Something to Capture the Imagination

One can always count on a cat to find the coolest, most comfortable spot to snooze.

Early morning departures from Yialos.

The searing dragon’s breath of July is giving way to sticky humidity as August approaches. Temperatures remain exceptionally high in most of Greece and it is not just Symi that is hitting the 40 degree mark on a daily basis.  While humans may find the heat remains uncomfortable, for the plant life the increase in humidity is a relief.  Daytime wilting is reduced and new leaves and flowers are starting to form once more.  July is always the hardest month to cope with in the garden and it is mainly a matter of providing sufficient water and shade to try to keep things alive until August arrives.

The first fortnight in August is regarded as the peak of the season in this part of the world and although 2012 is a quieter tourist season than usual, Symi is still filling up.  Most of the chatter on the streets is in French, Italian and Spanish.  Yialos and Pedi are full of yachts, gulets and power boats every evening, even though the huge megayachts that we used to see in the mid-noughties seem to have found new playgrounds.  I believe that the River Thames is the place to be this summer, handy for the London Olympics even if the weather comes with no guarantees of sunshine.

At time of writing it is Tuesday morning and I am watching the Blue Star ferry, Diagoras coming in.  It has been surprisingly punctual this year which is just as well as it is the only way to leave Symi on a Tuesday morning.

Have a good week.

Regards,

Adriana

Fishing boats by the customs house.  Spiti Grand Helene and Villa Iris are on the hill behind.

All lined up in the golden light of summer.

In a few hours these will be bustling businesses but at 7 a.m everyone is at Pachos, drinking strong Greek coffee and discussing the day.

Back in around 2005, when the archaeologia insisted that all the businesses along the front had uniform plain white awnings there was a lot of muttering but on balance I think it was a wise move.  Look at the delicate wrought iron balcony above.  The fan of spikes was to prevent people from climbing from one balcony to the next.  I wonder what piece of statuary stood in that blue niche.  On Symi there is always something to capture the imagination.