So Much to be Done

The clouds are back, low white mounds sliding behind Nimos, and the sea is smooth mother-of-pearl. It is likely to stay chilly and overcast for the rest of the week, with the possibility of showers increasing towards the weekend. Temperatures are currently in the mid-teens.

At this time of the year I seldom come down into the harbour. The hours of daylight are few, there is so much to be done around the farm and these days just about the only things one cannot do in Chorio are the post office and the pharmacy. Chorio is much busier than Yialos in the winter as it is the area where the majority of the population resides and, unlike the harbour, there are no totally tourist-dependent businesses up there so just about everything is open. (The atmosphere is pretty laid back too – it is not unusual to see young mothers still in dressing gown and pyjamas, nipping the kids to school on the scooter or popping out to the shops. Few of the men, Symiot and foreigner alike, bother much with shaving in the winter so beards are proliferating.)

That is not to say that the harbour has turned into a total ghost town – it’s just that the atmosphere is different. One well-known Yialos entrepreneur has converted two of his shops into outlets dealing exclusively in Christmas decorations and the third has become a very popular toy shop with – oh wow- a mini-railway and other fair-ground rides much loved by the local toddlers. Christmas lights are spreading out through the community as the municipality, businesses and householders set to work. While the Kali Strata is practically deserted – too cold and damp for winter so hardly anyone lives there – and is thus in almost total darkness, other areas are ablaze every evening. The combination of twinkling lights and the full moon is quite magical.

Have a peaceful week.

Regards,
Adriana