The oregano is starting to bloom

It is a hazy spring day with clouds gathering behind Nimos. It is raining in Athens and we can expect a shower or two here in the course of the next few days as the weather is going to remain unsettled for a while yet. It is only about 18 degrees today. Many businesses are shut for the May Day bank holiday and the schools only go back tomorrow from the Easter holidays so there is a festive air among the locals. As it is traditional to pick a posy to decorate ones front door on 1 May many people are taking the opportunity to go out into the countryside. The Pedi Valley is a good source of wild flowers at the moment and in the gardens the roses are doing well this year. The oregano is starting to bloom, much to the enjoyment of those lambs which escaped the Pascal massacre. The barley fields are turning from green to gold and the bees have rolled the petals off most of the poppies in their enthusiasm.


The Pedi Valley

The hawkers are doing the rounds with trucks full of plastic garden furniture and parasols. They must be doing well judging by the number of 3-legged plastic chairs stacked next to the skips in Chorio. Still on the subject of shopping, one of the supermarkets in Chorio seems to be expecting a serious Anglo-Saxon invasion - Tetley's teabags, P G Tips and, of all things, little brown plastic tubs of Marmite in red string bags, like the individual servings of evaporated milk for coffee. No need to bring it with you, chaps! That luggage space can now be given over to other things. Instead, packets of English teabags with Greek writing on them can be bought as souvenirs to take home...! (Well, I used to buy bags of South African liquorice allsorts labelled in Hebrew in Tel Aviv to take back on home visits...)

For the next few months I shall be posting my report on Mondays and Fridays as I am now at the Symi Visitor every day. When it actually appears on the website, however, is up to Mike's good offices. Thanks Mike!

Have a good week.

Regards,
Adriana
www.symivisitor.com