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I live and work as a languages teacher in the UK-Bolton in Lancashire-so everything you see and read here is sent to me via e-mail, apart from the photos I took on subsequent visits to the island in April and August 2000, July/August 2001 & July/August 2002. I try to keep the site updated as regularly as possible, both with words and pictures. Best
wishes, Please send me e-mail
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12th 2002
As far as the website is concerned, I've put a button on the home page to turn the music off and a new, slightly smaller flag top left. I've rewritten the About Symi page, added some new photos and slightly changed the text. There's another new page of tourist information to come soon. I also rewrote the Accommodation page the other day. The feedback form for the new mayor of Symi will be coming in the next few days. I'm off to put some Christmas decorations up - on the website, of course :-) Hope you're all well, Mike SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 24th 2002 Finished www.HalkiVisitor.com and it's up online; just a few pages of information to start with and we'll see where it goes to from here... Meanwhile, on this site, I've put up a new Chat Page, as a companion resource to the existing Noticeboard, which I'd like to keep as a question and advice forum. I've put lots of nice photos of the recent festival at Panormitis monastery on our Out & About page. I'm still sorting the photos I took in the summer out and have started writing a travelogue; Athens to Symi, Symi to Astypalea, Astypalea to Kos, Kos to Tilos and back to Symi. Coming soon (ish).
At work, things are much like they always are at this time of year; get up in the dark, go home in the dark and spend most of my time in the dark as to why I'm doing the job I do. Anyway, I get paid tomorrow and it's three weeks four days until we break up for Christmas (and counting....). I'm off to Bruges a week next Thursday with a party of 42 kids from school; we went last year and had a great time and we're all really looking forward to going again. Time to get the Christmas shopping done and stock up on the duty free. If you're feeling jealous; we leave at midnight on Thursday, drive down to Dover for the 07.15 ferry, arrive in Bruges about 12.00, stay the night in a youth-hostel in Ghent and arrive back home about 02.00 on Sunday morning! I'll take the digital camera and post some photos up here when I get back - if I survive. :-) Anyway, that's it. I'm off to bed. All the best as usual, Mike SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2nd 2002 Three weeks since my last update here; just so much to do at work that I never have time these days to do much more than the basic housekeeping on the website, which is: 1) Making sure Adriana's latest news appears every Monday and Friday and that her weekly recipe page is also updated (including the printer friendly version). 2) Putting any new photos sent to me from the 'Visitor' office on the Out & About page. 3) Updating the information on our accommodation page; especially at this time of year, as owners decide on next year's pricing. 4) Updating the Rhodes-Symi ferry timetable which A.N.E.S sends me every month. 5) Keeping up to date with the latest search engine news and tweaking the site's code, so that when someone types 'Symi' or 'Symi Greece' or 'Symi island' into a search box at Google/MSN/Aol or wherever, this site comes up first. I've also been writing a new website for the neighbouring island of Halki. It's sort of nearly finished; just waiting for a few details to be sorted out. By the way, if anyone reading this has any photos of Halki I'd love to include them on the new site's gallery. The hundreds of photos I took over the summer are still languishing on my computer; I really must do something with them soon. As I'm writing this, the sound of exploding fireworks from outside has just sent our rather aged cat Pulford (don't ask) scurrying for cover under the bed. It's rained non-stop in Liverpool where I've been all day and it's still raining here now. With the clocks having gone back last weekend it is a long haul until next summer and the prospect of the sunny blue Aegean sea once again. I'm tempted to try and book a flight to Rhodes next Easter; in fact I think I'll go and do it now. I'll let you know how I got on. Best wishes, Mike SUNDAY, OCTOBER 6th 2002 Thanks to all those of you who mailed me entries for the photo competition below; the winners are Sue and Iaan Burgon from Newcastle. Your prize is in the post! The photo is of Livadia on the island of Tilos. Finally got round to using some of the photos I took in the summer; I put a few on a new 'Walking with Hugo' page I wrote yesterday and some are on the updated Beach Guide which I finished last week. Thanks to Nik and Adriana's efforts the webcam photo is looking better than ever, so I've put a new larger version up as well. I'm gradually starting to put 2003 pricing details on our accommodation page as and when I receive them. I've just tonight put October's 'Symi Visitor' newspaper's front page up on the site-Pacho To Retire Shock!! I'm so busy at work at the moment that I can't spend as much time as I'd like to on updating the site; I really will try to get some of the summer photos I took up later this week.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19th 2002 After nearly three weeks back at work, the Symi engendered feeling of well-being is gradually fading along with the tan... Anyway: I've been busy upgrading and adding to the website as usual, so here's what's new!! I've added some new pages to the Beach Guide-Pedi, Nos & Nimborios and put some new photos on the existing Nanou page.
