Symi Dream

Living on a Greek island

A Greek island blog from Symi in the Dodecanese islands of Greece. "James’s great talent lies in his careful observation of the absurd and the amusing, the dramas and the difficulties..." Anne Zouroudi.

Symi Dream - Living on a Greek island

ANES – Sebeco timetable, Rhodes/Symi

ANES – Sebeco timetable, Rhodes/Symi

ANES have produced their timetable for the early part of the summer season. (The Easter timetable, I guess.) I’m not sure when a longer timetable will be available, but there are some sailings if you are coming from Rhodes to Symi between 22nd April and 8th May. (The 8th May is a big parade day in this part of the world.) Timetables can change and be added to over the Easter period with some of the regular Rhodes/Yialos ferries only going from Rhodes to Panormitis, so, as usual with travel advice, I suggest you look at Andy’s travel blog as he is the expert; I’m just a messenger.

Anes timetable

Here is the link to the site (in English) where you will find the links to the Itineraries. https://www.anes.gr/en

And here are a few random Symi shots to top you up for the weekend.

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Most shops/businesses are ready for summer

Most shops/businesses are ready for summer

The 'Judas' plants are flowering.

The ‘Judas’ plants are flowering.

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The bookshop, Yialos

The bookshop, Yialos

Ilias Tsavaris

Ilias Tsavaris

We have local elections coming up on Symi, with voting day coinciding with European elections, as you may know. There are three candidates for Mayor of Symi, and here at Symi Dream, we offer to publicise each one’s manifesto without prejudice. The first to send us their information is Ilias Tsavaris. If you follow the link below, you will find his introduction and manifesto published in English. You can also see the full site in Greek.

ilias tsavaris

I am told that Ilias’ team is looking for a representative from the foreign (i.e. non-Greek) community, so if anyone is interested, or if you know of someone who might be, you can tell them to contact the team through their site. Or, if that proves tricky, you can contact me, and I will pass along your contact details. You don’t have to speak Greek fluently; he and members of the team are bilingual.

Here is the link to the site.

Here are the team’s objectives in bullet points from the manifesto.

Our Objectives:

  1. Improvement of the health system
  2. Improve the quality and adequacy of the water network with drinkable water for all homes on our island
  3. Creation of a better drainage system
  4. Development of tourism in the light of a changing Europe.
  5. Improvement of services to achieve a clean island from corner to corner
  6. The effective recycling of rubbish
  7. Improvement and maintenance of the road network
  8. Upgrading of public spaces, squares, playgrounds, etc.
  9. The improvement of school buildings
  10. Opportunity for the young and support for the old
  11. Animal welfare

And that link once again.

 

Guest Writer James Collins

Guest Writer James Collins

That’s enough of Rhodes, now we’re back to Symi which has been sheltering beneath a grey and cloudy sky for a few days. The sky is now clear, but the breeze if from the north, so it’s not that warm. Yet. I’m sure that in a few weeks people will be wandering around saying, ‘It’s hot, isn’t it?’ as we do suddenly at the beginning of June, or sometimes earlier.

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I’ve been out on a couple of my self-enforced walks, only up to the monastery on the hillside (three-miles round trip), or up to the old cantina (2.6 miles), but once the legs have adjusted and the body recovered from the shock, I may go further afield as I did last year. I’m trying to fit those in after I’ve done my admin and messages, and before I then settle in for the rest of the day at one of my desks, so this week, I’ve set out at around seven-thirty, or earlier. I am again saying hello to others who are out and about at that time, mainly ladies heading to church or the cemetery, the workers waiting at Campos for their lifts, farmers coming down from the hills, our hard-working refuse collection team and, if I go that way, the goatherd on the path to To Vrisi. I’ve been past him and his flock so often now, when he is not there they come down from the hills expecting me to feed them. I had a very close examination by the handsome Billy goat leader of the pack the other day. He’s got massive horns which I keep an eye on as I pass; I don’t want to get head-butted and butt-butted off the side of the road.

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Oh, with no connection to the above whatsoever, I must point your attention to an interview that’s just appeared. It’s on a blog from Lynne McVernon, ‘Guest Writer James Collins’ – just click that link if you want to read it. It covers both my author names, the real one and the pen name (inserts smiley wink).

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