Symi Sizzling in the Summer Sun

This roadside plaque in Petalo reminds passers by of the  Symiot Markos Kladakis who fought in the 'war against Facism and Nazism.' Something those 91 Symiots who voted for Golden Dawn might like to remember.

This discreet sign on a ruin near the bus stop kiosk advertises the new horse and carriage.
On Symi as ever it pays to look up!

The heat wave continues with Symi sizzling in the summer sun.  Midday temperatures have been around 40 degrees all week, dropping to about 30 degrees in the evenings.  The humidity is higher than usual so the early mornings and evenings are quite misty, often with low patches of cloud. The harbour is busy with day trippers and excursion boats, the water taxi boats are plying their trade and there is a happy bustle about the island.  If you are stuck in an office somewhere you can still share Symi with our webcam.  

Now that the election is over and the new government has been sworn in, those who have been uncertain about coming to Greece this summer are busy surfing the net and sending off emails.  We are receiving a lot of last minute booking enquiries for July as well as September and October.  Aegean Airways have slashed prices on their internal flights so there are plenty of bargains to be had for those who are wanting to explore different parts of Greece.  This year independent holiday makers who spend their money locally, booking their accommodation with Greek companies and supporting the small family businesses that are the backbone of the Greek economy really can make a difference.   While the travel companies are pushing people to book all inclusive packages as 'safer', the reality on the ground is that spending your money in Greece is safer than spending it on a package holiday with a company that may fail - as anyone who remembers Kosmar and the various other companies that have folded over the years can testify, long before the Greek economic crisis.  It is how the travel companies manage their money that determines whether they sink or swim, not the Greek economy.

Have a good weekend - and if you haven't decided where to spend your summer holiday yet, please email us :-)

Regards,

Adriana

This intriguing alley of precipitous steps is off the Kali Strata.  The building bulging over the footpath has always intrigued me.  This kind of feature is much more common in the older parts of Chorio than in the relatively recent 'suburbia' of the Kali Strata.

A whitewash job.
Themistokles  from Symi town hall has single-handedly whitewashed his way down the Kali Strata, starting in the early hours of the morning before the sun makes his job untenable.  So much for the myth about 'lazy Greeks'.  Just because people take a siesta in the heat of the afternoon does not mean that they have not put in a day's work starting at 6 a.m

Some of his handy work at the top, between the Kali Strata bar and the Symi Gallery.

The discreet green arrow points out the start of the Kali Strata steps in Yialos.

The steps we all know as the Kali Strata (Good Street) have an official name too.  This road sign about half way down names the road Ierou Lochou - Sacred Band - after the Greek special forces in the Second World War.  Nearly every town and village in Greece has a similarly named road.