I had to replace the existing Noticeboard/Message board/Chat Page-call it what you will-as the original version was discontinued by the free supplier. Unfortunately, as the Internet matures, all the free services formerly available to website authors are being replaced by paid-for options. The new page seems very busy, so hopefully our visitors have got used to the change. I had to change the hit-counter on the home page for the same reason. I've put two new restaurants on our classified advertising section; Aris' Taverna and Stavros & Ireni at Mythos. I'm always updating our Out & About page as fast as Nikos sends me the photos :-) I burned all the photos I took during the summer onto a CD last week; just waiting for inspiration as to what to do with them. I'd like to turn some of them into screensavers you can download. No doubt they'll turn up on some new photo galleries very soon as well.
So where is this? Mail me the answer & I'll send you a prize (really!). It's not on Symi. That's it; I'm off to bed. Kalynichta, Mike :-) FRIDAY, AUGUST 30th 2002 All good things come to an end, they say and so it is I'm typing this a few days after we returned from Greece. We spent just over five weeks away and managed to get to Symi (!), Rhodes, Kos, Tilos and Astipalea. I took somewhere around seven hundred photos which I'll gradually be putting up on the site, as and when I have the time. There are a few up already here. I also have a collection of photos taken some years ago on the island-anyone recognise this young man for example?
I also managed to get the webcam working again-nice big picture and much clearer than before. The Hotel Fiona webcam, which will give you a panoramic view of the harbour from up in Chorio, is making progress too. So it's back to work on Monday; I've printed out a larger version of the photo below which I'll stick on the wall behind my desk at school, so that when I need cheering up I can look up and remember how I felt at that moment, glass of ouzo in hand and the backdrop of St. Emilianos.
Best wishes, SUNDAY, AUGUST 18th 2002 We're back in Symi - just watched Villa 0 Liverpool 1 at Jean's. She's putting on a brave face!
SATURDAY, JULY 27th 2002 I'm sitting in the 'Visitor' office typing this-always a strange experience as I'm used to updating this site from (usually) grey and unsunny Bolton. Here, the air-conditioner is going full pelt and I've just opened a very welcome can of ice-cold Mythos. Yamas! Earlier in the week the 'Meltemi' wind was blowing almost gale force, uprooting sun umbrellas and sandblasting startled sunbathers on St. Nik's beach. Now there's just a gentle breeze rustling the trees around the square and it's hot enough to melt glass. The day-trippers have gone back to Rhodes and all is peaceful in the harbour. Tonight that will all change as it's a big musical premiere night at the Symi Festival-several VIP's arrived this morning by boat and helicopter and there was the unusual sight of a policeman outside Pacho's. Nothing much has changed since our last visit a year ago; the harbour is not as busy at night yet Lefteris' and the Rainbow bar in Chorio are doing a roaring trade. The paving of Chorio back streets continues in the same fashion as the streets behind the harbour which were completed last year. We're off to Astipalea on Sunday and then out into the wild blue yonder until returning to Symi around the 20th of August. Hi to all our friends and family who are reading this and here's a picture of me in the harbour, taken this afternoon:
I would have smiled but I'm squinting into the sun. All the best, Mike :-) MONDAY, JULY 15th 2002 I'll be in Symi on Sunday; sorry but I'll just have to repeat that: I'LL BE IN SYMI ON SUNDAY!! OK, got that out of my system. Since I last updated this page, I have: Got a new job, sort of. I'm now an Advanced Skills Teacher (no I'm not exactly sure what that means either), so I'll be spending one day a week next year out of school working for Manchester University helping to train teachers. The selection process was certainly one of the most stressful thing I've ever (chosen) to do in my life. Written a website for our new Community Sports Centre at school. Got paid for all the marking I did earlier in the Summer :-) Marked a lot of school exams, written a lot of reports, moaned about the weather, done a lot of running, moaned about the weather. Meanwhile I've found time to add bits and pieces to SymiVisitor.com-more new readers' photos for example, although I still have a bit of a backlog to clear. I had to change the hit-counter the other day (the bit that shows how many visitors we get to the site) as the