The Island 
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The IslandA Guide for the Visitor to Syros
Attention: The following directions are founded entirely on my personal opinions. They are based on the little I have read and the great deal I have ascertained for myself. There may be a lot of inaccuracies and from time to time these notes will be added to, corrected and revised.
Identity Syros is the commercial and administrative centre of the Cyclades and the seat of the Administrative District of the Southern Aegean. It ranks among the smaller Cycladic islands, but it is the most densely populated and has more than 22.000 permanent residents, spread over three municipalities (Ermoupolis - Ano Syros - Poseidonia). It is the seat of a Court of Appeals and has a fully equipped hospital. It has two newspapers, one a weekly, "Koini Gnomi", and the other, "Apopsi", a monthly. It also has two TV stations ("Syros TV" and "Aegaio TV") and many radio stations. Furthermore, the School of Design (or whatever it is officially called) of the University of the Aegean has been running in Syros for the past two years. Transport Syros is at a distance (from Piraeus) of 4 ½ to 5 hours on the regular boats, 2 ½ hours on the fast boats (Highspeed and Aiolos), which also transport cars, and 3 ½ hours on the medium-speed boats (Blue Star Ithaki, Blue Star Paros). It has an airport, which is serviced both by Olympic Airways and by a private company, Hellenic Star. There is also a ferry from the port of Rafina (1 ½ hours on the fast boats). History Syros (or Syra) was conquered by the Venetians (along with the rest of the Cycladic Islands) in the beginning of the 13th century. It was ceded to Marco Sanoudo (apparently a Venetian adventurer) and made up a part of the larger Duchy of Naxos. It is not known why the Catholic dogma dominated the island before the revolution of 1821 when Orthodox Greeks from other areas of the country consequently settled there. The presence of the Venetians does not provide sufficient explanation for this. The neighbouring island of Tinos, for example, remained under their domination for longer, but clearly has far fewer Catholics, while on other Cycladic islands, also under Venetian domination, there were never any Catholics. Moreover, the Venetians, as the great conquerors that they were, knew better than to impose their own religious persuasions and dogmas on the indigenous populations of their colonies. Another possible, but unproven, scenario is that the bishop of the island at the time of the First Schism supported the Pope and not the Patriarch. Nevertheless, the powerful presence of the Catholics remains a mystery. Today, of course, the Orthodox outnumber the Catholics, and with the expansion of internal boundaries and the almost total acceptance of differences, it is both logical and to be expected that the Catholics are steadily decreasing in number. During the Turkish Occupation the island enjoyed certain privileges, but this didn't stop the Turks from looting it in the 17th century and hanging the Catholic Archbishop. During the 17th and 18th centuries many Catholic monasteries were built on the island (Franciscans, Jesuits and Lazarists) so that despite being under Turkish occupation, it continued to be under the protection of the Western powers especially the King of France. At the end of the 18th century, during the Russo-Turkish war, the Russians occupied the island for a brief time and looted many of its monuments. The Turks themselves behaved better, granting the island significant indulgences and a kind of self-rule. Growth and Decline By the beginning of the 18th century, the economy of Syros had already started to develop, especially through merchant shipping. This development, coupled with the relative neutrality of the Turks towards the island, led many refugees from other areas, mainly Psarra, Chios and Crete, to settle on the island from about 1824 onwards. They founded Ermoupolis, (Hermes, who it was named after, being the Ancient Greek god of commerce). Fairly soon the commercial wizardry and the money of the rich immigrants performed wonders. Ermoupolis became a beautiful town with many grand mansions, with innumerable ships and boatyards, with ship-building yards which provided employment for  many hundreds of workers, with banks, with shipping and insurance companies, with a multitude of factories (tanneries, thread mills, flour mills, soap makers, ‘loukoumia' (Turkish Delight) makers, silversmiths, distilleries, glassworks, etc.). The great Greek manufacturers, the foremost names that for years dominated the country, started from here (Ladopoulos, Velissaropoulos, Karelas, Foustanos, Veltsos, etc.). The lords of the island had commercial and cultural links with Europe. The ladies shopped in Paris and their homes were decorated by Italian artists. They built magnificent public buildings (the Customs House - today's Municipal Art Gallery, the Town House - a work of German architect Ernst Ziller, the Apollon Theatre - a typical example of an Italian stage, but not a small scale model of the famed La Scala of Milan as is usually stated, etc). They had the first club ("Club Hellas" - today the Cultural Centre of the Municipality of Ermoupolis), the first high school (with Eleftherios Venizelos as a pupil and Neophytos Vamvas as the first headmaster) and the first casino. Finally, significant writers were born and worked on Syros, amongst them Vikelas, Rhoïdis and Souris. This heyday lasted about 70 years. Gradually the development of the rest of Greece undermined the commercial importance of Syros and its port. In time the rich left and the poor started immigrating to Athens and abroad. With the Asia Minor Catastrophe the island received many refugees and the people of Syros treated them rather better than did the rest of the Greeks. After World War II, Syros experienced its worst economic slump. For thirty years the only prospect was to seek work at the Neorion ship-repair unit. When this closed the situation seemed to become asphyxiating. Most of the island's income was already coming from seamen, and also from doormen and maids in Athens, which were the jobs that the poor peasants of Syros resorted to. Gradually, with the privatisation and re-opening of