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The latest news & weather from Symi, reported by Adriana Shum from 'The Symi Visitor' office. Adriana's Greek Recipe of the Week>> MONDAY, MARCH 31st 2003 Changing the clocks is always a shock to the system. Just when we were getting used to having a good hour of daylight to do things around the garden before the day proper commenced we're back in the dark... On the other hand, walking down the Kali Strata at 8 am in an apricot glow was quite pleasant. The sun is starting to creep over to that side of the harbour and the sounds of frustrated householders kicking their front doors open in the morning are diminishing. The sheep and donkeys are still enjoying the angelica though. It is hard to believe that only a week ago there was ice on the puddles. There is another front working its way eastwards at the moment and it is expected to reach us tomorrow night. This time the winds will be South Easterly so things should remain reasonably warm, even if torrential rain and strong winds are forecast. This may be the last heavy rain before summer (she said, optimistically) There is certainly quite a lot happening on the island at the moment. Apart from all the hustle and bustle of seasonal preparations, the second blood donation program took place this weekend and there are also posters up calling for donations of long-shelf-life foodstuffs and bottled water etc for the people of Iraq. This last is a countrywide campaign by all the municipalities in conjunction with UNICEF and various other welfare and refugee organisations. For many Greeks poverty, displacement, famine and various other forms of human suffering are more than just things seen on television - they are things that have featured in the lives of family members in recent memory as Greece has had a turbulent modern history. It has only really been since the fall of the Junta that relative peace and prosperity have reigned in the land. Long may this remain so.
Have a good week.
Regards,
FRIDAY, MARCH 28th 2003 Since the storm blew itself out in the early hours of Thursday morning the temperatures have been rising steadily - double figures at last! Yesterday morning the hydrofoil ran for the first time since Sunday morning - and had to make two there-and-back trips between Symi and Rhodes to get everyone off. Some enterprising types left the night before, when the big boat from Rhodes to Pireaus managed to dock. They got off in Kos in the middle of the night and then caught the next big boat going in the other direction to get back to Rhodes! There is a great deal of rushing about going on outside as we are all scrambling to get things done that had been delayed by a fortnight's worth of bad weather. There is another front on its way - it is just passing over Morocco, Iberia and the south of France at the moment and could bring us some rain on Monday so there is no time to waste. The first excursion boats from Rhodes should be here any day and there are still lots of shop fittings to paint and boats to launch. The recent cold winds and night frosts have not done the gardens much good. The citrus trees and jasmines really do not like low temperatures and a lot of new growth has been killed off. On the other hand, the wild cyclamens thrive on the lingering low temperatures and a still in full bloom in all the shady places.
TUESDAY, MARCH 25th 2003 Those of you who
noticed that it is colder on Symi than in Denmark are quite right.
It is actually snowing in Athens, most of the Peloponnese and large parts
of Crete. There has been ice on the puddles two mornings running and
the temperature inside my house never got over 5 degrees centigrade
yesterday. There has been a northerly gale blowing since Sunday
afternoon with the result that everyone who came over from Rhodes on the
Symi II on Sunday morning is still here...
FRIDAY, MARCH 21st 2003 From whirlwinds to wars, no one can dispute that this week has been an eventful one. The long anticipated cold front hit Greece on Sunday in the form of a Force 12 gale and by Monday had trashed large parts of Patras, Kalamata and Ioannina. A ship was driven aground in the Saronic Gulf and the water level in the lake at Ioannina rose so high the town was flooded. Waves were breaking through the windows of the waterfront tavernas. A big gypsy camp was flattened by the wind - a reminder that there are still people living in shelters made of packing cases and builders' plastic in the EU. While Crete was similarly hard hit and there were some reports of damage in Rhodes, Symi was once again spared. The draconian pruning of the trees a few weeks ago meant no damage to powerlines - whereas in other places uprooted trees were a major problem and resulted in closed roads and disrupted electricity supplies. That's not to say that we haven't had electricity disruptions of our own. The men from DEH soldier on, upgrading the infrastructure, and we may well be preparing the April edition this weekend with the assistance of a portable generator. Can't say I envy them, clinging to the tops of poles up by the windmills in a freezing wind, connecting bits and pieces with numb fingers. Groups of warmly muffled old buffers hang around at the bottom, out of the blast, offering unsolicited advice and drinking coffee. No, there have been no reported injuries caused by objects dropped 'accidentally' from a great height! It is overcast at the moment and spitting rain but slightly warmer than it has been for much of this week. More strong winds are forecast for the weekend. The hydrofoil ran yesterday and today and the Symi II was able to make its scheduled trip to Tilos. We haven't seen any up to date weather forecasts for the last 48 hours as the Iraq War has