Weather for Walkers

Arches were often used to link two halves of a household and some older properties

do actually have lanes running through underneath them.

It is a typical April day on Symi. Low grey clouds tinged pink with the sandstorms off Libya and North Africa, fast moving showers of varying velocity and temperatures that vacillate between sweltering sunshine and chilly drizzle. This spell of unsettled weather seems destined to last right through until Easter. While it doesn’t look like everyone’s picture postcard Greek island idyll, it is actually quite pleasant weather for walkers and exploring the lanes of Chorio. This kind of sand rain is seldom soaking, unlike the deluges of the rainy season when it is in full flow.

The profusion of churches in the older part of Chorio are indicative of just how

 populous this part of Symi once was.

That patch of yellow daisies on the opposite hill has escaped the attentions of grazing goats.

There are quite a few visitors around, mainly regulars and friends of people who have houses here. One spin-off of the British Royal Wedding is that more people are taking breaks in April and early May as they don’t need to take too many days off work to put together 10 days or a fortnight. There are also some day trippers from Rhodes who came in on the Dodecanese Seaways catamaran. Grey days are good for harbour businesses in Symi because they are bad beach days for anyone staying in a resort on Rhodes and a day trip to Symi becomes a welcome diversion. The regular day excursion boats have not started yet. Speaking of excursions, apparently the bureaucracy involved for the day trips from Symi to Datca has become a lot more complicated and so these Saturday shopping trips to the street market may only start in June or July rather than in May while the boats wait for the necessary permits.

A natural hanging garden in the rock face, with some rock formations adapted for use by shepherds.

Toyland - this very old part of Chorio is only slowly being rebuilt from the ruins. 

As it is the least accessible part of Chorio with no vehicle access, 

the cost of rebuilding in this area is very high as everything has to be carried by donkey or, in some cases, man-packed because the lanes are too narrow even for the donkeys.

The back of Yialos from above.  One can see the rooftops of the Opera House Hotel, Iapetos Village and numerous other holiday houses.  Of our own listings The Gate House and the access routes to Villa Iris and Spiti Grande Helene are all in this picture.

I took these photographs on Saturday, from the narrow vehicle road that goes round the Kastro, below the acropolis but above Lemonitissa church. It is quite a good walk for anyone who is new to Symi because one can see the whole harbour spread out below and work out where the different places are. The brave can then carry on down the old Kataraktis footpath to the harbour. This was the route used for centuries, hidden from the sea and therefore confusing to pirates and invaders. The Kali Strata was built with confidence in the late nineteenth century, when the rich sponge merchants built their mansions and needed to be able to see their fishing fleets come in. Earlier Symiots favoured the easily defensible huddle around the castle mound.

Have a good week.

Regards,

Adriana