Bright and Breezy - Symi in August

Luscious Greek nectarines. No fancy individual packaging here - straight from the tree to the crate to the market.

Those who are not fortunate enough to have their own grape vine have to buy them.

You can't beat Greek tomatoes either,  The puddle of juice that forms at the bottom of a Greek salad bowl from tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, green peppers, olives, feta and rigani with olive oil, all mingling flavours, just shouts out for a chunk of crusty Greek bread to soak it up.

The old ice factory at the back of the harbour is now an interesting boutique featuring items handmade locally from yarn.  In the days before continuous electricity and reliable refrigeration, people depended on the ice factory for big blocks of ice to keep things cool.  The ice factory was still functioning when I first came here in 1993 and the beach tavernas were major customers, coming round with their boats each morning to collect their ice for the day.  Rather macabrely it also served as the island's morgue. Now that we no longer have an ice factory, we no longer have a morgue but as the Greek practice, as is common in a hot climate, is to conduct funerals the same day this is not usually a problem.

There are lots of colourful boutiques in the back lanes and clustered around the base of the Kali Strata, with items to suit all budgets and tastes.

All set for a little boy's christening party.  A cafe in the lanes near the Symi Visitor Accommodation office.

One of several traditional tavernas in Yialos, ready to serve lunch.

The view from the Symi Visitor Accommodation  balcony.  Yes, that is the bridge of the water boat just visible by the clock tower on the left.  At this time of the year Symi's water requirements are at their highest and with no natural water supply on the island, the water ship from Rhodes is essential.  

Temperatures have dropped a bit and there was a fresh breeze this morning.  This balcony didn't lose any washing but I did pass stray objects blown from others.  Laundry dries very quickly in this climate and sunshine is free so no tumble driers!

A cheerful and drought-hardy vinca on the Kali Strata.

I wonder where that cable was supposed to go and why it is bundled up in that window...  In the Sixties and Seventies the island's power station was a small building at the back of Yialos, where the Mylopetra restaurant is, and each house only had power for a few hours each evening to supply a few light bulbs.  Earlier than that, in the Thirties, there were private generators in the harbour, to provide the new and wonderful electricity to wealthy merchants. When the big power station was built in Pedi, the electrification of the island seriously took off .  There are, however, odd remnants of old wiring arrangements from previous systems.  

A bright and breezy morning.  It was the big festival dedicated to the Virgin at the monastery at Nimos last night - that is the white building just catching the sun over on the far shore.

Pedi bay early this morning. That blinding gleam is the morning sun shining off the solar water heaters on the roof of the Pedi Beach Hotel.  Solar water heaters are very popular here.  One just has to remember that if everyone showers in the evening and uses up all the hot water, there is no hot water first thing in the morning, until the sun has been shining on the panels for a while.