Sodden Symi

Thunder has been growling round Symi for days now and the rain seems to have become a permanent part of life. This is the third rainy Friday and is even darker than the previous two - I shan't depress you all with a webcam shot of the gloomy scene of black clouds and streaming torrents as I suspect many of you are already looking at the same through other northern windows.

The Symi II went over yesterday morning as scheduled but was unable to make the return trip in the afternoon. It is expected to arrive back in Symi at noon today, ahead of the next weather system. There is a deep depression moving slowly eastwards, filling as it comes our way, so we have been spared the worst of the wind. There is another following close behind and the long range forecast is southerly gales and more rain and thunderstorms for the next six days. It is very quiet in the harbour and no one is out unless absolutely necessary.

Meanwhile as the damp creeps in and the lightning fizzes around us, telephones ring at random and electrical systems dance to their own tune. Every house and building has its own idiosyncrasies, no matter how recent the wiring, and one quickly learns what trips the switches. Most of Symi's houses are built into the hillsides and, in the case of old stone buildings such as the Symi Visitor office, the rock face forms part of the structure, resulting in an interesting water feature in the bathroom at this time of the year. For anyone who has only seen Symi in July or August it is difficult to imagine a sodden Symi with moss growing on the steps, ferns sprouting from the stone walls and wild cyclamens popping up on the cliff above the bus stop but the island is every bit as wet in the winter as it is dry in the summer.

The telephone lines are down at the moment - victims of the last lightning strike I fear - so I don't know quite when you'll be reading this!

Have a warm dry weekend.

Regards,
Adriana
www.symivisitor.com