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By Fred Hart, August 11, 2015 09:12

This afternoon we will be getting the ferry back to the mainland. Not a high speed service – we’ll be on one of the regular ferries which takes cars, lorries and coaches – so the journey will be about 4.5 hours. A leisurely stroll back to Athens.

Yesterday was our last full day on Syros. The last 2 weeks have gone far too fast for my liking. But hopefully, it will only be another couple of months before I am back in the country. I am thinking of doing a long weekend in Athens sometime in November.

Ermoupoli. Who put that great big cruise ship in the way of my view? I wonder what it would be like to park one of those things…

For our last night, we caught the bus in to Ermoupoli and had a stroll round the shops, had a drink in the main square, and ate at one of the grill houses on the water front.

Like many Greek cities, Ermoupoli really comes alive at night. Much of the main road along the waterfront is car free after 9. Miaouli Square becomes the place to go if you want to go to a bar, or where the local kids go to play their evening football game. (I heard a few people shouting “Πρόσεχε” as the ball crept a little too close to people’s tables).

On the road leading up to the square, there are a couple of ice cream places: Go to the one on the right hand side as you are facing the square – he has an interesting range of flavours and he’ll let you have a little taste before you decide which flavour(s) you want!

Miaouli Square in Ermoupoli

We’ve still got 6 hours before the ferry which is plenty of time for a last swim at the beach, and at the pool, before we had for the city.

Bye for now,

FH.

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By Fred Hart, August 10, 2015 11:25

Kini Beach – Παραλία Κινίου

Yesterday was our last day with the car. We headed back to the village of Kini where we spent the morning on the beach there.

Kini Beach is almost like an English beach with bigger waves than elsewhere on the island – it was quite fun getting in and out (I did get splashed a few times)!

Just behind the beach of Kini is a small aquarium – it costs €2 to go and have a look around. Nothing too spectacular, but it was interesting to have a look and see what type of fish (and eels) live in the local waters.

We had lunch at a nearby taverna, before walking to the nearby beach of Lottos (Λωτός). Slightly outside the main village, it is a bit quieter than Kini but a bit rockier as well. I quite enjoyed having a nice long swim here then lying under the tree for a bit.

To Limanaki, Finikas – Το Λιμανάκι, Φοίνικας

In the evening, for a change of scene, we got the bus along to Finikas (Φοίνικας). There is a wider selection of restaurants and tavernas in Finikas so we thought we’d give one of them a try. Near where the boats are moored, there was a nice looking place called “Το Λιμανάκι” (Little Harbor).

It perhaps wasn’t the best place we ate at, but it was nice to do something different for a change, and we enjoyed our starter of the Gigantes beans. My pork with honey and thyme wasn’t bad at all either, it was almost like Sunday lunch!

Today is our last full day on the island, and a day by the pool and the beach wouldn’t be a bad idea I think. At some point I need to go in to Ermoupoli too, to collect the tickets for our ferry to Athens in time for our departure tomorrow.

Bye for now,

FH.

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By Fred Hart, August 9, 2015 08:05

Ερμούπολη – Ermoupoli: Capital of Syros, of the Cyclades, and of the South Aegean.

What a busy couple of days we’ve had!

On Thursday we went in to Ερμούπολη/Ermoupoli, the capital of the island of Syros and of the Cyclades. It’s a proper capital city! Miaouli Square is my favourite part of the square. It’s like a mini Syntagma Square, with the City Hall dominating the square. The narrow side streets of the city, as well as the port, are all nice areas for a walk too.

The mother cat – her 3 kittens live in the flowerbed just below the wall of our balcony, where she is sitting in this photo.

Cat-wise, it seems that the tabby which has adopted us is a mother. Hidden just a few metres away from the back of our apartment, out of sight of everyone but us and the Greek family who live next door, she had 3 tiny little kittens. They can’t be more than a few weeks old. As long as we’re quiet we can watch her feeding them.

Normally she doesn’t like being watched with the kittens though, but she’ll happily come to our apartment 5, 6, 7, times a day in search of a meal and something to drink.

For the last couple of days we’ve had a car and have been out and about around the island. On Friday we went up to the village of Κίνι/Kini which has a lovely beach and harbour area. In the morning we were on the main beach of the village, but since this got rather crowded by the afternoon I moved over to nearby Lottos beach, which was much quieter.

Κίνι – Kini

I also visited the “Kini Cat Café” – a house in the village from where Jacky and a team of volunteers help the sick, injured and abandoned cats on the island. Each year there is also a neutering programme which takes place, since a large number of cats on Syros (and all over Greece, for that matter) are strays.

It was great being introduced to some of the local cats – some of whom made friends with me almost straight away. A lovely ginger one, McDuff I think he was called, jumped up to sit on me and made himself very comfortable.

Yesterday we have been along to Κόμητο/Komito beach – a very nice sandy beach along the coastal road from Agathopes. Since it is high season even the “out of town” beaches such as Komito are packed – particularly in the afternoons.

It seems that in the mornings the families go to the beach, and the young Greeks hit the beaches after lunch. Presumably, since most of them appear to be student age, they don’t get up until lunchtime anyway…

In the evening we went to Taverna Savvas where we all enjoyed Veal Stamna (it’s basically veal in a clay pot, with carrots, cheese and a little pepper). Very tasty!

Today is our last day with the car and we will probably go back to Kini and Lottos.

But for now… breakfast time!

FH.

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By Fred Hart, August 5, 2015 08:22

Leaving Tinos

Having to take 2 ferries to get from Tinos to Syros could so easily have gone wrong, but we made it! We first took the Golden Star “Superferry II” from Tinos to Mykonos. Then, we walked straight on to the next ferry, “Blue Star 2” – much bigger and smarter than the Golden Star service.

Superferry II as seen from Blue Star 2.

Despite being the island next door, because this summer the service from Tinos to Syros is not daily, it took us 4 hours from leaving our apartment in Tinos to arriving at our apartment on Syros. The journey wasn’t as bad as it sounds though. There is a lot more room on a big ferry than there is on a plane, and you can sit outside in the fresh air.

On arrival in Syros, Giannis met us and took us in his minibus to Galissas. We are staying at Galissas Studios – in the same apartment we had when we were here 2 years ago, and just down the road from where I stayed when I was here on my own last year.

The cat knows exactly where the fridge is…

At Galissas Studios this week we have a pool – something we lacked on Tinos. In Galissas itself there are a few tavernas, 2 mini markets, and a very nice beach. Not long after we had arrived in our room, we were also greeted by the very same cat which we fed here 2 years ago. I think she gets fed a lot – she certainly was not scared to walk straight in to the apartment and sit right in front of the fridge.

Today, we will probably stay in Galissas, sit at the pool and go to the beach. Perhaps on Thursday we will go in to Ermoupoli, Syros’ capital, and then on Friday and over the weekend we’ll have a car for a few days.

Breakfast time now, I think…

FH.