Tag Archives: trekking

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 →

Posted in Greece, Hiking, History, Landscape, Mountains | Tagged Byzantine stone wine pressses, Greece, history, hochlakos mosaic, Megalos Sotiros monastery, Panormitis monastery, Symi, trekking, viniculture, wood carving | Leave a comment

Symi: another trek in the mountains in search of the past.

Posted on September 24, 2014 by BarryH

It started out as a simple amble across the island to check out the site of more ruins shown on the SKAÏ map but turned into a really good-value-for–money trek. Finding the Pelasgian Platform (‘Trekking to a time before Greece’) … Continue reading →

Posted in Greece, Hiking, History, Landscape | Tagged agricultural terraces, archaeology, dragonfly, footpaths, Greece, Greek Classical Period, hiking, kestrel, Ruins, Symi, trekking | 3 Comments

Symi: a walk to the beach via the underworld and pre-history

Posted on September 4, 2014 by BarryH

I had walked to Nanou Beach a few times, a long trek up to ‘The Tarmac’, the road along the top of the ridge which is the main spine of the island, and then a 2½ kilometre drop down a … Continue reading →

Posted in Greece, Hiking, History, Landscape, Mountains, Nature | Tagged Ancient pathway protection, caves, dinosaur remains, EU funding, fottpaths, Greece, hiking, kalderimi, Nanou Beach, paths, pre-history, pygmy elephant, Symi, Tilos, trekking, walking guide | 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

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

Trek tech: technology and mountain walking

Posted on December 18, 2013 by BarryH

I’m no techno-geek but nor am I a Luddite. Decades ago in the office where I worked, I was one of the first to embrace word processing, the first below director level to have a corporate e-mail address and correspond … Continue reading →

Posted in Greece, Grey Britain, Grumpy Old Men, Health and humour, Hiking, Mountains, new technology | Tagged frustration, GPS, Greek Island Walks, hiking, mobile phones, phone numbers, recycling, rock climbing, smart phones, Symi, trekking, walking guides | Leave a comment

Independence, risk and narrow escapes.

Posted on November 7, 2013 by BarryH

I was brought up in an area of Salford near Manchester described in a book by Robert Roberts called ‘The Classic Slum’, an appellation coined for it in the mid 19th Century by Friedrich Engels who had interests in cotton … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiking, Mountains, Reflections, Winter | Tagged Banff, canadian rockies, Classic Slum, Derbyshire Peak District, Friedrich Engels, hiking, narrow escapes, Peak District, potential dangers, providence of God, risk, risk assessment, Robert Roberts, snow, Sundance Canyon, teenager, trekking, walking | Leave a comment

A Really Wild Walk.

Posted on November 3, 2013 by BarryH

Saturday and the weather forecast for the end of the afternoon was for winds in this corner of South Wales comparable with those of St Jude Storm last weekend, wind speeds of 25 mph with gusts double that and heavy … Continue reading →

Posted in Grey Britain, Hiking, Landscape, Mountains, Pontypool, Wales | Tagged brecon beacons national park, hiking, horizontal rain, Mynydd Garn Wen, Pontypool, Pontypool Folly Tower, trekking, wild wind | 1 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