The little
island of Halki (27km2 extension and approximately 500 residents), a
waterless limestone speck west of Rhodes, continues to count as a fully fledged
member of the Dodecanese, even if its population haw dwindled from three
thousand to barely three hundred n the century since its Italian rulers imposed
restrictions on sponge-fishing.
While
visitation has brought the island back to life, except at the height of summer
Halki tends to be very quiet indeed. That said, in the middle of the day in
high season, when day-trippers from Rhodes
vastly outnumber locals in its broad quayside-cum-
square, Emborio
can feel more like a stage set that a genuine town.
