A Cold and Blustery Day on Symi
>> Friday, February 22, 2013 –
ferries,
life on Symi in the winter. winter weather,
sheep,
Symi in February
It is a
cold and blustery day on Symi. Gale
force winds are lashing the whole country and pounding against my balcony door. The fire brigade has been called out to
rescue people trapped by flood waters in Athens and to pump out flooded
basements. The Blue Star Diagoras is stuck in Patmos, waiting for the wind to
abate, so the hawkers selling black polyester garments will have to hang about
Symi for another day. Heavy rain is
expected to reach us as the wind starts to drop. We will all be glad when February has finally
passed and we can really start looking forward to spring.
Meanwhile
the first tentative attempts at getting the island ready for the season have
commenced. The municipality is digging a
trench around the harbour, from the bus stop to the taxi rank. Rumours abound regarding what new businesses
may be coming this summer. The one arousing a lot of interest is the
possibility of a pet shop in Yialos. It
sounds as though it may not be the sort that sells goldfish and hamsters but
rather a stockist of pet products and accessories. Does this portend a glamorous future for the
dogs and cats of Symi? A new traditional-style
kafeneion has opened up next to the chandlery in the lane below our office,
with its entrance in the next lane.
There is a lot of renovation activity in the old spice and herb shop at
the corner by the Vapori Bar and the greengrocer in the alley has had to move
his display stand so that the side door can be accessed. Whenever there is a gap in the weather the
chipping of plaster and clatter of jack hammers can be heard, echoing round the
harbour.
Meanwhile,
in the Pedi valley the wild lupins are flowering and the sheep are enjoying
whatever patches of sunshine they can find.
The island is now so waterlogged that little springs and rivulets are
dribbling out of the rocks and seeping through the terrace walls. Snails, slugs
and earthworms are in evidence everywhere.
A far cry from the baked earth of summer. I sometimes wonder how far down the
earthworms in my garden have to go to find somewhere to survive the summer
drought when nothing short of a pick can penetrate the surface.
Have a good
weekend. Looking at the long range
forecast, I think I will be spending most of mine either indoors or in the
greenhouse!
Regards,
Adriana