Adriana's Symi-a Greek island diary

Symi Festivities

2012-01-09T21:55:00.000+02:00

Symi oranges

Now that the Christmas and New Year festivities have come toan end, the Christmas Trees, decorations and fairy lights have all been packedaway for another year. I would like to reflect on the various gifts that wereceived from our friends. As you are aware, we do not have the likes of theplush department stores that you can find throughout the European cities, butwe want for nothing (maybe a little snow).

The presents that were given to each other were all handmade, whether they were in the form of confectionary, mince pies, cakes orchocolates or in one instance I was given a beautiful hand carved choppingboard with my name engraved upon it. People use their imagination and I find itvery humbling, but enough of this humbug.

I have to praise myself and George the butcher in Chorio,who managed to supply me with a 3 Kg Agriogourouno (Wild Boar) which I turnedinto a stew on New Years day. I found a recipe which had Cumin, Oranges, Red Wine,Sultanas and Chocolate and I cooked the stew on a low heat for 12 hours, servedwith carrot and potato mash and spicy cabbage. I think it was appreciated byall present.

I believe the Epiphany went down well but due to conflictingtimes I managed to miss the retrieving of the Cross from the Harbour, which Iam informed was carried out by somebody in a suit?

Weddings were in abundance on Symi this weekend: firstly avery large gathering at Panomitis, with most of the people on the islandpresent, for Nikolas and Anna’s Wedding and secondly on Sunday, a wedding whichstarted in the squire in Chorio and proceeded to Lemonitsa church. Luckily therain had stopped but the hems of the small bridesmaid’s dresses were draggingin the pools of rainwater, this did not seem to deter them from their bridesmaid’sduties.

Guest post by Ged Horton.

December on Symi.

2011-12-20T15:10:00.000+02:00

The rains have arrived on Symi with a vengeance, this morning the black clouds gathered over the mountains and the heavens opened. It never fails to fascinate me how quickly the water gathers in torrents and cascades down the passageways to the Kali Strata and beyond. I managed to make my way to the bus stop in time to catch the 10.30 from Chorio, once onboard I noticed the heat within the bus sending steam off the backs of the drenched passengers, the wet umbrellas were left in various stages of half open and closed and placed in the aisle, the excess water gathering in pools. By the time I had reached the harbour in Yialos the rains had stopped and the winter sun was breaking through the clouds. People were now going about their business, the bakery; banks and the Post office seemed the most popular venues.

A new project which has just taken place in Chorio is the “Handmade in Symi” exhibition, the brainchild of Ian Haycoxs. The opening reception was on the 18th December and it houses various pieces by local residents and pupils of Ian’s art classes. The turnout at the exhibition was exceptional and it says a lot about the community spirit on Symi.

Guest post by Ged Horton

A Small Greek Island in the Dodecanese

2011-11-25T11:34:00.001+02:00

Shadow play on Nimos as seen from the top of Chorio.

Early rain means fat olives.

The Blue Star Diagoras speeding past Pedi Bay, on her way round to Yialos.

An old chimney stack in the old part of Chorio.
It has been repaired at some point with an enamel basin to prevent rain coming down the chimney.

Another bright sunny winter’s day on Symi, a small Greekisland in the Dodecanese. Temperaturesremain in the teens, dropping to single figures at night with heavy dewfalls. There is a low pressure systemworking its way slowly across the Mediterranean, bring the possibility ofclouds and thundershowers from tomorrow. This year November has been colder and drier than usual. On the mainland it is very much colder now andan interesting sign of the times is reports of an upsurge in the use of oldfashioned wood burning stoves for heating, even in the apartment blocks inAthens. It is easy to forget that Greecehas a winter and for much of Greece the winters can be every bit as harsh asthose experienced in Northern Europe and North America. Snow falls in parts of Athens andThessalonica every year and in the mountainous rural areas people really battendown. Here on Symi, where centralheating is very unusual and the old houses with their high ceilings aredifficult to heat efficiently, woodstoves and fireplaces are quite common andin the evenings the scent of woodsmoke is on the air. It is not uncommon in oldSymi houses to find a moussandra sleeping loft above the kitchen and possiblyeven a soufa, sleeping platform, in the kitchen itself, to make the most ofwarmth from the kitchen fireplace. In myfarmhouse I have a beautiful Vergina cast iron stove which I bought in Rhodes someyears ago which has a good sized oven and is suitable for cooking as well andthat is what we cook on and heat our home with from the end of October throughto April.

It is very quiet on Symi today as a lot of people have takenadvantage of the day trip on the Proteus to Rhodes today. ANES is offeringdiscounts for the two days in the week that it is possible to do a day tripfrom Symi to Rhodes and in these cash strapped times this is a goodincentive. While the festive season ferryschedule remains a mystery and there is still no word of when the Panagia Skiadeni will be running, at least Symi has boats for the next few weeks, goodsare arriving on the island and people can get to Rhodes without the additionalexpense of hotel accommodation.

This will be my last Symi blog for a while as I am leavingon Sunday for Rhodes to catch a plane to South Africa on Tuesday and will onlybe back on Symi again in early February. In the meantime James Collins will keep you up to date on www.symidream.wp and my team of IT-challengedvolunteers will endeavour to post occasional photographs on Out and About J There is also our popular Symi Visitor webcam and Chat Page. You can also find Symi Visitor Accommodation on Facebook where Symi devotees share their favourite photographs of Symi and regular and new visitors can exchange information.

Wishing you all a happy festive season and ‘Kalo Chimona’

Regards,

Adriana

An Air of Optimism

2011-11-21T10:18:00.001+02:00

The weather remains unseasonably chilly on Symi for the time of year – it is not usually this cold until well into December – but the sun is shining so the sunny side of the harbour is a popular place to be if one has nothing much else to do. As Symi is so steep the days are very short now – it takes several hours for the sun to climb over the hills to shine down into Yialos and Pedi and it seems as though one has only just warmed up before it slips behind the Vigla again and that is another day done. We saw the first European Robin in our garden this morning and my damask roses which normally bloom in April and May have decided to give us a few deliciously scented blooms before winter sets in for good. The next spell of rainy weather is expected to reach Symi next week end, bringing with it a slight rise in temperatures as wet weather usually comes from the South in the Eastern Mediterranean, picking up some warmth from North Africa before it reaches us.

The ANES car ferry, the Proteus, made a jubilant return to Symi yesterday – hooters tooting triumphantly. Her schedule up to 31 December 2011 is now up on the ANES website and her crew are very happy to be back in business. Meanwhile there is still no word as to when the schedule for the eagerly anticipated Dodecanese Seaways ferry, Panagia Skiadeni will be released. In the meantime the selection of goods in the shops has been greatly improved by the twice weekly visits of the Diagoras Blue Star and there have been reports of parsnip sightings in the fridges at Sotiris’ supermarket in Chorio.

Something else that is sufficiently unseasonable to cause comment is Symi’s Christmas lights. In an unprecedented move, Symi municipality is actually putting them up early this year and we already have cheerful barber pole light tubes up the street lamps in Chorio and Yialos and the little ships and doves of peace are in place on the lamp posts in Yialos. Another municipal initiative that is currently underway is the completion of the crazy paving around the harbour which was started earlier in the summer before the season began. It is a wise move to get this done now, before the exceptionally high tides that flood the harbour during the winter storms begin. Both of these projects make use of materials and labour already to hand and bring an air of optimism to our little community without raising comments about extravagance and expense in these times of austerity.

Have a good week.

Regards,

Adriana

A Typical November Day on Symi, Greece

2011-11-18T10:06:00.001+02:00

The dry dusty stones of summer have turned into hanging gardens of plants, both indigenous and imported. On this slope near the bus stop in Yialos the bright red leaves of Virginia creeper share space with self-seeded wild cyclamens.

The bulbs from which these cyclamens are growing are buried deep in the crevices of these volcanic rocks. By the time I return from South Africa at the end of January they will be full of delicately scented

pale pink blooms.

The Blue Star Diagoras is a welcome sight as she rounds Nimos and heads for Yialos.

Her reception committee - due to the weather and the shipping ban last weekend these trucks have been stranded on Symi for a week.

This Kali Strata mansion was restored recently but the small gate into the garden is still the original.

Wash day in Chorio. Tumble driers are virtually unheard of on Symi - the houses are too small and electricity too expensive - instead the locals make use of free sunshine and the dry northerly wind.

Have a good weekend.

Regards,
Adriana

More Shipping News

2011-11-15T11:20:00.001+02:00

Since I published my blog yesterday morning it has been announced that the Proteus will be providing a limited service between Symi and Rhodes for the period 20 Novermber to 24 December. She will run on Tuesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays so we still have a bottle-neck of boats at the weekend and little during the week but the Dodecanese Seaways Panagia Skiadeni has been blessed and should be releasing her timetable soon which should fill some gaps.

The Queen Elizabeth photographed in Rhodes last week, as seen from the vehicle ramp of the Blue Star Diagoras.

A lone fisherman in Rhodes. The cruise ship season is not quite over yet.

Photographs by Nicholas Shum

Slick with Snails

2011-11-14T11:17:00.001+02:00

It is a damp and drizzly November day. The gale force north easterly winds and plunging temperatures that have disrupted weekend shipping and sent everyone in Greece in search of winter woollies have largely passed Symi by. Instead we have had little wind and persistent rainy weather with 20 mm recorded over the past 24 hours. The weather is expected to clear by midday on Tuesday with temperatures remaining in the mid to low teens for the rest of the week. Walking down to the office this morning in the rain, the wet stones of the Kali Strata were slick with snails and I did not pass a single person.

In the three weeks that I have been away the island has slipped into winter mode. There are very few people on the streets, many businesses have closed for the winter and the ferry schedules have reached an all time low, with boats only running between Symi and Rhodes at weekends. This means that anyone who has any business to do in Rhodes is forced to spend the night there – or the best part of a week if the job in hand cannot be completed before the departure of the Blue Star Diagoras at 16.00 on Monday afternoons. At a time when everyone is counting the pennies this is very expensive and may make the difference between people being able to afford to go to Rhodes for essential medical treatment that can only be done there or going without. It also means that getting essential foodstuffs and commodities onto Symi has become very difficult. At the moment everyone’s hopes are pinned on the Panagia Skiadeni, Dodecanese Seaways’ new car ferry, which had an outing for the Panormitis Festival but has remained firmly in Kolonna ever since. There is also a rumour that the Proteus may be staging a comeback but it is too soon to tell if this is just wishful thinking.

Following in the footsteps of Greece’s Finance Minister, Mr Venezelos, who raised VAT on spinach pies to 23% but left it at 13% on custard pies, work on the new Symi cake shop in the lane next to the Symi Visitor Accommodation office is proceeding apace. Our office is reverberating with drills and hammers and we are looking forward to the day when the work is finished and we can enjoy the aromas of freshly baked cakes instead. Let them eat cake indeed.

Have a good week.

Regards,

Adriana

Cruise Ships of All Shapes and Sizes

2011-10-21T10:01:00.000+03:00

Winter has come to the small island of Symi in theDodecanese. The trappings of summer arebeing packed away and the winter drop cloths and weather proof furniture beingpacked out at the various coffee shops around the harbour. It is only a matterof time before the gas space heaters appear behind the plastic weathercurtains. Most tourist businesses are now closed and itis only those who get some lingering day tripper and yachting trade that arestill open down in Yialos. As business life on theisland winds down, Symi’s winter cultural life is perking up. Last weekend Ian Haycox’s art classes foradults and children began and and the posters are now up to advertise RhiannonWheeler’s very popular ballet and dance classes.

Cruise ships in Rhodes on 19 October 2011

Rhodes has a large pack of feral dogs and while we were taking the photograph above, the whole bouncing crew came out of the gate of the Old Town, waited for the traffic lights to change, and then rushed across the road to the beach. In the past on hot days we have seen them swimming at this little beach between Kolonna and the main commercial harbour but this time they were intent on checking for left over sandwiches and other edibles.

With all the strikes many of the fuel stations around the country are running low on fuel. We tried several before finding this one near Akandia which still had one pump open.

Fresh food for Symi - with no car ferries at the moment Symi and the other islands are dependent on whatever can be crammed onto the Dodecanese Seaways catamarans as they pass through.

This cruise ship was anchored off Nimos on Wednesday. Guests came ashore in small boats to visit Symi.

I was in Rhodes earlier in the week, sorting out my Aegean Airlines flightto the UK which was affected by the strikes mid-week so I am now flyingtomorrow instead. Rhodes was packed withcruise ships of all shapes, sizes and levels of glamour. They did not seem to be affected by thevarious strikes whereas the commercial ships were all lying at anchor off shoreand there were no ferries, just the trusty Dodecanese Seaways service fromKolonna. In the absence of a car ferryservice to the islands this week this was packed with produce when we came backon it on Wednesday morning. Mr Spanos himselfwas supervising the loading when we left Kolonna and the slickness of theoperation is impressive. When the ferrygot to Symi and the saloon doors opened to let the passengers out, the wheeledcrates with all the goods and luggage for Symi were already on the dock forlocals to unpack. Those crates whichwere emptied in the time it took for the new passengers to embark were hauledback on board and the remainer left on the quay to be picked up when the boatpassed through again on her south bound route in the evening. Turn around time10 minutes.

Rhodes reflects the changing demographic of tourism in thearea, with many signs up in Russian, Polish and Hebrew. We hired a car to get to the airport and backas it worked out cheaper than taking the taxi both ways and as we were in Rhodesanyway we had other errands to do to make the most of the time. The man from Budget Rent-a-Car who served uswas a Lebanese Greek from Beirut, fluent in Greek, English, French, Arabic andHebrew.

All being well I will be in England until 10 November so mynext blog will be on my return.

Regards,

Adriana

Green Shoots in Symi's Second Spring

2011-10-17T11:59:00.000+03:00

It is raining again on Symi and all over Greece the winter growing season is now well underway. October is like a second spring as rain combines with moderate temperatures and revives the island's flora and gardens from their summer dormancy. October might not be a good month for beach goers but it is certainly an interesting one for botanists.

