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Reported by Adriana Shum from |Read March's news | Read April's news | Read May's news | Read June's news| |
| Monday, 29th. October 2001 |
| Friday's
rain blustered through into Saturday morning, tugging brollies inside
out and sending the last forlorn holiday makers scuttling for cover. Chill
winds chased the rain clouds eastward and whipped up a cold indigo sea.
Sunday's parade was a wintry affair and by last night we were all
rummaging for socks and sweaters. The Symi I did not go to Rhodes this
morning due to rough seas but the excursion boats braved the chop - we are
just wondering if they will be able to make the return trip! At least the
wind will be behind them so it will be a downhill surf all the way back to
Rhodes.
The north wind always brings a sharp clarity to the light and the sky is a dazzlingly cold blue. My chilli bushes are now tucked up inside the greenhouse for the winter, along with pots of lemongrass and other things that need mollycoddling. There is a high following this cold spell but it is likely that we'll experience rain again by Friday. We shall see! Enjoy your week. Regards,
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| Friday, 26th. October 2001 |
| A rumble of thunder woke us
up before dawn this morning and huge storm clouds lurched across the
sky from the direction of Bosburun. We had a few brief showers this
afternoon and if the Greek met offices are to be believed, we could be in
for a wet and windy weekend as a big area of low pressure moves eastward
from Italy. All shipping from Pireaus has been cancelled in the face of
gale warnings and right this minute rain is lashing the office windows and
bedraggled day trippers are heading back to the boats. When the rain is
accompanied by high winds the showers are frequent but not long lasting as
the clouds are whisked along too fast.
The fragrance of wet earth fills the air and the rocks gleam in the passing sunshine. If this showery weather continues for the weekend as forecast, the grass will be up by the end of next week. Sunday is Ochi Day* and the children were practising for the parade along the harbour front this morning. Fortunately the rain held off then. We hope it holds off for the real thing too. *Greeks celebrate "Ochi Day" on 28 October. This is the day on which the prime minister, Metaxas, said "No" (Ochi in Greek) to the invasion by the Italians of Albania, thus effectively entering the Second World War.
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| Monday, 22nd. October 2001 |
| Despite
various forecasts to the contrary the sun continues to shine down upon
the fair island of Symi. Rain clouds have passed to the north and the
south of us but nothing more substantial than evening dewfall has settled
here. Gales have swept around the Aegean but only light breezes have
riffled the flags on the bridge. Temperatures are dropping incrementally
and the evenings can be distinctly chilly - around 16 C is the nocturnal
average at the moment. There's still plenty of sun on the south facing
side of the harbour but the shortening days combined with the steep
terrain make the Kali Strata quite cold in the shady places. The harbour
cats are seeking out the warm spots and so are the humans. Looking out of
the office window I can see day trippers sunning themselves on the benches
along the harbour while waiting for the return trip to Rhodes and the
coffee drinkers at Pachos cafeneion have moved their chairs out of the
shade of the awning.
Speaking of the harbour, the widening project is making tremendous progress now. As the crane continues to position big concrete blocks, lorries are dumping rocks and rubble into the voids and stone masons have started on the quayside. When it is complete this will have the same stone facing as that on the north side so the effect will be quite homogenous. Have a good week!
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| Friday, 19th. October 2001 |
| Evening
temperatures are slowly moving downwards and it can be quite chilly in
the shade but the days continue warm and dry. Vapour trails are the only
clouds today and the carpet sellers creaking round the island in their
rickety trucks are not doing much business.
My aubergines are enjoying the milder weather and are covered with lilac flowers. The last fruits are a voluptuous purple. My greenhouse is full of little trays of sprouting seedlings - calabrese, endive, chicory, lettuce, spinach... The peas in the open beds are already up and reaching for the wires they will scramble along. With some luck we should have fresh peas from the garden for Christmas dinner. The carrot bed has been sown and is covered with wet hessian. The onion sets are in and should be showing signs of activity soon. We have to plant quite intensively to get everything off to a good start before the days get too short and cold and growth slows down. This means getting things into the ground before the rains actually start, hence the seed trays and pots. The pick is a useful gardening tool in a place like this! Have a good weekend. I'll be up to my elbows in peat bags and compost!
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| Monday, 15th. October 2001 |
| While
the rest of Greece was more or less gale bound for the weekend, Symi
once again basked in happy sunshine and warm temperatures. Nosing around
the various weather sites, no one seems to agree regarding how this week
is going to develop. Anything from thundershowers to continued sunshine is
forecast, depending on who one consults. I am going to be watching the
farmers' forecast carefully on Greek television tonight. Right now it is
sunny with a few patches of cloud scudding by quite fast at high
altitudes. Temperatures are around 27 C today and there is a light breeze
rippling the flags on the bridge.
