Clear Skies, Blue Seas

It is VE Day on Symi and the island is full of men in uniforms, politicians in suits and school children in unfamiliar skirts and flannels. Symi loves a good parade and the whole community has turned out to commemorate what was a significant moment in the island’s turbulent recent history. The soldiers are forming up outside our window at Symi Visitor Accommodation as I write this. See Out and About for photographs.

After the rain earlier in the week Greece’s long range weather forecast seems to be sunshine all the way and here on Symi we are enjoying clear skies, blue seas and moderate temperatures in the mid to high twenties. We can see distant thunderheads building up over the Turkish mountains in the midday heat.

Visiting dignitaries aside, quite a lot of the island’s familiar faces are starting to appear for their annual Symi ‘fix’. May and June are good for those who want to avoid the heat and the crowds and still enjoy all the amenities that the island has to offer. Although the Triton and Agios Nikolaos are still on the hard at Harani the Poseidon is in the water and the excursions will soon be starting. The beach tavernas are busy with preparations for the season and the water taxis will soon start their summer service to the various outlying beaches. I was down in Pedi yesterday and it is slowly making the transition from winter isolation to summer activity. The beach at Tolis is still a line up of boats with owners and labourers scraping and painting as though their lives depend on it. Rumour has it that the crane may be disappearing soon, off to do another job somewhere else while Symi waits for the funds to arrive for the work on the marina to resume. Interestingly the Minister of the Aegean, Mr Pavlides, is currently on Symi and was seen yesterday in Chorio and Yialos in the company of Symi’s mayor, Lefteris Papakaloudoukas. As Mr Pavlides is currently all over the Greek national press in connection with a corruption scandal this may be as much a PR exercise as his usual VE Day appearance.

Have a good weekend.

Regards,

Adriana