We sprinkle handfuls of fragrant rose petals over the white linen tablecloth, Kostas adding a stalk or two of savoury scented oregano here and there. The shade from the pergola above dapples the tablescape of aromatic flora and linen napkins as a rosé, made a handful of miles away, is sloshed enthusiastically into glinting glasses. As we sip, we turn to look at green-gold grapevines backdropped by the Mediterranean sea, far below our hilltop. The faint sizzle of roasting pork dances over from a barbecue facing the elements, as huge bowls of salads and hunks of salted, chargrilled vegetables – juicy beetroot, celeriac – are uncovered. This, my friends, was described as “a picnic”.
It was dubbed thus by our hosts at Hotel Aristide, a new boutique hideaway of just nine suites on the underrated, under-the-radar Greek island of Syros. As we were some of the first guests through the door, they had offered our party a tour of the hotel’s kitchen farm followed by “a picnic” – an offer that never could have conjured the idyllic, white-clothed, rose-scented banquet that awaited.
