Tag Archives: Greece

From the Canadian Rockies to Greece: looking back, moving forward.

Posted on February 27, 2014 by BarryH

It’s tempting to keep looking back to good times but there comes a point when attention has to shift in order to move forward. I had a great time in the Rockies, skiing and walking some of the winter trails … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Canada, Greece, Hiking, Landscape, Mountains, Winter | Tagged banff canada, canadian rockies, dodecanese islands, Greece, hiking, ice sculpture, skiing, Symi, trekking, winter trails | 2 Comments

Canadian Rockies: sundog days

Posted on February 5, 2014 by BarryH

I spend long periods in the summer in Greece, walking in the mountains. Preparations for the day typically consists of donning a pair of walking sandals (hence my avatar), lightweight shorts and a relatively fresh T-shirt. Dehydration is the main … Continue reading →

Posted in Canada, Landscape, Mountains, Nature, Wildlife, Winter | Tagged American Dipper, banff canada, Dog Days, freezing temperatures, Greece, ski wear, Sundog, trekking, walks | Leave a comment

Symi: history and the backbone of the island

Posted on October 24, 2013 by BarryH

Warning: This is a long walk ………. and it’s a long blog. Long, somewhat strenuous but not technically difficult, is the rewarding trek up to the main ridge on Symi and then along the spine of the island to the … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Greece, Hiking, History, Landscape, Mountains | Tagged Byzantine Stone Wine Presses, frescoes, Greece, heritage, hiking, kaldarimi, Megalos Sotiris, Ottoman Empire, Panagia Panaidhi, polar bear, sponge diving, Stavros Polemou, Symi, trekking, viniculture, walking guides, walks | 1 Comment

Symi: the island experience

Posted on October 16, 2013 by BarryH

I sometimes wonder whether islands which are connected to the ‘mainland’ are truly still islands. It’s complicated. When we went to the Isle of Skye BTB (Before The Bridge) it had an intrinsic separateness even though there was only a … Continue reading →

Posted in Greece, Hiking, Landscape, Mountains | Tagged Agios Emilianos, Agios Ioannis Theologos, Anglesey, causeways, donkeys, forest fire, Greece, Greek Islands, islands, islands of Britain, Isle of Skye, Lindisfarne, philoxenia, St Michael's Mount, Symi, tidal islands | 1 Comment

Symi: a gorgeous walk

Posted on October 12, 2013 by BarryH

Normally I’m obsessive about tidying up behind me. Food shopping gets put in the cupboard or fridge as soon as I walk in through the door. Clothes get folded or hung as I take them off. But I hate unpacking … Continue reading →

Posted in Greece, Hiking, Landscape, Mountains | Tagged Agia Paraskevi, Agios Vasilios, dehydration, gorges, Greece, hiking, kalderimi, rock climbing, Symi, trekking, unpacking, Vasilios Gorge, walking guides, walks | 4 Comments

Symi: below the surface

Posted on October 6, 2013 by BarryH

It has always struck me as odd that Symi, an island made up almost entirely of limestone, has no cave systems, or at least none that I could find out about. The ‘Round-the-Island’ boat trips advertised from the harbour offers … Continue reading →

Posted in Greece, Hiking, Landscape, Mountains, Nature | Tagged aquifers, calcite, cave systems, caves, freshwater springs, Greece, limestone, Otter Hole, Peak Disitrict, speliology, Swildon's Hole, Symi, Zoodohou Pighis | 5 Comments

Symi: going off-piste

Posted on October 2, 2013 by BarryH

The top of Vigla, the highest mountain on Symi, is always a little disappointing. There is a whole array of telecommunication masts on the adjoining peak, with a road for their construction and maintenance bulldozed on the south side. A … Continue reading →

Posted in Greece, Hiking, Landscape, Mountains | Tagged abandoned village, Aegean Sea, crags, goat paths, Greece, hiking, limestone crags, off-piste, Pedi Bay, rocks, rocky gullies, swimming, Symi, Symi harbour, treks, Vigla | Leave a comment

Greece: more high speed island hopping

Posted on September 28, 2013 by BarryH

Now that inter-island travel is both more rapid and more reliable it’s a viable option to hop from island to island for brief visits and sometimes when moving on it’s possible to make connexions without an overnight stay where there … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Greece, Hiking, History, Landscape, Mountains | Tagged archaeology, Crusader castle, ferries, footpaths, Greece, Greek Islands, hiking, Kalymnos, Kos, minarets, mosaics, Nisyros, Profitis Ilias Kalymnos, rock partridges, Symi, treks | Leave a comment

Nisyros: last glance before moving on

Posted on September 25, 2013 by BarryH

Many people ask which is my favourite island, which one out of the many I like and revisit I prefer the most. I’ve come to the conclusion that the answer is Nisyros. Nisyros is a volcano, far less well known … Continue reading →

Posted in Greece, Landscape, Mountains, Nature | Tagged frescoes, Greece, lava, monasteries, Nikia, Nisyros, pumice caves, sea daffodils, sulphur fumaroles, Volcano, volcano island | 1 Comment

Nisyros: probably the most dramatic walk in the Aegean

Posted on September 22, 2013 by BarryH

I kid you not, this walk/trek/hike takes some beating. But it’s not a Sunday afternoon stroll in the park. Some short sections are loose scree, route-finding can be difficult, it’s sustained, and it’s wiltingly hot in summer. However, it’s a … Continue reading →

Posted in Greece, Hiking, History, Landscape, Mountains, Nature | Tagged footpaths, fumaroles, Greece, hiking, history, lava, lava bubbles, lava pinnacles, Nisyros, seismic activity, seismic fissures, sulphur, trekking, Volcano, walks | 3 Comments