One of the obvious benefits of moving to a new country is you suddenly have a fresh palette of places to use for a quick getaway when the need arises. Despite the tensions, tragedies and drama of several centuries ,Turkey and Greece are close enough neighbours for those of us fortunate to hold the right passport to benefit from an easily arranged trip for a few days. With all the contrasts and similarities these fiery siblings have it’s worthwhile travelling between the two and piecing together the jigsaw of their shared history and fortunes. This overlap in food, culture & landscape makes for an intensely enjoyable journey without need of an airport and harks back to the less complicated travel taken for granted a couple of decades ago. None of which excuses the appalling pun in this post title.

With this in mind the obvious route to Greece from home in Köyceğiz is to sail to Rhodes via a ferry from Fethiye (or Marmaris). Being essentially an unsociable sort with nary a patriotic bone in my body I was wary Rhodes may be a little heavy on mass package tourism and all that brings. This may sound more than a little snotty but overpriced imported food & drinks, ranks of souvenir shops, and restauranteurs leaping on passing browsers is not my idea of stimulation. So from Rhodes Town the plan was for a few days on Symi island for a less commercial experience. Symi has no airport so working on the psychological basis that any fellow travellers wanting to go there have put some thought and effort into getting away this seemed the ideal solution.

The itinerary was for one night in Fethiye, enabling us to get the 8am ferry. One night in Rhodes Town, followed by the 3pm ferry to Symi where we spent four nights. Then return to Rhodes Town for another two nights. Finally a night in Fethiye before going home on the dolmuş. Alternately there is a ferry from Marmaris to Rhodes and at some point hopefully the Datça to Symi ferry will start up again. To do the whole journey starting in Fethiye and coming back via Datça would be particulary memorable as Datça is a lovely town to spend time in and the road journey back incredibly scenic.

Fethiye! Short and sweet- Fethiye deserves a post all of its own but one thing stood out about this visit was where we ate. Kukina https://www.instagram.com/kukinacaferia/ a real gem of a find. As much as we love Turkish food it’s good to occasionally have something from further afield and done well. Kukina has a relatively short menu but with superbly tasty food from a wide variety of influences. The courtyard & bar have a laidback classy ambience that normally presages a heavy assault on your bank balance but Kukina is actually really good value. As we were getting the 8am ferry I booked a budget hotel close to the marina, the Infinity City hotel https://www.infinitycityhotel.com/ was pleasant, quiet and very convenient. I’d recommend it if you want something simple near the marina. I booked tickets on the Direct ferries website https://www.directferries.com/greece.htm as the ferry company websites were a little clunky and a failed transaction tested my patience.

At 7am we had a quick breakfast from the hotel buffet and set off for the short walk in the early morning sunshine to the marina. Passport control was a doddle and the boarding process all very simple. One word of warning- I noticed that some of the passengers sitting in the front window seats developed sea-sickness. Probably because the view from the sky pointing bow was just a monotonous rise and fall of sea-scape. The ferry ride itself was without note apart from the odd flying fish, and the gorgeous hue’s of blues the sea displayed. Before long the island hove into view, the fortified city walls evident from a distance. Entering Rhodes Town harbour ,like all good boat arrivals, had the slow grandeur the itinerant traveller deserves. The carefully manoeuvred final approach and rope wrangling shenanigans as the ship was moored fuelled our anticipation of a new adventure.

At the risk of sounding like a fusty old git I feel it’s only fair to put in the following warning. If staying in the Old town then it’s worth noting a couple of things. A taxi is a waste of time and money as there’s little car access beyond the city walls. It’s a short walk into the old town, though the warren of ancient streets makes the advance plan of knowing the location of your accommodation a wise one as it can get a little confusing if you try and wing it as we did. Our Turkish SIM cards didn’t work in Rhodes so we were dependent on occasional free cafe WiFi for information.

Also the Old town is cobbled with surprisingly prominent stones that make pulling even a small suitcase tricky and can be quite painful underfoot unless wearing thick soled footwear. This becomes more evident the longer you stay, my cheapo deck shoes entirely unsuited to tramping the streets. We stayed at Mango rooms http://www.mangorestaurant.gr/ which is a decent budget option, with an amiable owner and plum location on the serene Dorieos square. Being a little early for the room it was fortuitous the hotel has a good kitchen so sated the hunger that travel induces with a tasty pizza at the house restaurant. I’d recommend this family run kitchen to the famished arrivée when time or indecision are pressing.

