Pentecost on Symi

A cat who doesn't like Mondays.

The water ship departing from Yialos at 8 this morning.  Symi has no natural water and depends on a small desalination plant on the Pedi road and a water ship to keep the population - and visitors - supplied with household water.  This is one of the reaasons why we don't have swimming pools on Symi. The other is that the island's architecture is protected and swimming pools are not part of the 19th century neo-classical heritage of the island.  You would be hard-pressed to find space to put one anyway as the houses cling to the cliffs and hillsides like opera boxes at La Scala and gardens are rare.

Departing yachts and gulets.

A water taxi heading out on the first run of the day, at 10 a.m.

Gyros, jewelry, beach bags, sunhats and ferry tickets for Dodecanese Seaways and Blue Star ferries - this is looking up the lane from the seaward side.

Wherever you look there are bright colours and pretty views.  Turn left for Symi Tours, the ferry ticket office.

Hand made pottery, mobile phones, cotton clothes, Birkenstocks, original artwork, beauty treatments, cafes, wine, ferry tickets and accessories can all be found in this lane.

There are some charming boutiques on the island, selling lovely summer clothes. Women visitors really can arrive with an empty suitcase and leave with a full one.  

Flowers and plants, fresh bread, meat, hardware, newspapers (foreign and local), clothes, shoes, jewelry, groceries and souvenirs are all to be found in this lane.

Most places have stone, tile or wooden floors.  In the winter months loose carpets and rugs are put down to take the chill off as the houses are seldom heated.  \At the beginning of the summer they are all washed, dried in the sun and then rolled up and stored in big plastic bags for the purpose in the attic.  

It is quite common for supermarkets on Symi to put their fresh produce outside so that customers can see what is in today.  Note that there are no prepackages.  You pick what you want, put it in a bag and it is weighed inside for you.  Greeks are very particular about their food and like to see exactly what they are buying.

Read more...

A Typical Symi Monday

The overnight yachting fraternity, unraveling tangled anchors before setting off for the day's sailing to the next port of call.

A gypsy van is going round the island at the moment, selling clay pots from Crete and big bags of potting soil.  In the background you can see the water taxis lined up with customers already on board, waiting for the first departure of the day.

Although our office faces the sea, the entrance is in the lane to the side. This is the colourful display at the chandlery opposite our entrance.  That strange object on the right, behind the bikes, is a large fibreglass ice cream cone belonging to the cake shop next door to us.

Two very traditional shops in the back lanes. The one on the left specialises in Greek products and organic foods.  The one on the right is the tin smith who makes lanterns and other domestic items, a skill he learned from his late grandfather.

There are several cool and shady tavernas among the back lanes. The shop with the green shutters is one of the two modern butcheries in the harbour.  The third butcher is up in Chorio.

Home made traditional patisserie, fancy designer labels, a specialist sunglasses shop and a specialist wine shop can be found in this square at the back of Yialos.

The post office at the back of Yialos. The shop on the right is one of several specialist wine shops in Yialos, selling Greek and imported wines and spirits.

7 a.m. and lots of yachts lying at anchor in Pedi bay.

This blog is developing something of an equine theme.

A tangle of grave vine and pomegranate blossom in an old garden at the top of the Kali Strata

One of my fans, Joy Steptoe, came into the office this morning and asked to be photographed on the balcony as an alternative to doing a webcam wave.  Apologies for the blinding sunshine in the background!  At this time of the year many of the island's regular visitors come into the office, even if they aren't staying specifically in our accommodation.

May is drawing to a close and may go out with a thunderstorm or two, judging by the long term forecast for this week.  We will all be unplugging our modems at the first rumble of thunder as the island's lone OTE telephone technician is still rushing about, trying to repair the damage from the big thunderstorm two weeks ago!

Have a good week.

Regards,
Adriana

Read more...