Naxos

Our European Adventure is coming to an end.  The last 25 days have flown by.  I am making this last blog entry riding in a Hellenic Seaways High Speed Ferry from Naxos back to Athens.  The journey takes three hours and forty minutes.  The catamaran ferry is much more luxurious and comfortable than anything in the B.C. Ferries fleet.  Free strong Wi-Fi, full restaurant and bar service, and plush seats that recline for those who want to nap.

Our time in Naxos was most enjoyable.  It is more suited to our style than Santorini.  The lifestyle is still touristy but without the large numbers and hustle of the more popular island.  Prices are correspondingly lower than our last stay.  Cold beer on Santorini was Four Euro while on Naxos it was two-fifty.  Our four-night stay cost only 296 Euros, including laundry service and full breakfast. 

Things Are A Little Laid Back on Naxos

Salt Taffy Pull

Just One More Sunset

Hotel Delfini - of course, Kostas took Pic for Us

The Hotel Delfini only has a one star rating but the service was closer to five.  Our host Kostas was outstanding.  He could not do enough for us.  He was always there to greet us returning to the hotel and even offered complimentary beer, coffee or ice cream multiple times.  Kostas went above and beyond when Deborah inadvertently left her hotel key in one of the local shops.  The shopkeeper phoned Kostas and he ran up to the shop, retrieved the key, and searched the beach until he found me to ensure I had access to the room.  When we were leaving he packed our bags into his car and drove them to the ferry dock, so we could enjoy one last leisurely walk through the town and seafront before departing the island.

Our routine didn’t vary much from Santorini.  We enjoyed the sunshine, walks through the historic core of the village, pre-dinner drinks, great meals, hikes, sunsets, and gelatos before retiring for the evening.

All Greek To Me!

Naxos Salad

Chicken Pasta

Bacon Wrapped Scallops and Risotto

Our first day was spent exploring Naxos Town.   An ancient arch built by the Venetians in the 6th century B.C marks the harbour.  The Venetians started an edifice dedicated to the goddess Apollo but never finished.  Over time everything was pulled down except the arch.  Speculation suggests it was simply too difficult to destroy by ensuing conquers.  The town itself has an ancient core and parts of the original walls are still visible when walking the rabbit warren of narrow alleyways.

Naxos Town

Calamari Anyone

Fisherman Selling His Catch

Day Two was an adventure in quad travel.  We were going to rent motor scooters but Kostas was very concerned about our safety.  He strongly recommended against it.  He said the locals were not good enough drivers to not hit us.  He felt the quads were more visible and that we had a greater chance of survival.  We spent 23 Euros each (plus gas) for a full day on the road.  We tried following maps but soon lost interest and simply went exploring in the mountains.  We stopped for lunch at Chalki, a small village in the hills before descending to the seashore and a return to town.  Good fun and it did not prove too dangerous.

Last Minute Instructions and Prayer

We Soon Tossed the Map

Lunch in Chalki

Day Three involved a hike.  We walked eight kilometres along beach and roads to Arsenio.  We were surprised to find the village’s only two restaurants closed for the summer.  It seems the local proprietors close shop in the summer to relocate their businesses to the seashore to better serve the tourists.  We did find a bakery and a local meat/cheese shop that was willing to provide slices of each for our sandwiches.  We had a picnic under a tree in the churchyard before Dianne, Warren, Deborah and I called a taxi to take us back to Naxos town while the rest walked back.  The beach was only 50 meters from our hotel and we enjoyed the rest of the afternoon sipping beers on the beach.

Only Cruise Ship in our Four Days

Prickly Pear Cactus

Bandanna For Sunburned Scalp

Unplanned Picnic

We are now returning to the Metropolis Hotel in Athens for our final night in Greece.  

Greece has been well worth the trip.  History, culture and antiquities are deeply embedded in every experience.  The Greeks are clearly struggling economically but that hasn’t seemed to deter the generally positive nature of the people themselves. 

Santorini

Our four days on Santorini went by quickly.  We landed in Thira, (the main town), after a 45-minute flight from Athens.  Warren found a large hire van to take us to Oia and our hotel, Maria’s Place.  We received a warm welcome from our hostess, Anna.  She gave us a condensed talk regarding “things to do” on the island.  Maria’s Place offers about 20 rooms surrounding a pool area with every room having a few of the Aegean Sea.