Scrubby oregano bushes turning from dusty bundles of twigs to soft green leaves.

A vivid display of bougainvillea in the lanes of Chorio.

The early rain is fattening the olives and these will soon be ready for picking.

Lupins punching their way up through the sun-baked earth.

The first cyclamen leaves. These will only flower after the winter solstice and remain in bloom until April.

And the first leaves of the little monks' cowl orchids

Freshly Washed

2011-10-14T11:23:00.001+03:00

The little island of Symi is gleaming brightly, freshly washed after several days of heavy rain, thunder showers and squalls. A luminous green haze of new vegetation tinges the hillsides and terraces and the moss and ferns are reviving from the summer drought. Symi received over 40 millimetres of rain in the recent bout of wet weather and it certainly shows. This weekend the Pedi valley will be humming with rotavators as everyone takes advantage of the freshly softened earth before the next bout of showery weather moves in on Sunday.

Here are some photographs of Symi in her autumnal colours for you to enjoy.

The windmills of Chorio catching the late afternoon sun.

Looking across Yialos from the sunny side towards the Kastro and the Kali Strata. The hill in the far background is actually the Vigla, Symi's highest point at 700 metres.

Sponge sellers and tourists along the waterfront in Yialos.

This is definitely the sunny side at this time of the year.

The pediment of this building in Yialos was part of the cover of an old Symi guide book

written by J. Farmakides. Now out of print this was a very interesting and

informative book and worth looking out for.

If you look carefully there is a face under the balcony, partially masked by the light fitting.

Have a good weekend.

Regards,

Adriana

Symi’s International Art Scene - More Good News from Greece

2011-10-10T12:32:00.002+03:00

The small Dodecanese island of Symi has appealed to foreign artists for many years. Oneonly has to think back to Daniel Spoerri, an exhibition dedicated to whose workwas presented by Walter Blumberger in the downstairs of the old Symi Visitoroffice in 2007. Jytte Loehr, Cobi Sanders, Wolfgang Rehbach and many othershave found Symi an inspiring and stimulating environment in which to pursuetheir muse.

As the summer season draws to a close Symi’s main artgalleries report a very successful season. The Monday evening wine nights at the Symi Dream Gallery at the top ofthe Kali Strata steps have drawn at least 857 people to date, many of whom havethen spent the rest of the evening in the various tavernas, restaurants, barsand cafes in Chorio. Apart fromproviding a venue for ODAS, the Symi art group headed by Aruni Konstantinidi,for the past 4 years, the Symi Dream gallery has hosted the Symi Dreamersrolling exhibition,displaying works by artists from Greece, Australia, Germany, Denmark,Holland, the USA, Cyprus, France, Norway and Italy amongst others and at least 10 pieces are known to have been sold, notcounting the four sold by Christina Kirk and the ones she auctioned whichraised 80 euros for art materials for the junior school.

Local artist in residence, Ian Haycox, whose work can beseen at the Symi Gallery, the upper floor of an old Kali Strata mansion house,just down from the Kali Strata bar has sold 7 pieces to a wide range of nationalities and provided the following observations:

I came to paint in Greece after a period of working as alecturer in charge of an art history section in a further educationcollege. In this role I often read allkinds of research relating to the subject. One interesting study completed by an American university was ananalysis of viewers responses to pictures exhibited in galleries andmuseums. The conclusions reached statedsimply were that the majority of gallery visitors would spend around three tofive seconds looking at pictures. Anyonespending six to ten seconds would be looking at a piece that they reallyliked. Anyone looking at a painting forover eleven seconds was generally found to be some kind of artsprofessional. A dismaying conclusion forartists!

I have been exhibiting in many different locationsthroughout Greece for a number of years now. I can confidently state that these conclusions do not bear anyrelationship to a Greek audience. MostGreek visitors to my shows have come as couples and they have generally spentmany minutes looking at works both individually and together. They would often return to picturesrepeatedly to discuss their thoughts. Rather than the bleak picture that the American research paints theGreek experience gives artists a huge compliment. It is very flattering to have such attentionwhether this leads to picture sales or not.

This situation also pertains to my experience as gallerydirector here in Symi. I have hostedwork by artists from all over Europe and America and the Greek response hasbeen the same; a huge amount of attention paid to the work on exhibition!

In addition the Greek audience is prepared to buy art. Around 50% of my sales have been to Greeks asagainst the rest being split between foreign visitors and foreign residents.

There is a clear message to artists - Exhibit in Greece!!

Have a good week.

Regards,

Adriana

Good News from Greece

2011-10-07T09:16:00.000+03:00

A little frayed at the edges but still flying high.

Greek flag at Agios Emilanos - photograph by Ged Horton

Despite what the international media might have one believe,things in Greece are not all bad.

Wednesday’s general strike was certainly inconvenient butthe taxis and ferries ran as normal and we have had some very positive feedbackfrom people about how various airlines handled the air traffic controllers’strike. For example visitors travellingwith Easyjet were rescheduled to fly the next day and offered a free change totheir return flight so that they could extend their stay in Greece if theywanted to. Monarch contacted all of their passengers as soon as the strike was confirmed and informed them of their new departure times. In the case of one couple we know, it enabled them to spend another day on the beach in Symi and that is no bad thing. To the best of our knowledge no one was left stranded.

Tourist arrivals in Greece in general continue to increasewith Corfu, Crete and Rhodes reporting bumper airport figures. While a large proportion of these people willbe staying in all-inclusive hotels and may not be spending much in thecommunity, they are enabling hotels to remain open and provide employment andwe know from past experience here on Symi, today’s package resort holiday makeris often tomorrow’s enthusiastic independent traveler.

Another item on the tourism and transport front is, ofcourse, Dodecanese Seaways’ acquisition of a small car ferry which should comeinto operation soon. Dodecanese Seawayshas also commissioned a new high speed catamaran similar to their existinghighly successful ones. This should gosome way to meeting the needs of the Dodecanese islands while ANES has arethink. Dodecanese Seaways can never bea replacement for ANES and in any case it is unwise for Symi to be totallydependent on the whims and fortunes of one private shipping company.

The recent ruling by the ECJ in favour of pub landlady Karen Murphy in the UK has brought Greeksatellite provider Nova into the limelight – and goes to show that a Greekcompany can provide a quality affordable service, the antithesis to ‘rip offBritain’.

2011-09-27T10:40:00.001+03:00

Despite what the foreign media would have one believe, Greece is not all strikes and disorder. On the small island of Symi, a place that has withstood thousands of years of invaders, pirates, occupying forces and economic ups and downs, a timeless peace prevails.

Yialos, Symi's main harbour, at 8 in the morning. The autumn sun is just creeping across Mavrovouni, warming Villa Iris, Spiti Grand Helene and Villa Gabrielle. The road is wet because the municipality hoses it down with sea water every morning to wash away the dust. That large stone building is an old sponge merchant's premises which now houses the Symi branch of the National Bank of Greece. The peach and blue building to the left, behind the pedestrians, is Symi's customs' house. In the days when the Poseidon and the Triton were still able to go to Datca on Saturdays they would depart from this quay.

Three little dandelions on the Kali Strata. The 10 mm or so of rain we had last week is responsible for their sudden appearance. Plants don't have the luxury of a long life cycle in an environment where there is no knowing when the next rain will fall and nourishment is limited to whatever soil is trapped between the paving stones.

An unusual facade on the Kali Strata. The person who built this house must have been very wealthy indeed. I wonder what stood in the niches on either side of the balcony doors. Note the little ruffle of curtains above the doors and the two faces looking out to sea.

Another intriguing Kali Strata mansion. This large and rambling house is one of the oldest on the row, hence the Ottoman influence in the detail above the door, but at the same time emphatically Christian with its ornate crucifix. There seems to be one solitary old lady living there now. She sits on her doorstep in the mornings, talking to passers by as they go up and down the steps.

Most Symi houses have a grape vine over the courtyard for shade. Some owners remove the bunches of flowers in the spring to avoid problems with squishy grapes and drunken wasps as the summer progresses but this one has been allowed to grow without intervention. It is the electricity cable for support so it is going to be quite a challenge to pick the grapes. They are about 6 metres up.

This little sphinx is on the apex of the roof of the old kafeneion next to the Symi Visitor Accommodation office. Dino, the chandler and Lukas, the greengrocer, have rigged awnings over the lane to keep the sun off their wares.

I believe that one of the reasons why Symi's neo-classical architecture is so pleasing to the eye is because it reminds us of the houses we used to draw as children, with a door in the middle, a window on either side and a pointed roof. A comforting image of what a house should look like. I wonder if modern children draw apartment blocks instead?

Have a good week.

Regards

Adriana

Celebrating the First Rains

2011-09-23T11:00:00.000+03:00

The dust of summer has been washed off at last and the colours are glowing.

Refreshing greenery on the slopes of the Kastro, above the Kali Strata.

It does not take long for the weeds to pop up on the Kali Strata.

Not sure why this chicken decided to cross the road but I passed her stomping purposefully up the Panormitis road as I was walking down to work this morning.

The Vespa - the traditional vehicle of choice for Symiots for many years and likely to see a revival with the punitive taxes on motor cars and high fuel prices.

It will be several weeks yet before there is regular rain to fill Symi's reservoirs.
In the meantime the watership from Rhodes is paying us a visit.

The anchorage off Harani is quite deserted now. The fancy white building towards the centre is the police station and post office. The Nireus Hotel, Sofia's House, the Hotel Aliki, the Merchant House, Despina's apartment, Villa Karnayo and the Kostas Kleanthi Studios are all in the picture.

Day trippers might be in short supply but the water taxis to the beaches are busy.
That is another view of the water ship on the left.

Have a good weekend.

Regards,
Adriana

The Golden Light of Autumn

2011-09-20T09:38:00.000+03:00

Symi is bathed in the golden light of autumn as the shadowslengthen and the days grow shorter. Mistymornings turn into steamy days and the valley is carpeted with fallenleaves. There is a small possibilitythat the island may receive some rain in the form of thundershowers in thecourse of the week but nature is already showing tentative signs ofrevival. Wherever there is moisture themoss is slowly turning green and up on the motor road above Yialos the firstsquills are punching their way through the tarmac and sending up waveringspires on the rocky hillsides. The end of the long summer drought is insight. Temperatures remain in the thirties and the nights arestill warm enough for outdoor living.

The Blue Star Diagoras as seen from the entrance of the Symi Spacephone mobile phone shop
one recent Saturday morning.

"Wish me luck as you wave me good bye!"

Down in theharbour, the Blue Star Diagoras is carefully manoeuvring her way out of Yialos, en route from Pireusto Rhodes. This is the only car ferry wehave at the moment and when her program finishes in a few weeks Symi will bestranded unless the rumoured car ferry acquisition of Dodecanese Seawaysbecomes fact. The ANES website is nowshowing no schedules whatever, only a weather forecast, so the outlook is notpromising. All Symi’s hopes are pinnedon Dodecanese Seaways at the moment but their existing fleet is not designed totake more than a few cars and cannot take trucks or large amounts of freight,hence the anxiety about car ferries. Symi has a permanent all year round population of about 3000 people and they require food, drink and all the other necessities of life. Onething is certain, Symi is rapidly reverting to the quiet island of theSeventies and Eighties. For more travelnews, please read Andy’s travel blog.

Have a good week.

Regards,

Adriana

Sunny and Calm

2011-09-16T13:09:00.001+03:00

Today's whimsical photographs of a windmill in Chorio are by Nicholas Shum.

The decorator potential of the humble prickly pear is not to be underestimated.

Yialos remains unseasonably quiet as the ferry crisis continues. Once the overnighting yachts and gulets have untangled their anchors and departed and the excursion boats and water taxis have headed out for the day Yialos is deserted. The Dodecanese Seaways catamaran came in at 12 noon with a group of day trippers and the Discovery has also come over from Rhodes but it is a far cry from the normal day tripper trade at this time of the year. For up dates on the ferry situation, please see Andy’s travel blog.

There are, however, plenty of visitors staying on the island at the moment as the traditional Symi regulars have arrived and are renewing their acquaintanceship with the excursion boats, tavernas and favourite watering holes. British, Scandinavian and German visitors dominate at this time of the year with a few Spaniards and Americans thrown in to enliven the mix. They spend their days on the water or at the beach and their evenings convivially but can do little to alleviate the plight of the daytime tourist shops around the harbour. Anyone who has been coming here for 20 years or more has already bought every Symi souvenir they ever wanted and is more likely to be focusing on filling the memory bank at Agios Emilianos than buying knickknacks.

The weather remains sunny and calm with a slight possibility of thundershowers in the early part of next week. Midday temperatures are still in the thirties, dropping to the mid twenties in the evening. It is still not cool enough to warrant shawls in the evening but long sleeves do help to keep the mosquitoes at bay.

Have a good weekend.

Regards,

Adriana

Warm Summer Nights

2011-09-12T13:11:00.003+03:00

This old ruin in Chorio was originally plastered to make the stone walls look as though they were brick. Only a fragment remains, on the corner opposite Kampos.

Looking down Pedi Valley to Pedi Bay at 7 in the morning.

The vines are turning from green to yellow.

One of the small day excursion boats that come over from Rhodes.

In the absence of the Symi and the Proteus, day trippers are coming across from Rhodes in vessels reminiscent of the Dunkirk 'Little Ships'. They bring some relief for the waterfront tourist shops and tavernas but cannot bring anything like the 1000 plus visitors per day that are normal for September.

The small island of Symi is, like many other islands inGreece, suddenly a lot quieter than it ought to be for September. What is usually one of the busiest months ofthe year has been struck by a dire lack of boats as at least 80 Greek vesselshave been pulled from service due to problems with their paperwork. While larger centres such as Rhodes arepacked with holiday makers staying in resort hotels, Symi is only seeing afraction of the number of day trippers who normally come over as many of theboats used for the purpose are among those affected. For the background story and updates pleasesee Andy’s travel blog. Meanwhile theregular September visitors to Symi, many of whom have been coming here fortwenty years or more, are reminded of what Symi was like in the 1970s and 80s,when the island’s tourist industry was in its infancy. James Collins has been putting up some interesting old photographs harking back to this golden age on his blog which you can see here.

