Some more photos, in random order, from last weekend’s festival at Kokimedes. Everyone and anyone is welcome to attend these festivals, and we were made very welcome. Manolis came from the kitchen to make sure we had arrived and had a seat, and later made sure we had eaten and that we had been given beer. Very fit old ladies were up and down steps with plates of lamb and kritheraki (rice shaped pasta) and salad for lunch, others gave you biscuits and coffee, speaking a little English when they realised we were not Greek, and there were even goody bags to take home and give to anyone we knew who couldn’t be there. Neil has a doughnut and a cheese pie in the fridge that we brought back for him.
In the chapelThe view from the back of the truck on the way down – holding on very tightly!The new refectory/hall that is being built in the groundsThe very old treeFestival coloursWatching the service (we were there early)A perfect place to site and ponder, or writeMountain farmCoffee after the service
More photos from the name day festival at Kokimidis (Kokkimedes, Kokimedes). The location of the monastery was once a Byzantine fortress, and you can still see the stonework from those times as you approach up the steep hill. Along the edge of the road, if you know where to look, you can find a large stone slab. Take that away (if you can) and you enter tunnels that run beneath the fortress, so I was told by the Archelogy inspector. I’d love to have a look one day.
Michaelis (Hotel Fiona) ringing the bellBack from parading the iconIn the courtyardInside the chapelThe kitchenMountain viewFestival flagsAg Kokkimides
This week I will be posting photos. I have a busy week ahead with family visiting and other things, and so I thought I would spend a couple of hours this Sunday morning loading up a series of images from Saturday. They can then post themselves so that you, dear reader, have something to view and I, dear writer, don’t have to worry about a blog until next week. Hope you don’t mind.
First, though, I’d just like to point you in the direction of an author interview I gave to fellow author Kay Macleod. You might be interested to read my replies to her questions which take us from Romney Marsh to Symi, via Bill Bryson and others. Here’s the link: James Collins author interview. Please do take a look and share it around, I need all the publicity I can get!
Symi photos Greece
And now onto the story behind the photos. Manolis invited me, Mother and her friend to attend the name day festival of Agios Anthimos. This saint’s day is actually September 3rd, but as this was a Sunday, the event was held on Saturday. This was explained to me by a young man I met at the church who is a partner in the Symi Train business. We found our lift up to the church of Kokimedes at 9.00 in the morning and clambered into the back of a pick-up truck for the ride up the mountain and across the island and up another mountain, which we reached at 9.30. We watched the service, parts of which were held in the courtyard as the 16th Century church is quite small. There then followed coffee and cakes, the specially blessed bread and, after this, a lunch of lamb and salad. Our ride back was just as much fun in a crowded pick-up truck, but we made it safely. There should be a full report in my next book of travel tales, ‘Symi, Stuff & Nonsense’ when it comes out in November. During this week, I will put up more photos from this day. I will put them up in a varied order to make the collection more interesting. Have a good week, and I will see you either next Monday or Tuesday.
And a quick note. If you are on Symi next week, Charlie Cash, the Sport Injury Therapist, is coming on the 5th & 6th of September to the EY ZHN Centre in Yialos. Click that link for more info about the centre; the menu will also give you contact details.
And so, here are some photos for your weekend – I just grabbed them from my ‘to post’ folder, so they are a mix.
I found myself on a very busy boat on Wednesday morning. Many Symi folk were aboard, the mayor, priests, waiters from our taverna, lots of others too, and also all the other passengers who were travelling to Rhodes from further afield. Mind you, with the Blue Star boat we have now, it didn’t feel cramped or busy, and there were plenty of places to sit, drink coffee and chat.
Busy harbour
The walk around from the harbour in Rhodes to the bus stops at Mandraki took me 25 minutes (I was going fast and ended up a bit sweaty-wet), and I arrived just as a bus to the airport was pulling in. I grabbed a quick ticket and was onboard with a couple of minutes to spare. This meant I was at the airport an hour before mother’s plane was due to land, the bus journey only took 30 minutes.
Fishing nets drying after the morning catch
The EasyJet flight arrived early, and we were straight into a taxi and off to the Plaza for lunch before heading home on the Blue Star at 3 pm. It is possible to get from London to Symi in one day, but only if you get the 5.30 a.m. flight from Gatwick, or land at Rhodes before, say 1 pm in the afternoon. As usual, if coming independently, check your boat connection before you arrange the flights if you can. Anyway, the photos today were taken in Yialos early on Wednesday morning.