the shipyards and the small but steady increase of tourism, Syros came around and today is enjoying a new prosperity. In the meantime land has increased in value (even though, for the time being, Syros is one of the cheaper Cycladic Islands) and the building boom has provided work for a great many people. Previously unemployed peasants have become affluent contractors, the old crafts are again in demand and all the craftsmen that left Neorion have found work easily in the free market, having acquired both experience and renown from their work at the shipyards. Progress and Bad Taste Present day Syros is really going through a new economic boom. This is a crucial moment for its residents to realise the kind of development that is actually fitting for it. They should avoid the nouveau riche vulgarity of the little railings of the Athens Municipality (unfortunately similar examples have appeared in Syros; inappropriate paving, lampposts that are unsuitable in both style and size etc.). They should not aspire to imitate the glory of Mykonos or Rhodes with their numerous hotel units and their innumerable charters. Syros cannot sustain such development. It is small and has very few beaches, and though the beauty of Ermoupolis may disdain all this, there is always the fear that one day it may succumb. Syros needs low-key tourism in limited numbers, not en masse, but distributed throughout the year. Let us hope this will be understood, though there seems to be little room for hope in view of the prevailing notions about the relative values of progress and success when coupled with aesthetics, adopted by residents in their personal space.  In order to get an idea of the full extent of the problems we face today, not only on Syros, but also throughout Greece, it's worth taking a stroll through the small settlements (Langada, Platiani, Kipi, Mesaria, etc.) in the interior of the island. There are still quite a few old houses, but mostly on display is the bad taste of contemporary building development. At the present rate of reconstruction it can only be a matter of a few years before Greece becomes an unattractive country, at least where there are human constructions.A part of the blame for this goes to the abrupt economic boom, which transformed the reconstruction of a house into revenge for a childhood lost in poverty. A barbarous notion of luxury (a notion having nothing to do with true luxury which most have never known and never will know) attempts to offset the functional beauty of simplicity, which they always had without realising or appreciating it, with values such as alignment, luster, size, endurance, an absence of ‘hand' and ‘signature', the disappearance of differentiation and many others. Within all this, concepts such as beauty, tradition, innovation, character, space and time have no place. It is difficult for a house to be ugly when it covers basic functional needs and is built with an awareness of the space and time to which it belongs. On the other hand, a house built either with the idea of promoting one's social consequence or of being luxurious, based on a stereotypical view of form and function, outside of space, time and personal preferences, can quite easily be horrendous. The old shacks of Perama (a suburb on the outskirts of Piraeus), despite their poverty and frugality, were never an insult to aesthetics. The contemporary houses of any modern town one chooses to look at do just that. The least of the evils they display are the television aerials. At least they are functional and the ensign of an era. The same is true of evening clothes (I'll be mentioning this again later). They are a bringing together of all the kitsch that work clothes are incapable of displaying. Also perhaps to blame are contemporary building materials, especially standardised materials. Because they are standardised they are cheaper, practical perhaps, maybe durable, but extremely ugly. The worst of it is that they don't age well. Instead, any kind of aesthetics has been replaced by the ideology of the ‘immortal' and the ‘practical'. The housewife will prefer what is easily cleaned and her husband what doesn't break or rust. If these are cheap, all the better. Those other things that are handmade, not machine made, those things that know how to age, are usually more expensive and that alone is enough to deter any potential buyer. Another reason for the vulgarity of contemporary buildings is bad or random imitation. The modern Greek house owner has no point of reference. Everyone has always imitated the past, that which was there from the previous generation, that with which they were familiar or felt a relationship to. Today, however, they imitate no matter what; Swiss chalets, Mexican haciendas, Spanish palacios, Mykonos-style houses, American ranch houses, Hollywood villas, mansions in the style of the wealthy Northern Suburbs of Athens and even apartment blocks like in Kypseli (the most densely populated suburb of Athens). This eclecticism or mixture of styles, if it were the product of a point of view, could of course have interesting results, but what we have here is random. It is worth noting, however, that even where we have an attempt at faithful reproduction (in Syros you will often see an old house next to a contemporary replica of it), the new house is visibly inferior to the old. There are again many reasons for this. Firstly, it is due to the different materials used, secondly, to the different working methods and thirdly and most importantly, the different relationship of volume and size. Even two shutters that are apparently exactly alike are not the same and are not equally beautiful. It may be that the new one, for example, has adopted a smaller frame because today's machines cannot cut the greater width of the old one. This small difference can upset the proportions of the building as a whole. I have doubts about how many people are in a position to appreciate what they are seeing in the old building. Everyone ‘oohs and ahs', in pleasure and admiration, over neoclassical buildings. Well and good, though quite a few voices have been raised in the past making a strong case against their ever having had much to do with Greek landscape and Greek history. Nonetheless, most people recognise the