By 
Syros, the Nice of Greece… Perhaps even better since I didn’t think Nice, France was that great to be honest. But with a glistening coastline, pastel shaded architecture and a vibrant and fresh energy, Syros stood out from the majority of the sleepy islands we visited on our sail through the Greek Isles. The capitol city in Syros, Ermoupoli, also serves as the capitol of the Cyclades region, where most of the islands we visited lie. We hadn’t originally planned on coming here but given our change in plans due to weather conditions our captain recommended it. And I am so glad we came here because it actually ended up being our favorite from the trip.
We arrived pretty early in the day as our sail from Mykonos was only a few hours long, unlike the majority of our distances between islands. And pulling up to this dreamy coastline and docking right in front of a million Easter colored chairs set the perfect tone (color and mood) for a wonderful afternoon.
After I tied my side of the rope we immediately got dressed and ready for a lazy day of exploring a place I hadn’t had a chance to fully vet ahead of time. And I suppose it was a blessing in disguise as this whole trip proved to be yet another life lesson in letting go of control and just letting things happen.
Fortunately we found a quint little spot for coffee fairly quickly, and sat for an unlimited amount of time, as one does here in Europe, to start our big day.
Arthur got his frappé fix and fortunately my espresso came with a little cookie, just the right amount of sugar before a day full of walking and more eating and drinking. Which is precisely what we did.
SHOP THE POST
We spent a good amount of time walking around, exploring the city, which despite being at the capitol and fairly large in comparison to other cities we visited, still felt very quaint and cozy. There were plenty of small streets tucked away with lots of shops, cafés and restaurants. Of course when I saw the words King of Pasta, I couldn’t help but bud my head in and see what was up. We decided to get a little carbonara in us as fuel to find yet another spot to sit for lunch.
It’s safe to say the King of Pasta was rightfully named and we continued on our little pre-lunch stroll, one magical alleyway after another.
After scoping out many different alleyways we finally came across one that really caught our eye and found a perfect place to sit for lunch. There weren’t many establishments open to choose from as everyone seemed to be on siesta but this charming taverna positioned right under batches of bougainvillea had some locals sitting dining in, so we figured it had to have some merit on that alone.
Everything we had was great, nothing too special but the mandatory greek salad Arthur ordered and saganaki were a perfect follow up to our pre-lunch pasta find. We also ordered the chicken syros, which was basically chicken drenched in tomato and that was alright but nothing I remember too fondly. In terms of atmosphere, however, the place was perfect. It had all the things we were looking for in Greece; a charming setting, with few tourists and a wide reaching menu selection. It was also very well priced and in a great location, surrounded by plenty of other similar tavernas to choose from.
After our long lunch we continued to make our way through the charming city streets until we found another perfect spot to sit again for yet another unlimited amount of time. I ordered a sugar free daiquiri that took a bit of explaining to the bartender who couldn’t quite understand my request to basically blend ice, rum and lime until after a few attempts. But the result was quite delicious and probably took the same amount of effort as getting a waiter to bring me a vodka soda in a wine glass with as many garnishes as possible. Some investment on the front end but well worth the avoidance of sticky, liquid sugar in middle of the day.
And then of course, more exploring through the city. We walked up towards more of the residential areas so we could see some of the homes people live in and get a better view of the city. And all the slow climbs up were well worth it for this beautiful pink and bougainvillea drenched home we passed by.
Eventually we decided it was time to head back to the port and take a small nap before dinner that evening. On our way back we stumbled upon Prekas Delicatessen, which had a wonderful array of fresh meats and cheeses, a huge wine selection and tons of small gourmet food goods. I of course got a sample of the San Michali cheese, which is the one most unique to Syros island. We grabbed some pink champagne and Arthur found a few meats he liked and shared our finds with the captain later that evening before dinner.
That night we headed back to the same little alleyway we found lunch in earlier, this time with our captain, and sat outside at another recommended restaurant we has seen earlier called Maritsa’s Arhontariki. In addition to delicious Greek salad Arthur ordered, which had a soft cheese, which I now believe is the key to a fabulous Greek salad, I surprisingly ordered my SECOND pasta for the day. And it was delicious, as expected. Later I heard about a fabulous restaurant called Mazi, but we unfortunately had only one night here.
After dinner we continued to stroll the charming streets again, this time at night. The city was even more bright and alive as everyone loves to come back alive post siesta nap apparently. We found a nice little bar and sat outside with a drink, only to quickly bail on our vodka sodas for a gelato scoop across the street, an evening ritual that I am still attempting to break despite the fact that I have been back in Los Angeles since Labor Day. Please. Send. Help.
-MGN
Authentically,
