Category Archives: Wildlife

Symi: to the castle … with a lot of distractions

Posted on July 28, 2014 by BarryH

When we first came to Symi 15 years ago the castle didn’t exist. At least it wasn’t shown on the only available, very diagrammatic, walking map of the island nor mentioned in the imaginatively titled accompanying booklet ‘Walks in Symi’. … Continue reading →

Posted in Greece, Hiking, Landscape, Mountains, Nature, Wildlife | Tagged Ag Giorgios Ftoxos, Agios Nikitas Kotika, alien images, aliens, alpine swift, Butterflies, dragonflies, Geomorphology, Greece, hochlakos mosaic, limestone, monasteries, Pebble mosiac, rock, science fiction, Symi, tear-pants limestone | Leave a comment

Symi, Tilos, The Mani: rock with an edge!

Posted on July 18, 2014 by BarryH

I was introduced to rock climbing more years ago than I’m prepared to admit, though I will own up to being 13 at the time. I remember it vividly, not because it was exhilarating but because it was traumatic. It … Continue reading →

Posted in Greece, Hiking, Landscape, Mountains, Wildlife | Tagged climbing, eroded limestone, Geomorphology, Greece, Gria, Italian Stallion, Kousoubas, Lake District, limestone, Manchester, Nimborio, Pedi, place names, rock climbing, Seathwaite Slabs, sharp rock, sport, Sylvester Stallone, Symi, The Mani, Tilos, Viros Gorge | Leave a comment

Tilos: a walk to the beach the day after the mountain destroyed my sandals

Posted on July 11, 2014 by BarryH

Though I set out with that specific intention, I didn’t get to have a swim on the day that The Mountain Destroyed My Sandals. I passed the top of the path down to Depsoti To Nero on my way back … Continue reading →

Posted in Greece, Hiking, History, Landscape, Mountains, Nature, Reflections, Wildlife | Tagged Agriosikia Castle, beach etiquette, Chile, folded rocks, French etiquette, goat compost, Greece, guano, Guano Wars, Livadia, Painted Dragon lizard, sandals, SKAI maps, swimming, Tholos Beach, Tilos, Youf Culture | Leave a comment

Tilos: the kamikaze trail

Posted on July 1, 2014 by BarryH

Hopping between Greek islands has become more difficult over recent years as older, less efficient boats were deemed financially unviable or failed to meet rising safety standards and have gone out of service. Operating companies are fewer in number and … Continue reading →

Posted in Greece, Hiking, Landscape, Mountains, Wildlife | Tagged dodecanese, dragonflies, Eristos Beach, ferries, footpaths, Greece, Greek island treks, Greek Islands, hiking, island hopping, natural springs, Nikia, Nisyros, Panteleimon monastery, Profitis Ilias, Tilos, trails, trekking | 2 Comments

Symi: the month of the thyme

Posted on June 17, 2014 by BarryH

One of the things we have always loved about trekking around the mountains on Symi, is the smell of herbs. Whole mountainsides are swathed in sage, oregano or thyme. Rarely all three together except in small patches, usually one is … Continue reading →

Posted in Greece, Mountains, Nature, Wildlife | Tagged bees, Butterflies, flowering times, Greece, honey, Oregano, Sage, Symi, thyme, thymus | Leave a comment

Symi: change of season, change of focus

Posted on June 13, 2014 by BarryH

I’m back on the Hot Rock now. Straight from Cool Britannia to temperatures in the high 20s. Locals say that the weather is bizarre for June. Before I arrived there was a thunderstorm with very heavy rain overnight and strong … Continue reading →

Posted in Greece, Hiking, Landscape, Mountains, Nature, Spring, Wildlife | Tagged arid landscape, eroded limestone, folded rocks, fottpaths, Greece, kalderimia, landscapes, Nimborio, panoramas, Paraskevi, SAymi, stone tower, swallows, The Hot Rock, thunder clouds, Turkey, Yialos | Leave a comment

Symi: a last look back to Spring

Posted on June 8, 2014 by BarryH

Time to confess. Though I have continued to write the blog posts about walks on Symi, for the last couple of weeks I have been back in Grey Britain. I returned for grandchildren’s birthdays, have been catching up with family … Continue reading →

Posted in Greece, Hiking, Mountains, Nature, Spring, Wildlife | Tagged Butterflies, convolvulus, dianthus, dragonflies, Flora, flowers, Greece, mallow, orchids, SciFi, Symi | Leave a comment

Symi: an eye catching trek

Posted on June 4, 2014 by BarryH

With temperatures rising and more stable summer weather settling in, by the middle of May the wide variety of flora and fauna, though still there, was becoming less evident on the Hot Rock which is Symi. Before my friend returned … Continue reading →

Posted in Greece, Hiking, Mountains, Nature, Reflections, Spring, Wildlife | Tagged Agios Stavros Polemou, Dragon Arum, European Mantis, eye catching, Greece, Mantis religiosa, Oertzeni liazard, Painted Dragon lizard, poppies, preying mantis, red, Red Admiral butterfly, Starred agama, Symi, tortoises | 6 Comments

Symi: hidden from view

Posted on May 30, 2014 by BarryH

At the end of my stay in Greece last year I spent a couple of weeks on Symi and on the last day there visited a cave with a friend which she remembered having been to some 20 years previously. … Continue reading →

Posted in Greece, Hiking, History, Landscape, Monmouthshire, Mountains, Nature, Wildlife | Tagged Agios Theologos monastery, Bettws Newydd, calcite curtains, cave exploration, caves, Greece, hochlakos mosaic, iconastis, Oertenzi lizard, Painted Dragon lizard, Roukouniotis monastery, St Auddan's church, stalactites, Starred agama, Symi, Symi cave | 2 Comments

Symi: a trek to a waterhole in a desert

Posted on May 25, 2014 by BarryH

A week or so ago a friend and I headed back to the deserted settlement of Gria in the limestone crags high above Pedi. As ever, the first part of the walk is through the narrow stone-paved alleys of Horio … Continue reading →

Posted in Greece, Hiking, Landscape, Mountains, Nature, Reflections, Spring, Wildlife | Tagged amphibians, bellflower, Black Rat Snake, campanula, deserted village, dragonflies, Greece, Gria, Gria pond, Βρύση Ζωοδόχου Πηγής, kitchen garden, Pedi Valley, pondlife, snakes, spiders, Spring of the Source of Life, Symi, threshing circle, windmills | 5 Comments