Settled into Symi

It was a hot time in the old town last night.... Saturday night and the locals are joined by the younger members of the tourist community... Saturday night becomes Sunday morning and still the band plays and the crowd sing and clap their hands in concert with the band....on and on until exhaustion sets in at 4:00am... Finally Symi is quiet....


It must be 4:30am for the rooster of Symi has awoken to a new day... This is not just any rooster but a rooster that truly crows from the rising of the sun until a minute before it sets.... It's persistence is astounding... We are blessed by the fact that his domain is high on the hill on the far side of the port... Save for the occasional bleating of his collegiate animal.... a Symi goat...... he is clearly the most obvious member of the Symi animal community.

Another perfect day... the sun shining....the winds gentle and continuous.... the temperature precisely what the tourist would ask of Symi..

Roll over... Go back to sleep.... Remember you are on Island time... you don't have to rise at the rooster's call...

Ah now it is time to arise... To position ourselves on the balcony.... The Nikolaos X has arrived.... she announces her arrival with a prolonged blast of her horn... The high speed ferry from Rhodes has arrived... She carries a smaller contingent of day trippers than is her normal want... The wharf repair team arrive... first the concrete pump.. then the driver.. then the concrete truck.... Two truck loads of concrete are deposited to ensure the permenance of the army of sand bags placed in position yesterday ....they arrive and are gone again inside the hour.... Their work characterised as much by the absence of anything that could be construed as compliance with modern day concepts of occupational health and safety as by their speed.

The tourists arrive on the Sea Dreams.... The English amongst them all frantically acquiring colour.... colour on their faces.... colour on their shoulders.... red... red... red... Oh dear....

Who said Australians are rare on Symi... We listen as four of our country folk notice that the Nordan moored below is flying the Australian flag... It's charterers are engaged...engaged...engaged... We are delighted that they and their engagers display none of the tendencies of the ugly Australian that seem to us to be more common than Australians would like to believe...

Life is difficult for the penguins... They drag themselves down to breakfast... The restaurant spruiker at Taverna Atica had impressed with his persistence and with his good grace when his invitations have been rejected... It is time to reward him... He hands us over to his waiter and his chefs.... They serve with enthusiasm but without obvious culinary skill... 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...

An art gallery... Greek artists... Not for the tourists she says.... For the Greeks she says... Penguins impressed... The paintings appealing... The techniques impressive...

A lazy day even for Symi... Wander the less seen residential roads... Promise ourselves that we will do something more energetic tomorrow.... Nap... rise at 2:00... Pay for our WiFi by lunching again on the comfortable chairs of Cafe..... The waiter is pleased when we pronounce his chairs the most comfortable in the whole of Symi....

The tomatoes of Symi are to die for... Fresh... crisp... Sweet... Order a bowl of diced tomatoes drizzled with olive oil as a salad accompaniment to our pizza lunch.

Use the waiter's WiFi to communicate our good fortune to those less fortunate... Retire....

Appear on the balcony again at 5:00pm.... Red wine at the ready... The boats start to arrive... 50 foot charter yachts.... A few Tupperware boats overwhelmed in size and opulence by four 100 foot expressions of genuine wealth...

Symi is quiet... Sunday evening is not a time to be rushing... The red wine tastes the way a good red wine should taste...

Stir... The penguins cannot laze around every day... Reserve a hire car for a tour of the island tomorrow....

Why are those people gathering at the memorial next to our restaurant.... The crowd grows... Soon we know... A troop of Greece soldiers march towards the crowd... They stop at the memorial....they sing the national anthem... the Greek flag is ceremonially lowered... The crowd moves on.... A regular Sunday night occurrence in Symi...

Why have we resisted the Taverna Aris's spruiker for so long.... His staff may have disappointed this morning but they excel this night... A tomato and cucumber salad... A beetroot and potato salad... both as starters.. The tomato and cucumber so fresh that they crunch in the mouth.... the beetroot pieces .... large, fresh... Their perfection tainted by the application of a little two much vinegar dressing... The potato..... a creamy cold mash heavily laced with garlick... Delicious... delicious... best food in Symi... Complete the experience with pasta... with moussaka... with white wine... As is the want of all Symian restaurants we are plied with a complimentary sweet... Ice cream from goats milk....

We retire sated.. content... Blessed... Sit on the balcony awhile... Watch the locals and the maritime caravaners stroll.. Lie in bed at 10:00 in the evening listening to Greek music waft across the port... Listen to the Greek folk singers and their songs please their audience... listen to the audience compliment them through gentle clapping...

It is 12:00 and the singing continues.... the dozing penguins sense that the singing is louder.. that the music has evolved from the folk tradition.... that the clapping has become more enthusiastic... The penguins find their sleep disturbed... They find their feelings of contentment turning to agitation... At 2:00am they rise to close the shutters and windows... The Greek music no longer pleasant.... They hope late night music shows are strictly a weekend phenomenon on Symi...

 

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