luxuriance and majesty of them. Any attempt to imitate or renovate them usually leads to (albeit luxurious) unsightliness. On the other hand, every luxurious villa takes as its reference the opulence of Lifestyle and of TV (the Big Brother house for example). The result of this is that we end up with outsized apartments on small plots, distended penthouses with apartment-block aesthetics and the split-level maisonettes of Ekali and Vouliagmeni (located in the wealthy Northern and Southern Suburbs of Athens respectively). What is happening, however, to the old peasant houses, village houses and the houses of the poor? These are the forerunners of the low-income neighbourhoods of the islands and villages of Greece today. Does anyone appreci  ate their equilibriums? Does anyone see the relationship in the dimensions of their windows and doors? Do they understand the proportions of their size? Can they see the difference between the white of acrylic paints and that of whitewash? Do they recognize that the discipline and austere geometry of the rectangular masses is balanced by the lack of alignment and the expansion of the stone on the walls? Do they understand that a Spanish folkloric hinge (such as those that have overrun Greece), or a wrought iron fixture from Prakitker, or an aluminium window can explode any kind of aesthetic balance?The most interesting thing is that all of this ugliness has sprung out of what are supposedly stern town planning provisos, architectural committees and precise specifications. Moreover, I believe that most of the time these unattractive buildings have been built in accordance with these very specifications. At the end of the day, one is justified in asking, how much worse could houses be if everyone did exactly as they pleased? Perhaps then they would display a sense of humour, such a rare commodity today. The worst of it is that this generalised ugliness appears to bother very few people and again most of these are only upset because contemporary houses are not a faithful reproduction of folklore aesthetics. These are the people who would like to see all of mountainous Greece look like Metsovo and all of island Greece look like Mykonos. However, there are a very few people who truly suffer (and, unfortunately, I am among them). These people find some comfort and charm in simpler and more frugal building solutions (at least when they do not bear the stamp of a talented architect). Yet it seems that our era no longer allows for simple and frugal solutions and does not tolerate talented architects. It seems that the future must choose between two possible solutions: Either, through a gradual growth in enlightenment, culture and education, citizens themselves start to demand quality once again, or, failing that, a total abandonment to luxurious bad taste. I fear that this time my innate optimism will not rise to my aid. The second solution is the most probable. Nevertheless, we have nothing to lose in hoping and trying. The Two Beliefs In the last few years a different social revolution has been observed. The poor of Syros were traditionally the Catholics, since they were all land-labourers or builders (usually both at the same time) and (apart from those that resided on the hill of San Giorgis) lived mainly in the Syros countryside. There were very few who took an active part in the municipal life and society of Ermoupolis. In Syros, up until the middle of the 20th century, there existed rigid class laws. For example, the plebeians (a class which encompassed all Catholics and a very few Orthodox workers) did not have the right to walk on the paving, or they were only allowed to move in a restricted area of the main square. (Pantheon Café, for example, on the basis of a silent, but inviolable rule, was considered an area for the sole use of patricians up until the ‘50's, and possibly beyond.) It was thus that a religious difference, which like all differences is exaggerated in small societies, was compounded by class differences. Also, no religious authority condoned intermarriage and mixed weddings. With time, however, it has been observed that there is progressive class and economic equality. The owners of coastal plots became wealthy, craftsmen and builders saw their incomes increasing at a greater rate than those of small tradesmen, while many of the peasants moved into the centre and became themselves equivalent tradesmen. At the same time increasingly liberal viewpoints regarding background and religion have led many young people into making mixed marriages, so that today Syros is the only example in Greece of successful multiculturalism. Of course, differences do remain and they are aired whenever or by whomever in the service of individual interests (e.g. during elections for the support of one candidate or another). Generally, however, in a Greece that remains one of the few virtually theocratic regimes in the world (along with Iran and Israel), where the church has enormous economic and political power and has as yet not been separated from the State, Syros is a radiant example of the coexistence of two communities in acceptance of their mutual differences. What is most significant, however, is that the Syriots, even when they stress their religious differences, have lived with them since they were little and so, perhaps without realizing it, are more at home than other Greeks with cultural differences. The practical ramifications of these cultural-religious differences recede with the years. Moreover, it is characteristic that on the whole it is the old and thankfully a very few clerics that maintain something of an underground rivalry (which, however, they never openly confess to). It is ironic, of course, (and I am not aware if both dogmas are to blame for this) that while the living have made significant progress on the road to co-habitation, if not to unification, the dead, even if in life they were espoused, are obliged to be separated into Orthodox and Catholic and to inhabit plots of land in separate cemeteries. Ermoupolis and Ano Syros Today's Ermoupolis continues to expand. It is perched on Anastaseos (Resurrection) Hill and is surrounded by its various neighbourhoods, such as Vrontados, an example of the architecture and urban layout of Asia Minor