Vivid Hues and Vertical Views

Chrysanthemums outside the Symi Flower shop this week.

Bright yellow nets on the quay, seen from the balcony of the Symi Visitor Accommodation office.

Bright yellow nets lighting up a lane off the Kali Strata.

Whoever chose the paint for the bollards in Yialos colour-matched them identically to those fishing nets.

No, it isn't the sphinx on the roof of the Stani patisserie next to the Symi Visitor Accommodation office. This time it is a man cleaning up the plaster work on the pediment of the tin smith's shop in Yialos which is currently undergoing extensive restoration.

Only a cat can explain why a narrow ledge is a better place for morning grooming than the terrace behind.

Lemonitissa church overlooking Yialos from the kastro.  That is the Vigla, the highest point on Symi, in the background. Lemonitissa studio and apartment are just to the right of the church, among the trees.

The goddess Pallas Athena (Minerva to the Romans) on the roof of a jewellery shop in Yialos.

The newly restored customs house is proving irresistible to pigeons.

For those of you pondering over the reference to access to a train station on the Symi listings for booking.com, this is the reality of that fanciful promise. Symi does not have a railway.  It has a noddy train that runs to the hill above Nimborio and back for tourists during the summer.  Singing along to 'Zorba' while clapping your hands to the music is optional.

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Still Very Quiet

The ducks investigating some interesting bits on the customs house slipway.

This bizarre arrangement is to provide solar and wind power to batteries to power two small electric outboard motors.  No, it is not some sort of floating sentry box.

Yialos is still very quiet and all the shops along the front are still closed. They won't start showing much life until late March when the owners start painting and decorating for the new season.

Probably the most photographed flight of steps in the harbour.  Day trippers delight in photographing each other posing on them.  That is the war memorial to the left with a small cenotaph.  On 25 March there will be a wreath laying ceremony there to commemorate the Greek War of Independence.

A rather more conventional vessel - a typical Symiot fishing caique.

If you go to the Symi Visitor Accommodation Facebook page you will see a photograph of this view taken some 40 odd years ago.  The most striking difference is how well wooded the Akropolis and Kastro now are.  Fewer free ranging sheep and goats have a lot to do with it.

Another view of the head of the harbour.

The long forecast rain still has not arrived, although the sky is ominously black over towards Turkey and there is a damp chill in the air.  After such a dry February we actually need this rain, particularly as the spring that supplies the main reservoir at Agia Marina is apparently no longer running to feed that reservoir.  Our part of Chorio has been without mains water for several weeks - understandable in high summer when water is diverted to the harbour for the tourists but not so normal in February.

With mayoral elections on the calendar for May this year the town hall has asked us to remind all foreign property owners and residents with EU passports who are currently on the island to please register on the voters’ roll before 28 February, i.e. this Friday.  So if this applies to you, please exercise your democratic right and register to vote.  Remember, in other parts of the world, people are still fighting to attain this privilege!

Have a good week.

Regards,

Adriana

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