The Count Down Has Begun!

The clock tower in Yialos at 7.30 this morning. The white building on the corner nearby is the police station. The red domed church on the hill behind is Evangelismos - the Church of the Ascension.

We see flags from all over the world in Yialos in the summer but this one is fairly close to home - Malta.

A donkey, returning from doing a luggage drop off - all means of conveyance are used on Symi.

One of the many charming water front cafes along the front in Yialos.  

7.35 in the morning and not much life in Yialos.

A brightly coloured speedboat adding a flash of colour in Yialos.

The Meltemi has found us once again and a brisk breeze has been blowing since last night, clearing away the humidity and dropping the temperature to about 35 degrees centigrade.  The first wave of major departures took place this weekend and this morning, many wishing their friends on Symi a kalo ximona - a happy winter.  Many people only have leave for the first two weeks of August and are already facing Monday morning back at the office.  At the same time there has been a fresh influx of those who prefer the slightly quieter atmosphere of the second half of the month.  Italian, French, Greek, Spanish and Turkish are still the dominant languages in the harbour although many of the day trippers coming over from Rhodes are Russian or Eastern European.  Symi has a very colourful cosmopolitan atmosphere at this time of the year and in the early evenings when the water taxis bring everyone back from the beach the waterfront cafes and bars buzz with many languages.  We have a German film crew on the island this week, shooting a film about diving which should be interesting to see when it is finished.

Water shortages continue to be a problem in areas of Chorio and Harani due to low pressure and high demand but the situation should ease as the number of consumers on the island diminishes. As Symi has no natural water and is dependent on a small desalination plant on the Pedi Road and occasional visits from the water ship, water is a constant problem in the summer months. While most houses have cisterns and many of us still harvest the winter rains, we had a dry spring this year and by this time all reserves are seriously depleted, just when demand is at its highest. The count down has begun to the rainy season which usually starts in mid October!

Have a good week.

Regards,
Adriana