If it's May .....

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Re: If it's May .....

Postby D and E » 22 May 2015, 07:49

Thursday and the "plan" was to walk to Nimborio in the opposite direction from last time but after the bread run, breakfast and frappe / wifi stop, watching the Poseidon depart, we decided to explore a bit so still heading up to the cemetery we branched right up to the helicopter landing pad. From there we walked along a path that takes you just below the flag that flies high above the harbour.
Got some great photos of the harbour far below and then descended through the numerous steps bringing us out by the jeweller nearest Manos Fish Restaurant. A well deserved beer stop at The Stellar Bar allowed us to watch a water main being replaced.
We then had an ouzo & retsina at the small bar next to the Mediteraneo bar (must take a note of the name) where they do a lovely tomato, cucumber and salami accompaniment to drinks.
The afternoon saw some shopping before a mid afternoon stop for an omelette and some retsina in the square.
We caught the bus back up for the first time as it was 5pm and another day somehow went past in a flash.
The crib tournament continued in The Secret Garden and the boys continue to lead 6-4 and then to Yiannis for ouzo and retsinas before dinner in Zylygos. A mezes of Symi lamb, liver, beetroot with skadalia, baked aubergine with feta and baked sesame crusted feta. A complimentary clove flavoured baklava with a bottle of retsina was most welcomed.
And another wonderful day on Symi ended.
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Re: If it's May .....

Postby Sue L » 22 May 2015, 10:21

Hi D & E
Thanks for your posts it's great to read about your Symi days in cool cloudy Manchester reading about all the lovely food does make me hungry.
I'm looking forward to the end of August when we're back on Symi.
Enjoy the rest of your holiday
Cheers
Sue
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Re: If it's May .....

Postby D and E » 24 May 2015, 09:21

Friday and as a supermarket visit is required breakfast is back at the excellent Olive Tree where Justine is taking to her new job like a duck to water. Poached eggs all round - three of us on muffins and one on toast; with fresh orange juice and excellent coffee this is a great place for breakfast and the lunch menu looks worth trying - maybe in October.
After replenishing the essentials and carrying these back to the apartment we head down to Yialos for a frappe and wifi. The taxi boats are finally operating out of Yialos but not as yet to Nimborio. After quite a "busy" previous day we just saunter round the square and stop in Evios Cafe. We buy cheese & ham and sausage pies, some tomatoes and retreat back up the Kali to have lunch on the balcony of the apartment. Reading and siesta is the order of the day before we head for The Secret Garden for the crib tournament. The boys take a commanding lead 8-5. The mezes of cucumber, olives and feta are the perfect accompaniment for the ouzo and retsina. Then it is up to Yannis where we still have 100% attendance.
Dinner is at Zoe's where we have a mezes of tuna salad, meatballs in tomato sauce, pork cutlet on the bone (superb) cooked on the barbecue, moussaka, bouryadi, tzatziki and courgette balls.
Complimentary retsina and apples with cinnamon ended another superb meal at Zoe's.
The plan for the next day is to head down to Pedi and catch George's boat over to St. Nicholas for our second visit - we will see.
And so a very lazy day ends.
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Re: If it's May .....

