Halcyon Days

While northern europe is hammered by gales, the halcyon days have settled in here. This idyllic spell of settled weather happens about this time every year and is so-called because the ancient Greeks believed that the mythical halcyon bird made its nest upon the calm waters. I suspect that this may have its origins in the rafts of reeds and other debris which the winter rains flush into the sea and which bob around for days, long after the storms have passed on, and look rather like eccentric nests.

Walking down this morning, I helped two stray week-old chicks climb out of a thicket of cyclamen leaves when mother hen and siblings had moved on up the terrace without them. Further along our road I had to climb up the slope a bit to avoid the great lake of muddy water which pools there at this time of the year and came upon an extremely pregnant ewe and another who had already given birth to twins.

The schools went back today and cheerful mayhem prevails. It is still quiet on the island in general though as many people only go back to work today. The Symi II was full this morning and a number of foreign residents left today, heading for Paris, London and other places larger and busier than Symi.

The weather is expected to remain fair until the end of the week at least, with temperatures around 14 at midday, falling to 7 or 8 at night, little wind and some dew. On the mainland it is significantly colder and they can expect heavy frost.

Have a good week.

Regards,
Adriana
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