There is a new gallery of around 60 photos taken on Symi during January. Click here if you’re not sure where our Symi Photos page is. These will show you the rain on the steps as well as parts of Yialos and Horio in the sun.

The photos of Yialos on this blog post were taken yesterday. I doubt that the harbour looks much like that this morning though, as the last photo was taken only a couple of minutes ago from the terrace. The clouds rolled in last night bringing rain and soaking us on our walk home from a very pleasant evening. We went for dinner at Georgio’s to discuss music that we will be playing at a special Valentine’s night ‘do’ at the Olive Tree. (More about that when I get details.) We did some chatting about music, we also spoke about Neil and I taking our first grade on the clarinet; I can take us through the theory part and Susan can play the role of examiner when it comes to the practical. We won’t actually get the certificate, but it would be a benchmark and something to aim for.

If you’re wondering what the taverna is like in the winter, last night was fairly quiet, though I’ve been in on some nights when the outside terrace has had to be used as well as the inside. The atmosphere was friendly and welcoming, the food was great as usual, I declined the liver dish, never been to keen on liver, and the bill was not a nasty shock, it never is.

I’m glad I took that photo just now and not right now; the wind has suddenly picked up and the rain is coming in harder and at and angle, from the north it looks like. The thunder is creeping closer and I am expecting to be plunged into darkness at any moment. That happens a lot at the moment, when it’s raining. If you turn on the sitting room light the whole house goes off line. And as that’s the first light we put on when coming in, or when getting up in the morning, it’s easy to do it by habit and forget that… Oops. Which is why I was woken up this morning by an expletive. One of the winter joys of Symi.

And another winter joy must be days like yesterday. Leaving the house, feeling chilly, but noticing that there wasn’t a single cloud in the sky, and heading off down the Kali Strata to check the post office. None of our expected packages were there of course, but we picked up post for a few other people and carried it back up the hill – actually we took a taxi as it was a ‘lazy’ day yesterday. A fine lunch at the Olive Tree saved me cooking. But the point is that by the time we got to the post office we were hot, fully warmed up by the sun on that side of the harbour. Hence the photos.

And so on with today. Thanks to J&C for the email comment, “We have been looking at the glorious pics of Symi on your web site…” and for sending the photo of the snow. (I haven’t sought permission to post it here but I will if you say it’s ok.) No snow for us back here on Symi, though it has been known in the past. (Call into Lefteris’ kafeneion if/when you are in the village and check out the photo from the 1980’s (if I remember the date correctly), Yiannis with a Symi snowman. Anyway, Neil’s sorting through his store room today to find a vital piece of an old printer that we suddenly want to use after five years, and I’ve got floors to dry and admin stuff to do. It’s getting dark with all these clouds around so I’ll just put the light on…

The view as I write