Memorable Retail Therapy

A Louis Lines cruise ship pulling into Symi harbour on Wednesday afternoon.

Cruise ships having been stopping by Symi for short periods since the beginning of the season.  Sometimes they are small boutique cruise ships which come alongside in Yialos and sometimes they are larger ships that anchor off in Nimborio bay and bring guests ashore in small lighters.

A line up of interesting boats and yachts on the quay in Yialos on Thursday afternoon.

A small fishing boat for sale in Harani.

Harani boatyard.  Note the cloudy sky in the background - harbinger of things to come.

Pedi bay on Friday morning with rain showers dancing over Turkey.

 A lone Kos lettuce, growing between the paving stones and a pile of tiles on the Kali Strata  How the seed arrived there is something of a mystery. There were several but this is the only one that survived long enough to bolt without being nibbled by a passing sheep or donkey.

Chrysalis, one of the many charming boutiques for which Symi is becoming known.  This one is at the foot of the Kali Strata, on the way to the Old Markets Hotel.

One of the picturesque squares off Yialos waterfront, lined with tavernas, cafes and tourist shops.

A storm has been building slowly over our corner of the Mediterranean for some days and last night we had intermittent showers and mud rain with distant growls of thunder until well into the early hours.  It is quite overcast today and very humid.  More thundershowers are expected over the next few days with strong westerly winds.  It is not uncommon for us to have a last rain storm at the end of May/beginning of June.  Temperatures are in the high twenties to low thirties.

Inclement weather brings many day-trippers from Rhodes.  Visitors staying on the island also take a break from the beach to browse around the shops and boutiques in Yialos and have lunch in the harbour. Summer-time shopping on Symi has improved considerably over the years and we now have an excellent range of clothing boutiques to suit all figures, tastes and budgets.  As shops stay open until quite late in the evenings you can combine dining out with some memorable retail therapy.

Have a good weekend.

Regards,
Adriana

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Melt in the Heat

Rhea, a classic tall ship that visits Symi on a regular basis every summer.

An elaborate neo-classical pediment on the Kali Strata.

This little house near the high school is being restored.  All the old plaster has been chipped off, revealing that as with so many old Symi stone houses, it is constructed from a mixture of stones of varying sizes held together with mud.  Pre-neoclassical, this has stood for centuries and is probably good for a few more.

Aha, the little hire boats are finally in their usual spot by the clock tower.

Traditional Turkish wooden gulets face off against the modern fibreglass brigade across the harbour.

A cruise ship from Cyprus dwarfs the Nikolaos X excursion boat in Yialos earlier this week. This photograph was taken from the balcony of my office, hence the sweep of power lines across the view.  Symi is festooned with power lines in all directions and forests of poles.  They are as much a part of the landscape as the neo-classical pediments.

As the figs ripen in the sun the natural sugars melt in the heat and run out of the fruit.

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