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| The butterflies are back! |
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| Eyes closed against the sun. |
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| Down in the valley. |
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| Free range feasting. |
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| In the frame. The water taxis and excursion boats are still out in the boatyard. They won't be back until May. |
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| Getting ready for the season. |
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| The International at the back of Yialos is one of the very few tavernas that still stays open all year round. |
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| Nature adds her own embellishments. |
March is galloping past and Easter will soon be upon us. The skies are blue and bright. There are few rain clouds looming on the long range forecast. Temperatures are creeping into the mid twenties and people who brought duvets in to the Sunflower for washing don't seem to be in much of a hurry to reclaim them.
Business owners are wrestling open doors swollen from winter rains and drawing up job lists. There is the hum of electric sanders in the air and the hardware stores are busy. Winter woollies are making way for paint-spattered overalls. The tourist season proper does not start until the end of May these days but there is plenty to be done for Greek Easter. People often come back to their families in the islands for the holidays as Greek Easter is traditionally celebrated as a family holiday.
The supermarkets are laying in supplies of flour, cheese, oil, yeast, sugar and dye for the traditional Easter baking marathon. There's a bit of a price war going on in the flour department as Italian 00 flour has made an appearance on Symi at very reasonable prices. The dye is, of course, for the hard-boiled eggs that are shared on Easter Sunday. While Britain is awash with hot cross buns and chocolate bunnies - they were already appearing in the shops when I left in early January - here in Greece, particularly in the islands, everything is appropriate to its season.
Elaborately decorated processional candles, traditional foods and the ingredients to prepare them only start to appear in the shops during Lent. The air of anticipation is palpable because it really is something to look forward to. The culture of treat yourself everyday hasn't filtered through here yet so there is always something joyful on the horizon. If you are fed up with the commercialisation of Easter and other religious holidays, come and celebrate in Greece instead. You will really feel that there is something special happening.
Have a good week.
Regards,
Adriana
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