The weather continues warm and settled with fairly highhumidity levels. Midday temperatures arein the mid to high thirties, dropping to about 25 degrees centigrade atnight. Although the autumn equinox isround the corner there are no strong winds or thunderstorms showing up in thelong term forecast and the island is enjoying a prolonged summer. With clear skies the full moon is a glorioussight and dining out under the stars is one of the joys of warm Greek summernights.

On a less romantic note, the taxi drivers’ union has calledmore strikes which are mainly affecting Athens and Thessalonica. We heard this morning that some of the taxisin Rhodes are striking alternate days but there has been no mention of thetaxis on Symi joining in. This is thelast month to make the rent money for the winter and like everyone else inseasonal employment on Symi, the taxi drivers really do have to make hay whilethe sun shines.

Have a good week.

Regards,

Adriana

Suddenly Deserted

2011-09-11T09:52:00.000+03:00

With the loss of the day boats from Rhodes Yialos is suddenly deserted. If it was not for the cruise ship from Cyprus and these two small excursion boats from Rhodes, the Discovery and the Glaros, the tourist businesses in the harbour might as well shut up shop. We haven't seen the harbour this empty since April and September is usually a busy and bustling month for Symi. We hope that this latest Greek shipping crisis is resolved quickly as otherwise it is going to be a very lean winter indeed for many business owners and their staff. September is the last month when money can be made to cover the winter expenses

Regards,

Adriana

Important Ferry Information

2011-09-10T13:47:00.001+03:00

If you are travelling to Symi this month there have been major changes to the ferry service for the island which may impact on your travel plans. Please read our travel blog on http://symivisitor-accommodation.com/blog/ for regular updates on the situation and the background story to the present situation. Wednesday afternoon arrivals this week need to be aware that the Dodecanese Express will now be departing even earlier, at 17.00. If you have booked your tickets on line Dodecanese Seaways should contact you with your new travelling time but if you have not already booked your ticket we strongly advise that you do so as soon as possible to be sure of getting on the boat. Wednesday morning departures can now travel at either 8 a.m or 10 a.m - there is no longer a 9.15a.m departure. Please change your tickets at Symi Tours, the local agent for Dodecanese Seaways. For further schedule information please go to www.12ne.gr/en/ or contact whoever you have booked your accommodation with. Adriana

Friday Morning Traffic on the Kali Strata, Symi

2011-09-09T10:58:00.001+03:00

Weathered Whitewash

2011-09-05T14:55:00.003+03:00

The luxury yacht 'South' in Yialos, Symi's main harbour this morning. During the peak weeks of the summer season Yialos becomes a mini Monaco, full of glamorous boats and equally glamorous people. This is only a thin veneer though as one does not have to climb far out of the town to be among normal people and it is rare for celebrities to make it as far as Chorio.

The Star of Macedonia on an old pediment in Chorio. The Symiots are not afraid of vibrant colour in their houses and in the old days whitewash (asvesti) was mixed with ground mineral pigments to produce some stunning shades. These days convenient synthetic paints such as Vitex have taken over, which are more durable but lack the magic of weathered whitewash.

Sunshine yellow and some interesting pipework for the bathroom downstairs. This terrace is far too hot to sit out on in the heat of the day but at 10 o'clock in the evening, when the working day is finally over, it is a cool living space under the stars.

The last lap of the Kali Strata and the end is in view. Climbing up from Yialos, this is the sight that greets one as one turns the corner by the Kali Strata bar, the spot from which I take so many photos of Harani and the clock tower area on the way down to work in the morning. The fronts of the steps are whitewashed every year but by September they start to look a bit shabby, there being no water to hose them down until the first rains come in late October, at which point these same steps become a raging torrent. The Symi Dream shop, Constantinos' computer shop, a flower shop and various bars and cafes line the way to Syllogos Square (Chorio Square). This is also the route to the Hotel Fiona if one wants to go up to the hotel on foot.

St John's Church in Yialos - now Symi's cathedral. This is in a small close two blocks back from the sea. The lanes on either side of the close house a chandler, boutiques, a plant shop and Symi's only book shop.

Daedalus tumbles on a lantern in Chorio. See if you can spot this the next time you are exploring the lanes of the old town.

Simple markings in the plaster on this ruined house in Chorio. Fig trees rapidly colonise abandoned properties, sustained by trapped rain water in the cisterns beneath these houses. It is common practice to stack stones across the door and window apertures to prevent dumping. As there is no door-to-door household refuse collection system and everyone has to take their rubbish to one of the skips placed at the nearest vehicle access point, it is sometimes tempting to dump items in the nearest abandoned ruin instead. This is the story behind old Vespas and 1960s domestic items spotted in unlikely locations.

Have a good week.

Regards,

Adriana

2011-08-23T08:19:00.000+03:00

Imagine stepping out onto the balcony of your third floor accommodation to find the bows of a ship blocking out the view. This happens a lot on the Mouragio side of the harbour in the summer.

When I was a sailor it was regarded as poor etiquette and bad seamanship to set off with laundry flapping and fenders trailing but times have evidently changed.

That black cat gets around.

Edging her way in.

It is half past seven in the morning and the Salamis Lines cruiseship, Salamis Filoxenia, has just docked in Yialos, Symi’s picturesqueharbour. Announcements over the ship’s tannoyecho round the harbour, telling the passengers where they are, what they shouldsee and when they should report back to the ship. Salamis Lines and LouisLines, both Cypriot cruise lines, pay regular visits to Symi during thesummer. Their cruises are not so muchglamour outings as pilgrimages, stopping at the most important monasteryislands in the area, and their passengers are looking for something a bit deeper than fun in the sun. This is why on cruise ship days one cannotfind a taxi on Symi – they are all busy shuttling people across the island toPanormitis monastery. Last yearDodecanese Seaways used to time one of their trips to take people round theisland to Panormitis Bay, and the year before that it was the sadly missed Symi II whichused to provide this service. This year, however, it seems to be entirely inthe hands of Symi’s six taxis. After Symi the cruise goes on to Patmos, whereSt John the Divine is believed to have had his Revelations.

Many of Symi's old buildings have stones marked with the date on which they were dedicated.

See if you can find this one the next time you are in Yialos.

Villa Azra, the top left apartment with the blue shutters, is a new listing on our books. It has one of the most astonishing and distinctive pediments on Symi. That is supposedly the Colossus of Rhodes, legs astride, but what the prone female figure beneath him is pointing at we leave to your imagination.

Hot weather means cold drinks.

Thousands of plastic drinking straws on the wall at Sotiris' supermarket in Chorio.

Today there is theannual festival at the small monastery on Nimos Island, with music, dancing,food and wine until late in the night. The water taxis will be providing a shuttle service and there areposters up around the town, advertising the event. This name day celebration is popular withlocals and visitors alike and is a good reason to visit this usuallyinaccessible and uninhabited island. Unlike summer festivals in other parts of the world, ones on Symi areseldom disrupted by rain.

The weather on Symi remains hot and humid with day time temperaturesin the high thirties and the nights very still and sticky with mist. We are all looking forward to the cooler daysof September.

Have a good week.

Regards,

Adriana

Postcards from Symi

2011-08-20T09:11:00.000+03:00

As the temperatures moderate the island's insect life is reviving. Thirsty bees clamour for water at every tap and animal water dish and the butterflies are back. This beauty was in the shade house where I grow my peppers and aubergines.

Another restoration completed. This old house on the Kali Strata was reroofed about 2 winters ago and fully replastered. In recent weeks the paint work was completed and a fine piece of pebblework laid at the threshold. Symi's main attraction is the island's beautiful neo-classical architecture and the Kali Strata, the nineteenth century highway of about 350 steps connecting the old top town of Chorio with Yialos, the main harbour, has some of the finest examples.

The upper reaches of the Kali Strata are deserted when I walk to work in the morning but in the evenings, when the shops and cafes are open, the same steps are humming with people. The corner where the cat has paused is the place where I stop to photograph the yachts lying off Harani and the clock tower, a familiar view on these pages but one which changes daily throughout the year as boats come and go.

The same black cat. I wondered what the cat was watching so intently and a few minutes later a labourer emerged from the lane, pushing a wheelbarrow. In this climate anyone doing manual work starts at 7 a.m or even earlier to avoid the heat of the day.

A tantalising glimpse of the harbour from between the mansions on the Kali Strata. This keyhole reveals a different view every time I stop to look. While changes to the buildings on the shore are more subtle and harder to discern, the orderly arrangements of Symi's hard-working 'mooring men' provide a different pattern on the water every day.

The view from my desk at Symi Visitor Accommodation gives me everything from tall ships and classics to power yachts and ferries, a view we share with the world, not just through the photographs on this blog but also via our addictive webcam.

Have a good weekend.

Regards,

Adriana

Chasing Shadows

2011-08-16T08:13:00.002+03:00

Mouragio and Harani on 15 August, traditionally the busiest day of the year in Greece.

The island of Nimos, serene in the morning calm.

The small white building just visible is the monastery which celebrates its name day on 23 August.

Chasing shadows down the Kali Strata

Man's Best Friend

Traditional Stone Balconies.

I noticed these along the quay in Yialos this morning.

It is unusual for them all to be in such good condition and

for a whole row to have the original stone and wrought iron work.

A very happy name day to all the Marias, Marys, Virginias, Despinasand Panayotis out there. The Feast ofthe Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, better known as the Assumption inCatholic countries, marks the high point of the summer season in this part ofthe world. From tomorrow the slowprocess of winding down to the winter commences and Greeks start wishing eachother ‘Kalo Chimona’ (Good winter) as they bid their friends and families goodbye. In a few weeks the children headback to school and the tourist shops will replace their displays of sarongs andsunhats with scarves and schoolbags but for now everyone is making the most ofwhat is left of the holidays. Symi is certainly not as crowded as inprevious years and the enormous megayachts that were a feature of Yialos in2005, 2006 and 2007 seem to have found new playgrounds.

The August full moon is quite spectacular this year and asthe nights grow longer they are also becoming a more tolerabletemperature. Symi is starting to cooloff a little after the sweltering days of the solstice and July. Midday temperatures are around 38 degreescentigrade, dropping to about 25 degrees centigrade at night. It is still not cool enough to require shawlsor an extra layer of clothing in the evening but one no longer breaks out in asweat with the exertion of turning the pages of a taverna menu either.

Have a good week.

Regards,

Adriana

The Meltemi is Blowing Hard

2011-08-12T11:05:00.002+03:00

Flags fluttering in a sea of rigging outside Symi police station.

Symi Morning Rush Hour - The Thursday Cruise Ship from Cyprus

A long way from home.

The meltemi is blowing hard and the day’s excursion boatshave been cancelled. The ferries, however, are running as scheduledat the moment. It is unusual for us tohave a Force 7-8 at this time of the year but not entirely unheard of. The windshould abate tomorrow and the forecast for next week is calm. In the meantime we are enjoying coolertemperatures and excellent visibility. The wind has whipped up the sea into afroth of white crests and every secure anchorage had a boat in it lastnight. Pachos, the old café below ouroffice, is busy this morning as people are waiting to find out if the watertaxis will be allowed to operate at all.

The Pedi Valley is carpeted with sun-dried leaves thatcrunch under foot and pile up in rustling drifts against the stones. The leaves don’t wait for autumn in aMediterranean climate, but start to fall from drought with the firstheatwaves. Symi last had rain at the endof May and it is now mid August. Thehillsides are a brown scrub of frazzled thyme and sage bushes, punctuated bytough silver-dry thistles. The thistlesare usually the first to recover, turning slowly green from the top downtowards the end of September. The only patches of wild greenery in evidence atthe moment are caper bushes and they need so little to sustain them that they growquite happily out of stone walls and roof-top gutters.

The Water Boat in Pedi. The fence in the foreground is the newly surface

football pitch with athletics track at the bottom of the Pedi Valley.

Falling leaves and dry grass in the Pedi Valley.

August 15 is the Feast of the Assumption of the BlessedVirgin, a major holiday in Orthodox and Catholic countries and therefore a bankholiday in Greece. This weekend will bethe busiest weekend in the whole of the summer season as even those Greeks whocannot afford a proper holiday this year will at least take Monday off. Here on Symi this weekend there is the finaleof the BASE jumping at St George as well as the traditional celebrations in thechurchyard at the Alethini monastery on the Pedi Road. This is a bouzouki party that continues wellinto the early hours with plenty of traditional Greek dancing and muchsupported by the Symiots as well as visitors.

I have received a message that some of the details of the accident at the BASE jumping event are incorrect in my blog. Interested parties can check out the official website www.probaseworldcup.com1 and also http://www.verena.gr/nea-dodekanisoy/symi/symbainei-tora-sobaro-atyxima-sto-festibal-symis-sto-athlima-toy-%E2%80%9Cbase-jumping%E2%80%9D-o-ellinas-athlitis-b

Have a good weekend.

Regards,

Adriana

As Bright and Cheerful as the Symi Summer Sun

2011-08-10T12:54:00.000+03:00

Symi's new bus at the bus station in Yialos, waiting for its number plates.

The current bus, a large beige coach is just visible beyond the

front of the new one in the lower photograph.