Marie's Place - Oia

Excellent Service

The rooms were all air-conditioned and necessary by day when the temperatures reached the upper 20’s but in the evening you needed a sweater or jacket to prevent being cold.  You are never far from the sea.

Day One involved a walk into town in the morning and pool time in the sun in the afternoon.  Oia is located on a narrow point of land and has become a destination for locals, tourists like us, and huge numbers of tourists that disembark from the many cruise ships anchored in the surrounding waters.  Needless to say, it is busy.  Rather too busy for our usual taste but understandable due to the highly picturesque nature of the small town.  The buildings hug the steep slopes and appear to be patches of snow on ridge tops in the distance.

Yes - The White In The Distance Are Buildings

Unfortunately the quality of the roads has not kept pace with the increase in popularity of the town.   The walk into town became known as an exercise in surviving death ally. Huge tour buses fight for space with local cars, motorcycles and pedestrians on the one lane road.  Our ten-minute walk to town meant taking your life into your own hands.  One had to frequently jump into doorways and hide behind bollards to prevent being hit.  The Cruisers come for the shopping and the sunsets off the point.

Lots of Donkeys In Working Harness

Good Thing Their Mirrrors Suck In

Day Two centered on a local bus trip to the other side of the island to visit Akrotiri and its archeological site. Santorini is a volcanic island.  Santorini and the surrounding islands represent the outside crest of the crater, created by the sea bottom volcano. 

The village of Akrotiri was first inhabited around 7500 years ago.  There is evidence that it disappeared due to a volcanic event in the 17^th century.  In 1967 archaeologists started a dig on the site of the ruins.  Today it is a 3 acre domed site where you can walk through the ruins of the village that have been uncovered thus far.  It was well worth the visit. 

The Dig Is Far From Done

This Visit Was a Must For Linda

Post Lunch - Pre Winery - Waiting For the Bus

It must have been an orderly evacuation because, unlike Pompeii, no human remains were found.  The household items discovered demonstrate that the original inhabitants didn’t take many belongings with them.  The only skeleton found was that of a pig, likely left hanging in the kitchen ready for butchering.

Our trip home from Akrotiri included a stop at the Santos Winery. We were seated around a table for eight with a view of the surrounding waters and islands. Wine tasting in Greece is a little different.  Our server suggested we buy four bottles of different reds from the islands. 

We had seen many fields of something growing that looked like wine vines around the island but nothing growing in rows or with infrastructure for them to hang.  Our host explained that grapes on the island grow on the ground.  The winds are too strong for them to hang.  Farmers create a “basket” by hilling earth around the base of the plants.

We were provided a fleet of wine glasses and started to taste.  We cannot say the wine in Greece has been outstanding.  Much of it was not to our liking but after sampling the first three bottles we were unanimous that our last bottle, Kamenh 2014, was outstanding.  After a visit to the wine shop we made our purchases and staggered back to the bus stop for our ride home.

Greeks Keep Their Reds on Ice

Linda & Phil

Day Three was the only day for designated exercise.  We climbed the nearby ridge and followed the top of the crater’s gravel pathway back to Thira.  The walk was about 11 kilometres and took about 2.5 hours, with some serious climbs along the way.  The views were some of the most spectacular we have seen anywhere and of course there was a conveniently located restaurant for cappuccinos along the way.

Start of the Hike

From the Hotel to the Crest of the Crater

Churches Everywhere - Didn't See Anyone in Them

Of Course Capaccino's at Mid Hike

Thank God There Were Some Downs

But of Course - More Ups

Our Goal

Super Climber  Deborah

We arrived in Thira and detoured to the Mushroom Top Rock just off- shore and connected by a rock land bridge.  Some folks climb to the top of the mushroom but the climb down could be treacherous.  We chose to follow our gut and not climb up.  Instead we took a lot of pictures and then found a nearby restaurant to replenish ourselves with yet more Greek dinner delights and beer.  After catching a local bus back to the hotel, we spent the afternoon relaxing and snoozing around the pool.

Relaxed Nola & Glen

Mellow Warren & Diane

Bank Shot Off Mirror

I am writing this bit while sitting on the Speed Runner being ferried from Thira to Naxos, our final stop for the next three days.  Looking forward to it.