and Vaporia, a stately neighbourhood right on the sea with many mansions belonging to ship owners. On the other side Kaminia and Neapolis, and other neighbourhoods too, are tending towards merging with the hill of Ano Syros, which remains a clearly Cycladic settlement in its architecture and urban layout. Ermoupolis is very vibrant both in summer and winter. It is imposing with a great many cafés, bars, shops, a central market an  d even a casino. It also has an Archeological Museum, however, an Industrial Museum, an Art Gallery, Exhibition Halls and many churches, with the most interesting being Aghios Nikolaos in the Vaporia district. This Aghios Nikolaos is called the "rich" in contrast with another beautiful church in Ano Syros, Aghios Nikolaos the "poor", which was the first Orthodox church on the island. The Koimisis (Dormition) church has an icon by Theotokopoulos (El Greco), which is, however, from his first, youthful period, before he had developed his personal style, and was still purely Byzantine. The Metamorphoseos (Transfiguration) church was the first church in Ermoupolis and today is its Cathedral. The Anastaseos (Resurrection) church is the one that marks the peak of the Orthodox hill and gazes across at its sister church, the Catholic San Giorgis. Incidentally, the former (with its characteristic blue dome) is lit at night with ‘cold-tone' daylight lighting (approximately 5500 Kelvin), while the Catholic church is lit with ‘warm-tone' tungsten lights (approximately 3200 Kelvin), thus giving a tonal dimension to doctrinal differences.The massive increase in automobile traffic in Ermoupolis has forced the Municipality to establish pay-zone parking and to set up a municipal bus line to and from the entrances of the town (they call it a minibus, but it's a ‘maxibus' in relation to the size of the town). Parking coupons (using the ‘scratch' system) are sold at any ‘periptero' (sidewalk kiosk). The neighbouring hill, Ano Syros, is the Catholic hill as the cathedral of Saint George (San Giorgis), seen from afar at its peak, confirms. It was originally 13th century, but was rebuilt in the last century. There are also many other small Catholic churches. Ano Syros is reminiscent of a classic Cycladic village with its small, frugal, white houses and tiny streets, where the circulation of cars is not just prohibited, but impossible. Ermoupolis, on the other hand, takes you back to the period of great bourgeois wealth and economic growth. This development sets its vainglorious seal even on the hereafter, since Ermoupolis has the most beautiful cemetery in Greece, after the First Cemetery of Athens, with statues and mausoleum-type monuments (the church is that of Aghios Yiorgos and is located in the neighbourhood of Neapolis, on the stone-paved street that leads to Ano Syra,). The visitor to Syros may wonder why there are no little chapels strewn all over the hills as there are in almost all other Greek islands. This is probably due to the Catholic practice of building churches solely to meet the needs of each particular parish. Thus each small community has its own church, but there are no extras. The Syriots Syriots may have all the good and bad characteristics of dwellers in any small community, but they are noted for their genial character and for their manners that are on the whole a lot politer than is the average for the country as a whole. Their slightly sing-song accent compounds this impression. This everyday, average and formal politeness is particularly precious in a country that has made rudeness its motto. Syriots have a sense of humour (which is crucial in the handling of problems) and they take a rather liberal and tolerant stance in the face of human frailties, sexual or otherwise. As in all small places, where residents are almost certain to bump into each other again and again, they are not particularly honest and they do not readily show their envy and dislike. A smile covers everything. They do not readily open up their homes despite their indisputable tolerance of strangers. It has been said that Syriots have an inclination towards culture and the arts. Thus far, I have not been able to ascertain this to be true. There are, of course, people who are interested in art, but I don't have the feeling that there is a particularly high incidence of them. That would be very strange indeed. As Greeks, we are all nurtured on the same television programmes and have been to the same schools. There are, certainly, many amateur theatre groups, which may be due to the presence of the beautiful Apollon Theatre, though one generally comes across them a lot in Greece, it being a country with a strong theatrical tradition. There is also a very up to date, renovated cinema (the Pallas), which screens mass circulation films, in the winter opposite the theatre and in the summer in a lovely space in the central square. Every summer the Ermoupolia festival takes place for three whole months, with the result that the mediocre performances far outnumber the outstanding ones. The Countryside Distances in Syros are small and there are multitudes of streets. Two or three roads lead to every location. It is a good idea to seek out the very narrow, but negotiable, concrete, interior streets that go through villages. They are the most picturesque and pass through banks of reeds and dry riverbeds. Only if you walk through orchards and hills away from the main arterial roads will you appreciate the true fragrance of the island. The coastal regions, in order, as one leaves Ermoupolis heading south and from thereon west, are Azolimnos (an area with an inordinate number of tavernas and hotels), Fabrika (a quiet, otherworldly place), Vari Bay (an area which is old-fashioned, family-orientated, fairly noisy in the summer, but pleasant), Dellagrazia (the name comes from the local Catholic church of The Madonna Della Grazia, but it has recently been renamed Poseidonia. It is an area with wonderful houses, many trees and unsurpassable  charm), Finikas (perhaps the most densely populated area of the island in the summer, is far too crowded and has no character), Kokkina (an offshoot of Finikas, the "Ekali" of Syros, with sparsely built villas), Galissas (the first area of Syros to become well-known, is the most