A Quiet Moment

Misty early morning in Yialos and the gulets and motor boats start to pull out.  Although it is still very hot, the days are growing shorter and when I come down to work the sun is barely over the hill.



The sphinx on the roof of the cake shop next to our office is so weather-beaten she has lost more than her nose.



Lemonitissa church, the big church on the Kastro/Acropolis on the side overlooking the harbour.  Our office is immediately beneath it.



A billboard in Chorio announcing the concert at Petalo tonight. There is also a big party over on the island of Nimos tonight, 23 August, when the little church on the island celebrates its name day.  This is traditionally an all night event and the water taxis ferry everyone across for music, dancing, food and wine.



Gulets and yachts crowded around the clock tower in Yialos.



Doves sharing a quiet moment on a power line on the Kali Strata.



Up in Chorio there are traditional tavernas where meals can be enjoyed in the peace and quiet, far from the hubbub of the harbour crowds.



As the French and Italian summer house owners are heading home the water toys are being hauled out and packed away for another year.



There is a pleasantly cool breeze today and the flags on the bridge are flying proudly.



One of the horses used for the popular carriage rides in the harbour, heading back up Mavrovouni to his stable.

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Symi Harbour Views

Every morning as I walk down to work I stop at the corner of the Kali Strata, my first glimpse of Yialos where I work.  There is always something new to look at.  Perhaps the big ferry demonstrating the complicated helmsmanship required to dock in Symi's narrow harbour, or maybe the exotic and glamorous yachts and gulets that arrive overnight.  The pattern changes daily and with every hour of the day. 

There are random glimpses of Yialos visible through narrow gaps between the mansions that line the Kali Strata.  Here we can see a fairly comprehensive assortment of motor yacht designs moored outside the Alpha Bank - and a traditional fishing caique bustling briskly back into the port with the catch of the day.

Looking out of the balcony window a few hours later, the brash motor yachts have departed, to be replaced by this rather elegant gentleman's yacht built in the style of an Edwardian steam yacht and flying a large Turkish ensign.

At midday most of the water taxis are out at the various beaches and the big excursion boats from roads are coming in. That little rubber dinghy with a handful of people in it is making its way back to a yacht at anchor, probably in Harani or Nimborio. 

For those of you who have been following the ups and downs of Symi's water supply, at the moment we are having an up in that the mains water is currently on continuously in all areas and cisterns have been filled wherever possible.  We are all hoping that that is it for water dramas for this year, although past experience has shown that August can be a problematic month, particularly in the harbour when the island is full to capacity and beyond.  Visitors and locals alike have to be conscious that as Symi has no natural water reserves of its own, we have a collective responsibility to avoid waste and make the most of this extremely precious resource.

Have a good weekend.

Regards,
Adriana

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