BASE Jumping at St George's Bay Symi

2011-08-09T08:18:00.000+03:00

St George’s Bay, Symi, is currently hosting the Pro BASE JumpingWorld Championships, a form of extreme sport for which St George’s sheer cliffis ideally suited. For those who don’tknow what this entails, in a nutshell it involves parachuting off tallstationary objects such as bridges, steeples and cliffs while aiming to hit a specific target for which points are awarded. Unlike hang-gliding, the parachutes are not steerable and the jumpers have little directional control. On Sunday one of the participants had anaccident which according to various sources may have been caused by opening hisparachute to early or being caught by a fluke gust of wind. Whatever the cause, the outcome was that hewas blown into the cliff face where, luckily, his parachute snagged, saving himfrom serious and possibly fatal injury. Once it was established that his injuries were not actuallylife-threatening, while attempts were made to effect his rescue, the scheduledevents continued. In the meantime the Super Puma that is used for medical emergencies arrived. This spent several hours circling over the areaand the neighbouring Pedi valley – an unusualsight at a time of year when such activity is usually associated with richmegayachties showing off their mini helicopters The injured man was eventuallybrought down the cliff in the early evening with shoulder and arm injuries andafter being stabilized by Symi’s medical team was casevaced to Rhodes.

On a less dramatic note, Symi’s long awaited new bus hasarrived. It is bright yellow and wasdriven here from Belgium. It is not inuse yet but can be admired at the kiosk by the bus stop. There will be a photograph tomorrow.

Have a good week.

Regards,

Adriana

The Symi Gallery - Art in a Domestic Setting

2011-08-08T15:36:00.000+03:00

The Symi Gallery is now open in its new temporary premises near the top of the Kali Strata. The opening exhibition, featuring work by Ian Haycox, is entitled Art in a Domestic Setting and is open to view every day from 15.00 until dusk. Opening hours will be extended once the electricity has been reconnected. As was mentioned in an earlier blog, this old family mansion has been uninhabited for some time and it takes a little while on Symi to get things done.

Heading for the Beach

2011-08-06T11:12:00.000+03:00

Heading for the beach - the water taxis are busy.

Fresh figs.

According the stone above the door, this house was dedicated in August 1878

Our link with Pireaus - the Blue Star Diagoras.

Those gulets had raised their anchors before realising that something far too big to argue with was coming round the corner.

Yialos - Mouragio, with Harani beyond the clock tower.

The Symi Gallery is in the upstairs of the lower of the two houses on the left of the picture.

It is August, the busiest month of the tourist season in Greece. The taxi drivers’ union has decided to call off their strike until parliament reopens at the end of the month but the taxi drivers in Rhodes, Crete, Mykonos and the other holiday islands were already fed up long ago at losing their incomes for the summer and resumed service this week. We just hope that an agreement is reached at the end of August and the whole sorry business does not start again in September. Not surprisingly the Greek car hire companies are reporting an increase in business and many tourists visiting Athens have discovered just how good the metro railway system is.

Symi is busy but not as full as the island normally is at this time of the year. With fewer Greeks able to afford holidays this year and the lack of big name events at the Symi Festival to draw Greek visitors from neighbouring islands, there are markedly fewer Greek visitors on Symi this year. The BASE jumping event at St George’s Bay has, however, attracted an unusually large number of athletic types running up and down the mountain in temperatures of 40 degrees centigrade to the astonishment of the locals. Italian and French are the main languages heard down in the harbour these days as many of the island’s foreign property owners have now arrived for the summer.

The figs are ripening in the ruins and the melon man is hawking his wares at street corners. A truck has been rattling around the island, selling pithoi, the traditional clay pots from Crete that have not changed in design since Knossos was new and bull-dancing fashionable. These days they are used for patio plants rather than for storing oil and grain but over at the folk museum at Panormitis monastery they have some on display that were certainly used for food storage in the centuries before the invention of Tupperware. While I don’t want to knock the advantages of the advent of plastics and safe food storage, there is no denying that potsherds are far more attractive in the environment that discarded plastic.

Last night was the name day festival at Megalo Sotiris, a small monastery at the top of the cliff above Panormitis. For an evocative description and photographs, please read James Collins’ blog on http://symidream.com/wp/night-culture-candles-dancing-megalis-sotiris/ As he says, “Somehow these events draw into focus a fact that is easily overlooked: You don’t have to go out of your way to feel part of the community you live in. You’re in it every day.”

Have a good weekend. And if you are on Symi, don’t forget that the Symi Gallery is opening at the top of the Kali Strata at 3 p.m tomorrow and will be open every day until dusk.

Regards,

Adriana

Music on the Air

2011-08-01T10:29:00.001+03:00

Yialos, Symi's famous amphitheatre harbour.

The town square where concerts are held in the summer is visible at the head of the harbour.

A restored house in Chorio, at the top of the Kali Strata

The early morning rush hour in Yialos, as seen from my balcony at Symi Visitor Accommodation. The boats in the immediate foreground are the water taxis which take visitors out to the various beaches.

Kalo mina, everyone! The holiday month of August has begun. Last night we sat out under the stars, listening to traditional Greek music drifting across the valley from the Syllogos Square in Chorio as the Symi Women’s Association’s Annual Symi Shrimp Festival carried on until late in the night. For those of you who have never been to Symi before, Symi is famous for a particular kind of small shrimp that is only found in local waters and the Symi Women’s Association holds an evening of traditional dancing, singing and hospitality in honour of this tiny crustacean every summer. Simply prepared by frying quickly in a little hot olive oil until pink and served with a squeeze of lemon, the Symi shrimp is eaten head, tail and all.

The ‘premiere’ of the Symi festival took place on Saturday night, despite a sad lack of advance publicity which resulted in other music events on the island being scheduled for the same evening, thereby reducing the potential audience. Friends who spoke afterwards to Miltos Pascalides, the star performer, to compliment him on his performance said that he told them he was disappointed in the evening which was fairly low key in comparison to the last time he performed here about 10 years ago. Our friends had not noticed anything amiss as this is the first time they have been to Symi but it is understandable that stars who performed here in the glory days of the Symi Festival notice a difference. Symi’s natural amphitheatre harbour was always a highlight on the summer festival circuit for performers and audiences alike and it would be a pity to see Symi lose its status in this regard due to the budget cuts that are bedeviling Greece as a whole at the moment. It is always sad when education and culture fall victim to politics. We enjoyed the concert ourselves from the terrace of the Charitomeni restaurant at Pitini where we were having dinner with friends. One of the great things about an amphitheatre harbour is that one can enjoy the music from any point around the sides of the harbour and the pretty neo-classical houses that line the slopes become opera boxes for the event. Music on the air is as much a part of the sounds of Symi in the summer as the chirrup of cicadas in the olive trees and the happy peals of name day church bells.

Music and dancing aside, there are several privately funded art exhibitions and galleries open or opening on the island at the moment and it is also worth browsing through the offerings at the open air book shop that local historian, bookseller and musician, Kostas Kontas, holds by the bridge in the evenings in August.

The nationwide taxi strikes are continuing but on Symi the taxis are working most days and Rhodes Airport is running smoothly thanks to the very efficient bus service which has been extended to offer more trips during the taxi crisis. The terminus in Rhodes town is behind the New Market in Mandraki and tickets are sold at the kiosk at the point of departure.

Have a good week.

Regards,

Adriana

Down in the Valley

2011-07-30T13:47:00.002+03:00

The Pedi Road

Veteran of many fights.

That is the bell tower of St John's Church, Yialos, in the background.

It is not for nothing that the Greek word for summer, kalokairi, means ‘good time’. While Symi does not have a reputation as a party island like Mykonos and Santorini, July and August are certainly the busiest time of the year down in Yialos, Symi’s famous natural amphitheatre harbour. Returning from dinner in Harani with friends last night the pavement cafes and bars were humming and all the restaurants and tavernas appeared to be full.

The official premiere of the Symi Festival is scheduled to take place tonight with a performance by Greece singer Miltos Paschalides. Presumably he and his entourage will be arriving on the big boat in the course of the day because at time of writing there are no posters up in the town advertising this event, although there are plenty promoting the annual Symi Women’s Association Symi Shrimp Festival which takes place in Syllogos Square, Chorio, on Sunday evening. There are also a lot advertising something called ‘Miss Vanity’ which is taking place at the Alethini, one of Symi’s clubs, at 23.00 this evening more or less the same time that the concert would be taking place. Of Miltos Paschalides, however, not a word. Indeed when a rep made enquiries at the town hall about the Symi Festival this year so that she could inform people of what is going on at her ‘welcome meetings’ she was told that to all intents and purposes there isn’t one, but if anyone wants to stage something, please let the town hall know!

Meanwhile life in the Pedi valley continues quietly, with modest pleasures and little fanfare. The main church dedicated to St Pantelimon had a big festival on the evening of 27 July with lots of free food and drink and live music. Down in the Pedi valley, however, the small monastery and chapel dedicated to the same saint had a much quieter and more discreet name day celebration attended by many locals. These photographs were taken by my husband, Nicholas Shum.

Have a good weekend.

Regards,

Adriana

A New Home for the Symi Gallery

2011-07-30T12:56:00.001+03:00

Part of the original salon ceiling, complete with a house martin's nest. Four babies hatched in the time that the room was cleared and painted.

The upstairs entrance. There's is still plenty of work to be done.

The steps up the side of the building, from the Kali Strata.

Looking down the corridor to the salon and balcony. Unfortunately my camera does not do the view justice but one can see across the rooftops to Nimos.

After a year without a base the Peripatetic Symi Gallery has now found a home in an old mansion near the top of the Kali Strata. Belonging to a Symiot family now living in Rhodes the house has been uninhabited for decades with the inevitable damage that neglect and a broken tile or two brings. Ian Haycox and members of the Symi Gallery have been hard at work, removing junk and clearing rooms to reveal what is salvageable of the original stencil work and to determine how the space can best be used. As is often the case in traditional Symi 19th century houses, the salon is the only reasonably sized room in the house, the rest being a warren of small rooms used as for sleeping, dressing and cooking. For the present the intention is to optimise the upper storey which comprises the salon and a long corridor with several smaller rooms branching off it.

The initial exhibition which opens in early August will be of Ian Haycox’s work. Posters will be going up shortly.

Entrance is up steps to the side of the building, next to the grove of conifers.

That Old Charm

2011-07-26T17:09:00.005+03:00

The view from the area of the Two Fishes. The Cottage is in the group of houses in front. The Little Blue House and Zoe's apartments are in the group of houses on the hill to the left of the picture. That is Pedi Bay in the background - no where is very far from anywhere else on Symi.

Symi's Acropolis with the remnants of the old Kastro built by the Knights of St John,

as seen from the same vantage point. This is a very old part of Chorio which is

now being extensively restored.

A quiet lane in Chorio. The Museum is behind the walls on the left with the hibiscus growing out of it, and Hatziagapitos House is behind the wall on the right with the vine tendril.

Early morning in Yialos. That is the Hellenikon apartment in the centre, with the blue pediment. In a few hours the gyros bar will be busy but at seven on a July morning there is hardly a soul in the harbour apart from fishermen and street cleaners.

It is the last week of July and Symi is very hot and very busy. Yialos, the main harbour is bustling with yachts, gulets, water taxis and excursion boats, not to mention ferries of all sizes. The Blue Star Diagoras squeezed in this morning, only about 2 hours late. Something worth remembering when planning ferry trips at this time of the year is that the more stops there are between the point of departure and the place of arrival the less likely one is to arrive on time, particularly when catching a car ferry from Piraeus that takes in such popular islands as Santorini and Kos.

While the harbour is humming, Chorio, the village is much quieter, particularly during the day when most visitors staying there are away on the beach. As most of Symi’s beaches are surrounded by steep cliffs they are only accessible either by water taxis operating out of Yialos and Pedi or by some fairly energetic walking over rugged terrain. Their charm lies in their spectacular settings and astonishingly clear water. For those who have hired a car or bike or don’t mind a serious walk with a swim at the end of the trail, Toli Bay is worth the hike, particularly with the promise of lunch at Dafne’s Taverna as a reward. Other beaches that can be reached on foot or by car include Pedi bay, Nimborio and Marathounda. For more beach information please see our beach guide on Symi-beaches.htm.

Symi’s main attraction is the island’s beautifully preserved architecture and spectacular scenery, all on a small scale that gives the place a magical air enhanced by the fact that so little of the habitation can be seen when approaching from the sea. Visitors in the past used to enjoy the evening arrivals on the Symi I, watching the sparkling lights of Yialos and Chorio appear out of the darkness as the boat came round the headland and the whole panorama unfolded. These days connections tend to be high speed catamarans so arrivals are more efficient with less of the magic, but returning from a day out on one of the excursion boats still captures some of that old charm.

Have a good week.

Regards,

Adriana

A Warm Welcome

2011-07-22T15:58:00.003+03:00

The bell tower of St John's with Lemonitissa looking down from the Acropolis

A more familiar view of the bell tower of St John's church in Yialos.

This is Symi's cathedral where the Metropolitan says mass.

A glimpse of the early morning rush hour in Yialos from a lane off the Kali Strata.

Looking down the Kali Strata from the Hotel Fiona in Chorio

Profiti Ilias on the cliff above Agia Marina cemetery.

Look at those amazing folds in the rock above. No wonder Symi does not hold water.

It is believed that an old temple to Apollo used to stand where the monastery to the Prophet Elijah is and there are remains of some very ancient walls inside.

An overnight breeze brought brief relief from the heatwave that has been smothering Symi in recent days and we are enjoying a slight drop in temperatures on the island. This will be short-lived unfortunately as the heatwave will resume with new vigour from tomorrow but it is amazing how fresh 35 degrees centigrade can feel after days in the forties. An unfortunate side effect of the heat is that the indigenous insect life is proliferating and every supermarket on Symi has prominent displays of every kind of insect spray and trap imaginable. This is certainly nothing new. The myth of Pandora’s box with its plagues of winged nasties probably had its origins in centuries of annual eruptions of insects in high summer in Greece. At least these days we have Baygon!

Symi is filling up steadily with summer visitors but there is still some August availability to be found in the off peak weeks. A sign of the times is that there are fewer Greek holidaymakers this year. In these days of high unemployment and limited funds for treats many Greeks are visiting relatives and staying in family properties in the islands or rural villages where at least they don’t have accommodation costs to worry about and they can be sure of a warm welcome from the older generation.

Have a good weekend.

