It’s quite common for visitors to Symi to have to spend some time on Rhodes. This is usually to do with boat connections. So, I am often asked about the best places to go to eat, or the best bars to have a drink in, and so on. What’s best for me isn’t always best for someone else so it depends on what you are looking for of course, but when I’m wandering around the new town or the Old Town I’m always on the lookout for new places to try. I also like to call back into places I’ve used before as I know what I am going to get. And there are a lot of places to choose from.

Being in the Old Town on Friday last week, I was sad to see that Boukia Boukia, a very traditional Greek taverna, is no longer there. It may have moved, I don’t know, but it has been replaced by another taverna which I’ve yet to try. The long-running and popular ‘China Burger’ has also closed and is now a souvlaki place, still with tables and quite a big menu, but no longer Chinese. Safron, the Indian restaurant, is due to open again this Friday with limited space (the outside part is not yet ready) so book first if you are going.

If you’re there and you’re looking for something different, healthy and not expensive, try the salad and soup place opposite the Casino gates, just up the parade of shops from the Indian spice shop, also worth a visit. We called into a place that’s new to us, this was only the second visit. I can’t remember what it’s called but it’s in ‘MacDonald’s Street’, the one that runs from the college up to the taxi rank. Up at the top, on the right, it has pizzas, souvlakia and a taverna in three adjacent buildings. It’s good to be able to get traditional Greek food that’s not a giros, though you can have that too. Over at the old fish market in Mandraki, we use the Symi café (opposite the cheap, clean, attended, public toilets) and we used to go to Indigo next door, but that has now moved. George’s Giros place nearby is still good value if you want one of those.

Over the main road at Mandraki, there’s the Yacht Club bar, not cheap but generous measures, and further along that quay is Kontiki. Huge portions here, so you may not need a starter and a main. And, dashing back to the Old Town again, The Walk Inn is fast becoming a popular destination of ours. This is a pub/eatery with a good menu, fresh soups, fresh pizzas made there, and then and other goodies. Down at the seahorse fountain in the square with the parrots (I must learn the real names of these streets) is a café called Mike’s. We have used this one in the winter and summer, as it’s open all year round and it’s where the locals go. And by Akandia Gate, on the way to the Blue Star ferry quay, just inside the gate, is Nimos, which is run by two guys who used to live/work here on Symi.

I am sure there are plenty of other places and you have your own favourites, but these are the ones I’ve been using in the last few years. I should also add that we use the Plaza bar and restaurant too; good prices, great staff, good food and not too costly. Just up- the road is Napoleons, also worth a visit. There, a few ideas for you when you are next on Rhodes and waiting for a boat or a plane, or when you’re just visiting.

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It’s Sunday morning as I write and we’re home from Rhodes. I’m currently cooking lunch for my birthday party (slow cooker, easy) and trying to get a nasty virus off Neil’s laptop (not easy). The sun is shining, it’s very warm, in the sun, and everywhere is calm. The celebration of Evangalismos and then the Independence Day parade have happened too. I am sure I have lots to tell you about our trip to Rhodes, but I’ll do more of that during the week, but here are a couple of moments that stuck in my mind and then a few photos. More details to follow.

I made two notes in my notebook, both of which I thought were rather funny. The first happened when we went into a place to arrange tickets. We have been using the agency for ages and so always get a warm welcome and have a quick catch up on the news with the agents. We called in there on Wednesday morning, and our usual lady was looking pensive. After the hellos and greetings, it was, ‘How are you?’

She didn’t look very happy. ‘I am having a very bad day,’ she said. ‘I am distracted.’

Indeed, she did look very worried about something. ‘Oh no. Nothing serious I hope. Is everything okay?’

She thought deeply for a moment and sighed. ‘I am cooking fish later, and I can’t decide how to do it.’

I know, it’s a very stressful thing, cooking fish, but I am glad that was the only issue.

Later in our trip, we sat down for a late lunch at a taverna we have used before. It has a huge menu, and some of the things are different. That is, different from the usual Greek cuisine menu. So, when I see Cannelloni, for example, I think, ‘that will make a nice change.’ So I ask, ‘Do you have cannelloni?’

‘Well,’ the waitresses replied. ‘I just saw something in the kitchen, but I’m not sure what it was. I’ll go and find out.’

I thought that was funny as well. We also had some successes: good health check reports, great time with our health insurance rep who met us and drove us around, set up the appointments and looked after us. We also did lots of walking, 25,000 steps one day which fair confused my FitBit as I don’t normally do more the 4,000, some sitting in the sun, meeting friend for a lazy lunch afternoon in the Old Town… lots of things to tell you, but right now, I have a Normandy chicken to prepare before I go and chillax for the rest of the day. Still, we’re back, and the blog will be back to normal now. Here are a couple more random photos from Rhodes.

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Summer is on the way

I went to Yialos yesterday forgetting that I hadn’t charged my camera battery. I was able to get one shot and that was it. But still, I’ve got other images still to share and I’ve now ordered a spare battery.

