Naxos

Naxos

After a night at the folk concert we took our time to get into gear!
We finally sorted the local buses and bought return tickets to the nearby beach.
Local buses are great as winding through the town and backstreets gives another perspective on how people live.
We arrived at Agia Propolios around 1.30 and decided on lunch first. As we dined at the restaurant it gave us access to the beach lilos and umbrellas. Staff serve drinks and food to these stations however we had had more than enough to eat.

The lovely restaurant where we had lunch....checked tablecloths, delicious fare and a view of the beach.

By dining at the restaurant we could use the beach chairs!

David and George went for a brisk swim and I dozed on the beach chair.
After making our way back to town we found the Kitron Cafe which sells the local liquor. It’s one step up from raki but It enough to think you are drinking pure methane!

They look pretty but they sure do pack a punch....I could name a lot nicer aperitifs however we ticked the box to try this local liqueur.

The sun was setting so we headed to the Portara for photos and to enjoy the beautiful views over the town.

A perfect sunset on the Portara.

As we’d had a late lunch we dined al fresco on the terrace of our little house with tomatoes, cheeses, salami and olives.
It was a relaxing day discovering the beaches which bring tourists to Naxos.

Naxos

Exploring Naxos by car

Sunny

Today we hired a car (a Fiat Panda) and explored Naxos.  

The countryside is rugged and hilly interspersed with white washed villages, farms and multitudinous stone fences which must have taken a millennium to build. 

Our first stop was the high hill top village of Halki and the long ago capital of Naxos.  We wandered down a path to the Byzantine church of St George, enjoyed morning tea of coffee and the famous Greek custard tart and slipped in and out of shops in the atmosphere of a slow village waking to the tourists.

The wonderful Greek custard slice that had just come out of the oven.. YUM!

Pretty little shops in Halki.

Our coffee stop....blue and white gingham tablecloths and a grapevine pergola....a little slice of tourist heaven.

It wasn’t too far to the Temple of Demeter and its museum set in the picturesque landscape of surrounding hills.  

A small but beautiful temple set amongst the hills.

We passed through the village of Filoti and up a winding road to view Mount Zeus.  A winding path could be seen for walkers and we sighted a few making the climb.

We wound through tiny villages until we were high in the hills and lunch beckoned.  A delightful restaurant with amazing views caught our attention and we stopped and enjoyed superb food with wine.  Of course, we couldn’t leave without the gift of the house....a liqueur which tasted infinitely better than raki...and for once I was able to enjoy.

A windmill behind our restaurant...Naxos is famed for these dotted all over the island.

It was a winding road down to the beach of Moutsouna on the eastern side of the island.  It’s a fabulous low key beach with a few restaurants, a small marina for fishing boats and some accommodation.

On the way to Moutsouna we stopped at this gorgeous little church and admired the views. 

The tables on the beach are waiting for their evening customers.

We stopped by the roadside to view a huge marble quarry.

The car for the day...a Fiat Panda.

After our big lunch we had a simple meal on the terrace.  It was wonderful to see Naxos away from the tourist areas.  Tomorrow we are taking a ferry to Delos and Mykonos so we have another interesting day ahead.

Naxos

Naxos
Glorious sunny days!

Over three days we explored Naxos town by foot, caught a local bus to a beach and hired a car to see some of the rugged country side.
On the first day we found our bearings and organised our cruise booking to Delos and Mykonos on the Monday.
It’s amazning how the sunshine brings out the colours in the water and after we had strolled the waterside restaurants, eaten ice cream and booked our cruise tickets we walked to St George beach which is the closest to the town.

Screaming sunshine....on the way back from St George beach and one of the large and frequent ferries that come into Naxos.

We picked up fresh bread rolls filled with lovely fillings and took them back to our little house and enjoyed lunch sitting on the terrace.
The afternoon was spent getting lost and exploring the ancient Kastro which meanders around the hill to the top church.  We were on a mission to get tickets to a concert being performed at 9.15pm. After numerous alleyways and wrong turns we found the ticket office only to find it was closed until 6pm.
We had to make our way up yet again and then we enjoyed a wonderful dinner on a rooftop overlooking the sunset to the Temple of Apollo (The Portara).  Just heaven!

