Category: Symi

You really can't complain about the view of Pedi Harbor frrom our room.

There was something wonderfully chill and relaxing about the place; though I had a hard time falling asleep because it was so quiet.

And for some reason we were famished…..

And I do enjoy tomatoes and cucumbers with breakfast.

After breakfast we took a walk and sat in front of the general store watching folks going to church. As it got a bit hotter we headed back to the room, showered, checked out, and caught the bus back to Gialos. Somehow, time had passed quickly and we were getting a bit hungry. So we walked along the waterfront and alleyways looking for a place to eat.

Most looked like tourist traps and we weren't inspired by the looks of the food. We decided to head back to Taverna Trata, where we had a pretty good meal the day before. The gentleman running the front of house recognized us and was happy to see us back. No, we didn't order any Symi Shrimp this time, something I kind of regret, but we did have a decent meal anyway.

The Missus really enjoyed the garlicky eggplant salad the last time, so we started with that.

I decided to try some Taramasalata – Cod Roe Dip, looking quite pretty in pink. At least it didn't have too much food coloring.

This was a likable version. Not too fishy, slightly smokey flavor, more creamy that gritty, perhaps a bit on the salty side, but this was much better than many versions I've had.

The Missus loves "gigantes", the large white beans in tomato sauce.

This, while not the best, was still filling and tasty.

By this point we were joined by a local resident……

Like all of the tavernas in the area, Trata has a fish case, so we decided to get a grilled fish….

Nicely grilled, well seasoned, crisp skin…….

Taverna Trata
Near the bottom of the Kali Strata steps
Gialos, Greece

We still had a good amount of time before our ferry arrived, so we decided to head on over to the other side of the harbor, passing the clock tower which guards the harbor.

There's no denying just how picturesque Gialos Harbor is. Every shot is postcard material here.

Once past a couple of shops and bars, you start seeing a bit more of the residential side of the colorful harbor.

As we reached the other end of the harbor, the Missus noticed a church up on the hill. She decided to walk on up to check it out.

Me, well, I was feeling a bit hot and bothered so I decided to have a nice cup of coffee, check email, and I even got a post done.

And while the Missus got some pretty good photos from up on the hill.

I had a table at the waters edge, where the view wasn't too bad either……

Soon enough, the Missus returned, our boat arrived, and before you knew it, we were headed back to Rhodes. We enjoyed our time on Symi. It gave us just the short break we needed, a diversion, after which we were ready to continue on……..

I think breaks like this during trips lasting multiple weeks are a must; at least for us.

Thanks for reading!

It gets a bit hot in the afternoons on Symi. Folks fill their time by catching the water taxi, finding a beach, getting some sun, or taking a nice little nap like us.

Waking up to a view like this ain't too shabby…..

We especially needed a nap after the filling lunch we had earlier. After waking we just hung around the area, taking a seat in front of the tiny store on the waterfront, watching the locals return after work, socializing……. the pace is truly slow and laid back here.

So while the interior of the hotel seemed a but drab, with a certain amount of "geriatricness" to it, it was all balanced out by the rather sedate surroundings.

Earlier in the day, while taking our walk, we noticed this covered "pier". There were tables and chairs set-up making it look like a make-shift a fresco dining area.

We initially had thought of heading back to Gialos for dinner, but decided to walk on over to the pier, to find all the tables made up and a grill heated and ready to go. We thought this would make for a really nice dinner.

After all, there was no one else around except us, the staff, and most of all, the view.

There was a certain stillness, as if time stands still here on Pedi Beach, barely a whisper of a breeze.

The menu was full of Greek Isle standards, grilled seafood and kebabs. The cooked food, drinks, and other items came from the building across the street. The grilled food….from well, the grill of course.

We started with the eggplant, which was nicely seasoned, with a bit more umph than the usual…. the folks running the grill looked Turkish. I may be wrong, but considering the fact that Rhodes is about an hour ferry trip from Mamaris and Symi just a short ride from Rhodes…..

The one item I got excited about on the menu were the Symi Shrimp.

Even though I'd had almost two full plates to myself earlier in the day, I just wanted more. Simply seasoned with salt and pepper, these had the condensed shrimp flavor….think of the intense savoriness of dried shrimp, in a sweet, light, and crunchy form. These were so good.

The grilled octopus looked tough, but wasn't bad by any means.

We threw in the towel after this…..we'd had quite a meal for lunch and this filled us up.

Things were nicely finished by the complementary fruit plate.

By now, several of the tables were taken, which was our que to head back to the room.

The moon was rising over the mountains and we took our sweet time walking back to the room.

Earlier in the day I'd taken a photo of a sign on one of the buildings. Perhaps this used to be a bakery? I thought about the sign as we walked back to our room. Thinking about that little slogan on the drawing, I made up my own version of it; "life is my cake……you have to take a bite and savor the sweetness and richness of it."

Not bad for someone who doesn't have much of a sweet tooth, huh?