July 30 AMORGOS

Yesterday we had breakfast in Katapola at our favorite café, Mudos, which has good food at reasonable prices. The owner is a taciturn kind of fellow but after a couple of visits he really warmed up and now we get big smiles from him, his son, and the kitchen helper.

We caught the 10:30am bus to Aigiali. We found a nice shady/sunny spot on the beach. Simone and I set up our towels in the sunny area and Mom set up her towel in the shady area.

Aigiali Bay:

I went for a long swim. The water was warm near the beach but got cooler the further you went out. I enjoyed surfing the incoming waves which rolled gently onto the crescent-shaped white sand beach. There were a lot of children playing in the water close to the beach. Only a few people – those who were confident swimmers, I suppose – swam further out. I went out about 20m but lost my confidence in the surging ocean and turned back toward the beach.

The nice thing about waterproof cameras is that you can take pictures of yourself in the ocean:

Simone and Mom don’t like swimming so they just waded in the surf. They went for a long walk along the bay while I dried off in the sun. We swam and sat in the sun for close to two hours.

We didn’t want to overdo things so we packed up and found a café in town, just off the main road, that was just opening for the day. You could see an old man peeling a huge bucket of potatoes. You could also hear someone inside the café cutting meat with a cleaver.

The restaurant in Aigiali:

Mom had spanikopita and Simone had tiropita. I ordered pork souvlaki but was served chicken souvlaki, but didn’t mind because it was excellent. Some feral cats came by to beg for scraps. One tried to scratch Simone every time she fed one of the other cats. I was able to pet a cute gray cat but I got overconfident and petted him near his belly and he bit me. It was a warning bite – it didn’t break the skin – but it made me remember that I was petting wild animals, not house pets.

We caught the bus back to Chora and stopped in to see Susie and Rita. We stayed for an hour, chatting and eating the last of the welcome cake, before catching the bus to Katapola.

We washed up and relaxed in the pension until 7:30pm and then walked into Katapola to Mudos. Mom and Simone tried pastitsio, the Greek version of macaroni and cheese. I got to sample it and it was very fresh and tasty. Our favorite feral cat, who we’ve named Anastasia, spent a long time with us at Mudos. She’s a gorgeous calico cat, thin but clean and healthy, who has obviously had a litter of kittens recently. She’s very gentle and purrs when you pet her.

We all slept well last night and woke up early. We had a very light breakfast at Mudos before catching the bus to the monastery. The bus drops you off on the road at a desolate junction. You have to walk down the road to what is now a parking lot but used to be a wide spot in the road. Then, you have to walk up 350 stairs to the monastery, which is located high up on a cliff.

The junction:

A beautiful painting at the base of the stairs:

Simone wanted to get some exercise so she walked the stairs at her own pace. Mom and I took things slower – me because of my bum legs and Mom because of the heat. The steps are wide and there is a knee-high wall which provides some comfort as you scale the side of the mountain. The steps, however, are rocky and uneven so it’s important to choose your footing carefully.

The stairs and the monastery high above:

Half way there:

Almost there:

It was nice to reach the monastery and the shade of some small trees. The shady area turned out to be the robing/disrobing area. You have to wear respectful clothing into the monastery – shirts that cover your shoulders, long pants for men, and skirts below the knee for women. No exceptions. So, many people climb up in shorts, etc. then put on pants and skirts outside the monastery.

The shady area:

The steps to the monastery are steep, between 20 and 30cm in the rise. We were greeted at the door by a young boy who directed us to walk up the stairs. At the top of the stairs was another boy who directed us to walk up another flight of stairs to the prayer chamber.

Inside chamber was the holy icon that washed ashore hundreds of years ago, as well as beautiful paintings, wood carvings, and offerings. The chamber is lined with seats for the monks. These days there are only three monks at the monastery but in the past there were over 100 monks there.

The chamber was monitored by a monk, who offered blessings to those of the faith and answer questions about the monastery. Simone got into quite a discussion with him and he told her about some of the historic events at the monastery and pointed out one offering, which looks like an upside-down turban, which was given to the monastery by a Turkish seafarer who was caught in a storm, saw the monastery, and promised an offering if God provided safe passage for him and his ship.

From the chamber we walked down the stairs and were directed up a set of stairs that I hadn’t noticed on the way up. At the top of the stairs was a reception room with chairs and tables. Two more young men served water, brandy, and brandy jellies made by the monks. We sat down next to a man from Thessaloniki who spoke English and told us that serving brandy was a traditional offering to visitors to provide relaxation and stimulate the nerves after a long journey. We got talking and I laughed loudly a couple of times, and he shooshed me. He was very nice about it. He just wanted to remind me to be respectful in such a holy place.

