Thea Apartments, free advertising via Symi Best
The Best that Symi has to offer is listed for free at www.symibest.gr and the latest business to make use of the free advertising is Thea Apartments.
Thea Apartments, in front of the blue building
Thea Apartments at night
Panormitis and Chrysanthi opened the five apartments this year (2013) and each one has its own name and character. The building stands on the south side of Yialos, just behind the taxi rank, making it easy to get to the taxis, bus, and all that Yialos has to offer. The websites says about the 1913 building: “The house is built of traditional stone of Symi, by craftsmen from Patmos. It was erected by Archimandrite Seraphim Panagiotaki and endowed to his nephew Marouso, the grandmother of the current owner of the house. During all these past years it has been a family home with its own history full of warmth and love.”
And the new hotel/apartments is a good example of how Symi Dream and Symi Best work.
Thea Apartments
The owners contacted Neil to commission him to take some of the photos for the site, there is a gallery page here. Neil did the job, including a nigh shoot, and individual rooms, the full building and some general Symi shots. The business then gets added to Symi Best and, for a while, is featured on the front page. Symi Dream doesn’t charge for advertising, though we could, but instead, money from photo jobs like this goes to help pay for the Symi Best (and Dream) site. You don’t have to hire Neil for your photos, but businesses that do get better billing on our sites, plus a free write up and mention in a post like this one.
So, if you are looking for somewhere different, smart and very handy for the harbour facilities, run by two great people, then you’ve got a tip off from us that Thea Apartments could well be the place to be seen to be staying this season. Check the website (it’s in Greek and English), look out for the special offers page or just give them a call about bookings.
Thea Apartments
Το Thea Apartments λειτουργεί από τις αρχές του 2013 προσφέροντας πολυτελή φιλοξενία και ξενοδοχειακές υπηρεσίες ποιότητας. Η προνομιακή του θέση προσφέρει μοναδική θέα στο απέραντο γαλάζιο και στον εκπληκτικής αρχιτεκτονικής ομορφιάς οικισμό της Σύμης. Το Thea Apartments αποτελείται από 5 αυτόνομα διαμερίσματα με φινετσάτη επίπλωση, παρέχοντας τέλειες συνθήκες διαμονής. Ο επισκέπτης απολαμβάνει μοναδικές διακοπές με εξαιρετική διαμονή σε ένα νησί συναρπαστικής ομορφιάς !!!
http://www.symi-thea.gr/
Telephone: +30 22460-72559
Telephone: +30 6997-517517
FAX: +30 22460-72559
Email : info@symi-thea.gr
More Symi photos and clean up news
Some of the clean up team
The photos today are from Sunday when a group of volunteers got together in Horio and tidied it up a bit. The idea was to clear up places that are a bit ‘off the beaten track’ (and the Kali Strata), and improve the looks of some of the lanes where visitors go but which are not on the usual cleaner-routes. The town hall had already organised a similar thing for Yialos, and there may well be others in due course.
I just took a look at the Symi Town Hall website to see how that was coming along; a while ago I noticed that it was being re-vamped and improved, but the news there still seems to be from 2010, so it doesn’t look like it is yet finished. Announcements about what’s happening around the island now seem to come via Facebook and individual contact from our friends on the council. If I hear of any more volunteer campaigns I’ll pass the news along.
The mayor gets to work
The environmental group EPOSymi (Εθελοντική Περιβαλλοντική Ομάδα Σύμης) have arranged beach clean-ups in the past, so their site would be worth keeping an eye on as well. Εθελοντική Περιβαλλοντική Ομάδα Σύμης.
If you are interested to see more photos from the dance show on Saturday, I put up a gallery of over 300 of them here. I have to point out that these have not been worked on, there has been no ‘post production’ work done with them, and there are much improved versions around, and coming soon. The lighting wasn’t exactly kind for cameras, and some of these are very dark. Neil is still working on the set at the shop, but I was keen to get something up in our gallery area. As usual, if you click the first image then you have a floating screen which lets you click through one at a time; there is also a slideshow thing but that doesn’t work with certain machines or browsers apparently.
Only another 350 steps to go…
Other things to look forward to this week: well, I am going to be making an announcement about a new hotel that has just opened, and who worked with Symi Dream on its photography and with Symi Best on its free advertising. That’s a post for tomorrow or Thursday. After that… who knows? The season is nearly upon us, Big Week, or Great Week, the week before Easter, is just around the corner. Neil and I are considering a week long ‘fast’ of our own design to clean out the system before the season starts, and there will be news about that as it goes on too. Lots of reasons for staying with your daily Symi blog!
Shock Symi news alert: Mad Brits sweep Kali Strata
I’m absolutely done in today thanks to “50 things to do when you’re 50” number three.