touristy, yet manages to retain some of its quality), Dani (a "new" and extremely beautiful area with few yet elegant villas), and finally, at the westernmost part of the island, Kini (an area with an old-fashioned air, one of the most picturesque of its kind). The road ends there and heads inland leaving, for the time being, the exploration of the beaches further north to ramblers, rock climbers and yachting enthusiasts; until the bulldozers barge in, that is. Given the contemporary Greek's views on progress, they won't be long.The settlements in the interior don't have a village-like character. All the same, they are exceptionally interesting and worth a visit. Episkopio (Piskopio), Chroussa, Ano Manna and Parakopi, with their many trees and unique villas, were traditional vacationing spots for the people of Ermoupolis in days of old. A village also entirely in the interior is Pagos, which is perhaps the only classic village of its type. Manna (plain Manna or Kato Manna) is a somewhat charmless settlement with a large cluster of factories and dealerships gathered around it. It is heading towards becoming the Vouliagmenis Street of Syros. (Vouliagmenis being a busy, commercial street in Athens, devoid of all charm.) ("Photography Circle" is located on the border between Kato Manna and Vari.) Narrow, concrete streets lead to other small, interior settlements, such as Atelio and Adiata, that are worth visiting, because there one can see the purely agricultural side of the island. Apano Meria demands a special mention. Here we see another island altogether. The road from Ano Syros, after it leaves the parking lot of the Catholic cathedral, continues into an area that becomes all the more mountainous, steep and deserted. There are mountains, terraces, small settlements and unbelievable views. It's the Cyclades in their purest form, with little villages of particular beauty such as San Michalis, Chalandriani, Plati Vouni and others The Beaches Syros is not Mykonos. Neither is it Paros. Maybe this is why it was not overrun with tourists sooner. It does, however, have an assortment of beaches of every kind. Unfortunately, the most easily accessible are all near the road and are hence all ‘family' beaches. There is Vari Bay (shallow, good sand, but very family orientated, with the added advantage, for some, of the presence of delightful seaside tavernas and a bar - En Plo - for entertainment after your swim) and Fabrika beach (clear water, a small, sandy beach, less shallow than Vari, quieter, but also rather family orientated). One can also swim off the rocks at Fabrika, also known as Katergaki (quiet, somewhat inaccessible). There is Santorinii beach (beautiful, sparse landscape surrounds this pebble beach, it has cold, clear water which gets deep very quickly with large stones as one enters) and the little harbours at Santorinii, before and after the main beach (the sea is excellent, it is quiet and there is nude bathing, but you need to get your feet wet to get to the various little coves). The beach at Megas Yialos (in front of Talaras' taverna) is sandy and easy. Ambela beach (between Megas Yialos and Dellagracia) is pretty, sandy, with beautiful water and tamarix growing in the sand (disadvantages are its family atmosphere and the rocks as you go into the water). The beach at Delfini can be approached by car (mostly an old cart road) and remains a very good beach (despite its tourist development and the leaching away of the sand). You can approach by car (or on foot) from Kini. Another agreeable beach is Lotos near Kini and also Agathopes at Dellagracia (Poseidonia), which happens to be the island's society beach. Near there, continuing on the same road, is Komito beach, which caters to a younger crowd with a beach bar for beach parties and beach volleyball. Galissas beach is very pretty (if hopelessly shallow), but it suffers, as does all of Galissas, from excessive tourist development. Armeou beach (very near Galissa, but down a very steep road next to the Hotel Dolphin) is pleasant, young and entirely nudist. Between the two beaches, on the hill and worth a visit, is the little church of Aghia Pakou (a corruption of the Ancient Greek "epikoös" - one who hears). However, the most superb and isolated beaches are to be found on the west and northwest sides of the island, after Delfini (Aetos, Varvaroussa - the best-, Lia, Grammata) and to get there you have to go by boat from Kini or on foot from Syros' Apano Meria. Food and Entertainment It is hazardous to talk about restaurants in Greece, for many reasons. Firstly, because there is no constancy in the good or bad quality of any establishment and secondly, because people here do not share a common outlook as to what constitutes good food, as they do in France or Italy. Nonetheless, throughout the land, the best cooking is still based on local recipes using the best ingredients. All other attempts usually fail, and annoy. From this point of view, in Syros, the most unvarying merit is to be found with the talented Baïlas and at "Captain's" taverna. In fact, up until now, they have also shown a relative constancy.
Yiorgos Baïlas ("To Koutouki Tou Lyberi", above the big cemetery, high up at Kaminia) was one of the best ‘corners' in Greece. It opened only on Saturdays (in the old days also on Fridays). In general, one could enjoy there one of the finest home cooking in Greece. It was he who did the shopping, the cooking, the serving, the singing. The use of a past tense is due to the fact that recently this small taverna closed down. Let's hope that Yorghos will reconsider. He has a fine instinct in food.
