Up in Chorio

The row of traditional cafes and tavernas adjoining the Syllogos Square in Chorio. This is the main square and meeting point in Chorio and a popular venue for events such as the Symi Shrimp Festival.

This mansion on the square is in the process of being restored.  If you ever go past and the door is open, glimpse inside as it has a very imposing staircase.  Proper internal staircases are unusual in Symi houses.

The main shopping street at the top of the Kali Strata, running from the Syllogos Square up towards upper Chorio.  Here you will find a baker, a butcher, a dress shop, a shoe shop, a gyros bar, a taverna, a supermarket, a toy shop...

The upper stretch of the Kali Strata from the view point at the corner, looking up towards the Syllogos Square.  On this stretch you will find the Symi Dream shop and Gallery, a shop selling herbs and Greek coffee, the Olive Tree cafe, a boutique and a flower shop.

Pomegranates and an interesting pediment in Chorio, in a lane near the bus stop/kiosk/clinic.

Birds on a lintel on the Kali Strata.

We see all sorts of boats in Yialos. The two blue tugs, one large, one small, are part of the harbour construction project. The white one appears to have been converted for leisure use as it has a covered after deck with dining table and chairs.

Reflections in Yialos.
The Meltemi has been and gone, replaced by high humidity and oppressive heat for a day or two. The temperature is in the low forties today and everyone with any sense is on the beach.  Due to its natural amphitheatre shape Yialos really traps the heat at this time of the year.  Chorio and Pedi are much cooler and airier in August, not to mention quieter.  It is not for nothing that the majority of the locals live up in Chorio.  In another couple of weeks the worst of the heat will be over and the golden days of September will be upon us.  The nights are already perceptibly longer and the supermoon this weekend was spectacular.

Friday is a religious and bank holiday in Greece and this week is the busiest of the year as so many people take their holidays at this time.  All of our houses and apartments are full now and anyone who arrives on Symi without prebooked accommodation may well find themselves in trouble.  Symi was never the sort of place really where people met the boats advertising rooms to let on bits of cardboard and with the enforced legislation now making it very difficult and expensive for locals to comply with the bureaucracy required to let out rooms, the informal budget sector has completely disappeared.  As the hotels on the island are small they fill up quickly and the majority of the accommodation is in restored traditional houses within the community so the supply of beds is limited.  Those in the know book well ahead, often a year in advance to be sure of getting the house they want.  We will be open for booking for 2015 in October if you would like to be sure of booking your dream holiday on Symi next year.

Have a good week.

Regards,
Adriana

Post a Comment

About this Blog

I sailed into Panormitis Bay, Symi, by chance one windy July day in 1993 and have been here ever since. The locals tell me that this is one of the miracles of St Michael of Panormitis. A BA graduate with majors in English, Philosophy and Classical Civilisation, the idea of living in what is to all intents and purposes an archaeological site appeals to me. Not as small as Kastellorizo, not as touristy as Rhodes, Symi is just the right size. I live on a small holding which my husband and I have reclaimed from a ruin of over-grazing and neglect and turned into a small oasis over the course of the past 22 years. I also work part-time for Symi Visitor Accommodation, helping independent travellers discover and enjoy Symi's simple pleasures for themselves.

This page is kindly sponsored by Wendy Wilcox, Symi Visitor Accommodation.


Adriana Shum

Copyright (c) 2001-2017 Adriana Shum.



All Rights Reserved.

Keep in Touch with Symi