Music on the Air
Yialos, Symi's famous amphitheatre harbour.
The town square where concerts are held in the summer is visible at the head of the harbour.
A restored house in Chorio, at the top of the Kali Strata
The early morning rush hour in Yialos, as seen from my balcony at Symi Visitor Accommodation. The boats in the immediate foreground are the water taxis which take visitors out to the various beaches.
The ‘premiere’ of the Symi festival took place on Saturday night, despite a sad lack of advance publicity which resulted in other music events on the island being scheduled for the same evening, thereby reducing the potential audience. Friends who spoke afterwards to Miltos Pascalides, the star performer, to compliment him on his performance said that he told them he was disappointed in the evening which was fairly low key in comparison to the last time he performed here about 10 years ago. Our friends had not noticed anything amiss as this is the first time they have been to Symi but it is understandable that stars who performed here in the glory days of the Symi Festival notice a difference. Symi’s natural amphitheatre harbour was always a highlight on the summer festival circuit for performers and audiences alike and it would be a pity to see Symi lose its status in this regard due to the budget cuts that are bedeviling Greece as a whole at the moment. It is always sad when education and culture fall victim to politics. We enjoyed the concert ourselves from the terrace of the Charitomeni restaurant at Pitini where we were having dinner with friends. One of the great things about an amphitheatre harbour is that one can enjoy the music from any point around the sides of the harbour and the pretty neo-classical houses that line the slopes become opera boxes for the event. Music on the air is as much a part of the sounds of Symi in the summer as the chirrup of cicadas in the olive trees and the happy peals of name day church bells.
Music and dancing aside, there are several privately funded art exhibitions and galleries open or opening on the island at the moment and it is also worth browsing through the offerings at the open air book shop that local historian, bookseller and musician, Kostas Kontas, holds by the bridge in the evenings in August.
The nationwide taxi strikes are continuing but on Symi the taxis are working most days and Rhodes Airport is running smoothly thanks to the very efficient bus service which has been extended to offer more trips during the taxi crisis. The terminus in Rhodes town is behind the New Market in Mandraki and tickets are sold at the kiosk at the point of departure.
Have a good week.
Regards,
Adriana