Wandering the Kastro...pretty little alleyways that are more like a labyrinth.

Rooftop dinner and a 9pm sunset.....living the dream.

The concert started just after sunset and included the ubiquitous raki along with wine.
We enjoyed an enthusiastic and proud group of performers who lead us through the Naxian music and folk dances.  We all enjoyed a dance together afterwards although none of us showed any real talent.
A great first day in this Cycladian paradise.

A folk concert which included a bagpipe performance using the hid of a goat.

Parikia - Naxos

23 May.
Parikia - Naxos

After another wonderful breakfast sitting under the stunning bougainvillea we enjoyed the sparkling sunny morning wandering the alleyways before heading back to our room to pack for the midday ferry to Naxos.
Paros has been a delight - there’s plenty to see and do as well as soak up the Mediterranean atmosphere at gorgeous restaurants.
As we headed onto the ferry like herded cattle we looked up to the decks above to see if our friends George and Sonia were looking out for us.  We are spending a week in a house on Naxos and a few days on Santorini together.  We gazed up for a little while then we spied George....we frantically waved to get his attention and he snapped us below with the hundreds of passengers boarding.
As we cruised into Naxos, the largest island of the Cyclades, we could see the iconic Portora (Temple of Apollo) on the left of the pretty town.

Walking the esplanade it’s amazing what you spy....squid for dinner?

The Portara...a lovely view of Naxos Chora (town).

The walkway to the temple on the hill and the town was bathed in sunlight.  A wonderful introduction to the this fascinating island.

After finding our accommodation it was off to explore the esplanade awash with tourists, restaurants and shops to enjoy a long lunch and a wonderful catch up with our friends.

As our lunch filled us we bought some provisions for dinner at the local shop and had a lovely end to the day enjoying cheeses, wine, fresh tasty tomatoes and salami.  A perfect end to a great day.

Paros

Parikia - Antiparos - Parikia
Overcast

As nothing seems to happen before 9am it was a later breakfast before we wandered the alleyways discovering some more of Parikia’s ancient past.

Our breakfast view....sitting under the most beautifully coloured bougainvillea. 

We spied the Venetian Frankish Castle (built in 1260) up an alleyway and discovered it’s building materials were largely used from the archaic temple of Athena, and other ionic and Hellenistic structures over the old Paros town.

Recycling using ancient materials.

A little way further with commanding views of the water sits the old 6thC BC Archaic Temple of Athena which has been incorporated into the church of St Constantine.
Just before lunch we caught the local bus to Purda then a ferry to island of Antiparos which is much smaller than Paros but with the numerous shops and restaurants it will surely be as busy as It’s larger neighbour once the full tourist season hits.

Wandering the alleyways through the village to the beach.

There are lots of restaurants and shops however it was quiet as we wandered through to the other side of the village to the beach.  It had come alive by the time we strolled back to the ferry.

 

Spied this field of wonderful poppies...

Freezing water but David still went for a swim!

We wandered through the many alleys to the very quiet beach on the far side. David took another dip in the freezing Mediterranean and then it was time for an ice-cream.

Antiparos if famous for its windmills.  This one sits above where the ferry comes in.  

Once back from our lovely day of exploring we dined at the same restaurant we went to on our first night...the Mussells Saganaki were calling our name. The sun set as we sipped on our rosé and we reflected on how lucky we were to enjoy all this. 

Parikia

Parikia - Naoussa - Parikia
Overcast

We set off after 9am for a late breakfast. The day was overcast which was a shame as seeing Parakia in sunshine yesterday was just so beautiful. 

Breakfast in a shaded area...picture perfect.

Wandering the alley ways after breakfast.

We wandered around some more alleys and then walked to a vantage point on the hill where an old white washed windmill and church (Agia Anna) stand.

