Welcome to my new Symi blog, Adriana’s Symi – the free range version! In some respects it will be similar to my original one on the Symi Visitor website in that it will always contain photographs snapped on my travels around the island. There won’t be as many of the Kali Strata as my daily activities have changed with the closure of Symi Visitor Accommodation and there is no need for me to go down to the harbour with any frequency.
Where this blog will differ, however, is that as it won’t be tied to the specific business of promoting Symi as a holiday destination, I will have greater freedom in what I post and may on occasion venture to share an opinion with you. I may go ‘off piste’ so to speak.
I wrote my first Symi diary listing for the Symi Visitor website back in March 2001. Many of you reading this have probably been visiting Symi and reading my posts at least that far back. It was Wendy’s idea as a way of building up a year-round resource of what life on Symi was like at different times of the year. We hadn’t heard of blogging as a concept and there was no handy software to facilitate putting up posts. It was a case of writing 3 paragraphs and emailing them to Mike Gadd, our webmaster in the UK, who would then paste them onto a webpage for me. No digital images or fast internet connections in those days.
I seem to recall it was around 2005 when I got my first digital camera and started taking photographs to share with you all. It was a very basic Kodak and didn’t have optical zoom. It did, however, take great photographs and it fitted nicely in my pocket. It was a sad day when it fell out of said pocket and the screen shattered. Now, as I lug 600 grams of Nikon bridge camera round my neck, I rather miss the lightweight compacts of yore. No, I don’t find taking photographs with my smartphone an adequate substitute for a compact – I have to change to my reading glasses to see the screen and find the settings to activate it. By that time I will probably have been flattened by the Symi bus or fallen down the steps or the cat/goat/chicken will have moved on.
Thank you for your loyalty over the years. The Symi adventure continues and I look forward to continuing to share Adriana’s Symi with you.
Regards,
Adriana
Adriana Shum 
Excellent news Adriana, Steve and I wish you every success with your next business venture. You are a GEM. Xx
Good morning Adriana, we very much look forward to sharing your blog, yes we were one of the couples who shared your insight into day to day life on Symi back in 2001 and still love to hear all the latest news. We were so very sad to hear of Wendy’s passing, you must miss her so much. In the days of the Symi Visitor newspaper there was always a fight to get to read it first when it came through the letter box and we had the pleasure of coming to see you when we were on Symi to renew our subscription and Wendy took our photo on the balcony of the old office by the lazy steps . We found ourselves in that months edition, happy memories indeed. We will be on Symi this year from 8th June for 10 days, staying at the Opera House for our 20th year. Keep up the good work. Kind regards. Peter & Wendy Cox
Just read your comment Wendy and Peter! Sorry but we are going to just miss you when we are on Symi in June. John and I arrive just after you leave! Maybe see you in September? Jackie, Claverdon.
Adriana, sorry to contact W & P on this sight but I have no other contact detail for them.
No problem 🙂 One of the nice things about being ‘off piste’ isn’t that my blog doesn’t have to be so formal. 🙂
Great to have you back Adriana.
Well done …. nice reading …. have been following since those early days and look forward to reading and visiting for many years to come !! 🤗
Wishing your new Symi blog every success. It looks good! Best wishes Ian Kenway
Will look forward to following your new blog Adrianna and the best of luck in your new venture.
Our very best wishes to you Adriana, well done for picking up the baton that Wendy had to let fall. Our thoughts are with you. Steve and Celia.
Looking forward to reading more of your new style blog Adriana and to visiting Symi as often as possible ad infinitum!
You sound positive and ready to grasp new challenges. I have been reading your blog for years as I have been travelling a round Greece since my student days in 1970. I haven’t been to Symi yet but got as near as Halki two years ago. All those steps put me off! The harbour always seems so pretty. All the best for the next few years .
Delighted at the return of the Blog, Adriana. We too subscribed to the old Symi Visitor which was such a lovely reminder of Summer joys when it landed on the Winter mat & we have long enjoyed your pix & commentary. So welcome back & we look forward to seeing you in June.
Fantastic news that you are going to carry on with your insights into this magical island. I too have been one of your earliest followers. Never try to miss my weekly update on what’s happening. Thanks from all of us here in blighty and good luck for the future.
