Blossom Time on Symi

Look carefully and you will see the bees, busy doing their thing.

Almond trees

The upper reaches of the Pedi valley.  The white patch of trees centre right in this picture are the almond trees in detail at the beginning of this blog.  The other deciduous trees are still leafless.  Look at how luminous the grass is on the terraces - a far cry from the dusty brown of summer.

In the summer this area off the square in Chorio is humming with people.  In the winter only one of the bars is open and everyone is sitting inside, around the heater, drinking strong Greek coffee and discussing the economy, or lack thereof.  The majority of people do not have any regular work in the winter as much of the island's income is dependent on summer tourism.  Unless one is a teacher or working in the bank, post office, town hall or the forces, there is little employment in the winter and by February things are looking quite bleak.  In a few weeks, when the weather improves, it will be time to get started on preparations for the season and the island starts to hum with activity but at the moment there is little to be done.

The sun came out for a while on Saturday and every balcony seemed draped with bedding, out to air in the sunshine.  We don't have central heating in Symi and the houses become very damp in the winter.  People rely on small halogen heaters or, if they can afford it, their air conditioners set on heat - an expensive way of heating drafty high-ceilinged stone houses as the units are mounted high on the walls for maximum cooling efficiency in the summer.  

Even the family bird is out on the line for a spot of sunshine and fresh air.

Not to mention the Chorio cats.

The Kampos supermarket at the main bus stop in Chorio.  Yes, one of those 3 men on the left has a large bundle of hay slung across his back, destined for the family donkey. The stacks of tins outside the supermarket are crates of dog food.  As Symi's crime rate is negligible shop keepers don't really worry too much about packing away all their stock inside, particularly if they live in the flat above the shop.

Windy skies over Pedi on Saturday morning.

It is another stormy February Monday on Symi.  We had some sunshine on Saturday, which is when I grabbed the opportunity to go out and take some photographs of something other than breaking waves in a flooded harbour!  It has been raining steadily all day today and strong winds are expected to move in again tomorrow, with a drop in temperature and, surprise, more rain!

Have a good week.

Regards,
Adriana

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Winter Blusters On

The landmark oak in Lieni is still bare, but makes for some interesting reflections on the cars parked below.  In the summer Symi cars are all covered in millimetres of dust but at this time of the year the rain keeps them shiny.

Symi sky - somewhere between Turner and Jackson Pollack!

Winter blusters on, warm enough if one can find a sunny spot out of the wind but hypothermia-inducing if one is out on a motorbike, the favoured method of transport in these cost-cutting times.  Symiots and expats alike are well wrapped up in numerous unidentifiable layers, priority being given to warmth and practicality rather than sartorial style and elegance.  The brisk south-easterly wind has turned the almond blossom to confetti and the sky is a raggedy mix of shredded clouds and blown vapour trails. 

Down in the harbour the count down to Greek Easter and the start of the season has begun and last night saw the first carnival party with children running around in fancy dress, clamouring for sweets.  This morning a tangle of wind-swept streamers was blowing round the harbour and wrapping round table legs.  The waterfront cafes that have stayed open for the winter are quite cosy, turned into conservatories by their plastic drop cloths and space heaters. 

The weather forecast for the remainder of the week remains unsettled with more windy days to come and temperatures hovering between 10 and 16 degrees centigrade.  There may be occasional showers but no heavy rain expected before the weekend.

Have a good week.

Regards,

Adriana

Almond blossom confetti in Lieni

Who knows when the undercover sports' facility in Chorio will see completion, but this lone black sheep is quite enjoying grazing on the verdant verge.

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A Cold and Blustery Day on Symi

It is a cold and blustery day on Symi.  Gale force winds are lashing the whole country and pounding against my balcony door.  The fire brigade has been called out to rescue people trapped by flood waters in Athens and to pump out flooded basements. The Blue Star Diagoras is stuck in Patmos, waiting for the wind to abate, so the hawkers selling black polyester garments will have to hang about Symi for another day.  Heavy rain is expected to reach us as the wind starts to drop.  We will all be glad when February has finally passed and we can really start looking forward to spring.

Meanwhile the first tentative attempts at getting the island ready for the season have commenced.  The municipality is digging a trench around the harbour, from the bus stop to the taxi rank.  Rumours abound regarding what new businesses may be coming this summer. The one arousing a lot of interest is the possibility of a pet shop in Yialos.  It sounds as though it may not be the sort that sells goldfish and hamsters but rather a stockist of pet products and accessories.  Does this portend a glamorous future for the dogs and cats of Symi?  A new traditional-style kafeneion has opened up next to the chandlery in the lane below our office, with its entrance in the next lane.  There is a lot of renovation activity in the old spice and herb shop at the corner by the Vapori Bar and the greengrocer in the alley has had to move his display stand so that the side door can be accessed.  Whenever there is a gap in the weather the chipping of plaster and clatter of jack hammers can be heard, echoing round the harbour.

Meanwhile, in the Pedi valley the wild lupins are flowering and the sheep are enjoying whatever patches of sunshine they can find.  The island is now so waterlogged that little springs and rivulets are dribbling out of the rocks and seeping through the terrace walls. Snails, slugs and earthworms are in evidence everywhere.  A far cry from the baked earth of summer.  I sometimes wonder how far down the earthworms in my garden have to go to find somewhere to survive the summer drought when nothing short of a pick can penetrate the surface. 

Have a good weekend.  Looking at the long range forecast, I think I will be spending most of mine either indoors or in the greenhouse!

Regards,

Adriana

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When The Rain Passes

The little church on the corner  of my road has sprouted a name board in my absence.

And sheep may safely graze - in the shelter of the chapel walls.

 Every morning we seem to wake up to downpours and grumbling thunder and the sunny intervals are often too brief to dash dry shod down the Kali Strata or pop out to the supermarket.  The island’s taxis are doing brisk business.  In the absence of storm water drains Symi’s steep lanes and myriad flights of steps rapidly become fast flowing streams and the stones are well scrubbed.  The dust and cigarette butts of summer are long gone.  Grass and moss grow in every crevice and the stone walls are sprouting gardens of ferns and cyclamens.  Many sheep are roaming free range at the moment, grabbing any grazing they can.

When the rain passes the shiny new snowfalls on the distant peaks of Anatolia sparkle in the sun. So far we  have not had snow any closer to Symi this winter but last year we had the coldest weather of the year at the end of February so we cannot assume the worst is over yet.  The island is very quiet.  It is too wet and cold for outdoor work, even for those who are employed, and everyone battens down early by the fireside.  Whiffs of woodsmoke curl from chimneys around Chorio from mid afternoon.

Greek Easter is very late this year – Greek Easter Sunday falls on 5 May 2013 – so Carnival which normal enlivens the gloom of February falls mainly in March this year.  Nothing daunted many of the expats and their friends on Symi settled into an evening of pancake tossing  to celebrate Shrove Tuesday – living in such isolation the community is adept at finding its own amusements and celebrations.

Have a good weekend.

Regards,

Adriana

Free range chickens wandering through the Pedi valley.

That is a little glimmer of snow just to the right of the largest peak on the horizon.

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