Postby D and E » 24 May 2015, 09:27

Saturday and a plan comes together. After a hot and quite humid Friday we wake to a perfectly blue and sunny Symi sky. The bread run, I should really explain that this a walk that D&P take each morning, is up by the windmills to the chairs overlooking the harbour where some philosophical (hardly) discussion takes place.
Then to the bakery in Chorio and back to the apartment for breakfast. A walk down the Pedi road allows us to catch George's boat and we are first on the beautiful beach at St.Nicholas. The water is so inviting and in D's opinion not so cold for the time of year. Things are starting to take shape with the small bar now open so after a lengthy swim a frappe followed by a Mythos was called for.
The menu in the taverna is still slightly limited but a Greek salad, tuna salad, tzatziki and grilled tuna steaks freshly caught by Michaelis that morning made for an excellent lunch. For info as this is often asked - sun beds are €3 and as yet this is not discounted from lunch, although we have seen this implemented later in the season in previous years.
We return with George at 4pm and indulge in an ice cream from the small supermarket beside the jetty. We walk back up the Pedi Road.
As sometimes happens an unsuspecting tourist who has walked over to St.Nicks jumps on the wrong boat and wanting to be in Yialos ends up in Pedi. It is clear as she looks for road signs for the port that she is unfamiliar with the island so we help her to find the Kali Strata and avoid the long walk that following the bus route would have taken her on.
As we have decided to have dinner "down" the crib tournament is put on hold and after the ouzo / retsina stop at Yannis it is down the Kali Strata and at 6pm it is still very warm. A couple of things to pick up in the port and a check at Symi Tours tells us that their bus trip to Tolis is still not ready to happen but that the Panormitis & Marathounda bus trip is going nearly every day.
We wander round to The Nireus and have cocktails on the jetty : they have a superb cocktail menu so a mojito, a dry martini, a belini and a G&T is ordered and we watch the sunlight go down which is around 8:30pm.
We then head for Manolis at Odysseus and let me say it is well worth the walk round. Obviously from these posts you will see that we love the rural cooking that Symi does so well. But at Odysseus the food is more sophisticated and this chef can do great things with familiar Greek ingredients - he would not be out of place in an upmarket restaurant in a UK city. We start with shared starters of a very fresh salad with an orange dressing and Roquefort cheese; grilled vegetables in a balsamic dressing (mushroom, courgette, pepper and aubergine) and feta deep fried in filo pastry with sesame and honey. For a change we go for individual main courses but forks keep crossing the table to try out each other's which consist of a superbly grilled piece of goat that Fred Flinstone would have been proud of which comes with potato wedges; seafood linguini had calamari, octopus, mussels and grilled prawns (thoughtfully prepared so only head and tail needs removed) with a very delicate tomato sauce; very well made meatballs made with ground beef in a delightfully rich tomato sauce with real chips; and a moussaka with the lightest béchamel topping and perfectly minced lamb - top quality. A complimentary plate of apples and mandarin oranges refreshed the palate and then a further complimentary sweet of freshly made banana fritters with creamy yoghurt and walnuts came as a complete surprise : this was the chef really showing off and did so with great aplomb.
We decided that after that the long walk back was a no no so a taxi was ordered and we headed home.
After a plan that got only as far as recognising that tomorrow being Sunday meant a bread run down to Yialos we retired to bed to the sounds of Eurovision from some of the surrounding houses - the beauty of staying in Anastasia's is that feeling of being part of the village.
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Re: If it's May .....

Postby Gemma1 » 24 May 2015, 10:13

More great reports and thanks for the update on Justine. I will pop into the Olive Tree to say hello when I'm back in September :)
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Re: If it's May .....

Postby Eliza » 24 May 2015, 19:19

I do enjoy your Symi holiday.Thanks
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Re: If it's May .....

Postby D and E » 26 May 2015, 08:40

Sunday sees the bread run down the Kali Strata to Yialos and back up the School Steps. After a later than usual breakfast we head down to our frappe / wifi stop. Then round to Elpidas for a beer stop. After our second Fix someone shouts D's name and remarkably his sister and brother-in-law (D&R) appear. They had booked a flight last minute and got into the Pedi Beach Hotel just so they could surprise us - an amazing and lovely surprise.
From Elpidas the now six of us head to TzaTi for a variety of bruchetta for lunch with some tzatziki and olives.
We walk back round to catch the bus for Pedi (D&R) and a taxi up to Chorio for the rest of us. D&P head for the supermarket but find it closed so are "forced" to wait in Yiannis with a beer or two chatting over things with Neil & Toby of Symi Dream - their daily blog is indispensable.
The crib tournament is held on the balcony of the apartment and the girls get a game back so the score is now 8-6.
D&R join us and we head for Yiannis and then to Zylygos where we have a mezes of beetroot & skadalia, moussaka, liver, tuna salad, feta encrusted in sesame with honey and imam. With complimentary coconut cake Lefteris did us very proud.
So after showing D&R onto the Pedi Road and planning to meet next morning at the Pedi jetty we head for bed.
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Re: If it's May .....

