Posies of wild flowers

It is a drizzly day with a nasty little crosswind whipping across the harbour. The Symi ferry has just come in alongside with a bump and huddles of damp tourists with umbrellas are trotting dutifully along with quay, following their respective guides. The Panormitis bus is waiting for the crowds to disperse before setting off on its lunch time shuttle run across the island to monastery. It's quite a popular service these days, particularly with the walkers who come at this time of the year as it saves them a climb and as, the days are still quite short, means they can cover more ambitious routes and be sure of getting home before dark. With a little careful planning you can catch the first one, which leaves Yialos just before 8 in the morning, hop off wherever suits you on the plateau, walk down to Panormitis in time to catch the bus back at midday or in the late afternoon so you don't have to tackle all those switchbacks, and hop off again on the Vigla if you want to do the descent to Chorio and Yialos on foot. A nifty way of 'walking' to Panormitis and back without actually doing any serious uphill bits.

A few years back, when the town hall upgraded the benches in the harbour, they put those of the old ones which were still serviceable at various view points above the town, on the way to Agios Konstantinos. The views from up there are quite spectacular, particularly at sunset, as, depending on where one stops, one can see right across to Datca, Nissyros and Tilos in one direction and both bays and Bozburun in the other. One does sometimes have to ask the goats to move over a bit though. Oh, and keep an eye on your picnic - they are particularly fond of rigani chips.

It is another long weekend as Monday is the 1 May bank holiday. Fortunately as this year it doesn't clash with anything it shouldn't set off the same rash of strikes that we experienced this time last year when Easter Sunday fell on 1 May and no compensatory bank holiday was proclaimed.

So, in honour of spring and May Day, when it is traditional in this part of the world to put posies of wild flowers on the front doors, here is a picture of a field of daisies, taken at the dip in the road in Chorio, just opposite the old football pitch.



Have a good weekend.

Regards,
Adriana
The Symi Visitor