Honey and Vanilla

Bougainvillea and oleanders in the early morning sun.

Plump pomegranates opposite the Symi Dream shop.

Plumbago tumbling over a wall on the Kali Strata

The golden days of September are nearly upon us and those plants that have survived the endless procession of heat waves that has assaulted Greece this summer are starting to recover.  June and July 2012 will be remembered as the hottest months in Athens since records began and the statistics for August are likely to be more of the same.  Here on Symi it is even hotter but without the smog that makes city heat so dangerous.  We should see a drop to more normal temperatures in the mid thirties in the course of the week which will make the evening temperatures more tolerable.

From my office window I can see the water taxis heading for the beaches and the Poseidon is out on a round the island trip. The ANES Proteus has just arrived and a gulet is carefully docking stern-to by the clock tower. The happy babble of voices rises from the cafes downstairs and the smell of honey and vanilla is heavy on the air from the patisserie around the corner. 

Have a good week.

Regards,

Adriana

It has been many years since the old Glafkos Hotel on the Kali Strata last opened its doors.

A neglected mansion on the right, a lovingly restored one on the left.

Virginia creeper taking over a building at the bottom of the Kali Strata.