Into the Blue with the Poseidon.

Analipsi - the monastery at the entrance to Nimborio bay.  The arched door leads into a large boatshed under the monastery.  Like many other small monasteries on Symi, this monastery is extremely difficult to reach except by sea as the shoreline is too steep for a road or path.

Into the blue - a swimming stop on the western side of the island.

The broad sweep of Panormitis bay on the south western side of Symi  Until about 30 years ago this too was mainly accessed by sea but now there is a reasonable motor road along the spine of the island, connecting Yialos, Chorio and Pedi at the northern end of the island with Panormitis in the south.  By car this is about 45 minutes.  On foot, however, it is closer to 4 hours!  It is worth hiring a car for the day to drive from one end of Symi to the other, simply to enjoy the views from the top and see some surprisingly wooded mountain tops.

A closer view of the monastery with its tavernas and rooms for pilgrims - bustling at this time of the year as many Greeks come here for a few weeks in the summer.   The rooms are very simple and don't have cooking facilities, hence the tavernas. When I first came back in 1993 there was a bakery with a wood oven and I sometimes used to see women taking trays of stuffed vegetables along to the bakery to be cooked in his oven.  Unfortunately the bakery is now closed.

The Metropolitan's carpet, out for an airing.

Putting the previous photograph into context, this is the entrance to the monastery church, offices, museums and souvenir shop.

This is the chapel of St Paul on the small island of Sesklia where we stopped for lunch.  The story has it that St Paul stopped on Sesklia for the night en route to Ephesus which is on what is now the Turkish coast.  

Not quite so romantic - a bit further along the road on Sesklia we came across these sheep, sheltering in a narrow strip of shade in front of a barn where they are evidently fed.

The rest of the flock were sheltering under this old olive tree in the middle of a wheat field. There is some agricultural activity on Sesklia and the island belongs to Panormitis monastery. Note how neatly the sheep have trimmed the tree to an even length.

Symi's two longest established excursion boats, the Diagoras (left) and the Poseidon (right) on the jetty at Sesklia. The Diagoras is usually rented by the day by small parties of friends and family groups whereas anyone can buy a ticket for the Poseidon subject to availability. As the boat is very popular and has a strong repeat clientele it is a good idea to book your seats the evening before when the booth opens on the quay at 6 p.m.

The calm waters off Sesklia bay make for irresistible swimming on a hot day.

Rotisseried chicken for the lunch time buffet.

Captain Yanni putting the finishing touches to lunch for 50 people.

The sparkling waters of St George's bay - the last swimming stop before heading back into Yialos. This too is a bay that can only be reached by sea.

I had a rare opportunity to play the tourist this week, accompanying my stepmother on a round the island trip on the Poseidon on Tuesday. These photographs give you some idea of what you can see and do on a typical round the island trip with this boat.  It is a full day out, from 10.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. and as you can see, the boat visits places that you may not otherwise be able to access during your stay.  It is an excellent way to orientate yourself and get an idea of the island's layout as there is no coastal road and many places are literally inaccessible by any other means. The price is 35 euros per head which includes unlimited wine, water, retsina, ouzo and coffee as well as a generous buffet lunch, making it excellent value for money.  Put it on the wish list for your next visit.

Have a good week.

Regards,
Adriana

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June Postcards from Symi

Iroko window frames in place and the work on the roof continues - work on the restoration of the customs house is continuing at quite a pace.

The ply sheeting and waterproofing are in place.  Next step will be battens and tiles. That is Lemonitissa church on the Kastro mound on the right and you can see the remains of the old windmills along the crest on the left.

For those of you who haven't been to Symi before, this is the head of the harbour, looking towards Mavrovouni.  The water taxis and excursion boats leave from the quay along the right hand side of the photograph. The Symi Visitor Accommodation office is set back, next to the tall yellow building with green shutters on the left which houses Pachos traditional cafeneion.

What shall we do today? Take a round the island trip on the Poseidon or a water taxi to the beach?

The Noddy train having a check up.  I have it on good authority that what is under the hood is actually a Suzuki Jimny!

Sunflowers in a garden in Chorio.

