The Perfect Place to do Nothing

Old ironwork and modern lamps - Symi is full of little details that remind you of the island's prosperous past.

Kissing birds or elaborate roses?  What do you think?

In a hot dry Symi summer it is perfectly safe to drag an antique chair out on to the balcony to take the evening air - the chances of it being rained on are minimal.

The Blue Star Paros swinging through Yialos at 8 this morning.

His name is Rocky and he lurks in Lieni.

The circling military helicopters and heavy security presence in the harbour on Tuesday were because Symi was visited by the Greek President, Prokopis Pavlopoulos, as part of a tour of the border islands.

Yialos yesterday.  As you can see, many buildings have been beautifully restored but many others are still in poor repair or  in ruins.  Restoring and maintaining a traditional Symi building is an expensive business and an on-going project with no short cuts.  There are no subsidies for the work and property owners have to cover the costs themselves.

The view from the bridge in Yialos. The scar on the hill in the background is the spectacular road out of town that connects Yialos with Chorio and Pedi.  The views as you go up are amazing so be sure to look out of the window.

One of the three chandlers in the harbour. There is one near the clock tower and another beside St John's church so the needs of sailors and fishermen are well met.  The chances are good that if one doesn't have what you want, one of the others will be able to oblige. They also sell fishing tackle, tools and agricultural implements. The rather gruesome giant ice cream cone on the right belongs to the cake shop next door to our office. They do some really yummy fresh ice creams in addition to all sorts of cakes and confectionery.

Buying tickets for the water taxi to the beach. Nimborio, Agia Marina, St Nicholas, St George, Nanou and Marathounda are all best reached by boat.

The view from the Symi Visitor Accommodation office this week.

Looking down at the clock tower from the corner of the Kali Strata.  You can see the row of little white hire boats near the clock tower which you can hire by the day to explore the island.  The long white structure in front of the clock tower is the Schengen customs and immigration post that was installed last year. All boats clearing in from Turkey and further afield have to stop here to be processed.

Now that schools have closed for the summer break all round Europe there are lots more families visiting Symi. Every language under the sun seems to be spoken in Yialos these days and the harbour has a cosmopolitan buzz. Leave the harbour and head for Chorio and suddenly all is quiet.  Very few day-trippers venture beyond the first 30 steps of the Kali Strata and many remain in blissful ignorance that the main habitation is actually up, way above their heads, in the sprawl between the Kastro and Periotissa which they may have glimpsed briefly from the boat as they passed the entrance of Pedi bay.

The visitors staying on the island, as well as those residents who are not at work, are out on the water or at one of the island's charming beaches during the day.  Chorio only comes to life in the evening, as people gather in the square and at the various bars and cafes, to chat about their day and discuss what to have for dinner at one of the tavernas.

On Symi the days are long, the nights are warm and the atmosphere is pretty relaxed.  As Symi does not have much in the way of frenetic amusements there is no obligation to feel that one ought to be doing anything more strenuous that swimming with a view or relaxing with a book and a drink.  Symi is the perfect place to do nothing for a week or two and recharge the batteries that modern urban living drains so thoroughly.  One might, of course, look up as earnest souls on mountain bikes toil up the hill to Panormitis but they are infrequent and provide a talking point rather than an overwhelming need to leap up and join them.  In any case, there are no mountain bikes for hire on Symi so the choice has already been made for you!

Have a good week.

Regards,
Adriana

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Greetings From A Quiet Island

That could be you on that water taxi, heading for Agia Marina, St Nicholas, St George, Nanou or Marathounda! The view from Symi Visitor Accommodation at 11.20 this morning.

On Symi it is always worth looking up!

This year the seagulls have been replaced by fish.  Apologies for the loss of sharpness - I cropped this from a larger photo so that you can get some idea of the detail on that mobile.

Looking through a window on the Kali Strata to the opposite side of the harbour.

The figs are plumping out nicely in the ruins.

A line up of motor yachts from Turkey.

Boats clearing in from outside the EU have to dock at the clock tower first to go through customs and immigration before being allowed to berth in Yialos or anchor in Pedi.

Symi is still very quiet considering that we have passed the halfway mark of June, a month that used to be one of the busiest in the year on Symi.  While there is a lot more boating activity in the harbour, mainly due to Ramadan as many Turkish boats come over then, there are still very few visitors actually staying on the island.  There is still plenty of accommodation of all kinds available on the island as those hotels that don't work with package holiday companies have availability and we also have houses, studios and apartments available.