 

Paros is famous for its whitewashed windmills.  This stands on the hill next to the old church.

The church of Agia Anna Church.

After a small lunch we caught the busy local bus to Naoussa about half an hour away. It went inland and we passed villages, vineyards and farms strewn with hay bales.

Drying squid 

Looking back towards the village from the Venetian fort.

Not the usual blue and white....but, oh so pretty.

A slow afternoon out of the rain and enjoying local delicacies...aubergine and zucchini fries.

As the weather closed in we ducked amongst the pretty alleys to avoid getting wet. It sprinkled on and off during the afternoon but we managed to have a good look around the town and the marina. There are many stylish and inviting restaurants dotted around the waterside. 
We were going to stay on for dinner but the weather wasn’t the greatest so we enjoyed a wine and nibbles before catching the late afternoon bus back. 
Naoussa is a very beautiful fishing village and on a sunny day I imagine the many restaurants we saw with their brightly coloured chairs placed outdoors would be buzzing with tourists. 

Heraklion - Paros

Heraklion, Crete - Parikia, Paros
Overcast with a sunny late afternooon

We had a taxi arranged to pick us up at 6.45am to catch the six hour ferry to Paros.
The ferry was very large and obviously new and we settled into the lounge area and snoozed most of the way over.
We had one stop at Santorini where we will be staying in a week’s time. 
We landed in Parikia, Paros after 2pm and we could see the hotel as they lowered the ramp on the ferry. 

Spying our hotel (The Oasis) as the ramp of the ferry went down.

The ferry...large and new.  A very smooth journey.

After a shower we set off exploring along the esplanade. There are so many restaurants along the road and on the beach side in the sand. 
After a cloudy start to our stay the late afternoon was bathed in sunshine. 

The view from our hotel.

A lovely meal of Saganaki Mussels and fish was enjoyed at this restaurant on the esplanade.

Our appetisers....I think we need to keep up our walking.  

We decided on a fish restaurant overlooking the sea and watching passers by. As we were dining earlier than the custom we ordered appetisers to start and our main meal later on so that we could soak up the atmosphere. The host gave us a delicious dessert to share of a fine pastry.

Aren’t the alley ways just gorgeous!

We then wandered over to the other side of our hotel and explored the many pretty little alleys that were being lit up for the evening. Every turn produced another photo opportunity. 

Zaros - Heraklion Crete

Zaros - Heraklion
Sunny

Our last morning as a group started with our usual group photo.

It’s been a fabulous week of adventure and camaraderie with the British contingent.
Heraklion airport was little more than an hour away to drop off the majority of the group for their flights.
We said our sad goodbyes and caught a local bus with the help of Pan, our guide, into the centre of Heraklion.
It took a little while to find our hotel but we managed to have a good look around at the bustling crowds and restaurants as we wheeled our suitcases around.

We had the cutest little unit for a great price....

...although we definitely didn’t pay for the view!  Fortunately, we were near the heart of Heraklion and we didn’t have to wander far to explore.

After a small lunch and a rest we headed to the famous Archeological Museum of Heraklion. The collection commenced in the Neolithic Minoan Age (6000 BC) to the Roman times (3rd C AD).
Many famous examples are exhibited including the delicate and famous gold bee pendant, the bull leaping frescoe from the Palace of Knossos as well as an astounding number of pottery votives inhuman and animal form.

 

The Snake Goddesses from the Palace of Knossos

Pluto and Persephone

The famous bee brooch depicting fine Minoan taste.

Taking the advice of our accommodation host we headed down to the port where we are leaving tomorrow to find a seafood restaurant. We settled ourselves onto a balcony with a view enjoying a delicious meal of mussels, paella, wine and the arrival of the gifted raki and dessert whilst reflecting on the very special week we’ve had on the wonderful island of Crete.

We’re taking away so many special memories.

Dinner on a balcony overlooking Heraklion harbour.  A great way to end our holiday on Crete...its been a lot of fun!

Tomorrow we are heading to Paros