Changeable Weather

One of the questions we are often asked by visitors concerns what Symi is like in the winter, and it’s often asked because people are interested in spending time here out of season, and quite right too. There’s all sorts of advice one can give, and experiences to share, but one thing we always say, is to be aware of changeable weather. You can see from today’s photos that things can change dramatically overnight. Wednesday was wet and grey, Thursday bright and sunny.

You need to watch out for changeable weather because of the boats. The Blue Star ran yesterday despite the swell (not sure about the Dodekanisos as I didn’t see/hear it, but I wasn’t looking for it), but boats can sometimes be ‘grounded’ in ports and not allowed to travel. This can happen even if it’s gorgeous and calm down here but rough further north – sometimes there’s a ban on all shipping. So, when people ask, ‘What’s the weather like in the winter?’ or even in spring, you have to answer that it’s changeable and hard to predict. If you are thinking of Symi for a visit out of the summer season when the weather is more predictable, then consider the possibility of having to stay in Rhodes a few days while you wait for the weather to change. It’s happened to us – got stuck there for an extra four nights after a holiday once. Had we known, we would have stayed in Romania, where we’d been, as it was cheaper. Not trying to put anyone off, just saying it happens.

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Katarraktis

I woke up to rain and thunder on Wednesday morning. The rain persisted until about half-seven when it eased off to leave us with cloud. The hillside opposite us on the far side of the harbour is green again, as are the hills behind the village, and the Pedi valley. The grasses and herbs are coming back, the spring flowers are coming out and, apart from yesterday’s glitch, the weather has been settling down.

I’m hoping it doesn’t rain again as we have to pop down to the dentist for a check-and-clean. It’s not so much not wanting to get wet on the walk down or up, it’s the run-off from the hills and upper village that’s the problem. You may have seen videos from Symi where the water is pouring down the Kali Strata like a waterfall and when it does, you have to be careful. The backstairs to the village (as opposed to the Kali Strata), the old path that leads up from the north-west corner of Yialos, is called the Katarraktis (καταρράκτες being waterfalls), and you can imagine how it got its name.

If you want to walk up the Katarraktis, it’s not that hard to find where it starts. I usually start on the street that runs behind the cafes parallel to the harbourfront. This is the street where you find Meraklis and St John’s church. You can also walk past the Opera House Hotel and find the start of the steps and slope that way, or start at the north-east corner of the back street. After that, it’s uphill all the way on ancient stones and slopes, steps and corners that offer a good view of the back of Yialos if you stop and turn. Just keep going up the main steps, and you’ll eventually come to a house and a church. You continue up between the two where you can turn left to pass the church and find the Lemonmitisa path to the village square, or carry straight on to enter the village. There’s no shade on the route up, and you will need sensible shoes, no heels. It’s slippery on the way down and not a climb to be taken lightly if you ask me. I prefer the Kali Strata, but the Katarraktis makes a change from time to time. But not when it’s raining.

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A quick catch up

A quick catch up today. I thought we were having a planned power cut yesterday, but it didn’t happen. Maybe I had the day wrong. The sun has gone, the clouds have come over and we’re expecting a night of bad weather (Tuesday). Today, Wednesday, I have an appointment at the dentist for a check-and-clean, and that’s about the highlight of my week ahead. The photos are random and from about this time last year. Back tomorrow.

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Quirky Symi

Here are a few quirky Symi photos and an update from the weekend just gone. I guess I was in a silly mood, but the only way to carry your free-range eggs, straight from the farm to the shop to home is, of course, in a recycled container in a pink bucket. No home should be without one. I was also interested to see γαρύφαλλο (garifallo) on sale as both Clove, which is it, and Glove, a name which somehow doesn’t seem to fit.

That was Saturday’s shopping trip, down to Sotiris for the usual comedy and mayhem and the running gags. ‘Where’s Neil?’ is a common question asked when he’s standing right beside me, and ‘For the cat?’ is another one when buying wine – even though we haven’t had a cat for a long time now, and the person asking the question was the one who kindly put the cat to sleep for us when he was unsavable. There are other on-going jokes to be had at our nearest store, the caged birds above the deli counter are named after a couple of ladies who own a nearby café and chat a lot, and as for the others… Well, they’re often too dirty to repeat here and don’t get me started on what happens when you buy a cucumber.

What makes a shopping trip even more of an event around here is having the wife of the shop owner slip a bottle of wine into your bag as a present from the family. It goes very nicely with the bag of biscuits left anonymously on the gate the other day and the general bonhomie which I’ve never found in any other local supermarket no matter where I’ve lived.

On Sunday, the 15/16-year-old year from the high school held a fund-raiser for their annual trip. Similar to the one we attended at Georgios recently, this was a live band and a drink for a €10.00 donation, and then you ordered your dinner. We had a dinner at home already booked in so couldn’t go but saw godson #2 who is in that year, heading in to play his part (and a great time he and his mates were having when Neil passed by later). We made our donation through him, so I assume it got to the right collection bucket, pink or otherwise. Meanwhile, carnival was being held at the sports hall, there was a parade and loads of costumes. Neil played his part with his semi-steampunk outfit. I say ‘semi’ because he’s still waiting for the top hat, and he’s working on appropriate trousers and shoes. A nice tailcoat will, maybe, one day replace my old flying jacket.

Oh, and finally, the road is now fully open and passable. It’s odd isn’t it, how when you take something apart and put it back together you always seem to have pieces left over…

It’s all gone now and the path is finished.

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Cheesy Sunday, Clean Monday

It’s Clean Monday today here in Greece, the start of Lent.

“Today marks the end of “Tyrini” the week where Greeks worldwide enjoyed loads of cheese and cheese based dishes. This is the last day of Carnivale, just before Greek Orthodox fasting period for Easter Lent begins. It’s also known as “Kyriaki tis Tyrinis” which is marked by delicious, but meatless, dishes that end with a big family meal on Sunday night.” Greek City Times.

We had one of those ‘only in Greece’ moments on Saturday. The men were finishing off the path outside our gate (it should be fine to use now), so when Neil came home and saw a bag hanging on our gate, he assumed it belonged to one of the guys doing the road. Later, when they’d gone, and we were heading out, it was still there. Looking inside, I found some ‘church treats’, left for us by… Well, there’s the thing. It could have been anyone but was most likely our landlord opposite or Yiannis Rainbow or his wife. Whoever, thank you, a lovely surprise.

My week ahead looks the same as any other during the winter, but now the weather is (temporarily) spring-like, I feel more inclined to get back to my daily walks. One of those regular, long-term stayers has already returned which, to us, makes things feel like summer, and more day-trippers and visitors have been seen in the harbour. In the harbour cafés and walking about, I should say, not actually in the harbour.

Anyway, I’m off to get on, as it were. Happy Clean Monday!

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