free counter software I normally use is about to cease to exist. Adriana sent me the Symi Festival programme the other day which I put up on the site yesterday. Perhaps more interesting for you would be the plans I have for updating the site while I'm away. Nik's bought a new webcam for the office (long-term readers have my permission to groan at this point!) which I WILL get working next week. Then there's the Hotel Fiona 'cam which Glen brought over from the UK earlier in the year which I intend to get working. I'm going to take some recording gear and put some 'Symi sounds' on the site. If you check this page in particular from next Monday onwards, I'll try to put some holiday snaps of my own up here. Well, we'll see. It's easy to sit here and make plans, but the Symi magic works itself quickly into the system and robs the mind of the will to do much more than stroll down to St. Nicks and lie on a lounger with a good book and an ice-cold bottle of Mythos. If you're on the island in the next five weeks or so and recognise me, please come and say hello. All the best, Mike :-) SUNDAY, JUNE 23rd 2002 Four weeks today I'll be in Symi. Our flight to Athens gets in early morning and the connecting flight should get us to Rhodes in time to get the morning boat; if not, we'll take our chance with the day-trippers.
Later on in the afternoon things will get quiet again as the day-trip boats return to Rhodes, time for a good book and a leisurely swim as the sun starts to set. Back for a shower and a drink on the terrace; time to think about where to eat-in the harbour or up in Chorio, spoilt for choice. Time for a nightcap at Pacho's and then to bed. Anyway, I've finished all my marking and have had time to put 5 pages of Visitors' photos on the site-hope you like them. I think they're just fantastic. If you've sent me some of yours and you're still waiting to see them I'M SORRY!! I promise to get them up next week. Yours, counting the minutes :-) Mike THURSDAY, JUNE 6th 2002 Very warm, sunny day here-shame I was cooped up inside with a tape-recorder, headphones, HB pencil, rubber, pencil-sharpener and the latest batch of French speaking tests to mark. I'm about two thirds of the way through my allocation; I reckon so far I've earned enough to buy two return flights to Athens plus return flights to Rhodes and back (some island-hopper I am!). We've already paid for them, but you see what I mean. The next ten days until I finish will pay for the various inter-island ferries plus accommodation. Suddenly realised tonight that we actually fly out in only six weeks time!!
Nik (Nikos Halkitis, the owner of the 'Symi Visitor' newspaper) has been sending me regular photos to update the 'Out & About in Symi' page; as the season on the island gets into full swing look out for very regular updates here. Hope everything's OK with you anyway. I've had it for today, I'm going to bed. Kali nichta, Mike :0) TUESDAY, May 21st 2002 The webcam saga shows no sign of drawing to a conclusion. Glen Beestone managed to get the 'Visitor' office camera working again last week, only for it to cause conflicts with the computer meaning that it unfortunately had to be taken off again. The 'Fiona' 'cam also didn't quite happen. I'll be in Symi in July (hooray!) so will have a good go at getting one or both working (famous last words...). I've updated the Ferry Timetable page to include routes from Kos to Symi, plus the 'Romilda' schedule, a large ferry which shuttles to and from the Dodecanese from Athens via the Cyclades; if you're island-hopping this year it should come in handy, I'll be using it! Obviously I'm adding new photos to the 'Out & About' page regularly and updating Adriana's news and recipes twice a week. I'm off to an examiners meeting on Thursday so will be incommunicado for three weeks as I plough my way through 300 plus French speaking tests, reminding myself all the time that this is what makes five weeks island-hopping in the summer affordable! I will try to keep the site updated as much as possible in the meantime but maybe not as often as usual. À bientôt, Mike ;-) SATURDAY, MAY 10th 2002 The Greek Prime Minister's visit to Symi last weekend produced a deluge of photos from the 'Symi Visitor' office on Saturday, including one of the PM holding a copy of 'The Symi Visitor' newspaper. I couldn't resist putting it on the home page but I'll put the usual Symi photo of the month back next week. I managed to get all the photos up online while simultaneously celebrating my father-in-law Alan's 70 birthday. Well not quite simultaneously, obviously.. That's me and my son Matt at the surprise meal laid on for him.
