Monthly Archives: September 2011

Back to reality: finding ways to alleviate the boredom

Posted on September 25, 2011 by BarryH

Been home just over a week now.  An uneventful week.  Nothing to get the pulse racing.  Just plodding along.  But then that’s what much of life is, learning to cope with the tedium and trying to inject a bit of … Continue reading →

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Greece 2011: withdrawal symptoms and readjusting to Grey Britain

Posted on September 18, 2011 by BarryH

Back home now.  Flew into Manchester Airport on Wednesday, dropping down through grey cloud to a grey, distinctly cool evening. I slept very soundly, it being the equivalent of 02.30 Greek time (BST+2 hours) by the time I got to … Continue reading →

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Greece 2011: Symi to Rhodes and leaving Greece

Posted on September 15, 2011 by BarryH

Mixed emotions Wednesday morning.  Woke to the usual flawless blue sky, warm sunshine and fabulous views.  Finished packing, breakfast on the hotel terrace, caffeine fix in the coffee shop opposite,  and saying goodbye to good friends.  I will miss it … Continue reading →

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Greece 2011: Symi – του χρόνου – until next year

Posted on September 13, 2011 by BarryH

Tuesday and my last day on Symi.  Ferry to Rhodes and then flight back to Grey Britain tomorrow …. I checked out the weather forecast.  GRIM!.  Looking forward to getting home in a way, yet very reluctant to let go … Continue reading →

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Greece 2011: Symi – much alone in the open air

Posted on September 13, 2011 by BarryH

Monday and it didn’t take a genius to work out that my body would rebel if I tried to do another walk like yesterday.  Nor could I just mooch around all day and do nothing. Strange how decisions can be … Continue reading →

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Greece 2011: Symi – straight for the top

Posted on September 12, 2011 by BarryH

Until the 1990’s when a long zig-zag road was built connecting the harbour with the old town, Horio, on the hill to the South the principal route was a long flight of several hundred wide steps known as the Kali … Continue reading →

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Greece 2011: Symi – irritation, challenge, relaxation and entertainment

Posted on September 11, 2011 by BarryH

For once I had no idea what I wanted to do on Saturday, aside from making sure that I bought bread because the bakery isn’t open on Sundays and I needed bread to mop up the sauce on the next … Continue reading →

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Greece 2011: the hidden Symi and how I became a fasolakia junkie

Posted on September 10, 2011 by BarryH

Another brilliant start to the day with breakfast on the hotel terrace looking down to the harbour as another large cruise ship pulled into to give people their ‘Symi-fix’.  One more thing to tick of the published list of ‘1000 … Continue reading →

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Greece 2011: changing my mind on Symi

Posted on September 9, 2011 by BarryH

I woke up with a few aches and pains on Thursday so I thought that a shorter walk than yesterday would be on the cards.  So after what used to be called quaintly ‘the usual offices’ I set out for … Continue reading →

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Greece 2011: Filoxenia is alive and well on Symi

Posted on September 8, 2011 by BarryH

I needed a good long, hard walk on Wednesday, so after the usual preliminaries I set out to walk to the Byzantine Wine Presses high on the ridge via the mountain-top monastery of Stavros Polemou (‘The Cross of War’ I … Continue reading →

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