The incessant howl of the wind and roar of the sea

We have been gale bound for several days now as a winter weather system slowly grinds its way across the Eastern Mediterranean. The ports are closed, some of the airports around the country have had to close due to snow/flooding/wind, a yacht was dismasted, turned turtle and sank off the Peloponnese and two Korean tankers are in trouble in the Eastern Aegean, one of them already aground. Here on Symi three water boats have been rafted up by the clock tower since Wednesday and the Symi hasn't moved for days (apart from graunching up and down in the swell below our window). Apart from a brief lull on Tuesday the weather has been bad for over a week.

Tempers are becoming frayed as outdoor work is impossible, the ground is too water-logged for the winter ploughing and the incessant howl of the wind and roar of the sea is getting on everyone's nerves. The lack of shipping also means no post or newspapers and rapidly depleting supplies in the shops. There may be a lull long enough for the Symi to do a quick there-and-back tomorrow before it closes in again but there is no prospect of a general improvement before the middle of next week at the earliest.

And on that cheerful thought I shall leave you all and paddle back up the Kali Strata to see if my house still has a roof.

Have a warm dry weekend.

Regards,
Adriana
www.symivisitor.com