Romania
Number one was, obviously: wake up in Transylvania, on your birthday, in the snow; see photo. Number two was tap dance with the ladies in the Symi dance show, done. (Rewarded with a handshake from the Mayor.) See video made and put up on You Tube by Peter Vidal. And number three? Well, I’d always wanted to sweep the Kali Strata from top to bottom. Done.
We helped out with a few others yesterday in the Mayor’s clean-up campaign. Yesterday it was Horio and some members of the council and other volunteers went out from the village square armed with brooms and bags and did a litter pick and general tidy up. Neil volunteered us for the kali Strata as we had to pop down to the bank anyway. Mad!
Symi Dance Show
We weeded it from Georgio’s down to the kali Strata Bar (as was, it’s closed now) apart from outside the Olive Tree which Jenine, who was working, did. And then we realised that to do the whole lot would take several days, so from just by where the Symi Gallery was we started doing only the major weeds and rubbish. Stinging nettles and a few other odd bites and stings put paid to that idea by the time we got to Maria’s house. She made use of our rubbish bags and did her side of the street as we passed, and from then on it was major rubbish only. It took us three hours and we rewarded ourselves with a beer and a lunch in Yialos when we got there. We saw the mayor and waved our brooms at him to show we’d finished, and got a thank you, and then we had chicken fillet and a pork chop (not one each) at To Spitiko by the taxi rank.
The next treat was a taxi ride back up the hill, having done the Kali Strata four times in the last few days (five times for Neil) and still having brooms and stuff with us we didn’t fancy the walk, besides, we didn’t want to get it dirty. And so to Kevin’s birthday party at the Sunrise and the last quiz of the winter season. I think that all went well, I bailed out and made it home though I am not sure when, but I do know I left my PG Tips and a broom behind; I can collect them later.
There will be a couple of photos of the clean-up tomorrow when Neil brings them back from the shop. Meanwhile: Here’s Peter’s video.
Four shots from the dance show
I managed to grab these before Neil rushed off with the camera. Later he is photographing the Clean up Horio morning, and working on the photos he took last night. Here’s the mayor giving his speech after the show last night and a couple of shots taken during, including some chap in a waistcoat doing the second of ’50 things to do now you’re 50’ (tap dancing with a cast of lovely ladies). More images over the next few days.
Symi dance show 2013
Symi dance show 2013
Symi dance show 2013
Symi dance show 2013
Dance show dress rehearsal, all tip top tap
Last night’s run-through and dress rehearsal went well, and everyone is in good spirits and ready for tonight, as you can see from this photo taken afterwards. Neil was there for the rehearsal shots, but we’re not giving away costumes or routines until after the show. There may be a blog on Sunday this weekend to show you some more photos that will be taken tonight; if not tomorrow then Monday.
symi dance group
It was raining yesterday, good for the plants but not so good for the €8.00 trainers which have more or less come to the end of their useful life, after one winter’s constant wear and a long walk around Romania. That was all I expected to get out of them of course. By the time we got to the Opera House last night my feet were soaked, but I’d brought a pair of dry socks, and the tap shoes were also dry so that was OK, not too much slipping about on the tiles.
Symi dance group
We stopped off for a bite to eat afterwards and then, having decided that there would be no taxis at 9.45 on a wet Friday night, we walked back up the hill to home, which, surprisingly, only took us 15 minutes.
So, today: we’ve had our morning juice (lemon, orange, beetroot, apple, pear and carrot) and Neil is singing hits form the ‘80s as he gets dressed next door. The skies have cleared, there is still a breeze so I should be able to get my outfit washed and dried, pressed and ready for tonight. Time for a bit of a warm up this afternoon and then back to the show around five. More news on this subject will no doubt follow…
Clean up campaign, Sunday, 11.00
Meanwhile: Symi Town Hall, the Symi Women’s Association and the blood donor organisation are arranging a Clean Up Horio activity tomorrow morning. 11.00 a.m. in Horio.
All happening in Yialos
All my news is currently around the dance show that is taking place on Saturday and for which Rhiannon has been working so hard since the end of last season.
6pm in the Opera House, Saturday
Rhiannon and her classes of course. The dances will be performed by girls of all ages (and me) and will start at 6pm in the Opera House in Yialos. Everyone is welcome. It’s being organised by the Symi Women’s Association (ΕΝΩΖΗ ΓΥΝΑΙΚΩΝ ΣΥΜΗΣ), and there will be jazz, salsa, ballet and tap, and all in front of the public, the mayor and other dignitaries. I am taking part as one of the Adult Klaketes, that’s tap, as I am sure you are fed up of hearing. Neil will be photographing, I imagine Peter will be videoing so no doubt there will be some fun shots and clips to be seen in due course.
Meanwhile: more businesses are preparing for the summer. I was down in Yialos the other day and evening and there were stacks of chairs being painted up, tables being washed down, plastic awnings from the winter being taken away, signs being painted and even day trippers coming in on the Dodecanese Seaways ferry for the day. It’s all starting to start up again; Merekles is open, as is Vasilis’ Dolphin Pizza, Bella Napoli too (did that stay open all winter?) and loads of other places as well.
