My First Symi Christmas

As Christmas approaches on Symi, I notice that the festive lights are gleaming in the early evening, nothing compared with the lights in London, but I find them charming in their simplicity. The hardware stores are selling imitation Christmas trees and decorations, I also notice that the supermarkets in Chorio are stocking tins of goodies, chocolates, nuts and Cranberry Stollen (which is one of my favorites cakes) In our household we are already buying scented candles, which seem to be leaving the shelves at an alarming rate. It is amazing when on the Greek television news we see the whole of Northern Europe covered in snow while here on Symi we are basking in temperatures of 18/28 degrees C, my winter sweaters are still packed in boxes and I have given my snow shoes to friends in readiness for their return to snowy climates.
During my daily walks with Sandori through Pedi valley, who by the way has now returned home and is extremely happy with the modifications to his house, the wild oregano is in abundance and the aroma as my feet brush against it is both exhilarating and intoxicating.

Ged.

Vine Leaves turning to their Winter Colours

Christmas Lights in Yialos

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Experience the Real Greece

A tangle of wild clematis.

The oak in the background has lost a lot of its leaves

but in the mild weather it has already started growing new ones.

After two days of drizzly weather with sporadic showers Symi is very green indeed. Moss is growing on the Kali Strata and the verges are lush with wild flowers. The Greek islands may be very quiet and difficult to reach in the winter but from a botanical point of view this is a far more interesting time to visit if one has the time and stamina. Travelling in Greece in the winter months is not for the faint hearted. Aside from the reduced flight and ferry schedules and limited accommodation available, the weather is unpredictable and it is not always possible to plan an itinerary and stick to it. However, dedicated travelers with flexible schedules and little interest in beach culture do take the plunge and it is certainly the best time of the year to mix with the locals and experience the real Greece. For lots of information about getting to Greece, please see our dedicated travel blog.

Locals of all ages climb the 360 or so steps of the Kali Strata every day. 

It is not just the oaks that are confused.

This grape vine is still covered with leaves.

A fine example of Symi plasterwork. 

Note the little angels' faces above the windows, slightly blurred by a century of annual whitewashing.

On a seasonal note, the municipality is testing Symi’s Christmas lights. Regular visitors to Symi may remember that a few years ago bendy light tubes were wound around the street lights, creating a barber pole effect of lights in alternating white and blue during the festive season. These are left permanently in place but only switched on for the holidays. A number of these have slipped down the poles in the course of the summer, with the result that when they were switched on Wednesday the effect was more one of droopy socks than candy canes. Someone was evidently hard at work yesterday, pulling them up because last night all was neat and tidy with pretty lights all the way up the motor road through Chorio and Lieni. The light trees and other decorations are only put up a few days before Christmas. In Greece Christmas is not the commercial extravaganza it has become in the west and while Agios Vassilis (St Basil) brings presents on New Year’s Day, the period of Advent is actually a time of fasting on the church calendar and the religious aspects of the season are not forgotten.

Agios Elefterios Church in Chorio

with the spires of Agios Thannassis and Stavros Church in the background.

This will be my last blog for a while as I am leaving for South Africa to visit my family but there will be random postings on this site by my ghost writers and you can also keep up to date with James Collins’ day to day Symi diary on www.symidream.com/wp. The webcam also provides a window on the weather on Symi throughout the year. Symi Visitor Accommodation is open for booking enquiries throughout the winter so if you need to plan some Symi sunshine in your life, please email Wendy and she will be only too happy to advise you.

Wishing you all a happy festive season.

Regards,

Adriana

Symi Laundry - Symi's one and only laundry. Yacht service available all year round.

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Symi Today

Windows and shutters going in at the Old Market boutique hotel.

Lemonitissa Church all dressed up for a name day. 

The starry boat will be lit up for Christmas.

There is a chilly north-easterly breeze on Symi today and the vapour trails across the cold blue sky are blown into feathers. A cold front is moving slowly across the Balkans and the Greek mainland and is expected to reach Symi by tomorrow evening, bringing several days of thundershowers and downpours so we are making the most of the sunshine while it lasts. Windows and shutters are open to the fresh air and duvets and blankets are airing on balcony railings all over town. Workmen on the building sites are hastening to finish pouring concrete and securing sites against the anticipated deluge.

