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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| |
| Friday, 28th. September 2001 |
| NOTE
-The 'Symi Visitor' webcamera is back up and working as of today. Now you can share Adriana's view from the office window! The camera itself points out of the lower window pane behind Adriana's left shoulder in the photo above. The Visitor Webcam Thanks to a high pressure system over the Black Sea and a low over the Eastern Med it has turned very windy in the past 24 hours. As said wind is from the north the temperature has dropped from the high thirties to the low twenties overnight. It was distinctly nippy last night. The weather will stabilise again in the next day or so and temperatures should settle in the mid to high twenties for a while. This morning was the first time in some months that the ferry did not run due to bad weather - with the wind from this particular angle the entrance to Mandraki quickly becomes hazardous and the Rhodos Channel - the area of open water between Rhodes and Cape Apostoli - can be quite wild. It had moderated somewhat by later this morning and the excursion boats did their usual run. The wind has blown the haze away again and the visibility is wonderful. The silver squills are forcing their way up through the rocks and hard packed earth. They flower twice a year - once in the autumn, without any leaves, and once in the spring, after the leaves have formed. They come from huge bulbs which the Greeks hang on their front doors at New Year for good luck and fertility. As goats don't like them much, they manage to survive even in areas which have been stripped of all other vegetation. Just in case you're wondering, it is now definitely cool enough for a cardigan after dark but the mosquitoes are still with us. Sigh. Enjoy your weekend, planning your next Symi holiday! Regards,
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| Tuesday, 25th. September 2001 |
| The
warmest September anybody can remember continues to sizzle on. At the
end of the weather forecast for farmers on television last night they
advised us all to keep our greenhouses well ventilated to avoid
dangerously high temperatures. The last time I actually had anything in
mine was February and when I looked at the thermometer in there the other
day it was reading over 50C with all doors and ventilators open. The
plastic sheeting had gone a bit saggy in the heat and the whole thing will
need serious refurbishment if it is going to see any use this winter.
Yes, I know you're all watching grey rain stream down your windows and haven't seen a bit of blue for who knows how long but believe me, relentless heat and sunshine can be just as tedious. When will it be cool enough to dig out a shawl or cardigan in the evening? When will the flies and mosquitoes finally pack it in? For answers to these and all those other questions that wake you up at two in the morning, watch this space.
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| Friday, 21st. September 2001 |
| It is
hard to believe we are nearing the end of September with daytime
temperatures of 37C and the sun baking down from a pale and cloudless sky
onto a silvery shimmering sea. Lorryloads of hay continue to arrive on the
island as the flocks depend on this until the rains come and the grass
grows again. Right now the only edible plants left on the island are those
behind goat-proof fencing.
The reptile population is becoming increasingly sluggish as the time for hibernation draws nearer. My cats are supplementing their meals with freshly caught lizards on a daily basis and were tossing a slender young snake around with joyful abandon last night. The mosquitoes, on the other hand, are still very active and any late visitors to the island are well advised to come suitably armed with mosquito repellent. As we are in the shadow of the Vigla night falls quickly now and it is quite dark by 8 o'clock. A torch is very useful for finding ones way around Chorio, particularly as fewer houses are occupied now so there are not so many incidental outside lights in the lanes. Have a peaceful weekend.
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| Monday, September 17th. 2001 |
| We
may only be a few days away from the autumn equinox but the weather
continues warm and a minor heatwave is expected later in the week with
temperatures once again hitting the mid-thirties. A few small low clouds
puffed past the Vigla early this morning, heading north. What breeze there
is at present is coming from the south, hence the above average
temperatures. Those same southerly breezes should bring rain with them in
a few weeks. In the meantime water continues to be a restricted commodity.
The water reservoir closest to where I live has been dry for several weeks
now and few households have water to spare to give to their citrus trees
and rose bushes.
Work on the harbour front continues at a steady pace. The area by the busstop will be the first section completed and the concrete blocks are not far from the correct level now. It is very painstaking work as each section of the seabed has to be checked by a diver, cleared by the crane, checked by the diver again, levelled by the crane, checked again and then the diver gives the directions to the crane operator to guide the block into position. Symi harbour shoals from two-three metres to about 35 metres in a very short distance so all this preparation is essential to ensure that the blocks don't slide down the slope into the depths in the middle and that the substrate is stable. The hollows in the centre of each column of blocks are then filled with rubble. Those of us who catch the bus have been watching all of this going on with some interest over the past weeks. At present Lakis has to drive the bus up to the head of the harbour to turn around. Regards from Sunny Symi
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| Friday, September 14th. 2001 |
| In
the early hours of this morning I was awakened by the tinkle of sheep
bells in the grove behind my house. My neighbours sheep have been
brought down the mountain to their winter quarters now as there is no
grazing left. Lorries laden with hay have been negotiating the harbour
front in recent days, bringing fodder in from the mainland.
