Santorini Day 3

August 6th, 2010

Sunshine peeping through the shutters of our Cycladic style hotel room. Outside it was already hot at 9AM. We had breakfast with the large crowd in the restaurant. Then I walked the 10 minutes into Fira to find a rental car. At the second place I entered, they found me a Nissan Micra, automatic, AC 4 door for the day. I negotiated the traffic after putting in gas (you get it empty) and went back to El Greco. We stocked up the car with water and stuff and headed down the road along the caldera rim and then to Pyrgos, a village with a small ”castle” at the top and alleyways circling the hillside. We had complaints about the heat but the views over the lower part of the island were worthwhile. Slowly this town was being revitalized with small hotels and apartments. Handicrafts and cafes were the usual merchants.

Perissa's black sand

We didn’t explore Pyrgos as much as we should because of the heat, so we got back in the car and drove through the lowlands to Perissa, one of the two towns with black sand/lava beaches. When I was last there more than thirty years ago, there were few facilities or restaurants and you just put your towel down and hoped not to fry. Now, there are lots of small hotels, beachside restaurants and cafes as well as music bars. The beach is lined by the usual array of umbrellas and beach chairs. Boards are placed on the sand so you don’t have to walk on it much because you can easily burn your feet from the heat, without shoes or flip flops. The sand was black, the sky blue with occasional wispy clouds and a backdrop of some towering volcanic remnants, so eyes were focused down to the very clear water lapping the shore. The water was refreshing, fairly salty, supporting our buoyancy quite easily. We passed the day swimming, frying and later eating in the beachside restaurant. They had water pipes along the roof line to spray cold mist over the restaurant, making it refreshing. The food was also good, simple but tasty and the beer on draught very refreshing.

Summer afternoon sun brought out the siesta for me while the girls negotiated some purchases from one of the parade of beach vendors. Soon it was time to explore further so we chilled the car out and then drove inland and upwards towards Fira. We stopped twice to tour vineyards as Santorini is known for its wines. The first was a small family vineyard, Gavalas off the road. We thought at first it was just a house, but then we had a tour below ground to the store house, the tanks for fermentation and the bottling room. We sampled two white wines and even Kate tasted and we bought one to take with us. A few kilometres up the road at the head of the cliff was a much larger company, Santo Wines, with a huge tasting area and lookout over the whole caldera. We tasted another wine with a dish of accompanying bread and cheese, while admiring the view. A wedding reception was also ongoing. More photographs and panoramas of the stunning views of the island.

Then we headed back to our familiar El Greco hotel where we had a refreshing swim in one of the four pools. The plan was to head to the northern tip of the island at Ia, to see the famous churches and the sunset. The road was quite mountainous so at one point we turned back thinking we were on the wrong road. However, we were going the right way and the delay caused to miss the sunset. Nausea from the twisty road also changed our plans, so we only explored a little of the village. Like Fira, it is perched on the cliff edge and it also has buildings descending the cliff face, very elegant hotels, restaurants and stores. Unfortunately we could not stay long and we negotiated the 12 km drive back in the dark to our hotel, where we had a late supper sur place. Kate always wanted to eat in the hotel so she had her wish. The girls went to bed and the author started blogging the night away. (I apologise for the lack of photographs yesterday- a poor network connection. )

Santorini Day 2

Santorini August 5th, 2010


Today was a lazy day. We woke up late at 9 AM and walked the 30 metres to the restaurant where breakfast was served. This is a busy resort and there were a few hundred people cruising the buffet tables, filling up on breads, yogurt, eggs, bacon, coffee and some other Greek items. There was also some fresh fruit of apples and oranges which seemed to disappear in bunches into bags, headed back to rooms or on excursions.

After breakfast, we slathered on the sunscreen and installed ourselves by the pool. Kate almost immediately went to play and babysit these two Australian kids aged 2 and 4, whom she had met yesterday. She alternately swam and played with Isabella and Costa. Their parents are a couple from north of Sydney, of Greek origin. They are on a month long vacation which included sailing for two weeks amongst the islands. Guittel and I bathed in the hot sun with quick dips in the pool. Entertainement was provided by some of the other people around the pool, including a guy wearing a thong, either German or Dutch. He was large and made sure everyone could see his package and his butt. With two earrings and rubbing on sunscreen every twenty minutes, he was a sight to cause sore eyes. I theorized that he was a porn star on vacation and the mousy woman with him is his producer or something. Meanwhile Guittel’s theory was that he is gay and flamboyant, based on his technique for executing a cannonball into the pool for attention.

