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| Monday morning and Yialos looks very empty indeed. |
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| The tourist shops have packed up their goods and are preparing for the winter storms. The gyros bar on the corner usually stays open through the winter as in austerity Greece it is still an affordable meal out. |
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| No more round the island excursions or water taxis until the spring so the ticket booths are being dismantled. |
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| Bye-bye, late night bar culture but it looks as though there is still a possibility of a pizza... |
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| Now that the clocks have changed Harani is once again in the sunshine by 8.30 a.m.! |
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| The clocks have changed and so has the sky - the clouds are back. |
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| Meanwhile, in a hidden valley on the top of the mountain above Panormitis monastery time stands still. |
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| Yes, this is Symi and this is why it is worth hiring a car for a day to explore the parts of the island you can't see from sea level. |
Summer is over, the clocks have changed and there are serious rumours of rain later today. The clouds have thickened since I took my photographs on the way down this morning and we may well have a shower or two this afternoon. There are strong winds forecast for tomorrow and the long range forecast is looking unsettled. Temperatures are still mild, however, and I am typing this next to the open balcony door, watching those clouds gather.
It is little over a week until the Panormitis festival dedicated to the Archangel Michael and as Yialos closes up shop there is a steady migration across the mountain to Panormitis monastery as the locals involved in the preparations get on with the job. This week's
Blue Star ferries will be crucial to bringing across stall holders and hawkers as part of the festival is an open air market with stalls selling everything from gumboots and caged song birds to lurid lingerie and grilled corn on the cob, not to mention the ubiquitous carpet sellers and the cheese seller from Crete. Back in the days when I first came here there was even a Lunar Park (funfair) and it was bizarre to see the convoy of fair ground rides working their way perilously down what was then a fairly hair-raising dirt road across the mountain and down the switchbacks to Panormitis.
Although we are now on winter hours, you can still contact us by email on
symi-vis@otenet.gr to plan your spring, summer or autumn holiday on Symi. We look forward to hearing from you.
Have a good week.
Regards,
Adriana
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