A Visiting Cruise Ship Dwarfs the Clock Tower and Nireus Hotel.
It is a warm summer afternoon on Symi and the thunderclouds are gathering once again over the Turkish coast. Small flotilla yachts are motoring slowly into the harbour, tying on fenders and looking for berths. Day trippers from Rhodes head back towards their boats, chattering happily as they lick their ice creams. As July and the high season period approaches Symi is making the transition from quiet holiday destination for northern Europeans to lively Greek island playground for Mediterranean visitors. The voices that drift up to my
balcony speak a multitude of languages but Italian and French are starting to dominate. Symi is also receiving an increasing number of Spanish visitors this year. Symi has many faces depending on the time of the year one visits the island and regular visitors are always surprised at how different Symi can be when they come at a different time to their usual slot.
Away from the bustle of the harbour the quiet lanes of Chorio are a bright with billows of bougainvillea, magenta, crimson and orange against the white and ochre walls. Plumbago the colour of a faded summer sky and cheerfully gaudy geraniums are summer stalwarts in a climate that reduces more delicate plants to dust. Tomatoes and peppers both hot and sweet are ripening in the gardens of the Pedi valley. A quick salad of chopped tomatoes and peppers with some salty feta and a handful of fresh basil makes a delightful lunch on a hot summer’s day.
Restoration work continues amongst the ruins on the Kali Strata. This large mansion is making greater progress than this photograph suggests. The architect has provided a whimsical indication of how the front doors will be.
Have a good week.
Regards,
Adriana
Posts
