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Greece
The Monastery of Panormitis is well known to all islanders of the Dodecanese. It is a good idea for a day trip there if you stay in Symi town or from Rhodes with excursion boat. The monastery is one of the many places of interest that the small beautiful island of Symi has, like ancient ruins, the castles of the Byzantines the Knights of St John.
This bar is an air conditioned oasis on hot and sultry nights on Symi. Jean your hostess is welcoming and chatty and knows pretty much everyone on the island. She has contacts for any situation and also manages some rather splendid accommodation. Oh and the bar stays open as long as you are drinking... I don't know where she finds her energy!
Chorio, Symi. Near Square
A truly brilliant little bar at the top of the Kali Strata in Chorio (the old town). It is nothing remarkable to look at but sitting under the giant vine watching the world go by whilst Yanni (the landlord's son) brings you beers and snacks is just like heaven. I don't think I have been happier in any other bar.
Top of the Kali Strata, Chorio. Next to the square.
Symi is amazing, however it's overrun by day trips from Rhodes - between 11 and 4 every day.
Luckily, they seldom leave the harbour, so if you catch a water taxi to one of five adjacent beaches (with tavernas) in the morning, and return in the evening, you'd never know they had been.
Agios Marina is the best for swimming and food, but it’s not as quiet as some of the others, which may or may not be a good thing.
On return to the harbour, sit for an hour outside Oranges & Lemons and watch the ridiculously expensive looking yachts return. The harbour's busy then, but in a good way. Easily the best part of the day.
The harbour's tiny and the taxi boats are obvious.
Oranges & Lemons is on the Old Town side, opposite the clock tower (where the Catamaran is often moored).
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