The tamarisk trees in the Town Square are in bloom at the moment and every puff of wind sends drifts of pollen past the office windows. There are quite a few people around as the excursion boats are quite busy at this time of the year - particularly if it is too windy in Rhodes for would be beach goers. More on Friday.
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| Friday, 12th. October 2001 |
| The
scent of bonfires and bacon hangs on the morning air. The mist gathers
in the valleys and low places as the sun goes down and only burns off
towards midday. There is a light northerly wind today and we have been
warned of northerly gales in the Aegean this weekend. The forecasts on the
Greek television stations were vying with each other to produce the most
impressive forecasts last night. NET won with a Beaufort Force 9. Now we
just need to see who is right!
The reason for this anticipated gale is a big high pressure system over Italy and a big depression over Cyprus. Greece is in the middle, the isobars are close together and the pressure gradient is steep. We may not experience much wind on Symi as the Datca peninsula protects us to some extent but big boats leaving Pireaus are likely to be affected as they are not allowed to leave port if there is a gale warning. So... Will this Great Wind happen? Will boats be cancelled and flights missed? I'll tell you on Monday. Have an enjoyable weekend.
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| Monday, 8th. October 2001 |
| The
sun continues to shine on this little corner of the globe with a
persistence that is remarkable considering the time of year. The evening
dewfalls are heavier and the valleys fill with mist every night but the
days are still around the 30 mark and feel warmer due to the raised
humidity. A large area of high pressure dominant over the Mediterranean
Basin is responsible for this fine weather.
There has been an increase in bird activity lately - particularly among my remaining cordon tomatoes. There doesn't seem to be as much shooting going on this year though. Just lots of macho young man, bare chested, clad in camo pants, riding up the mountain on big scrambler bikes with their hunting dogs riding pillion. I kid you not. Symi hunting dogs LIKE riding on scrambler bikes. They don't leap off and chase sheep. They just sit upright with their tongues hanging out and ears waving in the breeze as dogs do when riding in cars... I wonder if there are any ancient vase paintings showing young men in chariots going off to the hunt with dogs in similar pose... Just a thought. Greece lends itself to that kind of continuity. That moment when the profile of the young girl ahead of you in the supermarket reminds you of one of the Caryads on the Acropolis, even if she is in black denim and not a white chiton.
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| Friday, 5th. October 2001 |
| The
clouds are back. Yesterday afternoon there were high shreds of cloud
and drawn out vapour trails indicative of wind and cold temperatures at
high altitudes. Today low puffs of white and grey are rallying above the
Vigla. It is still very warm during the day but the evenings are pleasant.
Watching the big orange moon rise over Pedi is a good reason to live here.
Optimistic hawkers are selling blankets, quilts, jeans and winter boots but there is also a belated truck load of watermelons parked in the square. Some of the restaurants in the harbour have already closed for the season - those establishments totally dependent upon foreign visitors for survival. Those with Greek patrons, however, continue at least until after the Panormitis festival and a handful keep going right through the winter with basic seasonal dishes. Plat du jour and not a printed menu to be seen. Fishing improves as the weather cools off and after a good blow all the caiques and small boats are out there, catching what the storm stirs up. Families are fed on home caught fish, squid and octopus. Children and women gather sea urchins from the shore line and snails and wild greens from the hills after the first rains. There may be frozen pizzas and hamburgers for sale in the supermarkets of Chorio and Yialos these days but the traditional diet is still firmly entrenched and long may it remain so. Have a peaceful weekend.
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| Monday, 1st. October 2001 |
| The
first of October marks the beginning of the growing season, even if no
significant rain has fallen yet. Autumn in the Mediterranean is more like
a second spring. Although the days are shorter the ground is considerably
warmer than it is in March and, with the addition of water, things start
growing very easily.
Rosebushes which have been dormant through the hot months are sprouting again. The gypsies are rattling around the islands with trucks full of earthenware plantpots and ersatz amphoraes. Tubs of basil are giving way to mint, parsley and dill on doorsteps and now is the time to think about planting new fruit trees. I've been planting calabrese (green broccoli), spinach, chard and salad greens. Once the rains come and the ground is soft the root vegetables will go in - onions, carrots, beetroot and radishes. Meanwhile the last tomatoes, peppers and aubergines are still ripening in the afternoon sun. Those with enough water to spare can sneak in a second quick crop of courgettes before the weather gets too chilly.
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© Adriana Shum 2001 [HOME] |
