SYROS

SYROS

Syros was not on my original list of Greek islands to visit but as my friend’s niece lived there, Syros of course made it on the list. It turned out to be a good decision.

Syros is a beautiful island. What little we did manage to see certainly impressed me. We stayed at the lovely Hotel Hermes with a fantastic sea view.  I stepped out onto the balcony and to my right on another balcony was someone who was born in my town. Definitely a small world indeed.

Along the waterfront, there are many restaurants. The tables are on the waterside and the restaurants are across the street. It is interesting to watch the waiters dash back and forth with trays of food and drinks. Thankfully, there is little traffic.

There are many shops along the waterfront as well, but it seems like the nicer stores are on the next street.

One shop in particular, Lithos, is owned by a wonderfully kind man, Michael. He was very interesting to talk about Greece’s economy and Greece in general. At one point he succinctly said, “What you give from the heart, it is like a mirror, you get back”. His shop is full of gemstones, too many to list here. His prices are very good and he will ship to any place in the world. His store is a must see when you are in Syros.

We decided to walk around the town and came across a Casino. Beside the casino was a church. I suppose that if you gambled all your money away you could go to the church and ask for forgiveness!

The church was open so we decided to have a look inside. It was impressive. As I was looking around, this little old lady kept trying to talk to me. She was attempting to tell me something but I couldn’t understand her. At first I thought that perhaps she wanted some money but that wasn’t the case. She seemed happy when I sat down next to her just outside the main rooms.  Once I saw the pictures, I realized what she was so concerned about. I did not have my arms covered.  I know better but forgot and did not bring a shawl just for things like this.