"Captain's" taverna in Kini belongs to Yiorgos Papitsis, who is practically the life-mayor of Ano Syros. Apart from good food it has first-rate wine from the barrel. The food and the attention bear the seal of the excellent and gentile Kyria Maria. It's as if you're a guest in her home. She serves a variety of home-cooked dishes, from courgettes with eggs to stuffed vegetables and ‘keftedes' (meatballs). On Saturdays (unfortunately for me) there is music, but on the veranda it is quieter. The taverna at Vari Bay ("To Iossifaki" or "Kollitiri") takes us back at least thirty years to when tavernas (even in Attica) were to be found at the seaside and the taverna-keepers were human and approachable. Its owner, Yiorgos Sargologos, is a great maestro in the art of grilling fish, but that which wins you over is mostly the atmosphere and the surroundings. The rest of the food is not distinguished, but this is counterbalanced by the atmosphere. To be eating grilled fish at dusk, under the mulberry trees, half a metre from the water remains one of the fixed merits of this country. Let me note that it is to Yiorgos' credit that he keeps his establishment open all year round (except in November), which is exceptionally rare in areas outside of Ermoupolis. Next to Yiorgos is the charming (when there is no deafening music blaring) little bar "En Plo", where we often all end up (open only in the summer). A most pleasant taverna in Vari is Camello (after the hotel bearing the same name), right next to the beach. In the bay closest to Vari, Achladi, there is an equally traditional good and simple taverna. Your feet are in the water, there are little boats anchored nearby and the food is generally good. In Apano Meria a visit to San Michalis is mandatory, as much for the wonderful derelict village, as for the lovely little taverna that faces the sunset and offers homemade and chiefly fried ‘meze' (small plates of food to accompany drinks). Since 2001, a second little taverna ("To Plakostroto") has opened a little further down. Relatively good (though overrated) is the (family orientated) "Barbalias" at Finikas (noise, crowds and nothing noteworthy). "Talaras" at Megas Yialos is a small, classic taverna with no frills. It is especially good for lunch. In Azolimnos there is the exceptional taverna named "Filomila". Perhaps the best cooking in the island. Original dishes with an 'arabesque' flavour, with an outstanding pork anklebone. "Zaranis" also at Azolimno, good for meat and first-class grilling, is a good, traditional ‘psistaria' (grill). In Kini, there are many tavernas but of a doubtful quality. The only one truly standing out (excellent products, superb cooking) is St' Armyrikia (under the new management of Yannis Kairis). Easily competing with Filomila as the best taverna in the island. In Ano Syros, tourism and the wonderful views have undermined the quality of the food. However, there are tavernas like "Piatsa", "Lilis", "Thea" and others, which have excellent views and rather mediocre food. In the winter, "Lilis" moves down to the old underground taverna and is much better as far as atmosphere goes. There are other tavernas without a view and these should at least have good food, but it appears that there is no call for it. Most people are content with a little "art" music accompanied by ‘melitzanosalata' (aubergine ‘salad') and ‘saganaki' (fried cheese). I have grown old and am more inclined to grumble. Inside Ermoupolis there are many, but usually unexceptional tavernas ("Oinopnevmata", "Stou Aï", "Sto Petrino", "Archontiko", "O Bacchus" and others). However, there is also the cookshop Nissiotopoula or the new and very cheap self- service restaurant of the well-known caterers of Ano Syra To Kastri. Nonetheless, there is nowhere where the food is dreadful and the atmosphere is usually agreeable. Perhaps the best places to eat in town are some small, easily missed "ouzeri" (ouzo and ‘meze' shops) in the main square, (e.g. "Manousos" on the main square, "Boudouris Bros." in the port) and also on the seafront on the side of the port. At the boatyard the common ‘mezedopoleio' (‘meze' shop) "Mouraghio" offers more through its location than through the standard of its ‘meze', which without being bad are rarely distinctive. Even more picturesque and with fewer, but better ‘meze' (chiefly fried) is the little ‘kafenion' (coffee shop) at Tarsanas (the boatyard) that is right next to Supermarket Atlantic. In these small ‘ouzeri' the authenticity of the surroundings and of the regular customers in combination with the honesty of the few and simple dishes (‘maridaki' - very small, fried fish, ‘keftedakia' - little meatballs, octopus etc) guarantee that the average quality is high. A folk's coffee-shop/ouzo joint with a great variety of fish meze (and excelling in kefte and pork chunks) is Michalis, just a bit furher and opposite from Tarsanas. The "pitfall" of many a restaurateur is attempting something a little more ‘gentile' and sophisticated, even if "Louba" (pitfall) is the name of his restaurant. There is something indicative there. It's the same with clothing. Most people look nice and have style when they wear their everyday clothes. It is in evening dress that the kitsch begins. The Italian "Amvyx", in the port, has exquisite pizza (with an Italian ‘pizzaiolo'), but the pasta is merely tolerable. For better pasta go to the new "Dolce Vita" in the little street next to the "Periferia" (the offices of the District Administration) in Filini Street, but its prices are fairly high. Both restaurants are run by Italians. "Balopitas" in the port has excellent fish and the ultra-fashionable ‘lobster pasta', ‘crawfish pasta' etc. Personally I always prefer the lobster separate from the pasta. "Lavyrinthos" in Vaporia is a restaurant with a lovely atmosphere and view and food that is relatively original (for a change of content without the compulsory trimmings). "Thalami" has the better view, but if they don't change chef and gastronomical attitude each visit is hazardous. What is astonishing is that various guides refer to it as the best. Perhaps they are carried away by the unquestionably inimitable view. It is, in fact, a restaurant that uses pre-boiled pasta. Need I say more? It is not inconceivable that all this will change some day. If I get to hear of it, I will revisit and make amends. The well-known taverna at Mytakas also has a beautiful view (though, to be honest, I can't see why one needs to look out while one eats), and perhaps the food is right, but things there are more difficult, because the owner himself has to change his conduct. Personally I am staying away in protest. We have no other defense against rudeness. The all-famous taverna at Chroussa poses the greatest mystery. It has days that are excellent and days that are just plain ghastly, and also the flaw of using an excessive amount of cheese in the cooking. It's worth the risk however There are certainly many other tavernas. I have not visited them all (even though, little by little, I should), because I am constantly sidetracked by the best restaurant of all, which is my home, with the best chef of all, my wife Nana. This may be ascertained only by those who attend the four-day winter seminars. It's an added benefit. Anyhow, unevenness is the greatest problem encountered in the general field of Greek gastronomy (with the exception of Crete). That is why my advice has to be followed cautiously. I would have to go to each establishment many times and then again nothing would be certain. On the other hand, I have heard views diametrically opposed to mine. No one is obliged to follow my advice. What is also a problem in most of the island's tavernas (if not in those of the whole of Greece) is the wine.  