- The Pot of Gold at the Rainbow
Saturday - Day 3 on Symi
Now that we have provisions in the fridge D did his first bread run to the baker beside the bank opposite the small bridge at the harbour. A freshly baked, still warm from the oven, small bread for 40 cents - the perfect start to a day.
E "The Breakfast Chef" had the fruit cut to serve with the yoghurt & honey and the bread sliced with cheese and ham.
We had a kind of plan to get to Pedi and back mid-afternoon as we are heading "up" with our friends O&L for dinner at Zoe's. So we head to our usual frappe stop and watch a busy day boat arrive before climbing the Kali Strat for the first time this visit. At 11:00 it is hot but despite this we took one of the many available variants of walking up and detour onto the school / lazy steps. Then back onto the Kali and arrive in Yannis Rainbow perspiring like good 'uns. Yannis is on the case in seconds and chilled beers arrived with a lovely fresh Mezes of tomato, olives, pickled carrot, gherkin and peppers. Just what is needed on such a hot day. Not satisfied that we had replaced sufficient fluids a further two small beers were necessary before heading to down the Pedi Road at midday.
Pedi was busy with so many of the sun beds taken beside Katsaras. Since May they have made alterations to the bar on the beachside and many people were making use of the new seating area - looked nice. We had bought sausage and cheese & ham pies from the supermarket beside the bus stop as only a light lunch was required ahead of the anticipated feast later in the day. The place was so busy that the overworked guy didn't have time to charge us for sunbeds. The water was perfect and after a swim we headed back over on Lakis's 15:30 standing room only bus - where D shared the back of the bus with one of the most esteemed Symi visitors
As we had headed to the bus stop we stopped to catch up with the couple we had met on the ferry over. They were clearly enjoying their latest visit to the Pedi Beach Hotel where there was a wedding going on - what a backdrop for the photos.
Back in Yoalos with four ships in port there were a lot of people-watching to do from a beer / retsina stop at Elpida's where the drinks came with ewe's cheese, ham, tomato and olives. After watching the St.Nicolas depart and some superb yatchs arriving we headed home to shower and change and set off for our evening out.
We started with an ouzo and retsina at Cafe Alegriko where the accompanying Mezes never fails to astonish us. A freshly cooked smoked sausage with feta, cucumber, and olives was perfect. The plan to catch the 19:00 bus failed so we waited a short time at the taxi rank and were dropped off at the Village Hotel for the short stroll to Yannis which had its usual mix of locals and visitors and there was a real buzz in Chorio. Passing the supermarket we bumped into Neil & James who were heading out - as James said we will find out where in his Symi Dream blog on Monday. After a couple more ouzo / retsina, and E&L visiting the little shop opposite Giorgio's, we headed to Zoe's and received a big warm welcome from Nikos and the wonderful cook.
We ordered a couple of starters between the four of us. The dolmades and the courgette balls. As we are having these a couple who have made two sunbeds on St.Nicks their own in May and September and who we have chatted to for many many years come into the restaurant and it was great to see them again and get their news.
For mains D&E both ordered the legendary beef stiffados whilst O had the chicken with cashew nuts and L had the souzakakia. All perfectly cooked as ever. A complimentary cake ended the usual top quality meal and we even turned down offers of more alcohol
Handily Zoe's son was in the restaurant and he drove us home in his taxi and so just before the witching hour we ended another superb day in this most magical of places.