Soon enough lunch beckoned and Kate and I shared a delicious pizza washed down by a large Greek draught beer (for me not Kate). More swimming and an ouzo on our deck cut the afternoon heat. A short siesta also helped. We then walked into town and up the caldera rim after a stop at an elegant outdoor café for cold cappuccino (cappuccino freddo). The walk uphill led to the cathedral and spectacular vies of the caldera and ships below. The sunset was approaching with a spectrum of shades on the horizon and diffusion of light on the town of Fira behind us. Camera flashes were visible from the deck of the cruise ship anchored and the sailboats returning from sunset cruises. After a little more shopping, we settled on dinner at a rooftop tavern, again a pleasant event. I had shrimps sagamaki (tomato sauce, feta cheese and ouzo), very tasty. A good Santorini rose wine helped to wash the food down. We then wandered the streets and alleys of Fira, browsing the gift, clothing and jewelry shops. People everywhere despite the late hour. Not a parking space even for another scooter. Many, too many, people smoking heavily on all these outdoor terraces and in the street. Of note, café culture and cell phone use are ahead of North America, but recycling, garbage , reusable shopping bags are still foreign concepts.

For the next two days we plan on exploring the island to see other villages, the black sand beaches and the vineyards.

Naxos Santorini

August 4th, 2010

We awoke early in Naxos and had our pre-departure breakfast at the Galaxy Hotel. We packed our bags and hauled them to the waiting minibus. The driver took us and some others to the port where each group joined the appropriate lines for their ferry. At the same time, trucks, buses and cars all queued up for the large Blue Star Ferry which took vehicles as well as passengers. That ferry arrived and in well-orchestrated dance, vehicles off-loaded and loaded on to the ferry, backing often to the bowels of the ship. I presume the loads were calculated somehow so that the ship stayed balanced for its next stops. After that was done, our Hellenic Seaways Flying Cat 3 arrived and glided almost silently into dock. Passengers disembarked and our lineup moved on to the ship. Since we were first, it was quick to board and stow our heavy suitcases (still haven’t learned to pack lite enough). We took the same seats we had on the previous ride three days earlier and the cat glided out of the Naxos harbor effortlessly and quietly. Soon it was skimming the waves and we were docking in Paroika, Paros and then Ios. I only have a vague recollection of Ios from 30 years ago and it seems to have changed and grown. Perhaps the vague memories have more to do with retsina than the passage of time. (If you don’t know what retsina is, google it.)

Well nostalgia aside, we soon were rounding into the lagoon of Santorini and gliding into the “new” port dock at the base of the towering cliffs. The girls were suitably impressed. Our taxi driver quickly identified us but we waited in vain for another couple whose name was on the placard. We were bundled into a Mercedes van and headed up the steep serpentine road up to the top of the cliffs. There were squeamish reactions from the girls as the altitude increased, especially since the driver was talking and then cursing into his cellphone. Handsfree is an option that might be necessary with emotions, manual transmission and a twisting road. Somehow, he stopped and turned the bus around and headed back down to rescue the missing couple who had appeared out of the ocean somehow- she was no Aphrodite however. This way we were able to do this serpentine road up the 1000 metres for the second time (like going on a ride twice for free). Well soon we did reach the plateau above and we could appreciate how small the three large cruise ships in the lagoon appeared. The whitewashed buildings of Fira appeared and our El Greco Resort was just outside of the town on the main road. Once past the reception area, we could see the three swimming pool areas set out amidst the white and blue rooms and buildings. Everything appeared nice including the pool bars, whirlpools and swimming pools. People were sitting around the pool and at the pool bar-resto having lunch. It was quite a family crowd. Our room was ready and it is quite large, with a sofa bed sitting area and a bedroom alcove. These had high ceilings and marble floors to keep the room cooler. The windows and doors had wooden shutters in the Cycladic style and we had a little deck outside for sitting. We overlook the pool area so it is convenient but not exposed to the noise of the town roads. The sun was strong and temperature high so we quickly changed into swim suits and headed outside, poolside, lathered with number 30 SPF. Swimming was followed by a light lunch poolside (beer, Greek salads and plenty of water. Poolside was well equipped with umbrellas, sun loungers and sofas for reading in the shade as well. Kate amused herself caring for two small Australian children in the shallow pool (she loves to be responsible for small kids).