Herbs and petunias outside the Symi Flower shop in Yialos.

In all the years I have lived here this is the first time I have seen this building at the top of the Kali Strata with its shutters off.  My camera isn't good enough but glimpses through the windows reveal an interior that hasn't changed much in a century, complete with the traditional ornately carved salon mirror and paraffin lamps.

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The Last May Postcards from Symi

Greek sponges, pumice stones from Nissyros, handmade leather goods - these are all to be found along the waterfront in Yialos, Symi's harbour.

At the back of the square in Yialos, beyond the cafes, pizzeria, bakery and gyros bar, you will find some boutiques, an agronomist/plant shop and the nautical museum with an antique and bric-a-brac shop below. The building on the right is the Symi town hall.  The ground floor offices house the water department and also KEP, the Citizens' Advice Bureau, which handles much of the day to day bureaucracy involved in living in Greece these days.

The nautical museum. This is now open after an extensive refurbishment.  Historically, this building is interesting in that it was the first house on the island to have electricity and had its own private generator.

Wherever you go in the harbour, there are interesting shops and cafes.  You won't find any chain store outlets here.  Each place is unique and the majority are family-run.

There are so many delightful and unexpected little details in Symi's architecture, it is worth paying attention when you walk about.  How many of you have spotted this face in the harbour?

Yialos is much busier now.  There are many more yachts in the harbour now as it is the start of the sailing season.

Reflections from one of my favourite peep holes on the Kali Strata.

After a very wet winter the creepers and vines are really enthusiastic.  Whoever owns this house on the Kali Strata is going to have to hack through a jungle to reach the upstairs windows.

Just visible on the right hand side of the picture is the Poseidon departing for the Agios Emilianos day trip on Tuesday.

The Blue Star Diagoras departing for Piraeus on Wednesday afternoon.  This is the early option for Wednesday arrivals in Rhodes as it leaves Akandia at 15.00 and arrives in Symi at 16.30 - much better than hanging about until 19.00 for the Panagia Skiadeni. 

Cylestial Cruises coming in, hot in the wak of the departing Blue Star on Wednesday afternoon.

These big boats manage to dock in Yialos without the assistance of tug boats - just good seamanship, bow thrusters and reliable mooring men on the quay. 

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Spring will Soon be Over

It has been trying to rain properly for days but all we get are passing mud sprinkles and the island is very dry.

Despite the clouds the view from my office window is becoming more summery, with the Panagia Skiadeni and the Symi facing off across the harbour and an increasing number of yachts.

The excursion boat Poseidon, freshly painted and ready to start the season.  She is going out on her shake down cruise on 1 May, weather permitting. 

Yachts and yes, that is a Turkish gulet over there by the clock tower.

The hanging baskets all still look bright and perky.

As do the window boxes.

Composition in grey and terracotta.

Cheery pelargoniums at the back of the town square in Yialos.

April is drawing to a close and spring will soon be over.  Spring is very short on Symi as the days warm up rapidly in May and the rainy season is drawing to a close.  If we don't have some proper rain in the next few days we are unlikely to have any at all again until October.  These are the last cool days.

The first of May is traditionally a bank and political holiday in Greece, celebrated by going out into the countryside and gathering flowers which are then hung as posies or garlands on the entrance to ones home. There are also likely to be strikes and demonstrations in Athens, but that is a long way from our little island.  As it has been such a dry spring there are few suitable wild flowers left to gather on Symi but most householders have flowering plants around their homes at the moment, even though gardens in the conventional sense are very rare on Symi.  With the houses so densely packed together and the terrain so steeply inhospitable, the forefathers of Symi expended little effort in hewing gardens out of the rocky hillsides on which they built their houses.  Until recently there was little or no water to spare for frivolous flower gardens as everyone was entirely dependent on harvesting the winter rains in cisterns to survive the summer and there was no prospect of water from any other source. These days we have a small desalination plant on the Pedi road, augmented by water ships coming over from Rhodes, but Symi is still a famously dry island and we all have to do our best to make what water we have last as long as possible.

Have a good week.

Regards,
Adriana

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