Rhodes Town turned out to be a very pleasant surprise. Probably in part due to the post- school holiday exodus there was just the right level of bustle but it was easy to flit back into the labyrinth of narrow streets and hunt out quieter courtyard restaurants, bars & cafes. The genuinely picturesque old town is surprisingly large compared to the paltry remnants in many other European cities. A mixture of quiet villagey squares, imposing antiqities, seedy cat-haunted alleyways inspire hours of exploration. There are lots of surprise discoveries to be found such as the centuries old Synagogue and mosques making the visual history of the city all the more interesting. We realised the true extent of how large the old town is after an unfortunate wrong turn and no internet access meant we walked the length of the city moat, which went on for way longer than expected. Only the insider knowledge of a friendly local, who showed us a hidden stairway, rescued us from certain death by starvation, dehydration or bickering. Saying that it was fascinating seeing the huge uneven fortifications with tiny doorways, forbidding tunnels and imposing ramparts.

One mission of mine was to find the small house the author, Lawrence Durrell lived in when he was working as an Information Officer on Rhodes in the late 1940’s as part of the British Military Administration . Durrell wrote a retrospective account of this time published as Reflections on a Marine Venus. Written in his usual lush but chatty prose evoking a time long gone and referring to intriguing characters he came across. His allusions to travellers, writers, poets and artists had me regularly researching his references, piecing together these fragments of post war life. The house, a short walk from the Old town, remains in relatively reasonable repair in the grounds of the old mosque of Murad Reis. I’ve long been a committed reader of this complicated man so it was good to see the home he remembered fondly and wrote of long after he’d moved on. The mosque, one of many in the town, has a timeless serenity and felt oddly overlooked considering it’s proximity to town and beach. Well worth a diversion even if you’re not a reader of Durrell’s.

The rest of the day was spent wandering, eating and drinking. Sipping a chilled drink at Auvergne https://www.auvergnecafe.gr/ in the shade of a magnificent old courtyard whilst watching the Rhodian cats manipulate tourists and locals alike is as fine a way to spend the day as any. In the evening after a stroll we ate above the hustle on the rooftop terrace of Ouzokafene https://ouzokafenes.com/en/ where meze, retsina and a marvellous plate of tender seared octopus went down well whilst watching the promenaders beneath. This restaurant is definitely worth visiting as it stands out from many of the popular street side places which feel too busy to guarantee a good meal and service. Plus the lofty elevation encourages that after meal freedom to soak up the balmy evening sounds and sights over a bottle of crisp local wine.

As ever the idea of an early night was kicked into touch and we agreed just the right kind of bar was needed. Good music, intimate atmosphere, an element of quirk or two and preferably the stamp of the locals patronage. We struck gold when we chanced upon the mellow sounds audible from a pleasingly cluttered corner place and ventured expectantly inside almost certain we’d nailed it. And we had- Raxati is a great little bar, one to add to the legion of memorable establishments I’ve graced and disgraced over the decades. The friendly owner greeted us with a smile and wave whilst djing an excellent range of vinyl classics, covers and songs you think you know but probably didn’t. Possibly the oldest dog on the planet lives there, though the tipsy need beware, he’s easily mistaken for a moth eaten draught excluder and needs stepping over with care. The decor is suitably eyecatching for the musing drinker and there’s just the right flow of street life to imbue the area with nightlife bonhomie.

