Surfing gulls and leaping fish

The possibility of a shower on Thursday turned into about 8 hours of continuous light rain followed promptly by strong northerly winds. Anything not tied down blew over in the harbour and the last of summer's potplants were rolling forlornly round Yialos this morning under the watchful eye of the surviving geese.

The ferry had some difficulty docking in the swell last night and apparently Rhodes harbour was still bad this morning. The Dodecanese Pride wallowed through earlier on its second to last run of the season.

It is a clear crisp day. The bottomless blue sea is speckled with fast white crests, surfing gulls and leaping fish. Closer in, the debris washed into the harbour in yesterday's rain is slopping lazily against the quayside. Our Symi Visitor banner detached itself at some point in the night and is wrapped sadly in a bundle in the vacant lot next door. Definitely time to put it away until the spring. The wind is rattling the shutters and testing every door and window. We are appropriately dressed for a day at the office - sweaters, scarves, shawls.our splendid 19th century premises have splendid 19th century heating i.e. none!

This weekend is a holiday long weekend on Symi as it is the Panormitis Festival. Many businesses will be closed from tomorrow until Wednesday. It is the first opportunity for local people to have a break since the beginning of the season and there is no point in sitting here, all alone and forlorn in the hope of a passing customer, when everyone else is over at Panormitis having a great time. Even those with no religious pretensions go to see what's for sale on the stalls and meet up with friends as people come across from Rhodes and other islands for the festivities.

Have a good weekend.

Regards,
Adriana