July 26 NAXOS

We made it! We’re on the beautiful island of Naxos, and finally feel like we’re on holiday. Getting from Victoria to Athens was hard work, esp. the transfer at Frankfurt.

We thought Frankfurt would be an easier transfer point than Heathrow but we were wrong. We had to go through a tighter security check than in Vancouver, and the Johnnie Walker that I purchased at the duty free shop in Vancouver for cousin Rita was confiscated and – hopefully – destroyed. The rat-in-a-maze journey from one terminal to another didn’t improve my disposition, nor did the clouds of cigarette smoke in the waiting areas.

The airport in Athens was relatively smoke-free. It was also security free. We collected our baggage and walked out of the airport without going through a security check or customs. The security was actually tighter when I was here in 1997 when one bored and hot customs officer stamped passports without even looking at who was presenting them.

Walking out of the air conditioned airport into the 40C heat was a shock to the system. It literally felt like we were in a sauna. We had to wait 10 minutes in the taxi queue but eventually got a cab and headed toward Athens.

Our driver didn’t speak English so he dialed someone on his cell phone who could interpret. He didn’t know where our hotel was so he called the hotel to get directions. He got lost, however, and started asking locals for directions. None of them knew the hotel either and he eventually just kicked us to the curb in front of another hotel, then overcharged us by 10 Euros.

At the hotel we explained what had happened and they were kind enough to call us another cab. They also made sure the driver knew where the hotel was before they let us get into the cab. We zoomed back across the city and made it to our hotel in under 10 minutes.

Views from the balcony of our room at the Hotel Candia:


We were all beat by that time. Simone and I walked up the road to the market to get water and some snacks. We sat and talked in the hotel room for about an hour then we all went to bed. We didn’t sleep terrifically well because the air conditioning didn’t work very well, but as Simone observed, at least we got to sleep lying down.

The next morning we had breakfast at the hotel then caught a cab back to the Athens airport. We were early for our flight so we sat in the waiting area and watched people going back and forth. The funniest person – to me, anyway – was “Mr. Greece”, a guy wearing white designer jeans, a white muscle shirt with the Greek flag on the back, white leather shoes, and a “man purse” that clipped onto his white belt but also had a strap running around his thigh. The song “YMCA” started running through my mind when I saw him.

Ours was a small domestic flight to Naxos so we caught a “tropical air conditioned” bus (i.e. windows down) across the tarmac and then walked up a steep and narrow staircase into the plane. If it was 40C outside on the tarmac then I swear it was 50C inside the plane. There were pathetic air vents over the seats which just served to circulate the hot air. The only thing we could do to cool off was grab the laminated safety card from the seat pockets and fan ourselves.

The flight to Naxos was only 30 minutes and I swear it was still 50C inside when we landed. We were all glad to get out of the plane into the 40C heat. We collected our luggage and caught a cab to our hotel, Hotel Grotta.

Hotel Grotta:

The owner, Dmitrious, gave us a warm welcome. He escorted us to the dining room and served us a local liqueur made from the leaves of lemon trees. While we were sipping the liqueur and looking at books about Naxos he moved our luggage to our room.

We freshened up, girded ourselves for the heat, and then walked down to the town to check things out and to pick up the tickets for our boat passage to Amorgos on the 27^th. The town has a lovely harbour-front promenade, filled with shops and restaurants catering to locals and tourists alike. The day’s octopus catch hung on laundry lines in front of many restaurants.

We found the agency where we could pick up our boat tickets but they insisted on seeing our passports before issuing the tickets. We’d locked our passports in the hotel safe, so we asked what time the agency closed (midnight) and left.

Curious about the Old Town and Kastro, we walked up some twisty alleys toward the hilltop. Many of the homeowners in the alleys used the front room of their homes to sell merchandise, mostly touristy things. We went up and up and around and over and finally found ourselves at the lower entrance to the Kastro.

Homes and church in Old Town:

We were drained from the heat, so rather than continue our exploration we decided to head back down to the promenade for snacks, drinks, and a rest.

Turret of the Kastro:

We got fantastically lost so it took us nearly 45 minutes to find our way back to the promenade. We actually exited the Old Town close to our hotel and had to walk another 10 minutes back to the promenade. Once there we settled into a table in a café that had massive fans blowing mist over the sitting area. Mom and Simone had fruit salad and I enjoyed a beer and a meat and cheese pastry dish.

Afternoon snacks and drinks:

Feeling refreshed – but also tired – we walked back to the hotel and had a nap. All three of us slept soundly and didn’t wake up until 7pm. We washed up and walked down to the promenade, picked up our boat tickets, and then found a table at a restaurant called Meze Meze that is recommended by Lonely Planet.

Calamaris drying in front of Meze Meze:

The waiter seated us at a table by the road. We were worried about traffic and asked for a seat inside but he insisted we sit there. We soon found out why. The traffic ceased almost completely at 8pm and the road filled up with locals out for an evening stroll. It was – as he said – the best seat in the restaurant.

We ordered a local specialty called dakos to start. It is fried bread topped with generous amounts of tomato and feta cheese. Mom and Simone shared risotto with seafood and I had cucumber salad and swordfish, accompanied by a small carafe of retsina. Everything was delicious, just as Lonely Planet promised.

At about 10pm we left the restaurant and wandered down the harbour road with about 500 other people. We briefly watched traditional Greek dancers performing in a small square. However, the real joy of the walk was the people-watching. We eventually made our way back to the hotel and enjoyed a good night’s sleep.

Sunset over Temple of Apollo and Grotta Beach:

This morning Simone woke early and went for a run. As she ran by two young Greek men they knelt down on the road as if they were proposing marriage. When she stopped for a rest later in her run an old Greek man waved her over and wanted to talk. Friendly folk, here in the Aegean.

The buffet breakfast put on by the hotel was fabulous. The fruit was especially delicious. We all marveled that it actually has a taste, unlike much of the fruit we buy at home.

After breakfast we walked up to the Kastro for a walking tour, only to learn that there was no tour scheduled today. We went on a self-guided tour instead and quite enjoyed ourselves.

Alleyways in Old Town:

Sleepy kitty in the Kastro:

Time for a photo, uh, rest after walking up the stairs to the Kastro:

We once again went down to the promenade in the early afternoon for a snack and drinks. When we got back to the hotel Mom and I went downstairs for a swim in the pool while Simone went to the dining room to write postcards.

View of the promenade from the other side of the harbour:

Simone and Mom along the promenade:

This evening we’re planning to walk to the unfinished Temple of Apollo, or portara, an arch erected on a small island that’s accessible by a man-made footpath. After that we’ll go for dinner at the restaurant below the temple, which is supposed to serve good fish.