Autumn Beckons

The first of the many bends in the long and winding road from Chorio to Panormitis monastery at the southern end of the island.  Although Symi is quite a small island it is very steep and mountainous and the road offers some spectacular views.  On a clear day one can see as far as Kos in one direction and Rhodes in the other. It is worth hiring a bike or car for a day to go up to the top and at the same time visit Kokkimides monastery on the second highest peak on Symi as well as Roukonioutis monastery and Toli Bay.

The olives are swelling on the trees. Still green, they will ripen and darken when they reach full size after the first significant rains in late October or early November.  As Symi is such an arid island our olive harvest is later than Rhodes only a few nautical miles away.  Few people have water to irrigate their olives and there is no communal olive press on Symi.

Temperatures are still in the thirties but the worst of the heat is over. The shadows are lengthening and autumn beckons. Autumn in this part of Greece is more like a second spring as when the first rains come in October the temperatures are still warm and plants start growing again. The almond trees put on new leaves and a fine carpet of green appears over night after those precious first rains.

Most gardens are now pretty frazzled but the robust survivors are putting on a late blaze of colour.

My attention was drawn by a delicate cooing from this pergola in Lieni. 

The mysterious noose has gone - or rather, the donkey man has moved on.  The Judas Curse is gaining momentum with fresh announcements every day from www.symidream.com regarding fund raising and the latest names to join the cast.  Kurtis Stacey from popular British soap, Emmerdale, is joining German actress and Symi regular, Wookie Mayer in Symi's first ever horror movie. Filming takes place in October.  Further funding is still required on Kickstarter so if you would like to participate in this exciting project please click on the link.

Have a good week.

Regards,
Adriana