The following day we took the midday Rhodes-Symi ferry. Again a refreshingly easy boarding onto a comfortable speedy boat. It was an enjoyable trip skirting the deserted Turkish coastline at times, then as we drew closer to Symi and the island began to take on visible detail it’s beauty becoming apparent. The views of the approaching island of towering cliffs, desert like hillsides with remote white painted buildings and the opening to several intriguing coves were leading up to the gorgeous spectacle of Symi town itself. A multi-coloured picturesque town climbing steeply up the slopes behind, with a lively boat filled harbour and bustling quay. The scene had that technicolour glamour of a 60’s film, I was expecting a choreographed song and dance number from beefy stevedores (dockers – I’m one for the fancy words) and comely fishwives. Sadly due no doubt to Eu regulations, Covid or reality not being quite the same as the nonsense in my head this didn’t happen. This magical little town is framed with sparse parched hillsides ,that highlight the gaiety of colour of the buildings and provoked a clatter of camera shutters from my fellow sailors.,

For the next few days we were staying in Pedi, which is a short bus or taxi ride away. It’s walkable but the steep road isn’t appealing in the mid-morning and daytime heat . The bus stop is opposite where the ferry disembarks, and departs every half hour for a small fare. After a break neck race against the demons in the bus drivers head we arrived shaken, stirred and exultant at the sea front stop. Our digs were the simple but perfectly pleasant Stelios & Galini https://steliosgalini.traveleto.com/ with a basic kitchen in a small comfortable apartment. Pedi has a midsized hotel , a couple of restaurants and a tidy little bar serving locals, boat owners and other travellers. Easily sufficient for a few days provisions and entertainment. We found after a days swimming & walking, an hour or so on the balcony followed by a couple of hours idling at a restaurant or bar was enough excitement for the evening. It goes without saying the night skies here are fantastic star filled affairs. One evening we cooked pasta on the electric hob provided and enjoyed the sunset from the small terrace. Good for the budget and also prevents us getting jaded from eating out every night.

Pedi itself is a lovely little place with a couple of tiny swimmable beaches. As a bonus it’s a 25 minute walk along the sage scented hillside to the bay of Agiou Nikolaou where the water is crystal clear and the backdrop stunning. If you’re there in the late summer / early autumn, the whistling flighty birds that haunt the hillside are Blue Rock Thrushes-gorgeous cocky birds worth trying to get a good look at. Agiou Nikolaou (St Nicholas bay) is a real find, the sort of place billionaires and 5 star hotel chains wish they’d got hold of first. If making a day of it there are two small restaurants serving simple tasty food and reasonably priced drinks. On our visits there was an entertaining chap collecting money for the loungers, he has a fine line in patter and it was a pleasure to speak with him. We spent a lot of time here swimming, mooching, reading and then before dusk fell reluctantly dragging ourselves back up the cliff steps like kids called home for their tea (I’m Northern- dinner is tea).

With only a few days on Symi we chose to take it easy between Pedi, Symi town (Yialos being the name for the busy lower area, Hora for the quieter upper reaches) & Agiou Nikolaou. However there are regular water taxis from Pedi to the other island bays and beaches, all of which seem to have their own individual attraction to those that have been. Symi is one of those places where taking it easy comes naturally and in these days of comprehensive connectivity it still retained an old world charm where it was easy to leave the mobile in the pocket and enjoy the backdrop of bouganvillea fringed gardens, shimmering sea and endless sky without the urge to check back into the troublesomeworld beyond.

Symi town (Yialos) itself was livelier than I expected. On the Saturday evening we sat outside Alegrito ,a plumly situated quayside bar with an eclectic mix of regulars enjoying the promenading and anarchic to-ing and fro-ing of locals on scooters including what presumably was a wedding party bombing past in their finery .There are also plenty of places that are set back from the beeping, engine revs and catcalls of the harbour front but there’s a nice buzz in the sultry atmosphere and it’s worth experiencing as dusk settles in. For food we walked right around the harbour to Odyssia overlooking the harbour from a quiet corner. It was a little pricier than we’ve become accustomed to but the food was excellent, and the quality justified slightly higher prices than some of it’s competitors. We remained chatting lazily afterwards with the glow that comes from a good meal, decent wine and idyllic view.