taken over Greek television to the exclusion of all else and all normal schedules have been abandoned for fear that something important might be missed. The latest bit of 'breaking news' this morning was that American Intelligence is making use of information supplied by Saddam's Greek ex-mistress - a clear case of 'hell hath no fury'? FRIDAY, MARCH 14th 2003 The threatened cold snap is taking its time to get here. Symi continues to bask in fine weather with just the occasional grey cloud chugging over the Vigla. The new myrtle bushes planted along the front of the town square look very pretty and an avenue of oleanders now lines the motor road from the windmills down to the bend towards Pedi. The tricky bit will be keeping everything watered and growing during the summer. The odour of fresh paint and the roar of blow torches continues down in the harbour. On the building sites it is very much a case of 'all hands on deck'. The winds of war may be blowing in certain quarters but the Symiots are determined not to be caught napping. Visitors to the island may be sure of the usual warm welcome. Pachos' dog seems content with the 'change of management' and still snoozes outside the cafeneion so some things definitely haven't changed. Nature too continues oblivious to the world's uncertainties and the scent of freesias and orange blossom wafts from many a Chorio courtyard. The new lambs skip among the daisies as they have always done and the cockerels greet the day with enviable enthusiasm - from about 4.30 am onwards in the case of the one in our hen run! WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12th 2003 The holiday weekend was a great success. Even the weather co-operated - it rained in torrents on Saturday afternoon when nothing was scheduled and the sun shone the rest of the time. Some colourful additions to the local scenery include various kites wrapped around overhead wires, tangles of streamers in the trees and fancy dress costumes on the washing lines. A mildly hungover silence still lingers in certain neighbourhoods. The circus and round-about departed on the big ferry this morning. As the weather is likely to break with more rain and storms forecast for Friday a certain panic is taking over to get all the painting and refurbishing done. The boats have to be painted and out of the town square in the next few weeks. Shopkeepers have emerged from their winter hibernation in Athens and further afield and are surveying with some dismay the depredations of winter damp on closed up souvenir stores. Yesterday, as I sat at the bus-stop, sandwiched between a sedate old lady in black and an imposing papa similarly attired, the conversation turned to the subject of the high price of fasting these days. Octopus, squid, mussels and prawns are the traditional fasting foods around here and unless you have a friend with a boat are quite pricy commodities. Then a fellow came strolling along the quayside with a huge live octopus. It was tied by one tentacle and struggling vigorously. Evidently it had picked the wrong rocks to be snoozing under and was spotted. Well, it makes a change from walking a dog, doesn't it? FRIDAY,MARCH 7th 2003 After a week that saw some of the most sustained rain of the winter, today dawned bright and sunny. Below the Symi Visitor window numerous children in seldom-worn school uniforms are forming up for the Dodecanese Day Parade. A dance troupe in shimmering bronze taffeta skirts and spangled mauve scarves, bemedalled military officers in step-outs, young conscripts in fatigues, black-robed papas and familiar faces in unfamiliar suits and ties are all out in the welcome sunshine. The noise level is quite something - everyone is talking at once. Teachers are remonstrating with gyros-scoffing children and confiscating mobile phones. The band has struck up and there is a scramble to order. Off they all go in the direction of the war memorial - and hopefully into the view finder of our photographer! A peripatetic fair and 'luna park' has set up in the town square, opposite the town hall. It even has an old-fashioned merry-go-round. It should be one of the highlights of the carnival activities this weekend. Rumour has it that they also have animals but so far I have yet to see anything to support this! Yesterday was the anniversary of the death of Melina Mercouri, celebrated singer, actress, minister of culture and ardent campaigner for the return of the Elgin Marbles to Greece - a topic which is once again in the press as a new museum is being built at the Acropolis in the optimistic hope that the marbles will be returned to Greece in time for the Olympics. Meanwhile we all enjoyed watching 'Never on Sunday' on television last night. Have a good weekend - and keep an eye on the Out and About page - we may have some surprises for you! MONDAY,MARCH 3rd 2003 Sunshine! Blue skies! The scent of orange blossom! The roar of blowtorches. The whiff of fresh paint. And the hum of about 2500 Symiots out of doors, painting, sanding, sawing, grinding...
Suddenly it's March and the Season
is only a few short weeks away. Apparently this sunny spell is
not going to last long before the low which is currently over Italy
tracks this way and no one is wasting any time. While we don't
have streets under mud and houses fallen into the sea the harsh winter
weather has taken its toll on woodwork and many houses need
repainting. Gardens are very battered too and lots of plants
need replacing. Last week's freezing winds killed many jasmines
and other delicate plants which had been lured prematurely out of
dormancy by the earlier mild temperatures, only to be nailed by the
onslaught later.
©
Adriana Shum 2003 January 2003 News | February 2003 News | 2002 News Archive | HOME |