The existing webcam is working again-just need to sort out the copyright notice on the image. We (I mean Glen) should have the new 'Hotel Fiona' super 'cam up in Chorio soon-watch this space! I've put a new house on the 'Accommodation' page, Lorraine's Apartments at Pedi Bay. Obviously I've continued to update Adriana's latest news page twice a week and her recipe page every Friday. I tried out her garlic lemon chicken recipe last week and the smell and the taste brought a little touch of Symi island to the Gadd household.. I re-wrote the ferry timetable page in time to put May's information up-I've been fiddling around the edges of it for months and was never really happy with it, so I started from scratch and re-designed it. Had a lot of mail checking if the times were correct-I get sent the timetable via the Visitor office from A.N.E.S. the Symi ferry company every month and just transfer it onto the site, so it's as accurate as you can get! The live chat page is starting to attract a lot more users, particularly on a Monday-see you at 10.00pm BST. As a result of chats I've had, I'm going to start up a visitors' photo page, so if you've got any photos of Symi you'd like to share with our online community, please e-mail them to me or send them by post-I'll scan them and send them back! I'm going to take a tape recorder with me to Symi in July-photos are obviously very evocative but so are sounds, if you have a suggestion for inclusion then please mail me and I'll do my best to capture your chosen soundbite for you and put it on the site. That's it, I'm going to bed. Tha se poh se ligo. Mike :0) MONDAY, APRIL 22nd 2002 I'M STILL HERE! Reasons to be cheerful: 1) I get paid
on Thursday Really busy at work, but I've managed to put this month's Symi Visitor Newspaper front page up and to carry on adding to the photos on the 'Out & About page. Looking forward to Glen hopefully getting a webcam up and running at the 'Hotel Fiona' in a week or two-now that will be a view! Chatting to some people on our live chat page tonight made me think that perhaps I haven't publicised it enough-it's online 24 hours a day and is really easy to use-go on, give it a try! Happy 75th birthday to my father tomorrow as I know he'll be reading this on his new computer-and thanks for the party last Saturday :-) Kali nichta Mike x FRIDAY, APRIL 4th 2002 Two updates in successive days? Must be the sea air-went over to Scarborough (Yorkshire coast) this morning to see our son Matt. Absolutely beautiful day; went for a walk along the cliff path and down to the beach. Big waves and a few surfers braving the cold water. The next time I set eyes on the sea will likely be the Aegean in July.
Another article about the proposed Spielberg Symi film was in today's 'Daily Mail'; more or less a re-hash of the 'Express' article from last month. Still no acknowledgement to the 'Visitor' for our input though. The new edition of the 'Rough Guide to the Greek Islands' did give us a nice write-up however (pages 314-5). Got home about 9.00pm tonight, wrote up Adriana's latest news plus her Greek recipe of the week. Had a quick chat on our new live chat page, then some baked beans on potato cakes for a late meal, plus a glass or three of red wine. Have a nice weekend, Mike THURSDAY, APRIL 4th 2002 I've been following the 'how to get to Symi' correspondence on the Noticeboard over the past few days and yesterday had to address the same problem as I looked for flights for the summer. Finally booked a 5 week flight with 'Olympic' to Athens, including an inter-island flight to Rhodes, for July 20th. The plan is to do some serious island-hopping and add to our total of previously visited islands-Astypalea, Amorgos, Patmos and Lipsi are definitely on the itinerary. I'd quite like to get down to Crete for a few days as well. All paid for by my exam marking which starts next month; a three week period of purgatory which pays for a month and a bit of heaven. Meanwhile, I've put some new accommodation on the site; Mavrovouni House- we've stayed in a house up on the hill there and the views across to Chorio are magical, especially at twilight. I'm also writing a page for the 'Nireus' hotel at the moment. I've continued to put new photos up on the 'Out & About' page-nearly 100 over the last month! I've also re-written the ferry timetables page, including details of inter-island ferries as well as the regular service from Rhodes. I should say it more often but I'll say it now; thanks for all of your e-mails of support and encouragement, whether sent to me or to the 'Visitor' office on Symi, we really do appreciate them. So, 13 weeks and counting (sounds better than three months) until I'm back in Greece :-) Hope you're all well, Mike :0) TUESDAY,
