Good Friday - 3 May 2013

The artist is in residence so the shutters are removed on this old shopfront on the Kali Strata

A Kali Strata cat in pensive mood.

A neat paint job to celebrate the spring.  Even the plant pots, many of which are old tins, have had a new coat of paint.

 

It is a hot still day on Symi and the island is bustling with activity. The Blue Star Diagoras has just come in, several hours late.  She is on her way to Kastellorizon for a mini-cruise/long weekend as it is Greek Easter.  At this stage we still don’t know what the Blue Star’s schedule will be after the end of May and if the other shipping company wins the contract instead there is a big question mark as to whether their ship will actually be able to dock in Yialos as it is considerably longer. The Diagoras is already a tight squeeze.  More updates on this on Andy’s blog.

Good Friday is a solemn day on the Greek ecclesiastical calendar.  Most of the locals have been fasting seriously this week and there are many church services to attend.  The ‘bangs’ to frighten away the devil are just a warm up to the even louder bangs to celebrate the Resurrection at midnight on Saturday night.  The shepherds and butchers are busy preparing lambs and kids for the feast on Sunday.  As much of this slaughtering takes place in the evening (to avoid the heat and flies) in the open air (due to lack of facilities) surreal sights of fairy lights illuminating carcasses and piles of entrails confront the unsuspecting passer by.  Some of the entrails are cleaned and turned into mayeritsa, the soup that breaks the fast at midnight.  The remainder are bound together into a kind of long sausage round a spit and grilled next to the animal itself as a kind of appetiser.  Waste not, want not.

I shall next be in the office on Tuesday as I have Easter Monday off.  Tuesday is, however, the relocated May Day bank holiday and Wednesday is VE Day which is always celebrated with a procession and dancing as the Germans signed the Surrender to the Allies on Symi on 8 May 1945.

Have a good weekend.

Regards,

Adriana

Pomegranate petals on the Kali Strata

More painted tins used as planters. This is a new boutique where the herb shop used to be.

The only larkspur I know of on Symi.  Note the traditional May Day wreath on the door.