harbour. It is quite a job and often involves dashing from one side of the harbour to the other by motor bike at some speed. Yialos is surprisingly deep for its width and it is not uncommon for charter yachts visiting for the first time to drop their anchors too soon and run out of chain before they are within range of the quay. Then there is the whirr of anchor winches and indignant shouting as all that chain has to come back up for the second attempt. Speaking of boats, the Symi II had to turn back to Rhodes this morning due to a medical emergency on board so it will be an hour or so late coming into Yialos today.

Work is continuing on the road to Nimborio and the road is frequently closed due to wet concrete. With these disruptions there are not many people staying out there and the water taxi to Nimborio has not started its service yet. Work has also resumed on the undercover sports’ facility in Chorio. Workmen are busy plastering the pediments and generally tidying up the building site. There are, however, no signs of work resuming on the Pedi marina in the foreseeable future. Visiting boats are improvising moorings there, tying up to odd bits of reinforcing rod on the quay.

Hot clear sunshine is forecast for the rest of the week with the possibility of a minor mud shower again on Saturday night.

Have a good week.

Regards,

Adriana