Symi Snapshots

Harani and Mouragio, Yialos this morning.  The fashionable summer season may be drawing to a close but there are still plenty of boats of all shapes and sizes passing through Symi.  That is Evangelissmos church on the hill.  NOS beach and Tholos restaurant are on the point to the right.  That white building in the foreground with the arches and pointed roof is an old Italian mansion that now houses the post office and police station.

Rhea as seen from my office window.  

This old beauty often includes Symi on her summer charter route and adds some old world charm to Yialos harbour.   On the hill to the right you can just see the scar that is the motor road which connects Yialos and Chorio and continues on to Panormitis.

Far from the glamorous yachts in Yialos and Pedi Bay, this old Volkswagen van and its driver spent the night on a dirt track next to a pig sty in the Pedi valley.  Such mobile frock shops were very common when I first came to Symi and people would look out for regular visits from their favourite hawkers.  It is much harder to earn a living this way now and with the dearth of big boats and the high price of ferry tickets very few make they way as far south as Symi.  That is Pedi bay in the haze in the background. This dirt road now goes all the way through to the football stadium at the bottom but is pretty rough in places and not recommended for the average hire car.

It is not just hawkers and gypsies who find a resting place in the valley. 

This little boat is a very long way from the sea.

Pedi bay at daybreak.  Many boats prefer a quiet night, swinging to anchor in Pedi, and if I had a better camera I would share with you the twinkling lights of a floating fairytale town as many of the larger boats have wonderful decorative lighting displays in the evenings.

A room with a view at the Hotel Fiona in Chorio. Situated at the top bend in the Kali Strata the Hotel Fiona is in a very convenient location and also has excellent harbour views.

The Little Blue House catching the early morning sun.  The row of windmills marking the crest of the hill were used to grind grain that was brought to Symi from other islands and the adjoining coast of Asia Minor where, in the days of the Ottoman Empire, many Symiots had their farms.

Have a good week.

Regards

Adriana