Today is a day for preparing to make a decision and keeping a watch on the forecast. Neil’s due to fly early on Tuesday morning. This means being in Rhodes on Monday evening. That mean catching the boat early on Monday morning. However, the current forecast is for the wind to be up to force seven/eight through the Aegean on Sunday/Monday, and it’s particularly bad at the time the boat is due to leave Athens on Sunday. This could mean it doesn’t come in on Monday, or if it does, it comes in late. Late is not so much of a problem, but ‘doesn’t come in’ would be, so to be safe, he might have to do what we advise other people to do, and that’s to go early.
The only other boat that’s guaranteed at the moment is the Friday Blue Star which, last I heard, will be in around 12 on Friday, several hours later than its usual time. There may be an alternative from the SAOS Line or Dodekanisos, and he’s going to check with Symi Tours later this morning (but if the weather is bad… do you risk it?) If not, or if in any doubt, then he’ll go on Friday, and spend three days exploring Rhodes. Again. It might be a bit dull, what with being on a budget, bad weather, and having ‘been there, done that’, but it’s better than spending the weekend worrying and missing a vital medical appointment on Monday morning.
Also, we’ve found a hotel that does the dreaded all-inclusive deal, and for around €60 a night, he’ll get three meals a day, drinks until ten at night, and a very swank double room with a decent TV that has Netflix. I’ve always been uncertain about all-inclusive hotels, but in this case, the Castellum Suites offers the best value for money. It’s behind the Old Town, and about a 15-minute walk from the New Town area, quicker to get into the Old Town, and even comes with a Symi-born receptionist. At least, it did when I last stayed there. So, at least that will lessen the blow and save some money, and by leaving so early he won’t miss his appointment or plane.
Of course, the weather may change its mind between now and final decision time (around 11.00 am on Friday), and all this planning might be in vain, but still, such are the decisions faced during rough weather. It’s one of the reasons not many people choose to visit Symi for a week in winter. You can end up spending most of your days trying to get to or from Rhodes and the airport.
