Symi Chat

Gemma1 wrote:Wednesday 28/9/16
After leaving my suitcase I had a leisurely walk up to the windmills before walking back down through the back of the square and round the backstreets of Horio and descending the Katarakas to Yialos.

Hi Gemma1. A great trip report and I was just wondering about the Katarakas as I haven't heard it mentioned before. I assume it's another route from Chorio to Yialos rather than taking the Kalistrata?
Cheers

The Kataraktas is the original staircase leading from Yialos to Chorio. It's steeper, less well maintained (but it is maintained and lit) and isn't lined with buildings - instead there's a ravine to one side which after rain in winter does indeed become a cataract - hence the name.
Less used by locals because nobody lives along it, and while it leads to what was the most densely populated part of Chorio this isn't the case any longer because so much of that part of town was destroyed in the 1944 explosion.

I've always walked up the Kataraktas before, this was the first time I've ever walked down. I've always found it harder to walk up than the Kalistrata because of the lack of shade and the steep slope. As Andy said it's less well maintained than the Kalistrata and I walked down quite cautiously as was concerned I might slip on the cobbles. I think I'll go back to walking up it in future.

I took a photo of the Blue Star as it sailed past D&E - I was really wishing I was on it going back to Symi! I'm looking forward to your blogs. I'm not planning on going back to Symi next year as think it's time for a change but reading your blog again might make me change my mind

Sorry, I think I should have reduced the photo or something before posting it - all I can see is the sea!

Gemma1 wrote:Sorry, I think I should have reduced the photo or something before posting it - all I can see is the sea!

I've resized it for you. Now we can almost see D&E waving to us!

Allan wrote:

Gemma1 wrote:Sorry, I think I should have reduced the photo or something before posting it - all I can see is the sea!

I've resized it for you. Now we can almost see D&E waving to us!

Thank you Allan

Well done Allan & Gemma

Brilliant picture of the Blue Star Gemma. Can I use it sometime on my Facebook page? Love the Kataractis but agree wholeheartedly about the cobbles. Great view of it from Irini when we stayed there once.

Val wrote:Brilliant picture of the Blue Star Gemma. Can I use it sometime on my Facebook page? Love the Kataractis but agree wholeheartedly about the cobbles. Great view of it from Irini when we stayed there once.

Of course you can Val.

I stayed at the Irini on my first two visits to Symi - great views but a lot of steps to cope with on the way home at night