Most wine from the barrel (usually Cretan) is of the utmost mediocrity quality-wise, while good bottled wines are rare and when found have been badly preserved. Not only are their white wines more than two years old, but instead of realising that the wine has soured they consider it an advantage. And not only that, but they forget the white wines in the fridge for days or months on end with the result that they "break". Though they may have heard that red wines should be kept at room temperature, they consider this to be the 35ºC of a room in the Cyclades and not the 17ºC of a room in Burgundy. And to add insult to injury, they think it logical for the market price of a wine to triple before it gets to your table. Yorghos Kritsinis runs a superb wine and spirits shop on the main road (Stamatiou Proïou Street) and it is to be hoped that his knowledge of wine and his enthusiasm will promote an oenological education on the island.There are many bars that you will discover for yourselves. Klearchos, on the left far end of the central square was the best. Unfortunately it closed down. Recently it reopened under a new management. I have not been there yet. I am afraid that, as time goes by, more and more places among the ones I like will be closing down. However, I am waiting for your own choices, as I am not experienced in this genre. Some prefer Agora on the central square, others Peiramatikon, on the same square, others Bohême on the waterfront towards the Hermes Hotel, and others many more from the tens of bars on the island. Syros is blessed on the ice cream front. "Dai Dadi", in the port, provides the cutting edge of quality. The manufacturers are Italian and they use local products. The ice cream is made fresh every day. Hopefully it will maintain its high standard, because, on occasion, we have caught them ‘off-key'. "Dodoni", not bad but mass-produced, follows at a considerable distance. For classic sweets (a little sweeter than they should be) try "Athymaritis" (on Keas Street, a little side street linking Stamatiou Proïou Street to the port, near the vegetable market). On the corner of Keas Stret and the waterfront or Iroon Polutechneiou Street (this naming has become inevitable), the new pastry shop Sweet Home with Floka cakes and ice cream cakes from Athens (particularly successful are the "Royal" dark chocolate cakes). For ‘loukoumia' (Turkish Delights) and the nougat-like specialty of the island ‘chalvadopittes' (and inimitable ‘chalvas'- a traditional dessert) go to "Korres" in central Miaoulis Square (on Chios Street). It also has an excellent range of dried fruit and nuts. For ‘souvlaki' try "Ovelistirio" (on central Protopapadaki Street) and "Politis" in the small square at the bottom end of the main square. The recently opened and very elegant café-bar called "E-ame" is a great help. It offers wonderful ‘pitta'-sandwiches with Arabic ‘falafels' and furthermore at very reasonable prices. A veritable paradise for vegetarians, it is located exactly opposite Klearchos' bar at the very end of Chios Street (in the market). For Greek coffee (with ‘spoon-sweets', lovely and plentiful) there is "Stellas" or "Pantheon" in the main square, the very traditional "Eirianna" (Stamatiou Proïou Street), but also the wonderful atrium at the law court (located in the Town House). For espresso go to the renovated and much enlarged "Café Greco" on Parou Street (a small street between Ermou and Chios Streets) or "Café Ermou", on the corner of Ermou Street, Politia Café (ex Foyer on Miaouli Square), a hangout for theatre buffs, or "Okio" on the waterfront near the Customs House, if you want a view of the port, fairly good coffee and very good accompanying, homemade cake, or also its neighbouring Chalandrianoi. In Galissa there is an amiable little bar called "Argo" (sometimes there is live music, mainly on the weekends, ‘laïka', jazz or rock). Shops The shops in Ermoupolis are multiplying and improving. We have Hondos Center, we have Body Shop, we have Beauty Shop, we have Multirama, we have Germanos, we have Coffee Way, we have Cook Shop, we have Follie-Follie, we have Zolotas and we have anything else you might wish for. And when we have "Salumaio di Montenapoleone", for Italian foodstuffs, and "Aristokratikon", for chocolates, we will lack for nothing you could get in Athens.  For sportswear there is the excellent little shop "En Drasi", belonging to Fifis (Iosif) Kyriakopoulos, located in a small side street off Stamatiou Proïou Street in the centre. There are other shops too that you might not notice initially, but which have very good products. For little handmade gifts (jewellery, hand-painted porcelain, etc) go to "Art and Fun", belonging to our friend Chrysanthi (Zarari), on Protopapadakis street. For ‘komboloi' (worry beads) and other gifts try "Kechribari" on Protopapadakis Street. For antiques (whatever's left) there is "Raphaelos". For glasses (eye-glasses) go to the exemplary shop run by Stavros Koïs (also our friend) on Thimaton Sperchiou Street. For toys try the delightful ‘Paichnidopolio' (toyshop) on central Protopapadakis Street. For books there is the old bookshop belonging to Mr. Stathopoulos on Stamatiou Proïou Street (a continuation of Protopapadakis Street) and the «Vivliopontikas» on Androu street owned by the neighbour and friend Yanna Zoidou. For computers (apart from Multirama) go to Nikolouzos, near the Neorion supermarket. Smokers go to Tobacco Shop. For