Postby D and E » 26 May 2015, 09:17

Our last Monday and the last bread run. After breakfast we head down to the Pedi jetty to meet D&R. Although there are some clouds we decide on a day at St.Nicholas so jump on George's boat. Once again we are first on the beach and get the choice of sun beds. The sun does hide behind clouds from time to time but the water is lovely.
A lunch of freshly caught fish, whitebait, tzatziki and Greek salad is perfect.
The cloud has totally burned off so after a couple of hours we head back on the 4pm boat. The return price remains at €5 for St.Nichols and €6 to go to Agia Marina.
We walk back up the Pedi road and are back in The Secret Garden to carry on the crib tournament and with the boys winning 2 out of 2 reach the magic 10 wins and win the tournament 10-6. We then all head for Yannis and then to Giorgios for our last dinner there. A mezes of beans gigantes, bourataki, beef in Metaxa, pork in mustard, goat in lemon, cheese balls, mushrooms and octopus balls. All superb as usual.
After agreeing to rendezvous in Yialos next day we all headed to bed.
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Re: If it's May .....

Postby D and E » 26 May 2015, 09:23

This is a live post from Cafe Aigialos (just opposite where the Posseidon berths). This is our favourite frappe stop where we use the wifi. The Posseidon has set off round the island and Irini's 11am taxi boat has now departed. The day trippers from Rodos have just arrived.
After this we will saunter round the port - a few things bought over the last two weeks need picking up and a final visit to the ATM. Tonight will be Zoe's as we always go there on our last night. We have to have our bags at the pick up point for 05:30 tomorrow morning so the final post in this series will ne reflections on Thursday as we will not be home until gone 11pm tomorrow night.
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Re: If it's May .....

Postby Allan » 26 May 2015, 09:26

Have a safe journey home and thank you for posting your holiday story, it's much appreciated.
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Re: If it's May .....

Postby D and E » 28 May 2015, 08:28

It's Thursday morning back in Llanddeiniol, Mid Wales.
Firstly we would like to thank all those who have read and commented on the posts over the last two weeks. D uses an excellent App called TripRider which allows us to organise and then create a record of our trips and from the Diary section of the App it is easy to copy and paste to this excellent Forum.
The last night was memorable as for the first time D's sister and brother-in-law could join us (they are still in Pedi for the next two weeks and of course we are not envious :shock: ).
It was very kind of Neil & Toby to invite us for pre-drinks, drinks and nibbles in their new abode. What a stunning house. See you guys in October.
Yiannis then saw a bit of "musical chairs" as the rain started. Once again proud of a 100% attendance record :oops:
The day had started with a farewell breakfast in the Olive Tree - this will now be a regular treat for all future visits.
We wandered around the port saying our farewell's with an omelette lunch at Cafe Evios.
D&E climbed the Kali for the last time of the holiday but as P&H had stocked up on Metaxa they took a taxi.
After pre-drinks with Neil & Toby and then drinks in Yiannis we headed to Zoe's which was quite busy - clearly we are not alone in making this our traditional last night venue. A large mezes of calamari, bouryadi, tuna fish salad, beans gigantes, moussaka, beef stifados, Symi lamb, beetroot with skadalia was an excellent celebratory dinner to end another superb holiday in this magical place.
We returned to our apartment in the rain with the wind getting up, thunder rumbling in the hills and lightening somewhere towards Rodos.
Not much sleep as we were being picked up next morning at 05:30 for the 06:30 ferry departure. The Symi Tours bus was very promt to pick us up on the Pedi Road (where we had been dropped off on arrival). No longer do the bags go down on their own and you walk to the ferry. The mini-bus takes you and your bags - which was quite welcome in view of the weather. Katja did give us the option of just leaving the bags to be picked up and for us to walk down but we took the lazy option.
Everything was coved in the red Sahara dust that rainstorms often bring.
The crossing on the big Dodek ferry was fine but we did learn from D's sister that the hydrofoil due later in the day was delayed. We had breakfast near the International Hotel and made it to Socrates Garden in Rhodes Old Town for a final small Mythos.
The check-in at Diagoras was particularly slow but then there was not that much sitting around before we boarded and everything run to time. We cleared Manchester Airport by 7pm and with quiet roads were home by 10pm.

