Another day in Symi

We arise.... a little more adjusted to Island time... another gentle breeze... sun shining... the Island gradually awakening... the first ferry from Rhodes yet to arrive... it is 9:30 and breakfast is yet to be contemplated.... sit on the balcony....

The Scorpio departs... It's structurally deficit female passengers have donned minimalistic swim attire for their daily Symi farewell...

Symi is still quiet... the wharf repair contractors are at work below.... They lower pallets of sandbags into the water against the port wall... A diver supervises the placement of the individual bags... They move along and lower another pallet and again the diver submerges to complete the placement.... They will return tomorrow to place concrete to complete the wall's fortification.


What day is it.... Don't know.... Think about it.... Think some more... must be Saturday.... Wander down.... breakfast time.... This time we move down one more establishment.... Eva our landlady says ... Family!


Breakfast is adequate... Penguin number one says... Why don't they stick to the things they do well.... We sit some more....

We sit and watch the White Lion depart... The crew hard at work.... No sign of the Russians wallets and their female associates this morning...

The regular cruise boats arrive.... Nikolaos X... The Sea Dreams.... The Dodokanisos Seaways ferry... The modest pleasure cruising arrive... For them Symi is another Island hop in their dream holiday... The mooring men wait for each new arrival ...they guide them into position....help them to tie off... Ah .... An Australian boat.... A long way from home... Ah.... There is someone who has tired of the adventure... His boat is for sale... 22000 euros....

Make a contribution to our Wi-Fi access.... Buy a beer in return for the password... Sit some more and enjoy..... We are in Island time.... Up the stairs to relax...


Two o'clock - time for an early lunch....wander a across the port to Taverna To Stiffo ... Seafood... Mussels in white wine for penguin number one... The wine that accompanies it further relax and dulls the mind... The Lithuanian female matre'de asks... English...no Australian.... Australian! Why are you in Symi?... Clearly Australians are rare here..

We wander back... Into the clothing shops in pursuit of a long sleeved cotton shirt.... Penguin number one feels pressured... She will return alone she says... Ice creams... Watch the local fisher people repair their nets.... Watch the little fish clean the water line of their boats.... A Grecian siesta... We are in the island zone...

 

The church bells chime.... It is 5:30...the afternoon service is about to start....the siesta time is over... The penguins think it might be time for a drink.. The refrigerator yields up pre-packaged Greek white wine... They take up station on their little balcony.....


The maritime caravaners start to arrive enmasse.... Their conditions cramped... Like their landlubber counterparts, the average among them manages to adequately manouver their accommodations into position at the end of the day... Like their landlubber counterparts there are members amongst their ranks who have an unfortunate ability to rapidly depress the average skill measure of the community... It is the latter that raise the ire of the mooring men... That ire is expressed with raised voices and the waving of arms... The observers in the quay side cafes are left in no doubt as to the mooring man's ranking of skill level of the new arrival...


The Scorpion arrives back at her mooring....the Salt's place has been taken by another Wilmington... It in turn is joined by more Wilmingtons.. All of them operated by slick crew... All of them carrying a small cargo of well healed travellers... The vessels do look impressive... Perhaps Catherette is a little unkind calling them Tupperware boats.... Look out there Bernie! .... Now the penguins understand what Catherette means... A significant private cruiser arrives... She is significant both in size and appearance .... She is given special treatment by the mooring men .... she is moored away from the others..

The mooring spaces rapidly fill... Saturday night... Symi is the place to be... Another charter boats arrive.... Www.phoenix-yacht.com blazed along its side..... A large catamaran.... Mooring spaces limited.... One generous place remains.... the mooring man waves to her.... Gets her attention... Points towards the berth on the other side of the port... Fires up his motorbike and rides around to the berthing point... He waits and he waits.... The helmsman comes equipped with a wallet that can service the boats charter fees but without the maritime skills that her mooring demands... He tries and he tries.... he tries again... The mooring man waves become more expressive on each try... The helmsman obvious lack of skill draws the attention of the yachts moored on either side of the his target... They gather at the ready... They will ensure he does no damage to their charges... He approaches again... They hang off the sides of their charges... Their legs poised to push her away....


The mooring man can now be heard across the port... He is clearly agitated....with the aid of the guiding influence of his neighbours legs berthing is finally achieved.... Is this the end of the mooring man's agitation... No.... It continues until he has vented every last trace of the days frustrations...


The penguins have sated their appetite for the misadventures of the mariners.... The Pantelis on the far side of the port is to be tested for its culinary capabilities.... It boasts Greek food... It serves Greek food but Greek food that is prepared without the culinary skills that good food demands.... A plate of local seafood starters consumed...penguin number one enjoys....a saganaki for penguin number two.... Seemed very much like fried haloumi... Perhaps a language issue... Stuffed calamari for penguin number one...looks amazing....tastes good.... Tough.... Tough....she is disappointed... Pork stew for her partner.... Delicious.... Tough... Tough.... Disappointed..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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