After a few days walking, swimming, reading, writing, eating, drinking, birdwatching and a fair bit of sloth it was time to return. The beauty of this trip is the adventure of sailing beats the 21st century brutality of air travel any time. Packing was a 5 minute affair, no restrictions to research, no 3 hour advance wait or shuffling queue of shame, removing shoes & belt, arms aloft, unpacking & repacking bags.However there was another death defying bus ride back to the harbour, wheels a scarce inch from the waters edge, at a speed that belied the single decker’s frumpy appearence. After staggering rubber legged from the formula 1 charabanc we sat on a bench and sipped fresh lemonade contentedly awaiting the ferry like a couple of gap year youngsters, just a little more grizzled and no braiding in evidence. On boarding we went up to the open top deck for the return journey, which was a welcome treat but if it’s a full boat I’d recommend you sort yourself with some shade and avoid sitting near the air con outlets- the diesel-laden hot air being pumped out all the way back. The leaving of Symi is magnificent, towering cliffs, parched hillsides, solitary white-painted buildings on remote shore’s. I felt keenly that sense of regret at leaving that has you mentally planning your return one day.

Rhodes Town, deja vous strikes! We returned to Mango rooms in its tree shaded square with the abandoned mosque and friendly laid back restauranteurs. The next two days were spent at various points across the town, lunch and a swim at one of the beach clubs (not worth a review other than the sea was fun), good Greek wine at Zebrano https://www.zebrano.gr/ , wandering the cobbled streets and reading on the hotel rooftop.

In the evening we went to L’Eternal French bar, https://www.frenchbarrhodes.com/ mainly on the basis of its rooftop terrace. In fact it’s a very good bar well run by its charming owner and the terrace provided a dramatic setting for the appreciation of my excellent Old fashioneds and E’s Aperol. I have a tendency to gulp cocktails when they’re indifferent, these I savoured with the self-romantiscing air great drinks induce in the borderline alcoholic. L’Eternal is a strongly recommended as a memorable location on a balmy Greek evening sipping (or guzzling if you’re British) exquisitely balanced drinks with the bustle of town drifting up from below.

We ate at a small place run by an Englishman selling great wraps, essentially street food as we ended up wolfing them down with the relief that comes from finding good food when there’s a danger hunger is skewing your judgement. If you find this place, let me know, it was a little gem and I should have recorded its name. Last orders again at the unmissable Raxati before a sedate totter back to our room through the timeless film noir alleyways.

With an afternoon departure ferry it was an easy morning. We had a leisurely drawn-out late breakfast (not brunch, brunch isn’t a word) at Fournariko. Fournariko is an artisan style bakery/cafe with the air of the sort of establishment favoured by well known TV chefs. Regardless of this the food (and price) was excellent and there was a steady stream of local and tourist customers. It’s side street setting saves it from the overcrowding of the main thoroughfares. We then hobbled back to the port across those bloody hump-backed cobblestones. At the port it was another easy check-in through passport control, a desultory wander around the duty free shop, then the brisk (1.5 hours) catamaran sail back to Fethiye.

Fethiye’s a great city, more than just a resort, set in the stunning landscape of Muğla with a whole array of places to visit. I’ll do it justice here one day. As we made our way back to the old town (Paspatur) an enormous Loggerhead Turtle surfaced just beyond the moored boats. A huge magnificent individual that’s been a regular here apparently. Our digs for the night were the Kordon apartments– again budget (send money if this annoys you) but a cracking view over the marina and a stylish comfortable apartment. Another excellent meal at Kukina followed by a waterside bar and live music with friends was the finale of a chilled out, stimulating trip. The following morning we ate a spicy menemen in a marina cafe before getting the dolmuş back to Köyceğiz.

There are a number of variations to this trip that can be made, with ferry links from Marmaris available , possibly the Datçaferry starting up again in 2023, you could even cut Symi out and thoroughly explore Rhodes though I can’t recommend Symi enough. Like all the best travelling routes there’s a myriad of possible extensions to the trip dependant on your time and budget as Rhodes and Symi both have onward ferry services to other islands. The thought of a lengthy adventure of island hopping with say Albania or an Italian port as final destination is one worth researching during dark winter evenings. In all whether you’re flying into Dalaman or already travelling in Turkey it’s a thoroughly enjoyable way of seeing a little of both countries with the freedom to put your own spin on it.

For more information feel free to message me at tommybucklh@yahoo.co.uk or via the blog contact page. Also for an enjoyable literary background I’d recommend reading Lawrence Durrell’s book Reflections on a marine venus- it’s dated but aren’t we all.