MARCH 26th 2002 Back last night after five days in Germany with my school-40 kids in tow so it was hardly a holiday! The photo is me outside a small winery (surprise) in Boppard with some souvenirs. Had a great time as usual, allowing for the fact that the Rhine was flooding quite badly, making getting across the river very difficult, as most of the ferries were cancelled. Had my first experience of using Euros, which I have to say left me convinced that the sooner the UK stops messing about and joins in the better. I didn't manage to get to a computer while I was away, so returned to a blizzard of e-mails which I've been trying to sort out this morning. I've updated Adriana's latest news page for the last two editions and added the latest of her Symi recipes. Before I went away, I finished writing two new accommodation pages, Villa Harani and The Opera House. Anyway, I suppose I'd better unpack and sort myself out. No doubt I'll be working hard on the website over Easter so I'll try to keep you up to date here. Best wishes, SUNDAY, MARCH 10th 2002 Once again I've been too busy at work to update this page for a couple of weeks, although I have managed to keep the website oiled and running smoothly during that time and to add some content. So, here's what's new: Photos, photos, photos-two or three times a week recently I've come home to find another batch from the 'Visitor' office, usually with a slightly (but only slightly) apologetic note from Nikos as if to say sorry for putting me to all this work. In fact I look forward to seeing them as much as I'm sure you do-the latest ones of the Dodecanese Accession Day parade and the Carnival are great. If you've found this page but missed the photos, they're here. If you'd like an original copy (that's to say BIG and of much higher quality), please mail me and I'll mail you one back, it's really no problem. I've almost finished writing the 'Opera House' accommodation page, just a few details to sort out. If you'd like a sneak preview, please click here. The March Symi-Rhodes/Rhodes-Symi ferry timetables are up (after a few hiccups). It's good to read in this month's 'Symi Visitor' that the ferry connections between Symi and other island groups are to be improved this summer-I've been trying to get to Astypalea for a few years now-should make it in August :0) Also added details of another wedding that Wendy organised to go on our Group Bookings page; just waiting for some photos to complete it. Had an e-mail from a freelance journalist intending to write an article about the proposed Spielberg Symi film-it should be in the Sunday Express (UK) soon. Obviously I've continued to update Adriana's latest news and recipe page. I can vouch for the Greek roast potatoes-yummy!!! I put March's 'Symi Visitor' newspaper front page up last night-sorry if it looks a bit rushed, but it was ;-) The chat page/noticeboard has been enlivened in the past few days thanks to some great messages from a 14 year old Symi Visitor. Thanks Megan; we love Symi too! As you've probably noticed, I've been playing around with the colour schemes on this page-please excuse my current obsession with coloured scroll bars (the strip on the right). Ever since I discovered how to write them, I can't leave them alone.. My scanner
stopped working recently and has just started to cooperate again.
To celebrate, here is a completely gratuitous photo of a 'Mythos' bottle top. I was
sorting out a suitcase tonight, as I'm off to Germany for a few days
next week with school and found the top from a bottle which I actually I'm starting to ramble, so I'd better go to bed. Kali nichta Mike xx FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22nd 2002 Nearly two weeks since I last updated this page-where does the time go?! Reading the entry below, I feel slightly embarrassed that I haven't managed to finish everything I was going to on the site. But here's what's new: The new photo gallery (that's number 7) is up and looking good, though I say so myself-thankfully it didn't disturb my sleep too much more ;-) I decided against tying it into a webcard service as I'm still on the lookout for a reliable (and free) provider. The Quicktime Panormitis movie, which is also mentioned below is fantastic; I just need to compress the file so that it downloads more quickly. I've put lots of new photos on the 'Out & About' page. Adriana's recipes are now updated once a week. The Group Bookings page is being rewritten with more photos of weddings on Symi, that's people from abroad who have chosen to tie the knot on the island. I'm writing a new accommodation page for 'The Opera House'. I've had several e-mails from journalists interested in writing articles on the upcoming Spielberg/Dreamworks film; so the hype goes on... Since my last update we have lost Tony Easton, the Editor of the island's English language newspaper, 'The Symi Visitor'. Going back to Symi will not seem the same without coming across Tony in the Sunflower or Pat's bar, mug of tea in hand, a civilised half-hour's conversation guaranteed. He was a gracious, talented and personable man who will be sadly missed by all who knew him. