Symi experiences

13/9/2017


Two different experiences of Symi, one by boat circumnavigating the island, with swimming stops in 5 remote locations. The other traversing the interior on foot, following often indistinct tracks more suited to goats.

From the northern side of the island the Turkish coast is visible, mountainous,  veiled in a heat haze. We swim into a  cave in the limestone cliffs, mostly using ladders from the boat, anchored off shore. The water deep, blessedly cool. One beach lies below cliffs making it inaccessible except by water, or abseiling. A small church graces one end of the beach, 3 goats wander the shore.

Our walk across the island starts early, catching the 6.50am bus taking worshippers to a monastery at the far end of the island. We arrange a drop off a few miles from the port, and a pick up at a small church some 3 hours walk away. We start high on a ridge, dropping and traversing, looking down on old stone walled farms, moving in the early morning towards a cypress and oak forest when the sun is higher.  Wild herbs, startled goats, always limestone, crags and crevices, stones underfoot.
At yet another beautiful isolated church, we harvest figs, and climb through farmland of olives and fruit trees through more forest, to a cool enclosed church. We sit in the shade of an old pine, on stone benches, and have an early lunch.
There are more than 80 churches on the island, many on family land, and cared for by that family.

We meet our bus rendezvous, back to the apartment, where we fall into a needed siesta.

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