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| Pedi Bay at 7 a.m. on 7 July 2014 |
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| The view from my office window half an hour later. A fisherman is selling his catch on the quay. |
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| Some of the lanes in Chorio are so narrow not even a donkey can pass. This one comes out by the kafeneions on the square at the top of the Kali Strata. The big mansion on the corner on the left is in the process of painstaking restoration and redecoration. |
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| The Old Pharmacy in Chorio, in sad need of restoration and repair. With the on-going crisis many buildings that are under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Culture are suffering as funding for their care has dried up. |
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| There are lots of moths and butterflies about at the moment. This one was taking a breather in one of my shade houses. |
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| A beautifully restored mansion on the Kali Strata. |
After a few windy days it is a beautiful calm sunny day on Symi. As you can see from the photograph of Pedi, the sea is like a mirror in the early morning. This is fairly typical of the weather at this time of the year as Symi is largely sheltered from the Meltemi, the prevailing wind in the Aegean at this time of the year. Our mornings are usually calm with the breeze getting up in the afternoon and yachtsmen sometimes battle to anchor in strong catabatic winds bouncing off the Vigla in the early evening. The wind disappears as fast as it comes up but the gusts can be quite strong at the time.
While the press is full of stories about bumper tourist arrivals for Greece, we aren't experiencing anything of the sort here on Symi. Those bumper tourist arrivals are largely all inclusive package holidays in resort areas. Niche market destinations like Symi appeal to a very different clientele - people who are looking for an authentic Greek island experience rather than a cheap holiday in the sun. Symi will never be a cheap destination and cannot compete in that sort of market so if you come to Symi you will never be part of the herd. We don't have big cheap hotels or theme pubs. We have beautifully restored traditional houses and small friendly family hotels where everyone counts, bars where the staff know your favourite drinks and high quality restaurants and tavernas where you can always be sure of an excellent meal.
Please excuse any typos or inconsistencies today - we have been celebrating our friend, Michele Tsavaris', birthday in the office :-) It is not often that I write my blog with a glass of prosecco and orange juice to hand.
Have a good week.
Regards,
Adriana
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