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 9th 2002 Don't know where to start really, there's so much going on.. Anyway, here's what's new since last week: I've put this month's 'Symi Visitor' newspaper front page up. I've changed the format slightly. Adriana's latest news now comes with added Recipes from Symi which will be updated twice a week, just like the news itself. The Valentines page is starting to take off, so don't be shy-email your greeting to us. I've started writing a website letters page; we get lots of correspondence in the 'Visitor' office concerning this website, so I thought I'd share some of it with you. Coming next week. The photos mentioned below are now up on our photo galleries section. I've also come across a set of beautiful views of the island which I'm currently working into yet another new gallery to replace our current Symi Postcards page. I'll also replace the webcard area which has ceased to function. If you'd like to watch it evolve, then you can follow its progress here; Symi Postcards 2002. Please bear in mind that it is only about 10% completed as of today. It's very complicated to write-spent hours on it last night and couldn't get anything to work, then woke up this morning at seven o'clock with a blinding insight into what was wrong-got up, rewrote the page and then went back to bed. Obsessed? What me?! The hype surrounding Steven Spielberg's 'Dreamworks' studio's intention to make a World War II film based on Symi doesn't seem to have died down: after the article in the 'Daily Mail' and the 'Guardian' last week I noticed the island was given a good write-up in this morning's 'Guardian' travel pages. I was e-mailed a new Quicktime movie of Panormitis tonight which I'll put up on site tomorrow-are you watching Mr. Spielberg? That's it-hope you're all well, Mike :-) WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30th 2002 I really should have known better than to mention the webcam-of course it went down last week and isn't working at the moment. Difficult to know from here if it's a software or hardware problem, but I've sent Nik a new program to try and make it more reliable, so we'll see how it goes. I've taken the link off the home page for the moment anyway. Finally put this month's Symi Visitor newspaper front page up-nearly time for next month's #:-0 I've put a Valentine's page up as is traditional at this time of year. I've rewritten the home page slightly, just made some of the text clearer and cleaned it up a bit. Should also look the same whatever size of monitor you are using. SHOULD look the same whether or not you are using Explorer or Netscape-apologies if you're a Netscape user and the home page looks a bit strange; I'm working on it :-) Still haven't finished the 'Names Day' page as mentioned below, well I have actually, but I've lost it...hang on, here it is, I've found it again! Greek Names Days (or should that be 'Name Days'?). I'll put a link up on the homepage tomorrow (maybe). I want to include a list of Greek Bank Holidays which I'm writing at the moment. If I could only give up the day-job, this would all be a lot easier... I've put a new set of menus up on Nikos Psarros' Wine Restaurant page. I'm writing yet another page to go on our photo galleries area-that will make six. Some unusual photos of Symi wildlife, views of the harbour and Chorio and some pictures of religious ceremonies in Yialos and Panormitis. Coming as soon as humanly possible. Got a letter yesterday from
the exam board I do work for, so my mind is turned towards the summer
again and planning our annual island hopping trip. I mark French speaking
tests in May which funds the holiday; three weeks of purgatory for a month
of bliss. We're well into double figures for islands visited, so we'd love
suggestions for out of the way, not to be missed destinations anywhere in
Greece. Please send me email if you
have any suggestions. And so to bed. Mike :0) SATURDAY JANUARY 18th 2002 It's 11.15 at night. I've been in Liverpool all day; just got back this evening in time to say goodbye to my wife Jo as she set off for a meal at a new Greek restaurant in the same city, with fellow students from her Greek language evening class. So, what's new on the site? Our webcam is working fine, very rainy shot this morning. Considering that it is really only a video-conferencing 'cam, designed to show head and shoulders shots of people, it does remarkably well to push out a live landscape photo through a glass window. I still get a kick out of looking at the view every morning anyway. What else; I've put new photos up on the 'Villa Rose' accommodation page. I'm writing a page with Greek name days (which Adriana sent me) and other holiday dates on, probably finish it tomorrow (when I wake up). Also putting some new properties on the real-estate page. Not quite sure what to make of the news that Steven Spielberg's Dreamworks company are to make a film on Symi- catch up with all the reaction on our Noticeboard. That's it- I'm going to follow the example of our two cats, one of whom is asleep on my lap, the other on top of the monitor. Kali nichta. Mike ;-) FRIDAY