We love to see all you Photo’s and read everythink of what you say about the lovely Symi, we are from Holland will be there from the 12e of September until the 25e of Sept at Opera House for the 3e time now for the 4e time we will be staying on your Beautiful Island and will follow you on your new Site to
With Love Ron and Ans Eversteijn
It’s so relief that something as bright and positive as your weekly reviews and photos will continue give to us pleasure and hope !!!
A window to the sun every single day(or week..) ,all year long!!!!
Always nice to read you Adriana!!!
Thanks one more time.
Suspect I have been following you since 2001 having first visited in 1999! Back then I think I went and made a cup 0f tea while the pictures downloaded on the original Symi Visitor website! I looked forward to the SV newspaper arriving, it brought some Greek sunshine to Glasgow. So sad to read about Wendy and then Symi Visitor too. Good luck and very best wishes for your new blog 🙂 It’s bookmarked!
I’ve been reading your blog since before my children were born. My oldest is 12 and I continue to look forward to following along.
You introduced us to Symi way back when, and for that we are grateful. Each visit to Greece increased our love of the place and now here we are Yanks who live full-time in the Mani in the Peloponnese!
Adriana, wonderful news about your new Symi blog and we wish you every success!
Best wishes, Susan
Great to have you back!! I live over the water in Datca, have a lovely view of Symi from my terrace, and am an occasional day visiter! I’m sure your new blog will be a great success!
Great to have you back Adriana! I always look forward to reading your blog on Symi Visitor. I was so sorry to hear of the passing of Wendy, it was such a shock. John and I met Wendy and Ged the year before Ged passed away. Such a great couple. They are both very much missed. We love Symi and will be back again this June. Forever faithful!
Great to see you will keep blogging! Are you sure you won’t consider a laundry? I’ve got a 3 week stay in July 😉
Hi Samantha, unfortunately I cannot afford the very high rent and overheads to run a laundry 😦 As the Sunflower laundry is shut up and no one can actually use the machines or take it over as a business until the probate is over (how long is a piece of string?), I would have to start from scratch which would be very expensive. Someone else is supposed to be starting one up, in the same building as the old public loos behind the Symi Tours ferry ticket office. With luck they may be up and running by July 🙂 Adriana
Thanks A 😊
Adriana, its fantastic that you can continue to post your blogs on or off piste. Looking for your blogs is a twice weekly regime for me so very pleased you are continuing. Good luck and best wishes.
Hi Adriana
I have been reading your blog since you started – it was always a joy to get a glimpse of Symi during the winter and early spring and always beautifully illustrated. So glad to see you are continuing are you going to be dealing with any holiday lettings?
Good luck and best wishes
Mandy Purchase
welcome back olde gel. my thoughts have been with you.
Oy, who are you calling ‘olde’?
just a dear friend I am yet to meet….
can you give me your new email address pls?
There’s a link to it at the bottom of today’s blog post. 🙂
Great to read your new blog; lots of luck with it. We are so looking forward to visiting Symi again in two weeks time ☀️⛱ 🌊
Hi Adriana
Can you update me on our booking with Hotel Fiona. We arrive by ferry on 6 July and look forward to meeting you and Nick sometime while we are there.
hi
Love your photos. Brings so many memories. Tell me please, who is the man on the mule on the “kali strata?” busy on his mobile. Looks a lot like the lovely man who works/owns the supermarket down in yailos. If it is, what a guy.
thanks
Hi Derrick,
He worked for Kalodoukas Holidays for many years, delivering the luggage by donkey to the more inaccessible houses 🙂 I don’t think he has any supermarket connections.
Hi Adriana,
You probably don’t remember but back in 2003, I and my dog Giblet came to Symi and ended up working for Wendy and Nick. I have just heard via your blog of Wendy’s sad demise and I wish to pass on my condolences.
I now work in Scotland running tourists back and forth to a Highland Castle as well as running an Airbnb. I am otherwise highly involved with the local tourist trade as well as preserving the local wildlife.
I contacted Nick on Facebook a few months back
Hope you are well and that the Aegean jewel that is Symi is still sparkling.
Lewis Wilde (lewis_wilde2002@yahoo.co.uk)
Thanks, Lorna Hathaway for adrianashum.com