Regards,

Adriana

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Rising Temperatures

2011-07-20T10:51:00.003+03:00

There is to be no relief from the heat as the meteorologists forecast that the countrywide heatwave will linger into next week. Most of Greece is experiencing temperatures of at least 40 degrees and on Symi temperatures are closer to 50 degrees centigrade as the rocky slopes have been soaking up the heat for weeks and the meltemi breezes seem to be giving us a miss this year. It is a busy time for the water taxis and the beach tavernas as everyone who does not have to work heads for the cooling waters of the Mediterranean. With the rising temperatures the bougainvilleas are shedding bracts and papery pink drifts collect in the corners of the Kali Strata like rosy snow.

This is a week for name days, first Agia Marina and then Profiti Ilias. Profiti Ilias(Prophet Elijah) is the imposing white monastery clinging to the cliff face above the Pedi Valley. These last few evenings it has been floodlit and the sonorous tones of the Papa reading the liturgy have rung out across the valley. On a small island with over 300 churches and chapels one is seldom far from the Word of God or the sound of church bells.

Although there is a country wide taxi drivers’ strike at the moment, protesting against the government’s new plans to liberalise the profession, the taxis on Symi are working normally today. While taxi drivers in big cities such as Athens can easily recoup lost earnings after a few days at the picket line, in a small place like Symi with 2500 inhabitants and 6 taxis, they cannot afford to take a week off work.

I apologise to my regular readers for the erratic nature of this blog but the new interface at www.blogger.com seems to be having teething problems.

Have a good week.

Regards,

Adriana

The Heatwave Rolls On

2011-07-17T08:35:00.005+03:00

Preparing for breakfast at the edge of the sea. A waiter shakes crumbs off a chair to the waiting fish.

The 17th Symi Festival opens tonight with a 50 voice choir from the neighbouring island of Rhodes. The posters went up around the town yesterday and this morning municipal workers were busy, sorting plastic chairs in yard of St John’s church. Many of us remember when Nana Mouskouri opened the first Symi Festival and the harbour was packed with megayachts as her international fans flocked to the small island of Symi. Who knows? Perhaps one day we will return to such splendour but in the meantime we thank those who have given of their time to enable Symi to have a festival this year.

On Thursdays it is often a cruise ship from Cyprus...

On Friday it was the water ship from Rhodes - the third visit in a week as the island's

reservoirs ran dry. Like many small Greek islands Symi has no natural water.

Fast Track, the BBC World Service’s travel program, devoted this week’s program to Greece and the significant role tourism plays in this country’s economy. No where is that more true than in the islands, particularly the small ones like Symi which have no natural resources or industry. Symi’s sponge fishing industry faded away decades ago and the lone boatyard still building wooden boats down in Pedi is certainly not providing fast ships for the Ottoman fleet. What remains of Symi’s glorious past is preserved in her extraordinarily pretty architecture and it is that, combined with the spectacular cliffs and rock formations to which these houses cling, which provides Symi with her own unique tourist attraction.

Looking up the Kali Strata, the famous flight of 360 or so steps that connects

the top town of Chorio with the port of Yialos.

The latest batch of Kali Strata kittens.

Many of the ruined mansions on the Kali Strata have been restored or rebuilt.

This one, however, is in the clutches of a fig tree.

The pediment of Villa Afaia on the Kali Strata

The heatwave rolls on with temperatures in the forties. July is usually the hottest and driest month. As we move into August the days grow shorter and the humidity climbs but for now Symi is a sizzling hot lump of rock in the embrace of Asia Minor. The July full moon shines down on an island where it is often too hot to sleep and the late night hours carry the discreet splashes of those for whom a night time swim is the only way to cool off enough to sleep.

Have a good weekend.

Regards,

Adriana

Spoil Yourself on Symi - Last Minute Accommodation Offers

2011-07-13T12:51:00.002+03:00

We have some last minute special offer discounts on selected villas, apartments and studios for July and August. There is something to suit all budgets and group sizes.

If you have never been to Symi before, this could be the opportunity you have been waiting for. If you are a regular visitor to the island, this is the chance to sample Symi at a different time of the year.

Please contact Wendy and Adriana on symi-vis@otenet.gr or symivisitoraccommodation@live.com and find out if we can make your dream Greek island summer holiday come true!

A Silvery Sea

2011-07-11T17:16:00.003+03:00

This disused windmill in Chorio is enjoying a new lease of life as a small restaurant.

Note the oleanders growing out of the paving.

Three tiny kittens enjoying a nap at the bottom of the Kali Strata.

Pedi Bay at 7 a.m

The first official heatwave of the summer season is scorching Greece. Forest fires are blazing in Evia, Zakynthos and other tinder dry parts of the country. The strong winds that have been fanning the flames are absent here in Symi where the sun beats down on a silvery sea from dawn to dusk with a not a ripple of breeze to relieve the heat.

The price of fuel does not seem to have had an impact on the size of the power yachts that pass through Yialos and Harani. Those little boats by the clock tower are for hire.

The last rains fell on Symi at the end of May and it is only the hardiest and most heroic of the summer plants that are still flowering. Oleanders splash bright pink and crimson blossom in an environment so arid that it is

inhospitable to just about anything else. July is such a dry month that even with intensive watering plants shrivel and buds turn to dust without ever opening. Roses and jasmine fade on their stems and the bees have vanished. The incessant chirrup of cicadas drowns out the desperate roar of Symi’s power station on hot summer afternoons.

An oleander amongst the dry grasses.

Early morning shadows on the Kali Strata.

The ferry schedules have now changed to their summer format. This means that the Proteus does a double Symi-Rhodes-Symi- Rhodes trip on Sunday evenings to make up for the complete absence of anything from Symi to Rhodes on Monday mornings. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays the Dodecanese Seaways morning connection from Symi to Rhodes now leaves at 09.30 instead of 8 a.m which means that it only reaches
Rhodes at 10.30 – quite tight scheduling for some check in times so if you are travelling on those days of the week please check your flight details now and if necessary inform whoever you have booked your accommodation with to avoid possible problems later. The reason for these changes is not to make life difficult for visitors to Symi but to try to provide a service to other islands as well during the high season weeks. Dodecanese Seaways is endeavouring to keep everyone happy but at the end of the day still only has two vessels. In these days of austerity no one is running about, commissioning new boats.

Have a good week.

Regards,

Adriana

Our Sunny Corner of the Mediterranean

2011-07-09T08:25:00.003+03:00

The Kastro (Acropolis) as seen from Lieni, an area of upper Chorio

Beating the heat in Lieni.

A sign of the times is that these studios were built as holiday lets

but are now rented out to conscripts, hence the uniforms on the line.

Summer rain may be lashing Northern Europe but here in our sunny corner of Mediterranean the sky remains clear and the weather forecast is all variations of hot, hotter and hotter still. Temperatures are around 40 degrees centigrade on Symi in the heat of the day at the moment with moderate to low humidity. Washing dries to a crisp within the hour and bread turns to rusks as soon as it is sliced. July is always the hottest and driest month of the year on Symi and it is only in August that the humidity starts to rise again as the nights grow longer and cooler.

Another face of the Acropolis - looking up at Lemonitissa church from the side balcony

of Symi Visitor Accommodation's office in the centre of Yialos.

Lemonitissa Studio and Apartment are screened by the trees to the right of the church.

The Kastro looking across from the row of windmills on the crest of the hill that divides Yialos from Pedi. No where on Symi is really very far from anywhere else.

After some anxious moments it seems that Symi will have a summer festival after all, with a grand opening on 30 July with the Greek singer Miltos Paschalidis. At the moment this is the only ‘big name’ event on the calendar, the other items being the usual appearances of various local dance and drama groups that perform every year, originally to augment a wider program but now its mainstay.

Looking down at the Mouragio part of Yialos with the area of Harani in the background.

The rooftops on the right foreground belong to the Panormiteon high school.

Both these 19th century mansions on the Kali Strata need to be restored

but the red geranium is relentlessly optimistic.

In these days of Austerity Greece there is little money in the municipal or national coffers for all the costs involved in terms of publicity, transport, accommodation, meals and equipment that are unavoidable for visiting performers, even if they themselves offer to perform gratis. Local businesses no longer have the spare capacity to provide sponsorship either. I wonder where all the musicians, soloists and bands that used to do the Greek Summer Festival Circuit are spending their days now that belts have been tightened and free cultural events for all have come to an end. Are they performing on the cruise ships that are still supposed to be a growth industry in tourism these days? Or are they sitting in Athens and Thessaloniki, waiting for the telephone to ring?

Have a good weekend.

Regards,

Adriana

In the Shade of an Olive Grove

2011-07-05T09:24:00.003+03:00

It is that time of the year when those of us on Symi who do not have air conditioning seek out whatever coolness nature provides, be it the shade of trees and vines or the bracing chill of the Mediterranean Sea. Indeed I am writing this blog in the shade of an olive grove, my living room from now until October. In July, with so much exposed rock, Symi is a giant storage heater, soaking up the sun like the dainty blue tailed lizards and prehistoric agamas that bask upon those stones. In the Pedi Valley and Xisos the constant chirrup of cicadas provides a soundtrack to sunny afternoons of sleepy cats and gently cooing doves. The summer sun makes nocturnal animals of us all.

Speaking of soaking up heat, as in other Mediterranean and Middle Eastern countries many properties on Symi make use of solar water heaters and these devices are a common sight on the roofs. The important thing to remember with using one of these is that once the supply of hot water has been depleted there isn’t any more until the next day so a long hot shower in the evening cannot be followed by another first thing in the morning. On an island with no natural water long showers are not a good idea anyway as domestic water supplies are limited and expensive. This is why Greek showers usually have a little button on the shower head. This enables one to easily turn the shower off while shampooing etcetera and then reactivate it for rinsing off without going through the whole palaver of adjusting taps to get the temperature right again. A simple but effective method of saving water that could be adopted world wide.

As Symi turns from green to brown under the Mediterranean sun the dominant vegetation is also becoming more prickly. Thistles, euphorbias, capers and rapidly desiccating thyme, rigani and sage bushes all seem destined to make walking in the valley a scratchy experience. Velcro was inspired by someone who noticed how well burrs adhere to clothing when walking in the countryside, a phenomenon with which Symi’s sheep are only too familiar.

Have a good week.

Regards,
Adriana

Peaceful as Always

2011-07-01T13:28:00.004+03:00

The Kali Strata in the early morning.

Today is not just the first day of a new month but also the first day of what is generally regarded as high season on Symi. July, August and September are the three high season months, with the first 2-3 weeks of August traditionally being the busiest of them all. Symi has been filling up steadily with people, not all of them guests for the various high profile weddings taking place on the island at the moment. Apart from visitors staying on the island there is a constantly changing population afloat as cruise ships large and small pass through Symi, not to mention yachts and megayachts, humble liveaboards and flotilla boats. I never know what sights will await me as I turn the corner at the top of the Kali Strata on my walk to work each morning.

Old style elegance...

... and new style opulence.

Now that we have a reasonably reliable twice weekly connection with Pireaus in the form of the Blue Star Diagoras on Tuesdays and Wednesdays the hawkers are back. These trucks sell everything from pot plants and garden furniture to cooking pots, onions and live poultry. When I first came to Symi in the 1990s these peripatetic sellers were an essential service to the islanders, not just Symiots but many other small islands besides, providing many of life’s basic necessities, even if the patterns seldom matched what one already had and it was often a case of buying what they had or going without. Then came the boom years with more shops and better shopping available locally and buying cheap items from a truck at the corner of the street went out of fashion. Now that the recession is taking its toll and many small businesses have closed their doors because there is not sufficient trade to pay the rent all year round, the hawkers are once again in the ascendant. Trucks trundling up and down the hills with load hailers, broadcasting their wares, are a colourful part of island life, even if it is a gruelling lifestyle for those who do it.

Poultry on the move.

While Athens and the decisions taken by the Greek government may be making the international news, here on Symi life is peaceful as always. Even the two days of Greek strikes followed by a day of UK strikes had little ripple effect here and those who arrived late on Symi yesterday morning did so because they had overslept and missed the boat rather than any great drama or adventures en route.

Have a good weekend.

Regards,

Adriana

A Share of the Glamour

2011-06-28T13:28:00.004+03:00

The Mary-Jean II, chartered by Michael Douglas, as seen from the

Symi Visitor Accommodation balcony on Saturday 25 June 2011.

That is a small day excursion boat from Rhodes tucked in along side.

The Star of Macedonia, emblem of Alexander the Great,

on the pediment of an abandoned house in upper Chorio.

This little house in the same neighbourhood, built in 1931, is far from abandoned and

old Yanni and his wife keep it in meticulous condition. The whitewash on the trucks of the lemon trees on the left of the picture is to protect the trees from insects and fungus attacks.

The grand restored mansion on the Kali Strata and this ruined house in upper Chorio have something in common. Both are built out of roughly finished stone and then plastered in such a fashion as to create the effect that they are made out of dressed stone.

The heatwave has finally broken with a refreshing breeze from the north west. Unfortunately it also meant that the excursion boats and water taxis could not operate for a day or so as the choppy seas make it unpleasant for passengers as well as for the boats to dock safely in the various little bays. Those places that can be accessed on foot, however have done very well. The wind is dropping now and we should have nothing stronger than gentle breezes for the Italian wedding that is taking place here this weekend. Last weekend there was a big German wedding on Symi. These events introduce a lot of new visitors to the island of Symi and many of those who have only stayed for 3-4 days for a wedding have promised to be back for a longer stay.