JANUARY 11th 2002 A shot taken today on our now 100% functioning webcam, including the date and time. One of the island's six taxis passing by outside the Symi Visitor office in Yialos. The yellow streaks at the top of the photo are caused by refraction through the 'Symi Visitor' office window. At this time of year, our poor little webcam needs protecting from the cold and wet outside and is kept inside, pointing through the glass. I managed to cause a lot of confusion this week by inadvertently putting Adriana's latest report up below the previous one, which meant that many people didn't scroll down to read the current news. As Adriana had promised details of possible snow on the island, the website Noticeboard and my mail box were busy with queries as to the delay. Thanks to everyone who contributed to the discussion and put me right, especially Ola, Glen, Anne and Maggie. Adriana's page is back to normal now! And it didn't snow, by the way... Mike :-) WEDNESDAY JANUARY 9TH 2002 So the webcam is working again-I managed to persuade the software company to provide a replacement copy which Nik downloaded and installed. You and I can now enjoy a daily updated picture from 'The Symi Visitor' office looking across the harbour towards the old town of Chorio (there's a full explanation of exactly what you're seeing on the webcam page itself). It just remains to sort out the time and date stamp on the photo, so you can see exactly when it was taken. Hopefully we'll manage to keep the webcam online for good now. In the past it's been sabotaged by computer viruses, power cuts, electric storms and goodness knows what else. If you'd like an insight into the long saga (and I mean long) of the webcam, I've just come across this-a page I wrote back in April 1999 Anyway, keep your eyes open for a Hotel Fiona webcam later this year... Three days back at work and it feels like three weeks; days are getting longer though :0) Mike SUNDAY JANUARY 6TH 2002 Regular readers will already have spotted what's new-this page! A new year and time for a revamp; the content won't change though with the idea still being to keep regular visitors up to date with any changes or additions to the Symi Visitor website. Regular visitors will also know that the day job sometimes conflicts with this aim, but I do my best. Well the holidays are over for me and it's back to work tomorrow. I haven't spent all my time over Christmas and the New Year drinking, eating and partying however; I've still managed to put quite a bit of time in on the site. So, here's some of the recent new or changed content: All the accommodation is now priced in Euros-there has also been quite a lively debate on the subject of the single currency on our Noticeboard. I put a yearly temperature chart on the Symi FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) page plus some other minor additions. There's a large page of photos taken in Symi over Christmas and New Year, our 'Out & About' section-every time I thought I'd finished, Nik sent me some more! Hope you like the snowy background, which judging from the weather in Greece recently is particularly apt. I'm sure you're keeping up with the latest news from Adriana; I've redesigned her page and put last year's news in an archive. The ongoing saga of our webcam has taken another twist; Nik managed to reinstall it and everything works fine-we just need to convince the company we bought the software from that we really have paid for it so they will take their copyright notice off the image. I hope to get that sorted this week. I'm not going to put the link back up until it's working properly again. January's Rhodes-Symi/Symi-Rhodes ferry timetables are up, along with the new ticket prices in Euros. That's about it, maybe I did spend all my time partying after all.... Anyway, a belated Happy New Year to you all and maybe we'll meet on the island sometime this year. Mike :-) |
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There's
nothing much better than watching the island gradually come in to view
from the deck of the ferry-familiarity only breeds anticipation. Straight
in to Pat's bar for a reviving glass of Mythos before heading off to our
accommodation. Unpack, relax, probably wander down to Nos beach for a
sleep. That's Nos in the photo on the right-also known as the town beach,
it will be busy (being a Sunday), with local people and day-trippers from
Rhodes cooling off in the sea.
Anyway, I've still had time to update the site in
between marking sessions, principally putting up a new page of 
remember drinking on
my last night in Symi last August-it would have been outside our room at
the Hotel Fiona. I
kept it as a souvenir. Just makes me think that I've only got about four
months before I go back to Symi. I've got to do all the exam marking after
Easter so I can afford to go island hopping, but it is slowly getting
closer.