traditional foodstuff go to "Prekas" in the central market (on Chios Street). For a more international delicatessen go to Rossolato's grocery store in town (on the road between the port and the Iroön square), the Freris supermarket on the road to Galissa, and above all to Classic belonging to the Tinos born Palamaris on Thymaton Spercheiou Street. For normal food shopping there is "Supermarket Atlantic" at the entrance of the town, at the boatyard, but a little before that, on the opposite side of the road is the Neorion supermarket ("O Katanalotis"), with a different attitude and a different range of goods from Atlantic and just a bit further (opposite DEI - the electricity warehouse) at Champion Marinopoulos. Also very good is our closeby Manna Market (Proton). A classic choice for a bakery is the famous Pitsikali's (formerly Koumarianos's), but also "Vamvakouris" on Iroön Square and, of course, the "Finikas" depot in the central market (on Chios Street). On the same street you can find the products of the "Viosyr" co-operative (cheeses, yoghurts etc), but also those of other Cycladic co-operatives.Make a note though that Syros is the vegetable garden of the Cyclades. Courgettes, broccoli, aubergines, tomatoes, melons and many other vegetables when they are local are usually beyond compare. The local cheese is the 'parmeggianesque' San Michalis (very good for accompanying wine). Ask for the maturest stage you can get it. Then it really resembles fine parmesan cheese. Also, the less salty San Tzortzis. Equally good is Syros' gruyere, but also the superb, small, round heads of goat cheese that are sold semi-illegally, because they don't meet EU regulations. When you come across them, (usually at greengrocer's shops) don't miss them. Capers, caper-leaves and the longer caper buds, known as ‘caper-cucumbers', are a trademark of the island. Other local specialties are thyme-flavoured honey (if the season is good, that is if there is enough rain for the thyme to blossom properly), ‘louza' (spiced and sun-dried pork), sausages with fennel, sun-dried tomatoes and ‘pastelaries' (dried figs with sesame and bay leaves). Hotels It is very difficult to recommend hotels. Tastes and purse strings vary widely. I will, however, make the attempt. In Ermoupolis, I consider the "Hermes" in the port (on the side of the Port Authority) to be of classic value, especially if they give you a new (or renovated) room. On the same side is "Kymata", typical rented rooms (cheaper than "Hermes"). All rooms have a sea view. The "Omiros" boarding house is inside Ermoupolis, a few steps higher than the Cathedral (cars get there on the back "Lalakia" road). The price to quality ratio is excellent (this is not true of its, thankfully optional, breakfast). Its rooms, however, are not all of equal standard. Ask if you can choose. The upper front rooms are superb, comfortable, simple and tasteful. The "Syros Melathron" (in the Vaporia district) is a little kitsch, but the price is fair in relation to what's offered. Its front rooms have a wonderful view, but they're noisy. The same is true of the "Vourli" boardinghouse (a little higher up). I don't know how it has been renovated and what services it offers, so I can't tell if its high prices are worth it. The "Apollonos" boardinghouse (on Apollonos Street above Tsiropina Square in front of the Prefecture) belongs to our friend Yiorgos Stathopoulos and is extremely tasteful, offering a wonderful breakfast (and proportional prices). It only has three rooms and it's a good idea for a group of friends to book them all together. It is preferable to ask for a front room overlooking the sea. The "Diogenis" hotel (where the boats dock) and the "Palladion" (on the central street, on what's known as the ‘aniforaki' - little uphill stretch) are the kind geared towards travelling salesmen and players at the casino. I wouldn't recommend them, unless nothing else were available. The "Villa Maria" boardinghouse in amongst the town steps is considered the best, but I cannot express an opinion. I have also heard people speak well of the "Ariadne" guestrooms. The recently refurbished Nissaki next to the Yachting Club, privileged due to its location and view and with rather reasonable prices.
For car rentals you should apply to Makis Stathopoulos for what the advertisement would say was excellent service and friendly prices. Useful Numbers The Area Code of the island is 22810 (the Postal Code is 84100). Port Authority 88888 - Police 82610 - Olympic Airways 82634 - Airport 87025 - Hospital 86666, 96500 - KTEL (Bus Company) 82575 - OTE (Telephone Company) 95501 - Municipality 82500 - Prefecture 82378 - Fire Department 87383 - Taxi Rank - 86222 - Archaeological Museum 88487 - Industrial Museum 81243 - Apollon Theatre 85192 - Casino 84400 - Stathopoulou Car Rental 88901/0944-560228 - Boudouris Travel Agency 83400 - ACS Courier 87880 - Hellenic Star (Airline) 010-9611881 - Olympic Airways (central line in Athens) 010-9666666 - NEL Aiolos (Shipping Company) 010-4223185 - Minoan (Shipping Company) 010-4199000 - Strinzis (Shipping Company) 010-3226800 Hotel Hermes 83011 - Hotel Omiros 84910 - Hotel Syrou Melathron 86495 - Hotel Apollonos 81387 - Hotel Vourlis 81682 - Hotel Kymata 82758 - Hotel Dolphin Bay 42924 - Hotel Villa Maria 81561 - Hotel Palladion 86400 - Hotel Diogenis 86301 - Hotel Ariadne 80245 - Hotel Iossifaki 61406 - Hotel Atlantis 83748 - Hotel Domenica 61216 - Hotel Amfitryon 61807 - Hotel Emily 61400 - Hotel Paravalos 61506 - Hotel Kochili 61001 - Hotel Balkoni tou Aegaiou 88605 - Camping Glassias Two Hearts 42042 Captain's Restaurant 71400 - Thalami Restaurant 85331 -Balopitas Restaurant 82693 - San Michalis Restaurant 85822 - Chroussa Restaurant 61813 Zaranis Restaurant 61020 - Armirikia Restaurant 71151 - Filomila Restaurant 62088 - To Petrino Restaurant 87427 - Amvyx Restaurant 83989 - Iossifaki Restaurant 61406 - Piatsa Restaurant 87526 - Stin Ithaki Tou Aï Restaurant 82060 - En Plo Bar 61901 - Argo Bar 42819 - E-Ame Café 87870 - Café Greco 81513 - Kafeneio O Stellas 88301 - Café Politia 88568 En Drasi Shop 86877 - Art and Fun Shop 89086 - Athymaritis Shop 82261 - Sweet Home Shop 87784 - Prekas Shop 87556 - Koï Shop 83810 - Kava Kristinis Shop 82353 - Korre Shop 82037 - Raphaelos Shop 87415 |