On Saturday morning all Symi was all agog when it was discovered that the shiny new superyacht that had just docked in the harbour was being chartered by the British actor, Michael Douglas, and his wife, Catherine Zeta-Jones. In a departure from normal protocol the mayor and his wife went on board to greet them and a rash of paparazzi-style photographs has appeared on the internet from various sources. Despite this unusually effusive welcome, Symi is no stranger to Hollywood or the rich and famous and the island prides itself on taking celebrity in its stride. Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton visited in the 1970s, signing the visitors’ book in Kyriakos’ restaurant (now the Gefaraki wifi café by the bridge). In the time that I have lived here we have seen Helen Mirren, Peter O’Toole, Mel Gibson, Tina Turner, Tom Hanks and Richard Gere and there are probably others that have slipped below the radar. Fashion names like Armani and Todd of Todd’s Shoes, political figures such as George Bush senior and the Belgian royal family and countless others pass through Symi in the summer time, either on their own yachts or on chartered ones. The general rule is that in Mykonos and Santorini they are fair game to the photographers but on Symi their visits are incognito – or at least as incognito as one can be with a team of bodyguards lurking among the palm trees and a yacht larger than many ferries. Symi welcomes guests at all levels and even the most humble budget traveler can have a share of the glamour when the superyachts come to town.

Greece is in the midst of a 48 hour general strike. The air traffic controllers are participating in a limited way. They were on strike this morning (Tuesday) from 08.00 until 12.00 and will be on strike again from 18.00 until 22.00 on Wednesday evening. This may cause some delays for visitors coming into Rhodes on Wednesday evening flights but most Wednesday charter flights should not be affected as they land well before the strike period comes into operation.

Have a good week.

Regards,

Adriana

In the Heat of the Day

2011-06-24T13:26:00.002+03:00

Narrow lanes in the oldest part of Chorio. Too narrow even for a laden donkey to pass, restoring houses up here means many hours of moving materials by wheelbarrow or on shoulders from the nearest access point, often a good 20 minutes away. This is one of the reasons why houses on Symi tend to be expensive.

Greece continues to bask in unseasonably high temperatures and here on Symi the thermometer has been hovering around 40 degrees all week. With so much sunshine Symi’s rocky landscape is really soaking up the heat and even late at night the stones are warm to the touch. In the heat of the day the lanes of Chorio are quiet with hardly a soul to be seen. The Symiots follow the traditional lifestyle of the Mediterranean peoples, rising early in the morning to get all their chores done before it is too hot to move and retreating into the shade of their houses for the siesta, only to emerge again once the fierceness of the sun has passed. Many of the locals find the foreign desire to sleep late a very strange thing as it does not make sense to waste the coolest part of the day in bed! In the summer sleeping is something one does when it is too hot to do anything else.

Symi museum in Chorio - closed for the afternoon siesta.

Those solid doors conceal a shadey courtyard and many fascinating artifacts from Symi's

distant and recent past.

Villa Wookie - high up in the top of Chorio, in the museum quarter and one of the

oldest restored buildings in the area.

When I set off at 7 in the morning to walk to work, I pass shepherds, builders, carpenters and plumbers. Locals are out in the terraces, picking the sweetest, most tender shoots of the caper bushes to pickle and are tossing last night’s bread leftovers to their chickens and goats. The aromas of cooking follow me down the Kali Strata as the sensible housewife prepares the main meal for the family first thing in the morning, to serve when they all come home at 2 o’clock. Down in the harbour the fishermen are tidying up their nets and discussing the night’s catch over strong cups of Greek coffee.

One of the many beautiful old door knockers to be seen on the neo-classical houses.

Views open up suddenly between the houses in Chorio. That is the island of Nimos in the background. The church with two spires is Agios Elefterios in the centre of Chorio.

Unlike many other places in Greece, visitors to Symi are living within a functioning community and everyday life goes on all around. While it may mean that it is sometimes a bit noisy in the early mornings, it is a far more authentic Greek island experience than staying in some ‘made for tourists’ resort and this is why many Symi visitors come back to the island year after year.

Have a good weekend.

Regards,

Adriana

Hot Summer Nights

2011-06-21T08:34:00.003+03:00

The hot summer nights are back. The nights when the roof terraces and courtyards are of Symi become living rooms as no one wants to be indoors on nights such as these. The murmur of voices, the scent of candles and charcoal, strains of Greek music punctuated by the hoot of owls – the lanes of Chorio are full of life behind closed courtyard doors and above our heads. Long days and high temperatures mean that Mediterranean people tend to eat late at this time of the year, particularly those who work as the evening shift in shops and businesses is not usually over until 9 p.m or even 10 p.m. Of course those who work in bars, restaurants, cafes and tavernas work even longer hours as the tourists tend to eat earlier than the Greeks who come in after work.

Greek summer nights are synonymous with music, whether prearranged and advertised Greek music at Giorgio’s taverna in Chorio and Kantirimi Bar in Yialos, or the spontaneous jazz and blues evenings that have started to be a feature at the Sunrise Café in Chorio on Saturday nights, when Clare forgets about her job at the supermarket and schoolteacher George picks up his guitar. Art and photographic exhibitions are also part of the landscape in both Yialos and Chorio and the Peripatetic Symi Gallery for Contemporary Art has found a new home on the Kali Strata, opening 1 August.

As I write this on Tuesday morning, the Blue Star Diagoras is edging its way carefully into Yialos and a car with a roof rack stacked with ropes of garlic has driven past, heading for the boat. The people of Symi have evidently bought sufficient garlic to keep bad luck at bay and the hawker is off to the next island with his wares.

By the way, Mike’s Magic evening at the Olive Tree raised another 180 euros for the Doctors’ Surgeries of Symi. Thank you to everyone, locals and tourists alike, who supported the event.

Have a good week.

Regards,

Adriana

Hot and Hazy

2011-06-17T13:28:00.004+03:00

Sorting out anchors for a morning departure.

Symi now has a glass-bottomed boat (bottom left). That is a water taxi on the right with the orange floats. Most of Symi's beaches are only accessible by sea due to the sheer coastline.

It is hot and hazy on Symi with a light breeze waving the jasmine on the Symi Visitor Accommodation balcony. At this time of the year with an office view like this it is a wonder I get any work done. An ever changing parade of boats and people passes before my balcony and I can quite understand why visitors with accommodation in the harbour find themselves spending most of their holiday on the terrace or balcony, mesmerized by the view. Fortunately these days with my office bifocals much of it is a blur unless I change my glasses! Here are some photographs for those of you who spend all day in an office block overlooking a car park. Remember, you can always dip into Symi with our webcam which brings you views of Symi every 30 seconds, 24 hours a day - power cuts permitting! You can also take a virtual tour around Greece with all the webcams featured on http://www.yassou.com/.

Up in Chorio life is much quieter and change usually happens more slowly but even so there are some transformations as ruins become houses and visitors who have been away for a few years often find that what was an isolated house surrounded by ruins is now part of a neighbourhood of lovingly restored houses. Despite the economic gloom there is still an astonishing amount of restoration work going on, not all of it as high profile as the eye-catching terracotta mansion on the Kali Strata or the recently opened Old Markets boutique hotel.

The Cottage in Chorio -

paler shades of yellow and blue this year

and those oleanders have really grown.

The door opens into the master bedroom downstairs which has its own sitting area.

A ruin surrounded by restored houses opposite the junior school in Chorio.

Note the solar powered hot water system on the right.

On a social level, quite a lot happens in Chorio. A residential rather than tourist orientated area, locals and tourists mingle, dining in the same tavernas and shopping in the same shops. For example, Giorgio and Maria’s taverna, which is open all year round, has live Greek music every Friday night in the summer and is as much frequented by visitors as it is by local Greeks. This is one of those old style Greek tavernas where one ignores the menu and goes and looks in the pots in the kitchen to see what is on offer.

The Olive Tree opposite the Hotel Fiona is having a fund-raising evening on Saturday night, in aid of the doctors’ surgeries of Symi. In the present climate of economic gloom and government cut backs initiatives to help put something back into the community are more important than ever. When times are hard more is achieved by everyone pulling together than by pursuing individual agendas. The Olive Tree’s Royal Wedding Street Party in April was attended by 70 people of all nationalities and raised over 250 euros for the Doctors of Symi. We hope that Magic Mike’s card tricks are similarly successful.

Have a good weekend.

Regards,

Adriana

15 June 2011 Air Traffic Controllers' Strike Cancelled

2011-06-14T12:48:00.000+03:00

The air traffic controllers' strike has been officially called off so all airports and flights will run as normal on 15 June 2011

For more information http://www.athensnews.gr/portal/1/43109

We wish you all a safe journey and look forward to seeing you on Symi.

Adriana and Wendy

Postcard Pretty

2011-06-13T16:04:00.002+03:00

It is a bright sunny day on Symi. The water boat has been sitting in the harbour since early this morning, slowly rising up out of the sea as it tops up Symi’s reservoirs. Yachts and Turkish gulets are coming and going. The water taxis are busy. The day trippers from the excursion boats are buying sun hats and eating ice creams. It is a typical summer’s day on the small Dodecanese island of Symi and a far cry from the ‘Indignant’ protesters camping out in Syntagma Square, Athens. Unfortunately, however, Symi may experience a ripple effect from the General Strike which the main trades unions have called for Wednesday 15 June. At the moment it is uncertain from the various different sources whether air traffic controllers will be on a 24 hour strike from midnight Tuesday to midnight Wednesday or just 4 hours, from 12 noon to 16.00 on the 15th, but anyone travelling that day is advised to check with their airline and to notify whoever you have booked your accommodation with of your revised flight details. That way overnight accommodation in Rhodes can be organized ahead of time if required. We also know from past experience that the air traffic controllers may well opt out of the strike at the last minute too in which case flights will run as normal. We will put up any specific information that we receive on this blog and also on our Facebook page.

While the Greek economy may be turbulent, the weather forecast for Symi is quite settled with plenty of sunny days ahead. The oleanders are in full bloom along the motor road that connects Yialos with Chorio and Pedi, a bright ribbon of pink and white zigzagging over the hill. The bougainvilleas and plumbagos are postcard pretty, tumbling over courtyard walls and the grape vines are flowering.

Here are some Symi views to brighten your day if your next visit to Symi is a while away.

Have a good week.

Regards,

Adriana

Symi is Sizzling

2011-06-10T13:23:00.004+03:00

The view from the terrace at Villa Iris. The bright bougainvillea in the foreground is Spiti Grande Helene. The opposite hillside is the Kali Strata side of the harbour and various Symi Visitor Accommodation properties are found on its slopes. These include Villa Voyatzis and Lemonitissa studio and apartment near Lemonitissa church on the right, all the way across to Villa Cassandra, Villa Rose and Pitini House below the windmills on the far left. The water taxis leave from the head of the harbour visible in the picture and the white awnings shade a wide range of cafes and places to eat while watching the boats

Symi is sizzling under unseasonably high temperatures and even Lindos on Rhodes reported a high of 39 degrees this week. The heat wave will be relieved by brisk north-westerly winds this weekend which have already done something to shift the heavy humidity that has hung over the region for days. The exceptional heavy rain at the end of May combined with the heat made Symi far more humid than is usual for this time of year. The rest of Greece is also experiencing summer thundershowers and temperatures in the thirties.

Arriving on Symi - the view from the car deck of the Blue Star Diagoras

as she docks outside Symi Police Station in Yialos.

Symi has become perceptibly busier in the course of this week and many of the June ‘regulars’ are on the island. Old friendships are re-established over frappes and Mythos in the cafes and dinner dates are made for favourite tavernas. The water taxis are busy as Symi’s beach life is now in full swing. Rhodes must be quite full too, judging by the number of people coming over to Symi on the day excursion boats.

Secret Entrance -the approach to The Old Markets boutique hotel

near the bottom of the Kali Strata steps.

The old wrought iron grille is the hotel's motif and logo.

There is some talk in the Greek media that the Symi Festival may not take place this year. It has been considerably diminished in recent years and this year may well not happen at all unless funding can be found. The Base Jumping event will still be taking place at St George’s this year and I have been told that they will also be giving absailing lessons which could be interesting for those who like a little excitement on their holidays.

Have a good weekend.

Regards,

Adriana

A Geography Lesson

2011-06-06T13:54:00.001+03:00

Today’s report is a bit of a geography lesson as many first time visitors find Symi’s topography confusing and while the banner at the heading of this blog does give some idea of the lie of the land, it does not clarify where the different houses are in the harbour and environs. Symi is a very small island and nowhere is actually very far from anywhere else. Symi has very little shoreline so most beaches are surrounded by steep cliffs and can only be accessed by water taxis which operate out of Yialos (the main harbour) and Pedi Bay. I am focusing on Yialos, Symi’s main harbour, and Harani, the small bay to the side of it.

The clock tower on the corner of the quay marks the official dividing line between Yialos (the main harbour) and Harani. It is the docking point for the big ferries from Pireaus and also for the Dodecanese Seaways catamarans. The white building with the arches is the police station. Symi's only post office is also in this building. The long building to the right of that, with the blue balconies, is the Nireus Hotel. To the right of that is Sofia's House with Sofia's apartment beneath it. To the right of that is the Aliki restaurant and Aliki Hotel.. The Merchant House is above and behind the Aliki.

Continuing on from the picture above, this is also Harani, showing the boatyard area. Despina's apartment is in the building immediately behind the boatyard. Also in this picture, on the hill on the right, are Villa Nicola, the Kostas Kleanthi studios and Villa Karnayo. NOS beach and the road to Nimborio continue off to the right.

This is looking into the amphitheatre harbour, to the left of the clock tower. The side of the harbour closest to the clock tower is often referred to as Mouragio. The small building right on the water on the left of the picture is the customs house and the Symi Visitor Accommodation office is nearby. You can see the view looking from our office out to the bay on our webcam. The water taxis to the various beaches leave from the stretch of quay next to the customs house and their comings and goings can be seen on our webcam. The excursion boats Diagoras, Triton and Poseidon also leave from this part of the harbour.

Accommodation that we have in Yialos includes the Gate House which is on the hill at the back, Spiti Grande Helene, Villa Iris and Villa Gabrielle which is further along on the hill on the right and the Hellenikon apartment which, like Symi Visitor Accommodation, looks straight down the length of the harbour.

