Syros .... Kalimera!

Views from inside Syros

Maria and her husband enjoying evening tea as I walk in

Streets of marble

Ferried up to my first stop in the Cyclades islands, the town of Ermoupolis on scenic Syros! ........ the seat of government for all the Cyclades. Ermoupolis is a seaside, very likeable, marble-paved town!! ..... yes, stairways, sidewalks and indeed, even a fair number of roads are paved with marble slabs .... simply amazing! I leave India, where small marble trays cost a bloody fortune, to walking along streets paved in it!!! Travel can often present many delights and surprises! Wonderful in many respects to travel to these beautiful Greek islands during off season to enjoy and discover a very authentic lifestyle. I may never again travel anywhere in Greece except in off season! Winter is a time when Greece reclaims it's country from the summer touristic invasion and becomes, well, Greek! .... I am, without any doubt, the only tourist in Ermoupolis ..... or if there is anyone else here, they are well hidden ...... I am the sole occupant of the 8 room B&B, Electra, (and actually, most likely the only inn open at this time of year!), owned and managed by a warm and caring Maria ..... breakfast is a quiet affair, in their little kitchen/living room combo, consisting of marble cake, a boiled egg, warm crusty bread, an apple and a Greek coffee! .... Maria's English is passable allowing us to communicate basic issues well enough ...... she attempts to teach me a bit of Greek, but alas, I am not the linguist Maria is!! ..... but as I explore the seaside shops and cafes, the town's charming Plateia Miaouli Square, with it's many cafes and tavernas, cathedral, towering neoclassical town hall, and where, taking advantage of a sunny winter's day, I later climb to Ano Syros, a tiny medieval settlement with narrow alleys and whitewashed homes .... I discover that English is spoken by few ..... off season, Ermoupolis is most definitely a working town, devoid of tourists and the English speaking students who work in town during the lucrative summer months. A pleasant stay, on a pleasant island in the heart of the Cyclades ..... a great start to a month in Greece!