Walk to Yaella

29/8/2017


From the apartment we walk up the hill to the north, past homes, a church and a mixed small farm- goats, chooks, black sheep. The track is topped with even, crazy paving, until a gem of yet another church, simple, white. Then the track narrows to a stone causeway, a zigzag down the hill to the gravel beach. A small cantina behind shady pines, with simple timber stools.

Symi for the tourist is heaven on a stick. You can  stroll to a beach, early morning is my preference,  play in the Aegean,  wander home for a siesta. Later as the day cools, the old town, Chorio, built defensively in a maze of narrow alleys  on the high point above the port,  is a  fascinating destination. Locals chatting on doorsteps, young people hanging out in little bars, tourists relaxing in one of the countless restaurants roosting around the mighty stairs of the Kali Strada, or on the squares emerging from the alleys. A medieval gem.

From the port local buses deliver you to other beaches, or boats hourly drop you to those beaches inaccessible except by water. Prices are low. Most have a taverna tucked behind a fence, keeping out the ever hungry curious  goats. Yesterday we lunched at one such spot, Nanou, on grilled sardines, pita bread and a local beer. Home for another siesta, then a stroll round the harbour to a waterside restaurant, to celebrate our last night here.

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