This general photograph shows the Kali Strata side of the amphitheatre harbour on the left, with Lemonitissa church, the hills at the back of Yialos and then round to Harani. The Lemonitissa studio and apartment arre next to the church, the red dome of which one can see among the trees on the right. The small buildings just visible amongst the trees at the top in the middle are actually along the road to Roukoniotis monastery and Toli Bay and are accessed from the motor road which follows a spectacular route up through Chorio and around the Vigla mountain.

I took these photographs from Symi's fuel station and bunkering jetty which is just off the only motor road out of the town.

Have a good week.

Regards,
Adriana

The Ultimate Greek Island Wedding

2011-06-03T12:37:00.003+03:00

The ultimate Greek island wedding photograph.

The Symi cat was entirely spontaneous.

It is a hot sunny day on Symi, just right for a Mamma Mia style Big Fat Greek Wedding. Our congratulations to Kate Elliott and Alistair Dyer who tied the knot at Symi Town Hall this morning. The wedding party has now departed on the Poseidon caique for a ceremony of blessing at the little chapel on the small island at Agia Marina. This will be followed by a mini cruise to Nimborio and an afternoon reception at the Aktaion which is, at the moment, being transformed into a pastel-tinted bower by Symi Visitor Accommodation staff. More photographs will be available later as the official photographs are being done by Jordan Blakesley of Symiart but here are two which I took of the bride and bridal party en route to the town hall this morning and a third of them passing below my window on the way to the Poseidon. What more romantic location could one possibly want?

Speaking of weddings, this weekend also marks the official opening of the Old Markets boutique hotel on the Kali Strata and the bridal suite there is really something. I had a quick preview there this morning on my way down to work and the decorators were putting the finishing touches in place. Interior photographs will be available shortly but this picture shows the location. The four windows with the pale green shutters all belong to the bridal suite which is the full length of the building. The other rooms, downstairs, are in the actual covered market so don’t have views but are unique with their vaulted ceilings, luxurious furnishings and exotic bathrooms.

Have a good weekend.

Regards,
Adriana

A New Lease of Life

2011-05-30T14:15:00.003+03:00

Symi is experiencing unusually wet conditions for the time of year and a cloudburst is sweeping across the island as I write this. Above the sound of pelting rain and the splatter of gutters I can hear the hubbub of many voices as daytrippers and locals alike take shelter in the cafeterias along the waterfront. It might be bad weather for Symi’s beach tavernas and water taxis but it is excellent weather for the cafes and shops in the harbour. The tourist shop downstairs, next to the Sunflower laundry, has moved all its display racks of holiday clothes further under the awnings or indoors. We seem to be getting a month’s worth of rain in a day at the moment! The Proteus is pulling out slowly in the deluge, heading for Panormitis monastery on its return trip to Rhodes. The island’s cisterns will be benefitting from this late, unexpected top up and many of the wild plants that had started to die back will have a new lease of life.

Storm over Yialos, captured by Nicholas Shum

The accompanying photograph was taken during a thunderstorm yesterday evening. The unusually unsettled weather is expected to clear with effect from late Tuesday evening so everything should be bright and sunny for Kate and Alastair’s wedding on Friday. Whether it will be dry for the Celtic Dancing at 08.30 p.m at the Manteio cafeteria in Chorio tomorrow evening remains to be seen. It has already been shifted from Saturday evening due to thundershowers on Saturday afternoon. Hence, no doubt, the origin of the expression, to take a rain check! I shall put this up quickly as on Symi wet weather and power cuts often go hand in hand.

Pillion by Nicholas Shum

Have a good week.

Regards,

Adriana

A Very Pretty Time on Symi

2011-05-27T13:33:00.003+03:00

After a couple of days of overcast and humid weather, the edges of a dust storm blowing up from Libya, skies over Symi have returned to their familiar summertime blue. There is the possibility of thundershowers in the afternoons at the moment but these usually fall over the Turkish mainland or in the sea between Symi and Turkey at this time of the year and seldom sprinkle more than a few passing drops over Symi. Symi is considerably warmer than Rhodes and midday temperatures on the island are in the thirties.

In the Pedi Valley all the grass has been cut and baled for animal feed and the sheep and donkeys are doing a good job of grazing off what is left. There won’t be any fresh green stuff now until the rains start again in late October or early November. The great summertime drought starts about now. My neighbours all come round in the late afternoons to water their courgettes and tomatoes – it is too warm now to miss an evening. This is a very pretty time on Symi as the houses still look fresh from their Easter painting and although the wild flowers are fading away, those plants that are regularly watered by human intervention are flourishing in the lanes and alleyways. The pomegranate trees have started to flower, the oleanders are in full bloom and the grape vines and Virginia creepers are scrambling over pergolas and balustrades.

The Blue Star Diagoras on the trial trip on 6 May 2011

The latest news on the ferry front is that the Blue Star is now officially going to be stopping at Symi twice a week, on Tuesdays and Saturdays. The routes will give Symi some connections with Astypalia and Santorini, so opening up the options for island hopping in season. More information is available on the Blue Star website. Symi Tours in Yialos is their booking agent on Symi. Meanwhile, more locally, after a few hiccups ANES has now issued a schedule for the Proteus that runs until the end of October. This will be running what is effectively a tourist service between Rhodes and Symi in that it always spends the night in Rhodes so there will be no morning departures from Symi or evening arrivals from Rhodes with ANES. The Symi II has been withdrawn from service for the foreseeable future.

Have a good weekend.

Regards,
Adriana

Soaking Up Sunshine

2011-05-23T13:16:00.003+03:00

Butterflies dancing around a haystack in the Pedi valley.

The first heatwave of the summer has arrived and Symi is soaking up sunshine. Temperatures are now well over 30 degrees at midday and the air is hazy with heat and dust. Evenings are warm and it is a relief to sit out of doors, enjoying the last of the light.

The Dodecanese Seaways catamaran on her maiden voyage to Datca. Old hands will recognise the twin masts of the Poseidon over on the other side of the bay.

The Ultimate Cat - a marble replica of the Lion of Knidos looks on benignly.

I went to Datca on Saturday on the new Dodecanese Seaways catamaran service which is scheduled to run every Saturday during the season. Due to teething problems with the bureaucratic procedure the boat was very late leaving Symi which did not leave much time for shopping and sightseeing in Datca but presumably these problems will be ironed out with practice. The ferry was very full as it had been booked for a group excursion by the Politikos Syllogos Musulmanon Rhodes, in other words, by Rhodes’ not inconsiderable Turkish community. We were greeted with flower sellers, photographers and more bureaucracy at the Datca side and when the time came to depart, there was a small crowd of people waving good bye on the dock. When the group leader announced that there would be a similar excursion from Rhodes to Datca on 11 June a cheer went up.

This grape vine in Chorio is making a break for freedom.

The island is slowly opening up. With every day that passes there are more places open for business and the island is definitely getting busier. Nationalities we ourselves have hosted at Symi Visitor Accommodation recently include South African, British, Australian, Belgian, German, Turkish, French and American. Webcam watchers will have plenty to see as the number of yachts increases and there is more activity in the harbour in the evenings.

Have a good week.

Regards,
Adriana

Sunshine All the Way

2011-05-20T15:41:00.002+03:00

Dramatic skies over Symi

A quiet side lane off the Kali Strata

It is a sunny Symi Friday. A few thunderclouds are starting to build up over Turkey but nothing as dramatic as the electrical storm that growled around Symi for several hours yesterday afternoon, before depositing all its rain over the sea between Symi and Turkey. It is unlikely that we will have any significant rain between now and October but sometimes a cloud lingers over the Vigla and gives us the benefit of a 5 minute downpour or, more likely, a brief drizzle that evaporates before it reaches the ground. The long range forecast shows thundershowers over most of Greece and sunshine all the way for Symi and Rhodes.

Vines and oleanders on an alternate route to town from Chorio.

There are a lot more people around and the water taxis started operation today. A tribe of excited Greek children, armed with ice creams and evidently on a school day trip from Rhodes, is investigating the fishing boats below my window while a couple of more mature visitors relax on a bench and look at the sea. Yachts are starting to come in, looking for a good berth for the night, and the Tilos Seastar is alongside the quay next to the Clock Tower (Roloi). The air is sweet with the aroma of vanilla from the Nikolas Patisserie behind our office and the cafes and tavernas are bustling with visitors enjoying lunch while looking at the boats.

The restoration of this mansion on the Kali Strata is nearing completion.

This mansion, on the other hand, has a way to go.

Cyclamens grow in surprising places.

No human intervention could achieve that elegant arrangement of leaves.

In the last few days the season really does feel that it has begun. There is a hum of human activity and the clink of crockery and glasses from Pachos downstairs. Taxas supermarket is selling foreign language newspapers and magazines again and all the grocery shops have more diverse fare on offer than has been the case for many months.

Have a good weekend.

Regards,

Adriana

Early Morning Calm

2011-05-16T14:38:00.003+03:00

Temperatures rose sharply over the weekend and there is a definite feel of summer to the air. In the Pedi Valley the oregano (rigani) is covered in white blossom which is, in turn, covered by numerous small copper coloured beetles. It is the petals of these flowers, when dried, that are used to season everything from Greek village salad (choriatiki) to potato crisps. The bushes have quite soft, tender leaves at this time of the year and wilt very quickly after cutting. As the weather becomes drier this soft growth hardens and becomes twiggy and brown. In a few weeks we will also see the small prickly purple cushions of wild thyme bushes dotting the hillsides above the road between Yialos and Chorio and on the hills above St Nicholas beach. Wild sage bushes are more common higher up the Vigla and on the plateau and they started flowering a month ago.

There is a charming wonkiness to Symi that is reflected in nature as well as in the wobbly symmetry of the architecture. Walls undulate and poles lean in all directions. Rooms in old houses seldom have right angle corners and is as though much of the island was built over the centuries 'by eye' rather than with any measuring tools.

Old houses lean in towards this lane leading to the Platia in Chorio, better known as Syllogos Square or Chorio Square and a popular venue for more intimate Symi Festival events.

The island of Nimos in the early morning calm, as seen from the top of the Kali Strata.

Nobody lives there. That is a small monastery, looked after by a family, but the only animate objects on Nimos for much of the year are goats and sheep for whom the steep slopes are

no challenge to grazing.

When I approach this corner of the Kali Strata on the walk to work I am always eager to see if there is anything new or unusual docked by the clock tower. Some mornings it is quiet and empty, as is the case this morning. On other occasions there are glamorous yachts and cruise ships or flotillas of yachts. We may also be seeing with greater frequency than has been the case in recent months, our old friend the water boat.

An unfortunate recent reversal in the island’s infrastructure is that the desalination plant on the Pedi road caught fire one night last week and would appear to be irreparable. The whole casing is burned and sources say that the mechanics inside have melted. The cause would seem to have been a short circuit but the result is a return to the old system of water boats from Rhodes for the foreseeable future. We are all making sure that our cisterns are full as it is unlikely that central government is going to pop a replacement on the ferry from Piraeus any time soon. Regular visitors to Symi and those of us who have lived here for more than four or five years all remember ‘water days’, when the town supply was turned on to specific areas for a couple of hours each week so that we could receive our ration of water for the week. This went into the cistern of the house and had to last until the next ‘water day’. Then a continuous supply, but still based on water boats from Rhodes, was implemented which meant that when one opened a tap 90% of the time water came out but one never knew when the 10% that it didn’t was likely to occur. Well, hopefully we have gone back to the 90% state of affairs rather than the old ‘water days’ because in the meantime an awful lot of houses have done away with the cisterns and have nowhere to store a couple of tonnes of water from one week to the next.

Have a good week.

Regards,

Adriana

Food for the Imagination

2011-05-14T10:55:00.002+03:00

It is a bright sunny spring day on the small island of Symi in the Dodecanese. Day trippers are inspecting the racks outside the tourist shops for bargains and yachts of varying sizes and styles are rocking gently on the quay. Temperatures are pleasantly warm rather than searingly hot and it is still quite chilly in the shade. The water taxi boats are not in operation as the beach tavernas are not open yet but round in Harani the sunbeds at the Nireus Hotel and NOS Beach are seeing some use. It will be a while yet before the sea warms up but some hardy souls are already braving the waters. May is more of a month for hikers, walkers, photographers and painters rather than dedicated beach babes.

Despite a dry spring there are still a lot of flowers around and the gardens in Chorio are a wonderful sight. As there is so little arable land here Symiots have to create gardens among the rocks and make small stone terraces for planting hardy and drought resistant flowers. Courtyards usually have a lemon tree or a grape vine for shade. Old feta cheese and olive cans are often used as plant pots. Their straight sides make them fit neatly close together, shading each other’s roots and maximizing on space in a way that more curvaceous plant pots never can.

Many of the larger mansions are still closed up for the winter, waiting for summer owners from Athens or further afield to bring them to life in July and August. The rest of the year they guard their secrets behind sealed shutters and wrought iron gates, food for the imagination of those of us who pass by in the lanes. Apart from the Symi Dream Photography Walk on Sunday mornings which I mentioned in Monday’s blog there is also another guided walk in Chorio that will appeal to those who are curious about the island’s history and want to explore the labyrinth without fear of getting lost. This is run by Ian Haycox and takes place on Friday mornings from 09.00 to 13.30. For more details and to book please contact Symi Visitor Accommodation at symi-vis@otenet.gr

Have a good weekend.

Regards,
Adriana

Get More Out of Your Holiday

2011-05-09T15:22:00.003+03:00

It is a bright sunny day on Symi, Greece. The sky is the vivid blue of tourist brochures and the yachts in Yialos look clean and newly painted in the sunshine. A fringe of thunder clouds is building up on the horizon and a light wind is fluttering the flags left up from yesterday’s VE Day Parade. There are plenty of day trippers from Rhodes, mainly smartly dressed Eastern Europeans and Russians and mature British and Scandinavian tourists in sensible walking boots and sunhats. This may be in part due to a dramatic increase in the number of tourist arrivals in Rhodes in comparison to this time last year. The interesting thing about this article in the Athens News is that no mention whatever is made of how last year’s tourist figures were affected by the Iceland volcano eruption.

