Syros
The difficult weather conditions that prevailed the last few days did not permit us to go to Delos and Mykonos today but they turned our ship towards Syros. We spent the morning sailing towards this unexpected island, the capital of the Cyclades. The sea had somewhat calmed down since yesterday and sailing in the Aegean with the sails of Panorama wide open is, what can I say, a unique experience!
When we arrived to Syros we were taken by surprise. This Cycladic Island was so different from all the others we had visited until today. Instead of the whitewashed small cubic houses we saw neoclassical mansions built with marble, marble paved streets and immensely large churches. In the afternoon we took a walk to explore and discover the town and its mysteries.
Syros is a tiny island of the Aegean which found itself in a fortunate place back in the 19th Century. The island is halfway between Istanbul and Alexandria and became the most appropriate place for refueling steam ships with coal. As a consequence it developed into a very important port and trade centre attracting merchants from all over the world who came here to conduct their business. Insurance companies came here to insure ships and cargoes and so on. Industry developed simultaneously as well as ship building. The wealth of Syros became legendary and it is reflected in the material remains: the churches and the houses.
Economic prosperity was followed by cultural advancements as is indicated by a literary club, publishing establishment and the existence of a theatre which is a miniature of the la Scala de Milan and where important 19th Century actors performed. With the end of the age of steam ships, the decline of Syros started, but it was a slow decline thanks to it flourishing textile industry. The real end of the economic prosperity came with the Second World War.
Today the island is the administrative centre of the Cyclades. It has a shipyard for repairing large ships and of course it has its “loukoumi” industry. Loukoumi is a sweet which is really a Turkish delight (or maybe rather a Greek delight) and numerous shops around the town treat you to their goodies as you pass by.
As in every island we have visited so far, also on this island we found a hidden treasure. Visiting a church in a residential neighborhood we found an icon painted by El Greco, the famous renaissance painter.
In the evening we visited the house-museum of an actress who had performed in the theatre in Syros. Kyveli was her name and she was the first to introduce the work of Pirandello in Greece. A beautiful house, authentic furniture, and informative material told us about her life and we experienced great hospitality offered by the house’s current residents, the granddaughter Kyveli and the great granddaughter Valentine.
What a day. And Syros – what a surprise!
