Symi and Nysiros

Hi family and friends,

Symi was a pretty quick in and out. We did manage to eat some Symi shrimp but were a but underwhelmed. I think the problem was that we were at a pizzeria. We did eat a Capresse pizza which I can highly recommend. The Buffalo Mozerella on top was perfectly soft and creamy.

It is a pretty port with decent anchorage but we had no WIFI (oh no) on the boat so we couldn’t stay there indefinitely. There were ferries full of tourists coming from Rhodes so we did feel somewhat part of the attraction, “look at the pretty sailboats…that one is from Canada.” On the plus side it was nice to meet some Canadians stopped by to talk having seen the flag. “You need a flag,” says Eddie Izzard.

The village was built vertically so every walk was uphill. Sheila went for it but I held back and relaxed on the boat.

Spending only one night in Symi, we then made our way to Nysimos (Nisimos). Nisimos is famous for its dormant volcano which erupted to much fan fare 6000 years ago. There was a small burp in the 1800s but it has pretty much remained inactive. That said, inside the crater you can see boiling mud, steam vents, and a generally barren, Star Trek set appearance. There is a distinct sulphur smell as you wander the area. The place is huge. The crater, called Stephanos, is 4km in diameter. We walked down into the space and felt very small beside nature’s might. I remembered our friend Ali talking about volcano’s in Hawaii and I now understand her enthusiasm and awe.

Not far from the volcano is a small village perched on the upper reaches of the hills (mountains) surrounding the crater. We had a nice relaxing breakfast admiring the view and bus loads of tourists heading to the crater – we were warned would show up late morning. There is a natural sauna just outside the village. It is a cave. You walk in and feel exactly like you are in a humid sauna. Again – awesome.

Not to be outdone in castles, the island features (albeit in a low key way) a castle dating back over 2000 years with foundations of volcanic rock and walls that are upwards of 3M thick. The fortification has been well preserved and is distinctly different from other castles we've seen which are typically 5-700 years old.

The harbor here has been quiet and well protected from the wind. The wind has also been pretty low so sleep has been nice. We plan to head to Kos next however thundershowers may hold us up here another day.

On the boat front, the battery has worked well. We do, however, have an issue with the windlass (which releases and hauls up the anchor). It doesn’t seem to want to pull up the anchor chain beyond a certain point. Reading online it could be due to a twist in the chain but we’ll learn more tomorrow as we attempt to leave. Hopefully we aren’t raising the anchor through brute force as the winch is stuck as well. It will be a great workout1 Stay tuned for more.

Kevin