The photo I took shows you the doing-up work now going on at Georgio’s, ready for the summer to come. The rendering is coming off ready for a new coat. It’s not the only place undergoing preparations for summer. Later in the morning, we stopped at Lefteris’ kafeneion where Yiannis was painting the steps and the outside of the café. There was more work going on in the harbour as well, with the International re-doing its inside and outside, though it looks to still be open, and work happening at the bar on the corner by the kiosk, as was. I’ve heard that the kiosk, now closed, is going to be a tourist information point, but I’ve not read anything to back that up yet. I know there has been some controversy over this so I’ll wait to see what transpires before speculating further. (Update, two minutes after preparing this post for posting: I just read that the kiosk was demolished on Tuesday morning.)

It’s amazing what a change in the weather does. It was much warmer, no need for a coat and there were several day trippers on the island. They’d come over from Rhodes on the Dodekanisos, I guess. The other day we saw athletes over here for the day, playing football (and maybe basketball) in the inter-island competitions. Symi teams won at least two matches that I know of. But on Monday, the visitors included people from abroad, tourists in shorts and with backpacks, families and also locals from Rhodes. There was almost a summer atmosphere to the place and, if the season is starting this early at least in Rhodes, it bodes well for the summer ahead. Fingers crossed for a good year for all.

Today, Tuesday will be the last blog post from me for a few days. It’s my birthday week and I’m taking a few days away from blogging to have a life. I mean, to chill out and relax, get my annual health MOT done and enjoy myself, not that I don’t enjoy myself when blogging. So, I’ll leave you with a few more images taken recently and remind you that, if you want your regular Symi fix then make sure to look at Adriana’s blog on Friday, and Monday, and every Friday and Monday into the future.

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Weekend catch up
The cold north wind has calmed down and, looking at the days ahead, it looks like the wind direction is changing. That’s going to help warm things up a bit. It was still a bit chilly when we went down to Yialos on Friday to collect any post that might have arrived. A new kitchen light in a large box was waiting at the post office. It wasn’t heavy. It’s still in the box as we need to get an electrician to come and fit it for us. I’m okay with basic things, like changing a plug or a light bulb, but when it involves making a hole in a ceiling and cutting wires, then I’d rather leave it to the experts. Hopefully, that job will get done during the week.

There’s a lot more work going on down in Yialos now as businesses prepare for the summer. Up in the village, such preparation is harder to spot, if it’s happening at all. There are some changes afoot but, so far, only rumours about what’s happening to some of the businesses in the village. For example, I’ve heard that Mandeio’s might be taken over by another entrepreneur, the same goes for the Windmill, and the souvlaki shop once again has ‘for rent’ signs outside. The new bakery shop, next to Sotiris supermarket, seems to be doing well and will be well worth a visit when you come to Symi. Preparation work has started at The Olive Tree. Yiannis is back at the Rainbow Bar more often these days; he sometimes doesn’t open during winter mornings, but he’s there now getting things ready, and it’s a place to stop off at for coffee in the mornings. The Herb and Spice shop has been open in the evenings all winter, and the other village shops have been open as usual. Georgio’s has been open all winter too, and we’ve been a few times. The other tavernas will no doubt soon start to prepare, though Easter is still a few weeks away. That’s the time of year that most people aim for when it comes to getting ready for the summer visitors. So, it’s slowly starting to be ‘all go’, even up here.

Also during this week, we have a few days in Rhodes planned, health checks, meetings and some shopping, plus a few meals out and about, no doubt. It’s our annual ‘health holiday’, and the appointments are now all booked. Just need to call the hotel, book the boat tickets and prepare for getting up very early for the boat. We have cover in place to make sure the cat is fed, and everything else is up to date, so a couple of days in the big city (or equivalent) lie ahead and this means there probably won’t be a blog for a couple of days later in the week; I’ll let you know nearer the time.

In other, more local news, there’s a sign up outside the optician’s in Yialos announcing that the optician will be here for eye tests on 26^th March, the day after Greek Independence Day. If you want to make an appointment, just call in and book a time. I used them a couple of years ago for my reading glasses and found a very cheerful and reasonably priced service. The optician’s, should you wish to know, is in the square where you also find the post office, next to Mina’s clothes shop and the cake shop, Fotini’s wine shop and just behind The International restaurant.

So, it’s early Sunday morning as I write, I have a couple of things I want to do, like a new blog post on my writer’s blog ‘Writing Thoughts’ and some chasing up on the new book cover. Did I tell you? (Can’t remember.) I’ve asked the designer of ‘The Saddling’ to produce a new book cover for ‘The Judas Inheritance’ and, after that’s done and I’ve saved up, I’ll get new covers for the other books bit by bit. On ‘the Saddling’ front, my editor has not been well, but we should still be on track for April/May for publication. And so, on and into Sunday, once I wake up, and it looks like it’s going to be a clear, calm day ahead.

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