The View from Symi Visitor Accommodation Today

The view from the Kali Strata corner at 8 this morning.

No matter how late everyone finishes in the evening, everything is packed up nicely for the night.

The Vapori Bar's famous mobile has been revamped for another year with shiny new fish and baubles.

The view from my office window at midday today. 
Our new webcam is on the way and should be here on this week's mailboat.

It is a hot sunny day on Symi. The whole of Greece is sizzling under the first serious heatwave of the year and temperatures in Athens are expected to hit 40 degrees.  Here on Symi it is hotter as the arid rocky landscape has been soaking up the heat for days and we get very little wind to take it away again.  Everyone who can is heading for the beach and the water taxis have been very busy this morning.

It is the Pentecost long weekend here and banks and government offices are closed. The tax offices will also be closed for Thursday and Friday this week as they are on strike but that is another story.  Various tax officials came over from Rhodes for the long weekend to combine business with pleasure – well, if you have to do a tax inspection you might as well do it somewhere pretty and make it a bit of a mini-break. 

Symi has always had water problems. The island has no natural water and the Symiots survived, first with harvesting the winter rains in cisterns as part of the houses, then with weekly water rations brought in by water ship from Rhodes, then variations on desalination plants. This year the summer water crisis kicked in a bit earlier than usual as there are problems at the reservoir and pumping station on the Pedi road.  Much of Chorio has been without water for several days and after assurances that it would be back on this morning (Monday), nothing happened and we have now been told ‘maybe Tuesday’.  We hope that this is it for this year and that all the glitches are ironed out before the busy days of July and August.

Have a good week.

Regards,

Adriana