Where I live, up at the top of the Pedi valley, the ambient noise in the evening is the buzz of cicadas and the tinkle of sheep bells rather then the murmur of distant conversations and snatches of music on the air.  There are far fewer people about and many houses are still closed up which is sad.  Houses with their shutters closed and no lights visible on summer nights are an unusual sight.

As I write this, the Salamis Filoxenia has just winkled her way into Symi harbour so at least the Cypriots have not forgotten us!

Have a good week.

Regards,
Adriana

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Functioning Fine

Who needs cute kittens on the internet when Symi can provide a cute foal?

A group from the Symi Sea Dreams excursion boat, listening to a potted history of Symi from their guide.

The water taxis are back on their berths but aren't fully in operation yet as there aren't enough people around and the beach tavernas have yet to open.  Instead they have been taking locals out to waterside chapels for name days as much of Symi's shoreline is so precipitous that there is no other means of getting to many places except by sea.

Looking across at Harani and Nimos from the bend at the top of the Kali Strata.  That is a group of gulets lying at anchor off Harani.  They are large wooden motor-sailers, built in Turkey and sleeping up to 30 passengers.  Gulets often include Symi as part of their cruising itinerary although the island derives little benefit from them as they usually arrive fully equipped and the guests eat on board rather than in Symi's many waterfront tavernas and restaurants.

Wild oregano is irresistible to butterflies.

Pedi bay at 7 a.m. looking down from Lieni.

Looking up the Kali Strata from about half way down, still bearing the scars of a very wet winter.  At some point someone from the municipality will come along with bags of whitewash and do the backbreaking annual task of painting about 370 steps, working down from the top.

The carpenter's cats at the bottom of the Kali Strata.

Another view of Lemonitissa church, this time from one of the lanes at the back of the harbour. That is a caper bush growing out of the top of the building on the left.

The noddy train has a new coat of paint.

Looking across the head of the harbour from outside the National Bank.  That is Lemonitissa church with the red dome on the hill on the right.  The ruins of the kastro are on the peak above the church.  The Lemonitissa apartment and studio are in the trees to the right of the church.

It is a warm and hazy day on Symi. It is about 26 degrees centigrade and quite humid. The excursion boats are coming in and a truck has just driven past my office window, festooned with ropes of garlic for sale.  The Blue Star was only an hour late this morning, coming through from Tilos. This is the only direct connection between Tilos and Symi.  On the other days of the week one has to go via Rhodes and stay over night to make the connection with Dodecanese Seaways.

We have been hearing from regular visitors that there have been stories in the British tabloid press recently that there is no money in the Greek banks and that there is no food in the shops. Well, we can assure you that the banks on Symi are functioning fine and there is an abundance of food in the shops now that we have daily connections between Rhodes and Symi.  One can even buy such obscure items as agave syrup and a full range of sushi ingredients as well as the usual succulent sun-ripened tomatoes, crispy sweet cucumbers and voluptuous aubergines so please do not believe what you read in the tabloids!  While there are indeed many poor, unemployed and homeless people in Greece, particularly on the mainland, that does not mean that there is no food in the shops or the tavernas in the islands.

Have a good weekend.

Regards,
Adriana

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Stylish Shopping Opportunities

Every Greek taverna and restaurant has its feline residents.

Power boats by the metre.

A mysterious lane between houses on the Kali Strata. The house at the bottom has a bit nibbled out of it to allow passage between the buildings.  This now leads roughly to the high school playground, a recent post war construction. Who knows where it led before?

Soroco Lifestyle Store , Merakles Taverna and various other intriguing boutiques as well as a two stationers and a lotto shop fill the lanes around St John's Church and the back of the harbour.

Hand made goodies and decorator items next to the Albatros Hotel.

Ice cream and chandlery outside our office door.

Carpenters have cats too.

Symi is developing quite a reputation for its stylish shopping opportunities.  Instead of the repetitive and predictable tourist tat of Rhodes Old Town, every outlet on Symi has its own unique character and carefully chosen stock.  Whether you are looking for something different to wear this summer that you won't find in any high street chain, or something unusual for your home, Symi has plenty of shopping opportunities to offer.  Shops keep traditional Mediterranean hours so even if they close in the afternoon, they usually reopen in the evening so you can fit in some retail therapy before dinner in one of the tavernas.

The island continues to heat up and the first proper heatwave of the year is forecast for this week.  If it is expected to reach 34 in Rhodes we can anticipate 40 degrees centigrade here on Symi.  The beaches and boats will be busy as it is much cooler on the water or at the beach than it is in the harbour.

Have a good week.

Regards,
Adriana

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