A regatta is expected in Symi harbour tonight and it is certainly ideal sailing weather at the moment. Enough of a breeze to be interesting but not so much that it is unpleasant. The long term forecast for Greece this week shows a fairly changeable picture with thunderstorms and possible heavy downpours mid week. In other words, fairly typical weather for this time of year. The weather in the Mediterranean does not really settle into its summer pattern until June and occasional showers are not uncommon in May. Down here in the south they seldom amount to much and often evaporate as they reach the ground so they have little beneficial effect on the plant life. They can, however, cover everything in a fine film of sand as these phenomena usually blow up out of Libya and it is not unheard of for ‘red rain’ and sandstorms to shut down Greek airports for a few hours. The Poseidon website http://www.poseidon.ncmr.gr/ is an interesting one to watch as it shows dust as well as cloud cover and rainfall.

In the Pedi valley the green is turning to gold as the shepherds cut the hay for their livestock and the daisies lose their lustre. Isolated clumps of poppies linger on in places where there is moisture but the cyclamens have virtually disappeared. The grass is setting seed and where it has not been cut it is often head height. The lupins are covered in furry seed pods and the sinister Dracunculis Vulgaris lurks in the shady places. The oregano bushes are in bud and will soon be covered in a haze of small white flowers. Pink bindweed and clematis tangle up the fences and the first tipsy hollyhocks are sending wobbly spires out of the stone walls.

Today’s photos are some that I took while on a Symi Dream photo walk in Chorio yesterday morning with Neil Gosling. If you want to learn some new tips and tricks and get more out of your holiday photos this is a well spent 2 hours on a Sunday morning. For more information see http://www.symidream.com/ or the poster outside the Sunflower Laundry.

Have a good week.

Regards,
Adriana

A Week of Contrasts

2011-05-06T15:39:00.004+03:00

Pedi Bay and surrounding hills on Wednesday 4 May

Weather wise it has been a week of contrasts on Symi with everything from blinding sunshine to dramatic rolling clouds. The whole region comprising Greece, the Balkans and Turkey is experiencing this unsettled and often thundery weather. Symi has not had anything by way of significant rain but the skies have been quite spectacular.

A sunny interval in the oldest part of Chorio.

This is why we refer to them as 'big boats'...

Another spectacle that occurred this week and owes more to human intervention than the divine was the appearance of the Blue Star Diagoras high speed ferry, on a test trip to see if it could dock in Yialos. As can be seen it was something of a tight fit but the mayor and various dignitaries came down to welcome the first ‘big boat’ to visit Symi since at least March. We hope that it will be able to make regular scheduled visits to Symi to relieve some of the transport problems that have occurred since ANES went into bankruptcy and the ANEK boat dropped the route. This is not the first time the Blue Star has tried to serve the route and we hope that it will be more successful the second time around.

This isn’t the only development on the ferry scene - Dodecanese Seaways has announced that with effect from 21 May it will be offering trips to Datca on Saturdays, filling the gap left by the Symi II which used to do this during the season. At 15 euros per person each way and with the journey only taking 15 minutes this is likely to be popular with everyone except the excursion boats that traditionally serve the route. However one must bear in mind that the fast connection gives less time in Datca for actually enjoying the market and so on, and it will free up seats on the excursion boats for those who want to make a day of it rather than travelling one way.

Flags in Yialos in the early morning sunshine.

Down in the harbour preparations are well under way for the VE Day Parade on Sunday and when I came down to work early this morning the municipal workers were using the island’s ‘cherry picker’ to hang bunting from the lamp posts along the head of the harbour and round to the War Memorial. If you are in Symi on Sunday remember to take your camera with you to Yialos. This parade is usually one of the most colourful on Symi’s calendar and includes a display of traditional costumes and dancing.

Have a good weekend.

Regards,
Adriana

Warmer by the Day

2011-05-02T14:52:00.007+03:00

A ewe and her lamb graze on daisies among the ruins in the top of Chorio.

That is Pedi Bay in the background.

May Day passed in a flurry of sandy rain showers that turned the sky pink and grey over Southern Greece. This unsettled weather is typical of this time of the year as warm air from Africa meets cold air from Europe and we can expect more red rain and squalls before the summer heat arrives and the meltemi blows away the dust. Although the sky is hazy and visibility poor one advantage of this weather is that, as it comes from North Africa, temperatures are in the twenties so it is by no means cold and the sea grows warmer by the day. The water taxis should start operating in the next few weeks although the beach tavernas don’t usually start operating fully until June.

Dressed over all, this pair of British yachts were flying the flag

for the Royal Wedding on 29 April 2011

Symi is getting busier with day trip boats coming in every day from Rhodes. The Dodecanese Seaways and ANES are both doing day excursions from Rhodes, as is the Nikolaos X, so visitors can choose between a high speed catamaran, the Proteus car ferry or a purpose built excursion boat. We are also seeing more yachts as over-wintering boats clear out of Turkey and make Symi their first port of call for summer cruising in the Aegean.

It is traditional in Greece to put a posy or garland of flowers outside ones house on May Day. These are usually garden or wild flowers or a mixture of both and the flowers remain until at least the Festival of St John in June. This is a lovely way to celebrate the old-fashioned damask roses blooming in many gardens here at the moment, as well as the first bright flush of pelagoniums and the last of the wild flowers. I photographed some which caught my eye on my walk down the Kali Strata steps this morning.

Have a good week.

Regards,
Adriana

Royal Wedding Fever

2011-04-29T12:03:00.012+03:00

The Authentic Royal Wedding Bunting

Royal Wedding fever has spread as far as our small corner of the Aegean, and we even have the bunting to prove it. The Olive Tree café in Chorio is hosting a Royal Wedding Street Party today, in the lane between the Hotel Fiona and the Olive Tree. In keeping with the nature of the event cucumber sandwiches and trifle will be eaten and Symi Visitor Accommodation has donated a basket of fresh locally grown vegetables as a prize for the tombola.

The prize - with the picture book village, Chorio, in the background.

Let us not forget that the British Royal Family has Greek connections, not least of which being that Ex King Constantine of the Hellenes is Prince William’s godfather. Long term visitors and readers of the late Symi Visitor newspaper will remember that we interviewed Constantine when he visited Symi in 2005 for the Aegean Regatta. Celebrity watching is as popular in Greece as it is anywhere else and although Greece is no longer a monarchy, the Greeks are still interested in the activities of their own, now deposed, Royal Family, hence the mass media coverage when Prince Nicholas was married to Tatiana Blatnik on Spetses last year.

Kate Middleton’s hair style is a popular one in Greece where young women traditionally favour long flowing locks and waist length hair is more likely to be natural than the result of extensions so hers is a look that people can relate to. It is unlikely, though, that Symi is the honeymoon destination – we have not seen any security chaps peering into plant pots around the harbour or sealing off restaurants as was the case when George Bush senior paid us a visit in June 2004.

Have a good weekend. I am off to drink Buck's Fizz and eat cucumber sandwiches...

Regards,
Adriana

Bright Monday

2011-04-25T11:49:00.001+03:00

The churches on the Acropolis, bright in the Easter sunshine.

In Greece Easter Monday is referred to as Bright Monday – indeed the whole week after the Resurrection is known as Bright Week – and bright it certainly is. Symi is enjoying exceptionally fine weather at the moment and those visitors who decided to spend their Easter break here have not regretted it. There may be a few showers later in the week but we are unlikely to have any significant rain now until October.

One of the many churches in the oldest part of Chorio, decorated with flags and bunting for Easter.

An Easter Explosion on the road above Chorio on Easter Saturday.

Anything from old artillery shells and dynamite to fertiliser is used to make the biggests bangs possible. It becomes virtually a competition between the different parishes.

Easter in Greece is special because it is still primarily a religious festival. Each day is marked by its own specific services and traditions which are taken very seriously, hence the taboo on manual work, particularly carpentry, on Good Friday and Easter Saturday. The one that always takes foreign visitors by surprise, however, is the bangs. During the Maundy Thursday and Good Friday services, making loud noises to keep the devil or evil at bay is part of the liturgy, just as loud celebratory explosions mark the Resurrection at midnight on Saturday night. More loud bangs are a feature of the burning of the effigy of Judas on the evening of Easter Sunday and this year this was followed by a very grand firework display. In previous years the municipality has also laid on a communal lamb spit roast in the town square but this year there was no free feasting in the new austerity Greece. There was, however, a great deal of old fashioned communal pooling of resources as families, friends and neighbours celebrated together in traditional style.

As St George’s Day fell on Easter Saturday this year, all the Georges in Greece are celebrating their name day today, Easter Monday. It is also a bank holiday so most shops and businesses are closed until tomorrow.

Christos Anesti!

Regards,
Adriana

The Sun is Shining

2011-04-21T13:29:00.000+03:00

Lemonitissa Church, a landmark on Symi's acropolis.

The sun is shining and the pre-Easter whitewashing is well under way. Easter is a very busy time for women in Greece as the bulk of the preparations for the celebrations falls upon them. Apart from whitewashing the outsides of the houses, particularly the steps, before the processions of the Epitaphi on Good Friday (biers symbolizing Christ’s funeral), they have kilos of traditional biscuits, cheese pies and cakes to prepare for Sunday’s feast, eggs to dye red and decorate, offal soup to prepare for the breaking of the fast at midnight on Saturday night, mountains of food to prepare for the lamb spit roast on Sunday and still fit in attending all the church services of Holy Week. When I set off for work at 7.30 in the morning the ladies are already emerging from the first church services of the day and are heading home for another day of preparations.

Morning shadows on the Kali Strata

Not all houses on the Kali Strata are mansions.

This narrow sliver of a building is next door to the Old Markets

which are being restored as a boutique hotel.

While the women are filling the lanes with the buttery aromas of vanilla and mastic cookies, the men are out in the fields, slaughtering lambs for Sunday. This is a bad time to be a male lamb in Greece as they are the ones destined for culinary greatness! With fine weather forecast until Tuesday all is set for some excellent Easter parties. As the Easter feast is traditionally held out of doors on Symi, with the lamb spit roasted rather than baked in an oven as is the case on some of the other Greek islands, a dry day is definitely an asset. Before the feasting, however, there is still a fair amount of fasting. Many Symiots observe the Lenten Fast most strictly in Holy Week, and restaurants and tavernas advertise that they are serving dishes complying with this. Good Friday, with its solemn night time processions through the streets is not the excuse for retail therapy that it has become in many other parts of the world.

Kids in the Pedi Valley, doing what they enjoy best.

The butcher at the bottom of the Kali Strata.

That is a carefully made cross from Palm Sunday.

The Minerva, a Hellenic Swan cruise ship, came into Symi yesterday and stayed over night. The majority of the guests seemed to be of mature years and came ashore in small groups with tour guides in the course of the afternoon. While Rhodes is often dwarfed by enormous cruise ships, Symi appeals more to smaller niche market cruises, the sort where the passengers are more interested in the history and culture of the various ports of call than how many night clubs there are on board.

The 'Minerva' of Nassau

I shall next be in the office on Tuesday to post a formal blog but will endeavour to put up some pictures in the course of the weekend, 3G connections permitting.

Happy Easter and Kalo Pasca to you all!

Regards,

Adriana

Weather for Walkers

2011-04-18T14:17:00.000+03:00

Arches were often used to link two halves of a household and some older properties

do actually have lanes running through underneath them.

It is a typical April day on Symi. Low grey clouds tinged pink with the sandstorms off Libya and North Africa, fast moving showers of varying velocity and temperatures that vacillate between sweltering sunshine and chilly drizzle. This spell of unsettled weather seems destined to last right through until Easter. While it doesn’t look like everyone’s picture postcard Greek island idyll, it is actually quite pleasant weather for walkers and exploring the lanes of Chorio. This kind of sand rain is seldom soaking, unlike the deluges of the rainy season when it is in full flow.

The profusion of churches in the older part of Chorio are indicative of just how

populous this part of Symi once was.

That patch of yellow daisies on the opposite hill has escaped the attentions of grazing goats.

There are quite a few visitors around, mainly regulars and friends of people who have houses here. One spin-off of the British Royal Wedding is that more people are taking breaks in April and early May as they don’t need to take too many days off work to put together 10 days or a fortnight. There are also some day trippers from Rhodes who came in on the Dodecanese Seaways catamaran. Grey days are good for harbour businesses in Symi because they are bad beach days for anyone staying in a resort on Rhodes and a day trip to Symi becomes a welcome diversion. The regular day excursion boats have not started yet. Speaking of excursions, apparently the bureaucracy involved for the day trips from Symi to Datca has become a lot more complicated and so these Saturday shopping trips to the street market may only start in June or July rather than in May while the boats wait for the necessary permits.

A natural hanging garden in the rock face, with some rock formations adapted for use by shepherds.

Toyland - this very old part of Chorio is only slowly being rebuilt from the ruins.

As it is the least accessible part of Chorio with no vehicle access,

the cost of rebuilding in this area is very high as everything has to be carried by donkey or, in some cases, man-packed because the lanes are too narrow even for the donkeys.

The back of Yialos from above. One can see the rooftops of the Opera House Hotel, Iapetos Village and numerous other holiday houses. Of our own listings The Gate House and the access routes to Villa Iris and Spiti Grande Helene are all in this picture.

I took these photographs on Saturday, from the narrow vehicle road that goes round the Kastro, below the acropolis but above Lemonitissa church. It is quite a good walk for anyone who is new to Symi because one can see the whole harbour spread out below and work out where the different places are. The brave can then carry on down the old Kataraktis footpath to the harbour. This was the route used for centuries, hidden from the sea and therefore confusing to pirates and invaders. The Kali Strata was built with confidence in the late nineteenth century, when the rich sponge merchants built their mansions and needed to be able to see their fishing fleets come in. Earlier Symiots favoured the easily defensible huddle around the castle mound.

Have a good week.

Regards,

Adriana