Tuesday 12th July
Well today is one of those rare days on Symi where it’s planned and you actually stick to it.
We are up and around about 8am and I’m off by just after 9am for a stroll down the road in Gialos, with Liz taking the 9.30am bus. We meet in the Comfy Seats and have a Latte and we are joined by a few of the Rainbow regulars. Let’s just say it’s like a Saga day out.
We climb aboard Yiannis Poseidon and take up position up front on the Starboard side.
We set sail at 10.30am prompt and head out of the busy harbour and through the channel near Nimos. The colours of the shallow waters are amazing and through fairly choppy waters we reach our first stop at Aghios Emilanos with it’s tiny monastery. I get off the boat to stretch my legs, some stay on and the adventurous are in for their first swim.
This is where the drinks are now available with Coffee, Retsina, red and white Wine, Ouzo and even water. Biscuits are also available. Liz goes for Coffee and I have my first Wine.
We stop at another very nice bay of which I didn’t get the name before making our way to Sesklia Island where we stop for lunch. The island has a small pebbly beach and Yianni has tables and benches set up each year for these lunch stops.
While the Chicken is being cooked and the food getting laid out I take a small walk up by the church and around the path to a meadow where there are sheep and goats grazing.
Back at base camp where the food is now being served we let the queue of the really hungry die down before filling our plates with all the gorgeous dishes of Salad, Rice, Beans, Spaghetti, Beetroot and Chicken etc… See the pictures! I go back twice for a little extra rice which has a slight curry taste which is really going with my taste buds. I also help myself to a little more wine.
We take one last stop at St George’s Bay where the younger people on the boat spot a turtle in the water but it soon out swims them bobbing it’s head above the water a few times before heading out to sea. I didn’t manage to capture a picture.
We make our way back to Gialos and this last part of the sail is windy and choppy so we all get a good soaking with the spray of the sea.
Back to a chaotic harbour with boats everywhere Yiannis uses all of his skill to weave his way through and a great outing comes to an end.
Considering you are out from 10.30 am to 5.30 pm going all around the island and having a fantastic lunch and unlimited drinks available it’s great value at €45.00 per person. Even if you don’t swim, don’t worry, it’s still a great day out.
We share a drink in Dimitris before Liz gets the bus back and I walked up the road.
A shower and early night is all we can manage as the sea air has really made us so tired.
Nothing to do with all the wine and Ouzo on the Poseidon at all.
Avrio