There are also some new shops open, like the garden centre that has put down roots in what used to be the benefits office – best not ask what happened to that office. OK then, so it moved into the public toilets. But they did get rid of them first and put up a new building. I have no idea where you go if you want a loo now, probably the old tinker’s shop ‘cos he’s now where the PC shop used to be, and I have no idea what happened to Christos PC.
Pantelis has also been open for a while now
So, it’s all go in Yialos. And it’s all go up here as we prepare well in advance for the “Symi Festival 3013.” Thanks to those folk who took the trouble to point out yesterday’s typo. It should have course have read Symi Festival 2012… I mean 2013… you know what I mean! My mind is on my shuffle ball changes and five beat riffs at the moment. I will be back on Saturday with news of how the dress rehearsal went. And on that note: The waistcoat is here (many thanks to my couriers, mwah!) and it’s looking blue.
Tap, things to do on Symi, festivals, Bouzouki…
Another day of being at home yesterday (apart from another rehearsal for the show on Saturday) so not a lot to report.
Currently showing at the village museum
I can report that I only discovered yesterday that the floor in our front room is very similar to the floor at The Opera House hall, and the tap shoes don’t mark the tiles, like they do in the sitting room. I don’t know why I didn’t try it before. But I was able to clack trough the routine a couple of times during the afternoon. For some reason my shin muscles gave out half way through and I was unable to move my ankles. Don’t know why that should suddenly happen now when it’s been fine for months. I warmed up and everything… Hmm. Will keep working on it.
On a completely different note: Don’t forget that if you are planning your summer holiday and want something special then Symi is the place to visit. Just thinking ahead to what there will be to do in the village (that’s aside from the beaches and boats and Yialos and walks) there will be: Photo walks from us of course, plus Monday evening wine nights at the shop and gallery, live music nights at the Taverna and probably at kafeneion such as The Secret Garden where they regularly have live bouzouki music, and Mandeios perhaps, no doubt there will be events at The Sunrise as well, and I am pretty sure the Olive Tree will be hosting all kinds of things again. I am not sure if the museum is open again this year, or if the repair/renovation works have been finished, I will enquire when next heading that way.
Here’s another of Neil’s photos from Romania
And that’s on top of the usual festivals and church events such as Koukoumas (usually around May 1st) that take place. We shall as usual cover as many of those events as possible. And as for the Symi Festival 2013, well, again I’m waiting to hear about that. I have a feeling it could be local events only again like last year due to funding, but I am speculating. Watch this space.
So, plenty to do, plenty for folk of all ages, lots to see and do and lots of unhurried sunshine to look forward to.
The Alarm Cat’s nose and other gossip
Black nose boy (not to do with dustbins)
The wind died down a little yesterday, though there was no ferry in on Monday night due to storm force winds out at sea. I was at the Opera House for a quick tap rehearsal, which I didn’t do very well, and I am back there tomorrow in the hope of doing better. The show is on Saturday evening at 6pm if anyone is around and wants to come and see. It’s free to get in, there are children of all ages dancing tap, ballet and jazz and the bar will be open.
Meanwhile, I’m still trying to work out what’s going on with the royal nose. That’s the Alarm Cat nose. He’s had a small black spot on it for a while and I read that it was a fungal thing. I put some Lamasil on it for a day or two and it started to get better. I carried on with the treatment, as you’re told to do, you know, even when it gets better you finish the course, and the thing came back again. Apparently these things go away on their own sometimes so unless I can think of any other ideas he may just have to sit it out. It’s not causing him any problems though, he’s still his cheery old self. At least he is happy when he is being unhappy, complaining about the lateness of breakfast and wanting to sit on laps all the time. Mind you he is getting on.
The Blue Star Diagoras last week
Do cat years work the same as dog years I wonder? Seven to one is it? If so, he is 70 now.
Meanwhile: people are starting to return to Symi; the ferry did come in today bringing Tina back to the Olive Tree and Gerry and Sue for six months, Penny arrives soon, and others are on their way for Easter. Before long we will be saying ‘where did that winter go then?’ Mind you, it was back for a while this morning. I went to put the washing out and there was a definite cold snap in the air, just like you notice in later November.
As you can probably tell, I spent Tuesday at home so haven’t seen anyone and don’t have any great news. There are still plans afoot for the “film to be made on Symi” idea to progress. More news on that will follow, and it looks like (at the moment) we may be able to make an announcement within the next few months. The company will be asking for people to put their money where their dreams are and help towards raising finance; that’s if the project gets the go ahead from the production company. All a bit shrouded in mystery at the moment, but then it is a thriller/horror we are working on. More news in due course.
