Frolicking in the Bay

Symi has been abuzz with abnormal activity for the past few days. A big Chinook helicopter visited on Wednesday, sending up huge clouds of dust as it landed on the football pitch in Pedi. Thursday saw naval crash boats doing manoeuvres in the harbour and the island is swarming with security personnel. The bus and taxi shelters have been repainted and there is a lot of quick paintwork and tidying up taking place around the harbour area. The reason for all this activity is the visit, later today, of the Foreign Ministers from 20 EU countries. Security concerns prevent us from giving more information on this at the moment but we will be covering the event in greater detail later. Please note the road through the harbour is closed from 16.00 to 18.30 today.

It’s not just the Greek Navy boys who have been disporting themselves in Yialos harbour this week. A school of porpoises paid Symi a rare visit earlier this week, frolicking out in the bay between the fuel station at Petalo and Harani. We stopped to watch them from the top of the hill – definitely one of those occasions when I wish that the zoom on my camera was better!

It is a mild still day with steadily diminishing visibility as the dust storm currently blanketing North Africa and Egypt creeps slowly this way. The daisies have all gone from the Kali Strata and Themistocles is working his way back up the steps on his knees with a whitewashing brush. The garden furniture hawker has returned to the island, trundling up and down the streets of Chorio with a loudhailer and a truckload of plastic chairs and tables.

ANES has put up a notice on the kiosk, advertising that the Aegli will be doing a day trip to Datca tomorrow – a sure sign that there are more people on the island. Summer is a-coming!

Have a good weekend.
Regards,
Adriana