Full moon rising over Pedi Bay

The full moon has been spectacular these last few evenings and last night when we had friends round for a meal it was mild enough to sit outside, with a fire to keep off the chill. Regular readers of this blog will have noticed that Symi’s winters are a lot milder than they used to be. When we first bought our small holding in 1995 we had to cloche everything to protect the plants from freezing in the cold north winds during the winter and the Agia Marina water course passing through our property used to flow quite violently 2-3 times a winter. Our cloche hoops and plastic tunnels have not been used for many years and the river last flowed in October 2006. Even last year, when the rest of Europe had an exceptionally harsh winter, Symi’s temperatures remained unusually high and there were still aubergines and peppers in the garden in January. We only had ice on the puddles once, in January. Who knows what weather this winter will bring our small island in the Dodecanese?

My neighbour's pigeons swirling in the dusk.

The ferry situation for the winter is still vague and limited. When I spoke to ANES this morning they were still waiting to hear if the Proteus would be running this week. The big ANEK boat from Pireaus, the Ierapetra, only comes through once a week now, on Thursdays, and as Dodecanese Seaways is only running one catamaran to serve all their routes, their service is also severely limited. As things stand at the moment, on Monday 22 November, the next boat from Symi to Rhodes is the Ierapetra on Thursday 25 November, in the afternoon. Christmas shopping this year could be quite a challenge for the people of Symi.

Have a good week.

Regards,
Adriana

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Sunny Days

It is a clear sunny autumn day on Symi. The slightest of breezes is ruffling the water in the harbour and the fishing boats are rocking gently on their moorings. Yialos is very quiet at this time of the year. Apart from a couple of late cruising yachts and small local fishing boats the harbour is empty. The excursion boats have been pulled out for their annual maintenance and inspection, as have most of the water taxis. Interestingly the Poseidon excursion boat is on the hard at the boatyard in Rhodes this year instead of in Harani. The part of Akandia where the Proteus docks is just next to Rhodes boatyard and one has a good view from the top deck of all the boats and yachts while waiting for the ferry to pull out for Symi.

Up in Chorio the balconies are laden with washing as local housewives take advantage of the sunshine. Although these days most families have automatic washing machines tumble driers are a rarity and on sunny days every balcony is festooned with washing. When I first came to Symi ‘proper’ washing machines were very rare. Instead the lucky ones had a stainless steel drum with an agitator at the bottom, a bit like half of a very basic twin tub. The base housing the motor was a cheerful orange and there was a big daisy sticker on the shiny drum to brighten wash days. One filled the drum with water from the tap, added the clothes and plugged it in. The agitator then stirred everything round and round in a sort of tangle. The deluxe model had a timer so one could set it to churn for anything up to an hour but this could take the pile off towels and wear out jeans so was not advised. The washing then had to be drained and rinsed by hand. On water days these gadgets were deployed out in the street so that the water could be drained away easily. The one advantage of this interim technology is that with a little careful planning the same washing water could be used several times, unlike with a modern automatic washing machine. I am sure none of us misses the back breaking lifting of sodden clothes and the hours of heavy work this method of doing the dhobi required.

Have a good weekend.

Regards,

Adriana

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Blinding Sunshine

Looking across at Rhodes Old Town from Kolonna harbour in Rhodes

It is a mild humid day on Symi, very typical of the weather we have been experiencing recently. Low clouds drift by, drizzling intermittently, punctuated by intervals of blinding sunshine. Temperatures are in the mid twenties and we are all wrestling with getting our ‘layers’ right as the humidity makes it feel a lot warmer than it actually is. It is very peaceful on Symi at the moment. The last of the Panormitis festival pilgrims and hawkers have gone home and there is little activity on the streets.

Tug boats in the early morning in Kolonna, Rhodes



The mayoral election passed very quietly as Lefteris Papakalodoukas stood unopposed and is now on his third term of office. Countrywide all the elections were marked by a low turnout – highly unusual in a country where voting is compulsory. The indecisiveness of the weather is mirrored in the indecisiveness of the electorate and throughout Greece the number of ‘white papers’ indicating disapproval of the choices offered was much higher than usual.