At 5 PM the heat was still strong, but I changed and went for an exploration run up through the town and along little paths on the cliff edge. Of course below me were various homes, rooming houses, hotels and restaurants cascading downwards for several levels. I lasted half an hour and came back to the resort for a cooling dip and laps of the pool. At 7PM or so, I guided my hungry girls into Fira and we wandered the streets, easily distracted by the hundreds of jewelry stores which someone had to see to feel complete. We settled onto a rooftop restaurant (Restaurant Nicki) just in time to catch the gorgeous sunset and the flaming reddened sky. Our meals were served with the sunset behind us and the lights of the town up and down the cliffs. Very pleasant like all our meals so far. After supper, some sorbet and more window shopping in the now animated streets. Eleven PM seems to be the best hour for people to go out. A slow walk back to the hotel and we all settled in for the night, tired from the sun, the excitement and the visual delights of the day.

Naxos- continued

August 3rd, 2010

oke up with the sun shining in the window, wow is that no change! It has been seven mornings of blue sky and bright sun. No worries about late afternoon thunderstorms or showers.Temperature is a steady 30-32C daily. Breakfast with the gang in the hotel lobby- buffet included some little fried flat dough balls with honey and cinammon. Forgot to say that I had a swollen lip allergic reaction again- probably the pistachios in the frozen yoghurt last night. After the usual preparations, the three of us walked 2 blocks to a small rental place, there are hundreds, and rented a small red Toyota Ayto or something like that for the day. Red, four door, manual with AC that was fighting a losing battle against the sun all day. We headed out of Naxos town (Hora) and up into the hills. We quickly climbed to Galanado and then south to Sangri. By that time we were in the valleys between mountains, olive groves dotting the hillsides, Greek chapels on hilltops like sentinels. \the roads were narrow but smooth enough and like, in Morocco, there was rarely a straight stretch of road to drive on. All twisting, and serpentine up and down the mountainsides. We reached a sight called the Temple of Demeter, a partially reconstructed sight from several hundred years BC where offerings were made to the gods to promote a good harvest. The setting was quiet and hot, exposed to the sun. Many tourists, like us, came in their little rental cars and open air dune buggy like cars to the same site- our own tourist pilgrimage to ensure an interesting vacation.
We drove the heat higher up in the mountains to the towns of Halki, Filoti and finally Apiranthos, perched on a hillside. Like the Kastro area of Hora, this town was built around and below a Venetian tower and house, Zevgoli tower, I think. Anyways it was very quaint and had museums of fine arts, natural history and fossils- all small -But there were also little shops and small tavernas and cafes on various levels  throughout the town. Each corner brought a little surprise. We did not climb to the top but were satisfied with taking drinks in a cafe with an overview of the valley below. Kate took a waffle laden with fresh fruits, three scoops of ice cream and then she was no longer tired, hot or unhappy.... After that cute village, we thought of going allll the wya north to Apollon, on the coast, another 30 km bt the heat and the feeble air conditioning drove us back to Hora vi a Agios Prokopios, the supposedly nicer beach further South. They did not impress us as we all thought Aghios Georgios was nicer and closer walking distance to town. I dropped the car off at the rental stop and met the girls at the hotel pool for the rest of the afternoon.Sunshine and laps of the pool.
With hunger looming from the light lunch we had, the three of us headed off into town ealier than usually to have dinner. Tonight we chose a roof top restaurant, Flamingo, where we were able to eat and watch the sunset over the harbour. Food and wine were good and the atmosphere very pleasant. As we thought about departure tomorrow AM, it felt to each like we had been here in Naxos for much longer than three days.

After dinner, the streets were filled with people strolling (locals and tourists alike). We walked to the end of the harbour to take photographs of the Portola , the remians of the Temple to Apollo. The monument is lit up at night while the surroundings are dark and the waves can be heard .Naxos was lit up in the background. After sightseeing, comes shopping so we wandered through the alleys buying some souvenirs despite the hour of 11 PM. So long,Naxos. Kalineekta.

