As I mentioned in the last blog there is a local bus a couple of times a day to and from Symi Town. The downside is the outward journey kicks off at sparrow fart.

However on enquiring the price of a car we found it was strategically priced to neither entice nor dissuade from the overall return fare on the bus, and given we would probably have aperitifs and lunch perhaps the bus would be the better option.

So an early 07:30 start it was and we arrived in Symi town about an hour later around 08:30. Things were just opening up.

We had coffees and I visited the pharmacy to get some drugs! For some reason I suffered an attack of vertigo.

Now I think you know me and food shopping. Yes, I know it’s necessary but I would prefer to visit a supermarket and buy it all there.

Not the French! No!

Nicolas (and Louise) were in heaven. We must have visited and revisited almost every fruit and vegetable shop in the town and about 5 mini markets to boot.

By the time the food shopping challenge was ebbing I was well ready for an aperitif!

Symi town is definitely very pretty and I can imagine in full swing it would be buzzing, but I think we won a watch seeing it when it wasn’t over-run with tourists. It was still busy enough for some atmosphere though.

However I can see why it does get a bad name for charter yachts causing anchoring & mooring chaos. It is relatively small and together with the fishing, day trip boats and the ferries coming & going I would imagine some hairy issues would be had on a daily basis.

Note to self ….”If ever back stay in Panormitis and get the bus”

After drinks we found a nice taverna for lunch and then headed back to the bus for our afternoon return trip to Panormitis.

I have just posted the colourful pictures of the day, with no further narrative, I think they speak for themselves, a very pretty town.

And so that was Symi.

Now time to start heading back from whence we came , funny old game this cruising.

Was it worth it?

Louise & I think so – not sure if Nicolas does though.

Its now Sunday 4^th October.

There is no phone reception in the anchorage at Tilos so no WIFI or weather forecast available for today. No wind in the bay, just a few zephyrs. We are going to take a chance and hope that the wind picks up mid morning, don’t fancy 26 hot miles motor sailing across to Symi.

After a swim and breakfast we headed off at 10:30 with a waypoint set just off of Panormitis bay, our planned destination and anchorage.

Our passage for today and an enlarged chart of the anchorage

You can see how close we are to Rhodes & Turkey here.  On a previous Neilson shorebased holiday we managed to blag a spare yacht for one of our weeks and sailed in Turkish waters right past Symi. I remember Louise’s comment at the time ….”It’s all very beige”.

There was still not enough wind to sail so we put the fishing lines out in the hope of catching our dinner. I am quite happy when we don’t however.

Just after 12:00 the wind picked up and blew steadily from the NW all the way to Panormitis. Genoa only but a nice 4 plus knots average SOG.

We arrived in Panormitis at 17:30.

It was busier than expected & not as pretty as expected.

Happily no fish were injured in the making of this blog, so something else will be required for tea.

Anchored in the bay & the monastery which dominates it

The next morning was spent ashore having a coffee and visiting the famous monastery. It is quite impressive and I think you can hire out little rooms or cells rather should you wish to retreat from the world for a bit, at least that’s what they looked like to me.

The whole of the bay is part of the monastery and the vehicular access on the road is kept locked, only opening for arranged taxis, trips and the local bus to Symi town.

While we were visiting a ferry arrived and deposited a boat load of tourists, mostly Greek Pilgrims I think.

Now, remember Covid 19 restrictions, masks, etc are in place. However inside the little church there is a golden shrine to a Saint where the custom must be to kiss it  – so everyone proceeded to take off their masks and do so one immediately after another!

No sooner had they arrived than they were off again leaving the monastery deserted.

There is a taverna, a small mini market, a lovely bakery  and a coffee shop so we were OK for provisions. The Taverna was nice enough but just OK – lacking customers & the buzz I suppose.

Views of the harour & the ferry arriving seen through the archway of the monastery entrance

Inside the monastery

Inside the church and the “Covid Kissing“ incubation shrine

Now you see them ……………….

Now you don’t……………….

It’s certainly a very peaceful anchorage and it does grow on you.

At night with the lights on unfortunately not such a good picture.

Symi has long been recommended to visit and rumoured to be very pretty so the overall objective of the mini cruise had been to get to there this year.

We had not visited Symi before in part because it is usually inherently busy with charter boats but also difficulties in securing a berth, especially in Symi town, allegedly rife with mooring rip off merchants.

One of the “Benefits” of C19 and the heightened tension between Turkey & Greece is that it would be less busy this year.

The last leg then from Kos would be back via Pserimos down to Nisiros, Tilos and then across to Symi.

Leaving Mandraki Harbour Kos on Sunday morning 09:00

We are heading to Pserimos again, where we stayed before, for a further three nights in that beautiful anchorage, before we double back past Kos town and on to Nisiros.

It’s not common to be able to get pictures of your own boat under sail, but on the leg down to Nisiros from Pserimos – Nicolas managed to take some of these.

On passage south to Nisiros 27 miles, 25 knots , a good day !

We arrived in Palon Harbour, Nisiros at 16:00 where we stayed for a further 3 nights before moving on south to the island of Tilos.

Palon Harbour , Nisiros

Dinner on Syeni, Palon Harbour

Saturday 3rd October and we are at anchor on the north of Tilos having headed south 12 miles from Nisiros

Lovely clear blue water and fawns & peacocks on the beach.

October!

In Scotland we would probably have packed up in September and the boat would be out the water by now.

Ormos Playio anchorage , Tilos

I see from the log the swell was a bit uncomfortable overnight but a lovely anchorage none the less.

Now heading for Symi, finally.