Pentecost on Symi

A cat who doesn't like Mondays.

The water ship departing from Yialos at 8 this morning.  Symi has no natural water and depends on a small desalination plant on the Pedi road and a water ship to keep the population - and visitors - supplied with household water.  This is one of the reaasons why we don't have swimming pools on Symi. The other is that the island's architecture is protected and swimming pools are not part of the 19th century neo-classical heritage of the island.  You would be hard-pressed to find space to put one anyway as the houses cling to the cliffs and hillsides like opera boxes at La Scala and gardens are rare.

Departing yachts and gulets.

A water taxi heading out on the first run of the day, at 10 a.m.

Gyros, jewelry, beach bags, sunhats and ferry tickets for Dodecanese Seaways and Blue Star ferries - this is looking up the lane from the seaward side.

Wherever you look there are bright colours and pretty views.  Turn left for Symi Tours, the ferry ticket office.

Hand made pottery, mobile phones, cotton clothes, Birkenstocks, original artwork, beauty treatments, cafes, wine, ferry tickets and accessories can all be found in this lane.

There are some charming boutiques on the island, selling lovely summer clothes. Women visitors really can arrive with an empty suitcase and leave with a full one.  

Flowers and plants, fresh bread, meat, hardware, newspapers (foreign and local), clothes, shoes, jewelry, groceries and souvenirs are all to be found in this lane.

Most places have stone, tile or wooden floors.  In the winter months loose carpets and rugs are put down to take the chill off as the houses are seldom heated.  \At the beginning of the summer they are all washed, dried in the sun and then rolled up and stored in big plastic bags for the purpose in the attic.  

It is quite common for supermarkets on Symi to put their fresh produce outside so that customers can see what is in today.  Note that there are no prepackages.  You pick what you want, put it in a bag and it is weighed inside for you.  Greeks are very particular about their food and like to see exactly what they are buying.

Read more...

Hot Round the Clock

 A procession of gulets leaving Yialos and heading back to Datca through the Nimos channel, early on Wednesday morning.

A welcome sight - the watership in Yialos this morning.

When the larger cruise ships come in, they lie off shore and ferry the guests to and fro in the these bright orange life boats.

The upper reaches of the Kali Strata, heading towards the square in Chorio.

It is traditional to sit outside ones house of an evening and watch the passing parade.  Apart from providing an opportunity it catch up on the gossip, it is also considerably cooler than indoors. Air conditioning is still a luxury in most homes here.

An impromptu gate made out of old pallets.  The countryside is drying out fast now.

Cats and cars - getting dustier by the day.  As very few houses on the island have vehicle access and Symi is notoriously short of water car washing is a luxury rather than something routinely done with a bucket, sponge and hosepipe on a Saturday afternoon.

Tomatoes ripening on the Kali Strata.

Mother love on a scooter outside the dentist on the Kataraktis.

The searing temperatures and low humidity of summer strip the trees of their leaves long before autumn comes whistling through the trees in November.

Golden grasses, so dry that they shatter at the touch.

Temperatures continue to rise and Symi is hot round the clock.  July is always the hottest month on Symi. The days are long, the humidity is very low and the rocks just soak up the heat from 6 in the morning until sunset at around half past 8 in the evening, with the result that temperatures are still in the thirties at midnight.  In the big cities like Athens the municipality opens up air conditioned public buildings for people to cool off in.  Here in Symi you will find crowds building up inside Taxas supermarket, mainly in the vicinity of the fruit and vegetable display chillers.  As our air conditioner in the office failed to make it through the winter and all the big fan does is paddle the hot air around we tend to hang out in the supermarket too.  We have pleaded and cajoled with every air con man on the island but they all seem to be up to their eyes in emergency call outs for hotels or have gone fishing.  No doubt it will be repaired come September, when the pressure is off.

Have a good weekend.

Regards,
Adriana

Read more...