We have been planting our potatoes for the year

Watching the full moon rise over Pedi bay is an excellent reason for living here, particularly in the winter when the cold night sky magnifies the stars and the distant shapes of the opposite shore frame the gold and copper sea with sweeps of black and purple. Wrapping up warmly, we go and stand on the roof of our cistern to look out over the treetops and watch the spectacle. There are some things in life for which it is definitely worth leaving a warm fireside - and the kitchen seems all the cosier afterwards.

The day time sky is nowhere near as interesting as each morning we have woken to sheets of low grey clouds and the distant promise of rain sweeping across the hills behind Datca. Sometimes a light sprinkle is tossed in our direction but on the whole it has been a dry winter so far and rainfall figures are well below normal levels. It is just wet enough to keep the moss green on the Kali Strata and uncurl the ferns in the stone walls but the island's trees need much more if they are to put on any growth this spring and the olives are still shrivelled on the branches.

We have been planting our potatoes for the year. This is quite a mucky business as it starts with the cowshed up by the windmills. We load our trailer with manure which is then dug into the potato trenches. Nothing grows in Symi's rocky terraces without the best preparation possible, but with each year's labours the ground improves and the piles of stones around the periphery grow higher. The manure has to be buried very deep as otherwise it is a bit like planting instant lawn and the sprouting hay strangles the young potato plants. It turns hot too quickly to grow main crop potatoes here but the new potatoes are worth the effort. We've just eaten the last of the ones we planted in October and very good they were too, steamed and tossed in a little unsalted butter.

Have a good week.

Regards
Adriana
www.symivisitor.com