Naxos

August 2nd, 2010

We all slept in until 9:30 and the sun was well up in the sky. Breakfast was pleasant and filling. We spent a long lazy day at the beach near our hotel. We camped out in our familiar spot near the local restaurant and enjoyed the sun, the clear water of the Aegean and later an excellent lunch at the Tatra Cafe. We were sitting comfortably on a couch overlooking the beach sipping our drinks and eating our salads. I also walked down to the end of the bay and found that it continued with another bay for windsurfers and beyond. There was a superb view back towards Naxos town with its castle and the Kastro (old district) overlooking the harbour.
At the end of the afternoon, we returned to the pool for a refreshing dip, laps and a drink at poolside. A few minutes of computer checkups and we were ready to get out to explore. We walked up throught the town to the Kastro district and kept taking small little alleys higher up the hill..At one point we came to a little restaurant, the Kastro Taverna, perched on a small terrace. We stopped for a drink and ordered some spanakopita as a snack (spinach pie). The waiter brought us out these delicious small pastries, clearly home made. They were delicious and the drinks went down well, so we converted the snack into a full supper as the sun set behind us. The food was good and I had a delicious fish (dorade). We enjoyed the views, the tourists and the meal until it was dark. After the meal, we headed up even higher through spooky poorly lit alleys where Kate was afraid to go. But around every turn was a home or a floodlit square and finally the cathedral and convent near the top. A few more twists and turns brought us back downwards to more familiar territory and eventually back to the busy main area of town in front of the port.
That was our little adventure for the day but it proved that sometimes the most interesting moments are inspired by taking an unpredictable turn. On our way back to the hotel, we also had some delicous frozen yogurt and stopped in local bookstores and a cute cafe for takeout cold capuccino and  coffee- far nicer than any Starbucks as well.Another few meanders brought us through unfamiliar back alleys to the hotel and rest. It's interesting how you can feel at home very quickly in a small place such as this even though it was only our second day here. Tomorrow we hope to rent a car and explore the island a little more, away from the beach.

Naxos

August 1st, 2010

We woke up early in Mykonos and finalised packing. The hotel was nice enough to serve us some breakfast before our driver arrived to take us to the port for the Flying Cat3 ferry. The driver took the lower road across the island with a nice water view that avoided the buses and traffic through town. I wished I had seen that road because it was much better to run on. Anyways, we quickly arrived at the port where several hundred young, bleary eyed partiers wer lined up to take the ferry to their next destination on the Naxos, Ios, Santorini run. The twin catamaran passenger ferry arrived almost silently and we all paraded in line to get on, pulling our wheeled suitcases. Now compared to the old slow ferries of the past where you sprawled anywhere on deck or a bench, this was more like an airplane cabin with assigned airplane-style seats with our baggage stowed away in racks. The cabin was enclosed with TV monitors and a snack bar. The cat took off and I don't think we felt a wave for the hour it took to get to Naxos. It skimmed the waves and made the trip effortless. However, the big car/passenger ferries still exist and traverse the islands numerous times per day, albeit at a slower ship-like pace.

We docked in Naxos Town harbour and disembarked in orderly fashion. We had to walk only 20 metres when we were greeted by our tour operator, a young Greek guy who spoke like he was from the US. He put us in a taxi to our hotel which was less than 10 minutes away. The town looked different than Mykonos as white and blue were no longer the dominant colours. There was variety and some "real" streets as well as much more greenery and trees. The mountains behind the town were also visible. We arrived at the hotel Galaxy just south of the town and were quickly checked in without formalities. Even at 10 AM, we had the rooom and our bags inside in a flash. Cute little room with a sofa bed and two singles pushed together for te master. There were exposed stone walls and a modern bathroom with a glassed in jacuzzi shower. Also a flat screen TV with CNN available and a tiny balcony with two chairs. (Only half the size of the previous room but quite nice and modern with a Naxos touch.) We even had a chance to grab a second breakfast there. On the other hand the swimming pool area was beautiful with a large pool, edgeless, and blue. There is a bar area that stays open all day. Even  better was the 1 minute walk to the long stretch of St. George Beach- Aghios Georgios which is lined with restaurants, umbrellas and chairs as well as hotels and apartments at its northern end. The sand runs south for a kilometre or so, so walking is more interesting compared to the small beaches in Mykonos. We took possession of a few comfotable lounge chairs and discovered quickly that Naxos is a lot cheaper than Mykonos. The water was warm, shallow out for 150 metres and calm. The crowd was bothe Greek and tourist with many Scandinavian and German blonds visible. The waitresses at our bar/taverna were Lithuanian and the table service at our umbrella included an ice bucket and a chilled glass for my Amstel beer as well as veggies for snacking- also offered at a low price. We played , swam and walked along the beach exploring. At lunch we sat down in the shaded restaurant area where ther were also couches, internet access and backgammon boards available. Inge took our light lunch order and transmitted it to the kitchen is done in many restaurants here (saves walking and improves efficiency)- a simple example of high tech European advances...The salads and omelet were great, Kate enjoyed her lunch and we were well filled for the afternoon.  The rest of the afternoon passed quickly in the sun, We finished with a long swim and laps of the hotel pool where there were quite a few people.I changed for a run and went through the whole of Naxos town from South to North and back again in twenty minutes time.It looked like a pleasnat town with lots of restaurants.

