October Observations

The view from the Symi Visitor Accommodation office this morning.  I never know what I am going to see when I open the French doors but this has to be a first.  See the next photograph for a close up.

An unlikely sight in Yialos on a Tuesday morning in October - or any other morning for that matter.

Monday morning was rather more conventional.

The Swan Hellenic Lines 'Minerva'.

Sunny balconies near the post office in the back streets of Yialos.

It is very quiet in the harbour.  I took this photograph in the late morning on Monday and apart from occasional promenading couples from the 'Minerva' there were very few people around.

It is even quieter up in Chorio.  Feral fowl stomping through the dry grasses, looking for bits to eat. There are now a lot of escaped poultry living 'off piste' in parts of Symi. They seem to have a symbiotic relationship with the dustbin cats and they all hang out together.

Remember the new bus stop bench in Chorio? Well something hit it recently, possibly even the bus, so it is now slightly wonky.  The two luminous orange posts are evidently an attempt to prevent a recurrence.

There's a chilly little northerly breeze whipping across the harbour and thoughts are turning to digging out warmer clothes.  The light is sparkling on the water and it is quite warm in the sun if one can find a spot out of the wind. The cafes have started shuffling about their plastic drop cloths and awnings to create wind breaks and sun traps. Day time temperatures are around 24 degrees and evenings are cool at 18.  The locals are snuggling under quilts and duvets whereas the last visitors, predominately sturdy northern types from Germany and Scandinavia, assure us that they are fine with just a sheet, thank you.

The winter ferry schedules have been released, in the case of the Blue Star up to March and in the case of Dodecanese Seaways until the end of December so we can make our own travel plans.  You can find more details on Andy's travel blog in addition to the links above. Andy is also doing his usual sterling research into flight details for how to get to Symi in 2017 from various points around Europe so don't forget to check his regular travel news updates.

Have a good week.

Regards,
Adriana

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The View from My Office Window

The houses of Yialos cling like limpets to the rocks.
There is no avoiding steep flights of steps in the harbour.

A gentle reminder to visiting yachts and gulets from across the strait that Symi is very much a part of Greece.

Looking out from my balcony at about 11 a.m and the Artemis boutique cruise ship makes her way into Yialos.
 Note activity at the water taxis for the first time this year.

An hour later and one of the water taxis has gone out.  The group of tourists on the pavement has come from the big Symi day trip boat on the right.  Yachts are starting to mill about, looking for berths for overnight.

It is a busy sunny day on Symi and the water taxi service to the beaches has finally started.  While weather conditions are quite calm, if a little breezy, here on Symi, it is very windy indeed out in the Aegean. The Panorama II, a luxury sailing boat that was supposed to call in her on her way to Rhodes on a charter has had to give Symi a miss due to strong winds and the Blue Star ferry from Pireus still has not arrived.

Speaking of Blue Star Ferries, Andy has updated his blog with news of the big boat service for June.  It seems that we will only be getting information on the big ships a month at a time but at least the Dodecanese Seaways schedule is reasonable this year - as long as one is not trying to get from Kos to Symi on a Sunday!  We remind you that Greek ferry schedules are subject to change at short notice so always check before travelling.

Have a good weekend.

Regards,
Adriana

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