Olives and oranges and fat Symi cat.

The Proteus went to Rhodes and Kastellorizon today. ANES will be issuing its schedule weekly until such time as the problems with the Ministry and the subsidy, or lack thereof, have been resolved. ANEK is reducing its service to Symi to once a week. Meanwhile we are all getting used to reading three day old newspapers. It is at times like this that the internet comes into its own for staying in touch with the outside world, particularly as the flow of post to and from the island is more erratic than usual.

Have a good week.

Regards,
Adriana

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A Fresh Lease of Life

The bell tower at Panormitis Monastery

It is a bright and sunny autumn day on Symi. The temperature is 22 degrees but it is warmer in the sun, particularly if one can find a spot out of the breeze. This is the time of the year when Elpida’s and other venues on the north side of the harbour, facing the south, are popular for morning coffee when one comes into town to do errands. In the fortnight that I have been away the island really has slipped into winter mode. There are very few places still open and the harbour is quite empty. The last of the Panormitis festival hawkers were hanging about in the harbour yesterday, waiting to depart on the Ierapetra. The Proteus has done a few trips and has gone to Kastellorizon today. On Friday it is going to Rhodes and back and on Saturday it goes to Kastellorizon again. What happens after that remains to be seen as there is nothing scheduled beyond Saturday. The uncertainty of the Symi ferry service remains a source of concern for the islanders and everyone hopes that some solution is found before the next tourist season.

Small ferries crowding the pier at Panormitis.



A caique laden with fishing traps in Panormitis bay.



The long range weather forecast is unsettled with the possibility of showers and thunderstorms over the weekend. The combination of sunshine and light rain is a magical one for Symi’s plant life and everywhere one looks the landscape is lush and green – a complete contrast to the barren browns of summer. The citrus trees are laden with swelling fruit and the olives are plumping nicely. The shady places are blanketed with bright cyclamen leaves and in the gardens the flowers are enjoying a fresh lease of life.

The Panormitis Festival is as much a shopping experience as a religious one and carpets are always popular at this time of the year.

I am going to Rhodes tomorrow on business as there is no knowing when it will next be possible to do a day return.

A balloon seller sitting outside the pilgrims' cells at Panormitis monastery.

Today’s photographs were taken by Ged Horton at the Panormitis Festival on 8 November. For more photographs, please have a look at Out and About.

Have a good weekend.

Regards,
Adriana

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Another Day

Another beautiful spring like day on Symi; the temperature is fluctuating between 14/28 degrees Centigrade and cloudless blue skies. The food stores are full of fresh vegetables, large green cabbages and cauliflowers. The Symiots' favourite herb appears to be mint, but a certain supermarket in Yialos is also now stocking fresh coriander and I am constantly being asked what recipes it can be used in. I have passed on my recipe for coriander soup and I am awaiting the feedback (no pun intended).

Sandori on Holiday

Sandori is in temporary accommodation until the modifications being carried out to his house in Chorio are completed. As you can see, he is not very happy with his new surroundings.

Mule Break on the Kali Strata

The mules are busy transporting building materials to the houses being restored on the Kali Strata; the drivers decided to let them have a swift break and they consequently took advantage of the rest area.


The Route of all Evil.
Nothing to do with Symi but I thought the following article, extracted from Natalie Haynes wonderful book “The Ancient Guide to Modern Life” was interesting, hope you think so.

Sparta had a lawgiver named Lycurgus, who conducted an attack on wealth, seeing it as an evil that made Spartans soft and prone to crime. He eliminated gold and silver coinage, and made iron the only valid currency assigning a very low value to it, so that the Spartans needed a vast amount to buy anything. And as Plutarch observes “Once this was made legal tender, many types of crime disappeared from Sparta. For who would set out to steal, or accept a bribe, or rob or plunder something which could not be hidden, exited no envy when possessed, and could not even profitably be chopped up”

Food for Thought.

Lycurgus also ensured that the men of Sparta all ate together in mess halls. No matter how wealthy a man might be, he would not be able to sit at home all day on a chaise longue eating the Spartan equivalent of violet creams.

Hope you enjoy (she will be back soon)

Ged Horton.

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