Always Something to Look Forward to.

Squalls hurtling across Harani.
This photograph demonstrates why the Nireus and Aliki Hotels close for the winter and
 wrap all external fittings in plastic until April.

Waves swirling round the bulb of the Proteus' bow.

This little boat is secured well off the quay to prevent damage in such weather conditions.

With the wind driving the water straight into the harbour the gratings are squirting and parts of the harbour are flooded.

The bow of the Dodecanese Express and a line squall marching into Yialos.

Winter certainly has not left us yet. While temperatures are slowly inching upwards and the clocks change in a fortnight the weather remains stormy and unsettled.  Strong south easterly winds have been hammering Symi since the early hours of the morning and walking down to work this morning I was dodging bits of broken shutters,  random twigs and swirling plastic bags.  Surprisingly the Dodecanese Seaways catamaran came through, bang on schedule at 9.30 a.m.  Whether she will be quite so punctual on the return trip this evening depends on how turbulent conditions are to the north of us.

Speaking of Dodecanese Seaways, this shipping company has released part of its schedule for the summer so potential travellers can book their flights with greater certainty that there will be a suitable ferry connection.  More information can be found on our travelblog, along with a wealth of information about flights and how to get to Symi from all over the world.

Although the island is not expecting many tourists for Catholic Easter which falls very early this year, quite a few foreign property owners will be on Symi this month, which may encourage a taverna or two to open up, even if they will be offering Lenten fare.  At the moment options in the harbour are limited to one taverna and the gyros bars and cafes.  Greek Easter falls on the first Sunday in May this year so Lent only begins here next week and the children have a long wait ahead for the Easter bunny to come calling.  Unlike other places I know where the first Easter eggs are on sale straight after Christmas and hot cross buns are available all year round, in Greece everything has its own particular time and season.  At present it is Carnival and the shops are selling fancy dress, masks, face paints and silly novelties.  When Carnival is over these things are packed away until next year. At the end of this week kites, pickles, halva and Clean Monday picnic necessities will go on sale for the holiday on Monday and the fasting foods associated with Orthodox Lent will dominate in the shops for the next few weeks.  As we approach Big Week, Easter Egg dyes and decorations will be for sale, along with special Easter candles and all the ingredients required for traditional Easter baking.  In Greece there is always something to look forward to and the children do not expect to have Christmas for twelve months of the year.

Have a good week.

Regards,

Adriana

When I saw that this little boat on my road had had its cabin put back on
I thought it was being prepared for the sea.

In reality it was to make it a more convenient shed for storing a lot of old Marseilles roof tiles!

An unusual use of a Sunflower Laundry bag -
this photograph of a Sunflower Laundry bag as a windbreaker was sent to us by a Danish Symi Visitor.

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Picture Postcard

The Gate House shining in the morning sun, as seen from the Kali Strata

Yialos and Harani.



Symi is basking in bright blue and white light, the sunshine of every glossy brochure and picture postcard. The recent cold weather has left the air sharp and clear with no trace of haze or dust. Symi looks newly painted, even though most householders have only just embarked on the annual whitewash job. In a climate of extremes it is traditional in Greece to spend much of Lent painting away the moss and mildew of winter and prepare for the long dry summer. It takes a while for all the woodwork to shrink and there is undoubtedly more rain to come but the days grow longer and warmer and the intervals between downpours increase until finally the number one topic of conversation on the bus changes from the iniquities of the ferry companies to speculation as to when the first rains will fall.

The Mouragio section of Yialos, with some of the houses of Harani in the background.

One casualty of Symi’s wet winters and scorching hot summers is the Symi Visitor Accommodation webcam. The webcam itself is fine, thank goodness, snug in its weather proof casing, but the cabling degraded in the sun and then let the rain in. A replacement cable is being made up so all being well we should be back on the air later this week.

In the Pedi Valley the Easter lambs grow fat on a diet of daisies and every patch of greenery seems to have a ewe tethered in it. Down in the harbour men are hard at work, laying the new paving outside Pachos. March on Symi wouldn’t be the same without roadworks and the staccato of jackhammers as the townhall rushes to get things finished before Easter. With the water table still high and springs popping out of the road near the bridge, paving the road around the head of the harbour is a challenging project involving much discussion and advice from bystanders, as well as the consumption of large quantities of caffeine and nicotine by all parties concerned.

One of my favourite pediments. 

I wonder what the story is behind that little saucer in the bull's eye.

Have a good week.

Regards,

Adriana

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