Little white sugar cubes in the sunshine

The summer is over - Greeks laden with paximardia (rusks) are waving farewell to their island relatives and heading back to the cities. The school year starts on Monday and shops that were selling tourist tat yesterday are running 'back to school' specials on satchels today. A steady procession of familiar faces has been passing through our office of late as regulars clock in to renew their subscriptions and say 'hello'. We often hear 'I first came to Symi in 1980something' but this morning we welcomed a visitor who predates virtually everyone - he is Mack Emmett, the man who was the project manager for Symi's original desalination plant down in the town square back in the early Sixties. Watch out for the October edition of the Symi Visitor for our interview with him. Well, we can't give you ex-King Constantine of the Hellenes EVERY month...(whose previous visit to Symi was to inaugurate said desalination plant!). So many of the cast from 'Bus Stop Symi' are popping up, it's time Bill Travis paid us a visit himself.

It is about 30 degrees today with a pleasant breeze and a sparkle to the air. Nimos looks close enough to touch and the holiday villages on the Turkish coast are little white sugar cubes in the sunshine. Apart from the usual wooden gulets from Datca and cloned charter boats lining the quays, we are also seeing more cruising yachts of all shapes, sizes and budgets. These are easily recognised by their wind generators, washing lines, pots of basil and other homely touches and add quite a bit to the island's economy - not by dining out in fancy restaurants but because their shopping lists cover everything from engine oil, plastic buckets and pots of paint to sacks of potatoes, powdered milk and wellington boots.

Have a good weekend.

Regards,
Adriana
www.symivisitor.com