Thursday, 2 May 2013

Waking Up on Symi

In Rhodes yesterday afternoon, walking back to Kolonna harbour we passed this establishment. I didn't notice the small "T" until today. Interestingly, above here was the German consulate…

We arrived in Symi last night, got settled in to our apartment (pictures below) and went out for a meal and what we thought was going to be a swift drink in the Sunrise Kaefeneion before going to catch up on our sleep. Several hours later we rolled back to sleep… Woke up and pulled the curtains to see this view, which we will have to endure for the next four weeks - poor us!

This is where we slept - our spacious moussandra, upstairs from a big kitchen/lounge with a bathroom at the back of the apartment.

The view from the back of our terrace of the Vigla, the unfinished gym and goats grazing.

We have a nice big terrace overlooking the Pedi valley and we took delivery of a brand new sun umbrella after I took this picture. George came round with my guitar (which Claire has been learning on over the winter) and we tested out the umbrella.

Su and I went up into the Horio to do some shopping, passing these grasses on the way.

Big daisies in bloom.

Looking down the vally past some rusting ironwork and an oleander in bloom.

We went to the Olive Tree for a very late breakfast/lunch, and enjoyed the view from the side of the Kalistrata.

On the way back with shopping, stopped to admire this lentisk tree in bloom. Reminded me of when we went to Folegandros in the early 1990s - we used to sit under an enormous lentisk tree in the square at the end of the day.

A siesta ensued, and then we have just had a lovely supper on our terrace. The goats were enjoying grazing as well.

There are small explosions going off all around the town, but none very close to us or very loud as yet. This is all part of the run up to the Greek Orthodox Easter (their Good Friday is tomorrow), which we first experienced when we were here two years ago. It has clouded over enough for there to be a bit of a tinge to the sky at sunset.

This day a year ago, we had left Gatwick for Athens, and went for our first Greek meal in a taverna up the road from where we were staying near to the airport. It was delicious.