The night sky at this time of the year is quite splendid - huge stars and an oversize moon against infinite blackness. It is hard to believe, listening to the nocturnal murmurs of the Pedi Valley, that all is not right in the world. This little island has seen more than its fair share of violence and horror over the centuries and the night the Castle was blown up it must have seemed to the inhabitants that the world had ended, but sixty odd years later, Symi seems the most tranquil place on earth. May the inhabitants of New York and Washington and all the other people suffering from the effects of violence, terrorism and injustice around the world, whoever they may be, not have to wait that long. Have a peaceful weekend and let us pray that violence does not spawn further violence and the loss of more innocent lives
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| Monday, September 10th. 2001 |
| Saturday
afternoon was refreshingly overcast - very soothing on sun-dazzled
eyes - and there were a few spots of rain on Saturday evening. Day time
temperatures continue warm - in the high twenties, low thirties. Evenings
are cool but not unpleasantly so. Visibility is amazing. There are a few
clouds around today and a slight cool breeze. Definitely a good time to be
on Symi! The humidity has blown away completely. The lower night time
temperatures mean that everyone is sleeping better which is improving
tempers all round. We are still several weeks away from the first expected
proper rains but Rhodes has already experienced a few significant showers.
Perhaps we will have a 'normal' winter this year with the appropriate
level of rainfall ... here's hoping!
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| Friday, September 7th. 2001 |
| The past
48 hours has seen a complete change in the weather and Rhodes experienced
several heavy showers in the course of yesterday. Symi had a few drops
last night and a grumble of distant thunder and it has been drizzling
intermittently today. It's not exactly cold though - about 27 C - but the
breeze is fresh instead of muggy and the last few nights have had us all
looking for sheets. Well, 22 C feels quite chilly in comparison to 30 C!
The excursion boat crowds were not deterred by the weather. If anything,
there were more of them - better a drizzly day on Symi than on a
wind-swept beach in Rhodes! The harbour front tavernas were busy with the
clatter of cutlery and happy sounds of scoffing at lunch time today. Those
big colourful awnings are perfectly adequate for keeping the damp out of
the dolmades.
Sailing conditions are excellent and crisp white sails are to be seen flashing by on clean blue seas away across to the Turkish coast. The brisker weather is certainly invigorating after the lassitude of summer. A party of well-equipped mountain-bikers visited the island this week - not the sort of activity one would normally wish to indulge in here in high summer but quite feasible for the fit in these temperatures. Have an enjoyable weekend, planning next summer's Symi holiday!
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| Tuesday, September 4th. 2001 |
| Autumn
may be here but it is still very warm. The afternoon breezes have
finally found us so visibility has improved. The Turkish coast has
reappeared. Last night it was possible to see the lights of Datca and
Bosburun for the first time in months. The full moon is almost bright
enough to read by at this time of year and the night is full of rustles
and mutters as various creatures harvest what they can for the winter. The
big field rats which take the place of squirrels in this part of the world
rummage through the trees. This year, after two dry winters, there are
very few nuts to be found and even the olive trees are bare so the rodent
population is in for a lean winter. Ribbons of ants make trails across the
dry grass, from their nests to whatever they have found. It is quite
amazing to watch this industrious highway as they struggle with seed heads
and bits of grass considerably larger than themselves. The leaves are
dropping steadily from the deciduous trees and parts of my garden which
were quite shady are suddenly exposed. My kittens chase the leaves as they
fall, hurling themselves joyfully into the drifts that accumulate at the
bottom of the garden steps.
September is the month when many of Symi's regular visitors arrive so the harbour is still quite busy but not as noisy. The visitors in September are of a breed disinclined to bring mobile phones on holiday. Autumn and nostalgia are travelling companions and fragments of conversations overheard tend to be of the "I wonder what happened to ..." variety as old friendships are reestablished and absentees are noted.
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© Adriana Shum
2001 [HOME] |
