Showing posts with label water taxis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label water taxis. Show all posts

Thinking about Sunblock and Sunhats

The view from my balcony is changing again.  The water taxis are back in their berths and should soon be operational.  Someone is busy sanding the ticket booth..

The Greek flag, fluttering high above the harbour, Yialos.

Lantana on the Kali Strata.

Pomegranate flowers.

No one can remember what this bit of cabling was for but it is handy for a May Day posy.

The roses are splendid this year.

My neighbour's little boat, almost ready for launching.
It is a bright sunny day on Symi.  A pleasant breeze is drifting through the balcony doors, bringing with it the aroma of vanilla from the nearby bakery.  The Panagia Skiadeni is just docking by the clock tower, the Symi excursion boat is already berthed by the bus stop and the harbour is buzzing.  It is a lot noisier in the evenings now too.  At midnight last night even in our relatively remote location in the Pedi valley we could hear the excited squeals of children playing and the hum of conversation on the evening air.  The Greeks do a lot of living and they tend to do much of it out of doors.

The long range forecast seems to be sunshine all the way now.  We may have a downpour at the end of May - we often do - but generally speaking we can assume that the dry season is now upon us and that's it for rain really until October.  Temperatures are rising and it is really only those who ride on motorbikes who are still wrapped up in winter woollies. The rest of us are shedding layers rapidly and thinking about sunblock and sunhats.

There is a meeting of New Horizons at the Olive Tree this evening at 7 at which Lefteris Papakalodoukas, the current Mayor, will present his manifesto to the expat electorate.  As town hall elections on Symi tend to run along family lines, the foreign vote is quite important and can swing the results one way or the other, even though there are only about a hundred of us here to vote.

Have a good week.

Regards,
Adriana



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September Postcards from Symi

A tiny fig sprouting between the old paving stones at the top of the Kali Strata.

The Blue Star Diagoras from Pireaus coming in at 08.15 on Tuesday morning.
Later on this month it will revert to Wednesdays.

One of the fishing boats moored below my office window.

A typical morning in Yialos in September.
Visitors queuing for the water taxis to the beaches in the lull before the excursion boats arrive from Rhodes.

An early morning departure from Pedi.  The sun does not clear the hills surrounding Pedi Bay until about 9 o'clock at this time of the year, a reminder that the equinox is not far away.

The carpenter at the bottom of the Kali Strata has made new frames for these old windows and shutters.  Many of the old houses here still have the original katrani (juniper wood) doors and shutters and wherever possible these are salvaged in restoration projects.

The hills and terraces are tinder dry after months with no rain. These sheep are rooting in corners for any scraps of vegetation they can find. And yes, that is my shadow :-)

The Swan Hellenic  cruise ship, Minerva, called into Symi on Thursday.
The view from my office window is an ever changing parade of boats and people at this time of the year.

Have a good week.

Regards,
Adriana

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About this Blog

I sailed into Panormitis Bay, Symi, by chance one windy July day in 1993 and have been here ever since. The locals tell me that this is one of the miracles of St Michael of Panormitis. A BA graduate with majors in English, Philosophy and Classical Civilisation, the idea of living in what is to all intents and purposes an archaeological site appeals to me. Not as small as Kastellorizo, not as touristy as Rhodes, Symi is just the right size. I live on a small holding which my husband and I have reclaimed from a ruin of over-grazing and neglect and turned into a small oasis over the course of the past 22 years. I also work part-time for Symi Visitor Accommodation, helping independent travellers discover and enjoy Symi's simple pleasures for themselves.

This page is kindly sponsored by Wendy Wilcox, Symi Visitor Accommodation.


Adriana Shum

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