Local Ingenuity at Work
1 Comments Published by Adriana Shum on Monday, February 08, 2010 at 11:58:00 AM.
Saturday was a glorious winter’s day, clear, calm and sparkling. Which is just as well because the rain clouds crept in again on Saturday night and it has been raining more or less continuously ever since. February is usually the worst month of the winter when it comes to wind, rain and shipping disruptions and so far this February is true to form. According to the long range weather forecast, there will be a brief pause in the rain on Wednesday to allow a South Easterly gale centre stage but once that blows itself out there will be yet more rain. As this is Carnival Week all this wet stuff is not much good. Shopkeepers have given up putting their wares on display outside but there are still fancy dress costumes, masks and other novelties to be had if one ventures inside. The problem is that Carnival on Symi is very much a children’s event with lots of fancy dress parties and the opportunity for the little ones to show off their costumes and getting children through the torrents and downpours without damage is a challenge facing many parents at the moment. We hope that it will be clear and dry for the main Carnival event on Sunday. Gales aside, wind is a definite requirement for Clean Monday, a week today, when tradition dictates kite-flying and picnics in the countryside.
Symi’s steep and rocky terrain is well known to visitors but have you ever wondered about how they get building materials to some of the less accessible sites? The ones where not even a donkey would be able to do the trick? Here are some photos taken during a sunny spell last week showing local ingenuity at work.
No, those are not hard hats, they are woolly ski hats...
Have a warm week.
Regards,
Adriana
It is another chill winter’s day on Symi. Temperatures have been in single figures for days and the deceptive glow of cheap Chinese halogen heaters creates an illusion of warmth in the shops and salons of Symi. The strong northerly winds have blown away all the clouds, leaving the air as bright and clean as any soap powder commercial. From the top of the Vigla the distant snow caps of Turkey form a white rim on the eastern horizon and it is possible to see as far north as Kos. Summer time visitors may be surprised not just to see how complex the coast line opposite Symi actually is with all its inlets and islands but also how very different Symi’s interior looks after several months of rain.
The clear conditions are expected to last until Saturday afternoon when the next low pressure system reaches our part of Greece and Symi is once again enveloped in rain and thunderstorms. In the meantime we shall do our best to enjoy them!
For some photos of the Smokey Thursday festivities in the Chorio Square, remember to have a look at Out and About.
Have a good weekend.
Regards,
Adriana
Farewell to a Regular Symi Visitor
1 Comments Published by Adriana Shum on Tuesday, February 02, 2010 at 2:04:00 PM.
Symiots and visitors alike cannot help but recognise the distinctive lines of Cockatoo, a restored British Admiralty pinnace, which has been calling in at Symi several times a year for the last 20 years or so. We are sorry to report the passing of her captain, Roy Edwards, in Turkey on 19 January 2010. In recent years Roy had been in poor health and spent most of his time on board and it was his wife, Sarah, who was the face of Cockatoo ashore in Yialos and Pedi, a familiar face as she walked the dogs and frequented local shops. Our sincere condolences to Sarah and we hope to see Cockatoo once again adding character to Symi harbour during the sailing season.
Labels: Cockatoo, Roy Edwards, Sarah Edwards
Always Pack an Overnight Bag
0 Comments Published by Adriana Shum on Monday, February 01, 2010 at 11:05:00 AM.
We have had every kind of weather short of snow on Symi in recent days. On Saturday afternoon we went up to the dump where they are making great progress with Symi’s first proper landfill. As we were leaving the day changed from tepid winter sunshine to gloom as low dark clouds rolled in rapidly from the north. As you can see from the accompanying photographs taken from the Panormitis road as it snakes round and down the Vigla, the effect was quite dramatic. Yialos was still in the sun at that point but by the time we reached the harbour the rain was pelting down and continued for some hours. The road to Panormitis is in surprisingly good condition this winter as there have been very few rock falls and not much erosion. The pond below Agios Konstantinos is full to the brim and springs are also seeping from between the rocks at many places along the road.
Unsettled weather is forecast for the rest of this week with temperatures ranging from 5 to 15 degrees centigrade and some showery days. There may be some shipping disruptions due to windy conditions so do check the forecast before travelling. It is that time of the year when those leaving Symi to go shopping in Rhodes always pack an overnight bag in case the boat can’t get back.
Have a good week.
Regards,
Adriana
A beautiful view of Adriana's recent blog posts!
0 Comments Published by Adriana Shum on Thursday, January 28, 2010 at 5:58:00 PM.
Click on the image below to view.