Back at the hotel, we learned how to connect to the internet and check/send  our emails. We had the pleasure to Skype with the boys and Martha and Shura. The internet connection was weak which kept down the video to only a few minutes.It was good to be so close with skype.[Sounds like a product placement!] We caught a beutiful red sunset over the beach looking west- photo op extraordinaire.Then we wandered the 10 minutes down the beach and into the town where things had woken up and there was a bustle of action everywhere.Stores open selling beachware, souvenirs, handicrafts, jewelry, tickets, tours, desserts.Restaurants in the main drag along the port, on rooftops and down little side streets. The town is built partly on a hill so what looks like a rooftop restaurant from one level becomes a street level entrance a few streets up the hill.. We ate in a busy little grill in the port - lamb chops and good chicken gyros- and then were surprised by the little maze of streets and restaurants up the hills. Some of these open air courtyards were beautifully decorated with live musicians entertaining (Naxos is well known for its musical heritage). We promised to head back there tomorrow. Kate was spoiled with a special Ferrero-Rocher chocolate ice cream from a crowded ice cream shop. Lots of activity even at 11:30PM as wandered back to our hotel. All in all another special day. Naxos surprised us with how different it is from Mykonos just an hour and a few degrees of hedonism away. More tomorrow.

Naxos sunset

Delos- Mykonos

July 31, 2010

We awoke to the alarm at 7:30 AM. The weather forecast was the same, sunny, warm increasing to hot, with afternoon breezes.  We greased up and covered our heads for the boat ride to Delos. First breakfast as usual, filling and quiet at poolside. Then we took a taxi into town and were deposited dockside. Driving through Mykonos town in the daytime is quite a different feeling, the cafes just opening, the streets being washed, the sailors in the marina getting things ship shape etc. Fortunately for Guittel we had a few minutes before boarding the boat to Delos and that meant browsing a few jewelry stores. We bought our tickets for Delos and boarded  the boat with about a hundred other solid citizens. Leaving the harbour, we sailed by the relatively small Azamara Quest (only 694 passengers) and towards Delos, 40 minutes away.

A little history- Delos is an island dedicated to and sid to be the birthplace of Apollo and Artemis. It is a barren rock island in the centre of the Cyclades ( how they got their name). For a few centuries it was the center of the Ionian culture and trade with a city of 25000 inhabitants at that time (200BC). The ruins of the city are the only things on the island aside from a museum and the island closes daily at 3PM. When we landed, we were organised by language (colour coded stickers) and assigend a guide. The anglo group had a dynamic guide named Irene. She supplied enough colour and commentary to make us imagine the city that once stood there. Much of the study has not been excavated yet but we did see a typical house, the theatre, the shops, the site of the Temple of Apollo and the Delos Lions, symbols of the city. Like Pompeii and other ruins you can only imagine the life at the time. The island is barren and apparently was so at the time so everything was shipped in and Delos was therefore a major trading port.
Well, we wandered around the ruins for close to two hours and then joined the second to last ship to leave for the day.The seas back were a little rough and choppy. On landing back in Mykonos Town, we wandered some of the little maze of streets, looking at shops and colours as the town awoke at 1 PM. We ended up finding our way back to the bus without a problem and getting tickets. Since there was a wait for the bus back to Ornos, we sat down at a nearby cafe and had salads and soup while admiring the architecture and colours. Despite the crowds the town is quite cute and at night it is nearly a human traffic jam.in narrow alleyways.

For the afternoon we camped out like many of the travelling Greeks and strangers under the umbrella and in the hot sun on Ornos beach. That was a worthwhile activity for the afternoon. At 6 we returned to the Deliades and shared a few glasses of ouzo on our deck before getting ready for supper. That meant taking the bus back into town accompanied by the UN of travellers and hundreds of young girls in obligatory short dresses, sunglasses and cell phones in hand. The three of us found a little Italian place in a courtyard and ha da nice late dinner finishing at 10:30PM. I had a delicious risotto with Porcini mushrooms. After further meandering through town- all the stores are open well into the night- we reached the bus centre, a small square where large buses performed small miracles to turn around without injuring or damaging anything! Finally back to the rooms to pack up, get some rest and then onto Naxos in the morning.