Symi Hinterland
We’re currently watching the Welsh crime drama, Hinterland, and the word, not the series, made me think of Symi’s hinterland. So, today, I thought I’d share a couple of shots Neil took on a recent walk to Stavros tou Polemou (the Cross of the War), the highest church on Symi. Apparently, the ‘war’ of the church’s title refers to a family feud of the past rather than a world war. At least, that was what I was told many years ago by a chap who seemed to know.
You can find this church via a fairly lengthy walk from Horio, along the main road, cutting off a corner with the old calderimi (above) if you want. About halfway across the island, where you enter the woods, there’s an unfinished building on the left. Opposite, you can take a woodland path to the side of the hill on which the church sits, or, now, you can take a carved-out track. It’s been a while since I went that way, but like many other tracks on the island, the ones around this area are being improved to make access to the farms and churches safer and easier.
There’s a bit of a scramble up the hillside as far as I remember, but nothing too strenuous as many people do it in their ‘best’ for festivals. (Wear proper walking shoes and take your high heels with you for when you get to church, for safety.) From up there, you can see across to Panormitis and beyond, around the south-east side of the island and across the sea to other Dodecanese islands too. It’s a lovely walk, very rewarding, and took Neil roughly six hours from Horio to there and back, though he did stop for views and photos along the way, and timing depends on which path you take, how fast you walk and so on. Maybe something to consider for the cooler earlier and later season months when you can next get across here on holiday.
