Greece! First Stop - Symi

Entering Symi Harbor.

May 28, 2025

The short 13 NM to enter Greece from Türkiye was blessed with 20kt winds in the right direction. We sailed!!

Yellow Q Flag is raised as Bistari enters her 21st country.

We opted to tie up to the town dock due to high winds and the distance of the nearby ancorages.

It always feels ceremonial raising the flag of the country we are entering. While mandatory, it is a great tradition. The local country flag will stay raised slightly above the American flag until we depart the country.

Oh my…

Our neighbor across the street from our town dock slip. We enjoyed carry out!

Takis Leather Art Gallery

Meet artist Takis, owner of Takis Leather Art Gallery. Using leather for his canvas, he burns tiny pixels to create breathtaking images with more than a million dots.

Chicago bridged our two worlds as Beau Wrigley of Chicago had purchased a Harbor scene.

Mr. Takis is proud to create images that blind people come to see by slowly touching the canvas.

Heading up the 500+ steps to the Archaeological Museum of Symi.

The Symi Architetural Museum is located near the top of the city in a beautiful mansion donated to the museum.

Behind unassuming doors are beautiful courtyards and rooms.

The rooms are decorated with period furniture from the 18th and 19th centuries.

But the magic of our visit was the rich display of treasures through antiquity. This statue date from 450-300 bc.

Displayed throughout this beautiful house were artifacts from so many periods of history beginning as far back as 5,000 bc.

With invading powers and local political threats best to keep a stash hidden. Seems this family matriarch was similar to my grandmother who could never find the silver she hid when traveling before Thanksgiving. She usually located it by Christmas!

New directions for us - ferry lines replace highways!