Music
There’s usually some music being played live on Symi somewhere, and we have more of it in the summer months. If you are heading this way and fancy an evening of music with your drink, mezethes or meals, there are plenty of choices, depending on the day of the week. Off the top of my head we have, rock music at Lefteris kafeneion in the village every now and then, Greek music at Georgio’s taverna at weekends, guitar and voice at the Sunrise Café from time to time, Greek music one night at The Secret Garden (Monday?) and blues and western music there on a Friday. In Yialos, Steno, in the side street, is known for providing traditional music when the mood takes, Elpida’s café often hosts Greek music, again on various nights, and I am sure there are other places that I don’t know about, and that’s before the free Symi Festival starts, usually in July.
I was woken on Sunday by the local ‘music’ in our lane. That’s supplied mainly by the cockerels who start up way before dawn like a fanfare. ‘Cock-a-doodle-do-get up, please’ rings out and is soon joined by the coo-coo of the collard doves, and then the piccolo high woodwind effect from the sparrows. I was on the balcony enjoying the peace and quiet yesterday morning around six when one of the local doves landed on the house next door and started up its regular, repetitive verse. I noticed a small hawk, possibly a kestrel or a kite, coming towards me. Its feathers were dark, though that might just have been the lighting as the sun was not yet over the windmill hill, and it passed between the two houses about six feet away from me. It was silent, but the dove sensed it coming and cut short its repertoire and made a hasty retreat into the nearby trees. The sparrows and even the cockerels also fell silent which was a bit eerie, but which also made sense.
The harbour was quiet at that time too. No anchor chains being wound in, no chugging engines, it was far too early for the clang of the train bell, and any Saturday night party that had been going on was long finished; we can sometimes still hear the music from certain bars at six or even seven in the morning. So, a peaceful day began. Another peaceful day with plenty of time to write, tidy the house, oversee the godson who is painting our kitchen, meet our health insurance lady over from Rhodes, chat with friends in the square and generally have a relax after the relaxing day the day before.
