Tag Archives: history

Greece, Symi: Remains of the past and a hidden valley

Posted on December 29, 2020 by BarryH

There are parts of Symi which are rarely seen but which at one time were hubs of activity.  I have long taken an interest on going ‘off-piste’, wandering around away from marked footpaths. In recent years I have taken an … Continue reading →

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Under the Covid Cosh: musings

Posted on April 29, 2020 by BarryH

Five weeks in, under the cosh since 23 March, and the major change is in the weather. For all that time it has been warm and sunny, the sunniest April on record in the UK.  A single overnight shower two … Continue reading →

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Greece, Nisyros: The Island Underground

Posted on November 21, 2019 by BarryH

It’s not surprising that limestone Symi has an underground.  Nor is it surprising that with very little rainfall the caves seem to be all ‘fault-caves’ caused by rock movement along fault lines (see). The result is that they are too … Continue reading →

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Nisyros:  castles in the air

Posted on October 16, 2017 by BarryH

Nisyros has some of the most spectacular scenery and most spectacular treks in the Dodecanese. I first went there in 2001 on a day trip from Tilos.  We only had a few hours on the island but in that time … Continue reading →

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Nisyros: Pirates of the Aegean and soft rock

Posted on October 31, 2015 by BarryH

Once upon a time the people of the small fishing village of Palloi on Nisyros, so it is said, got fed up with being raided by the Pirates of the Aegean, upped sticks and moved from their harbour-side homes to … Continue reading →

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Nisyros: Heritage Island

Posted on October 23, 2015 by BarryH

When I was young, summer holidays were a week at my grandparents’ in a small mining village in rural Carmarthenshire.   I took every opportunity to escape the boredom of sitting around the house and walk the mile or so up … Continue reading →

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Symi: to the past and on the edge

Posted on October 30, 2014 by BarryH

I’m back home now, trying to stop the cold seeping into my bones and prevent the grey seeping into my brain.  But there are many bright, warm memories of Symi to look back on, more Symi-based blogs to post. One … Continue reading →

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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 →

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Nisyros: the Lost World, a trip into history

Posted on September 4, 2013 by BarryH

In most places the evidence of the every-day long-ago past has been wiped away or crumbled into the ground.  Large, grand structures like Stonehenge remain but the places where the majority of people lived has long gone evidenced only by … Continue reading →

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Sport, politics, history: when the underdog gets revenge

Posted on March 19, 2013 by BarryH

I don’t watch sport of any kind either on TV or in the flesh.  For a start I found that I was getting too-uptight but more importantly I decided a long time ago that I preferred to be doing something … Continue reading →

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