Hot, Busy and August

It is hot, busy and August. The harbour is a dance of circling yachts, powerboats and ferries. Everything from the most lavish gin palaces to the most lovingly restored caiques passes through Symi at this time of the year. Ferries pick their gaps as best they can and the Spanos only managed to dock on the second attempt this morning, squeezing in between the power boats outside Katerinettes. This year boats have been allowed to anchor in a row just past NOS beach, on the way to Nimborio, as well as in the basin off Harani and many larger boats choose this rather than risking scraped paintwork on the quay in Yialos. Pedi is just as congested and the meltemi stirs up some excitement every afternoon. Hasty anchoring is ill advised and can cost more than time in the long run as boats drag quickly into deep water in the middle of Pedi bay.

Temperatures on the island are still in the high thirties, hitting forty when the breeze drops. The days are, however, perceptibly shorter now and the sun only comes up around six. In a few weeks the gardens will start to grow again as the island cools off.

Tomorrow is the eve of the holiday and blazing torches will line the road to the Alethini. The Greeks celebrate the Assumption with style.

Wednesday is a bank holiday in Greece but many businesses are closed for the first two or three weeks in August anyway as this is the traditional summer holiday period in this part of the world. Athens is practically empty – and so, judging by the number of Continentals on the island, are Paris, Rome and Milan.

Have a good week!

Regards,
Adriana