To reflect on our two weeks in paradise we would firstly thank all those people on Symi who make us so welcome : you know who you are as you have done this regularly over the last twenty years. Your generosity even in difficult times is amazing.
The island was very quiet and many seem to agree that scaremongering in the foreign press about there being no food on the shelves and money not being available from ATMs may be impacting. The press should be ashamed. We do hope that things pick up during June to September as the people on Symi work very long hours each and every day during the summer heat and deserve success.
The food was as ever of the highest quality - we are vowing to ourselves that we will spread our net wider than our usual favourites in October when we will be living "down". Should keep us fit if we try and replicate our 100% attendance record at the wonderful Yiannis but perhaps Elpida's will have to provide interim support.
The taxi boats from Yialos seemed to us to have started later than usual so we did not make it out on one of those but that was to George and St.Nick's benefit.
Circumstances and our own procrastination saw us miss out on the Posseidon trips but will rectify that in October - definite.
So there ends another wonderful two weeks on Symi.

Now to get on the scales and just see how much "damage" has been done :o
And then to get the amazing Greyam (the cat) from the cattery.

Yasou,
D&E
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Re: If it's May .....

Postby JuliaB » 28 May 2015, 11:56

I always remember my mother telling me years ago that anticipation is 90% of the pleasure. This year's anticipation has certainly been fuelled by your blog . . . thank you! Two weeks to go and counting! We so agree that we must all do our bit to help the wonderful island people who make us feel so welcome. This year we're flying via Kos for a change and spending some time on Lipsi as well as on Symi. We'll warm up some seats on Poseidon for you. Now must go and check out TripRider . . .

Julia and Mike
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Re: If it's May .....

Postby STEVE » 28 May 2015, 13:17

I hope you've taken the weather home with you as we set off on our 4 week trip next Wednesday. First Nisyros, then Patmos and Lipsi before arriving on Symi on 20 June. Your reports have certainly heightened our expectation and, rest assured, our aim is to leave as many Euros in Greece as we can!! This is our 'Big Holiday' that we've saved up for for a long time celebrating our retirement, big birthdays, 40th wedding anniversary (last year actually) etc. etc. We intend to make the most of it!!

Steve
Last edited by STEVE on 29 May 2015, 11:09, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: If it's May .....

Postby Pollychops » 29 May 2015, 06:54

Fantastic reporting over the last two weeks, May would not be the same without it. Thank you and we are now ready for our two week fix in two weeks time.
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Re: If it's May .....

Postby Gemma1 » 30 May 2015, 08:18

Just caught up on the rest of your trip, thank you so much for sharing your Symi holiday with us all and giving me a taste of things to come - though hopefully no rain :wink: I have to wait until the end of September for my Symi fix but will be flying to Santorini next week to go island hopping in the Cyclades so will get my first Greek fix of the year then :mrgreen:
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Re: If it's May .....

Postby silverfox » 30 May 2015, 14:05

Thanks for the daily updates!

I'm considering trying a similar diary from a Symi newbie. Not sure if we will be interesting enough.

:)
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Re: If it's May .....

Postby Allan » 30 May 2015, 14:38

Oh, it will!

We always love to read about Symi and it'll be particularly interesting to see it through the eyes of a first time visitor. Do, please, tell us your impressions of the place.
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Re: If it's May .....

Postby silverfox » 31 May 2015, 12:33

Allan wrote:Oh, it will!

We always love to read about Symi and it'll be particularly interesting to see it through the eyes of a first time visitor. Do, please, tell us your impressions of the place.


I'll try my best but you will have to wait....24 days to go!

Not that i'm counting. ;)
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Re: If it's May .....

Postby D and E » 01 Jun 2015, 15:08

image.jpg


Hi Silverfox,

We look forward to reading about your adventures on Symi.

Yammas

D&E
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Re: If it's May .....

Postby Allan » 02 Jun 2015, 20:53

Just the one small retsina D&E? ;)
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