Outside the monastery we stripped off our dresses and long-sleeved shirts. I thought the climb down the stairs would be easier but it was actually quite difficult. The stones were slanted and could be quite slippery. I slipped twice but managed to catch myself. A German woman fell down the stairs below us, but luckily she was unhurt.

Photo break on the way down:

We walked back up to the junction and waited for the bus, which came 30 minutes later. It was a quick drive back to Chora – all uphill. Rita met us at the bus stop and we walked to a local ouzeri where she had arranged for lunch.

The restaurant:

I knew we were in for a wonderful – and large - meal when I heard her ordering mezethes. Sure enough, close to 10 dishes arrived for us to sample - tzatziki, patatas, beetroot and garlic, zucchini balls, tiropita, spanikopita, “monk” (layers of eggplant, beef, tomato, and cheese), “athirina” (tiny deep fried whole fish), swordfish, shark - as well as a bottle of local wine. Dessert was baklava and what looked like very thin angelhair pasta wrapped into a ball around nuts and soaked in honey.

The first few dishes:

Athirina:

We feasted and talked for over two hours. Mom and Simone were absolutly gobsmacked by the meal. They’d never seen a spread like that before. I remembered having a similar meal in Athens with Susie, Rita, and Stella that lasted from 9pm to about 2am.

Simone, the owner, Rita, and Mom:

We caught the 4pm bus back to Katapola and have just had a long siesta. The heat was ferocious today and we were all feeling drained. Of course, we had a huge meal to sleep off as well! It’s 8pm right now and we’ll probably walk down to town around 9pm for a light snack before settling in for the night.

July 28 AMORGOS

Mom was up and out the door at 5:45am. The taxi picked her up, drove to Chora and picked Rita up, then dropped both off at the port in Aegiali (aye-ah-lee). The caught the ferry to Naxos and were picked up by ambulance and dropped off at the hospital. There were several other people from the surrounding islands in the emergency waiting to get treatment for dislocated joints, broken bones, sprains, etc.

Rita does not have any broken bones but she does have a sprain so she has to wear a brace for two weeks. In Greece you have to pay for your medical treatment and then claim against insurance. We don’t know how much she had to pay at the hospital but she seemed unconcerned because, as she said, “I claim it.”

While Mom and Rita were enjoying their hospital trip, Simone and I had breakfast at Katapola and then caught the bus to Chora to see Susie. It was clear that Susie was exhausted from the effort of speaking English so Simone and I went for a walk around town. When I visited Amorgos in 1997 there were only two “touristy” shops, one of which was a very talented potter. I bought some of the pottery for Simone and she has it displayed prominently in her kitchen. Today there are over 20 shops.

The Greek Orthodox church at the entrance to Chora:

We saw some of Simone’s pottery in one shop and asked where were could find more. The man indicated that we could find the potter’s shop down the alley. We looked very carefully but could not find the potter’s studio.

I just love Greek doorways:

We exited the town into a parking lot. I remembered that Rita and I walked down a path carved into the hillside from the parking lot to get to the monastery. So, I asked Simone to bear with me while I looked for the path. We found the path right away but realized that it was far too treacherous for Mom to traverse.

The footpath to the monastery:

We took a few photos of the hillside – uh, cliffside – because it was so beautifully barren. The wind was fierce and we both struggled to keep our footing while climbing back to the parking lot.

From there we walked back to town. We were both really keen to find the potter’s studio and double-checked each shop in the main alley. I mentioned to Simone that I thought the studio was beside the market and she walked in and asked the woman at the desk. She learned that the potter did have a studio next door but closed down a year ago because of health problems.

We were feeling hot and tired at that point so we stopped for a snack and drinks at a local café. Unlike the cafes in Katapola where everyone speaks English, no one at this café spoke English. We managed to “sign” what we wanted and sat down to enjoy the sights and sounds of Chora.

Sweet reward after a hot day of walking:

Around that time Mom and Rita arrived in a taxi from the port. We walked back to Susie and Rita’s home. We showed Susie and Rita pictures on the laptop (Susie had never seen a laptop before) and when they got tired of that we chatted and had leftover cake.

By that time Susie was getting very tired so Mom, Simone, and I said our goodbyes and caught the bus back to Katapola. In fact, we ran after the bus as it was leaving Chora and were very lucky to catch it. Otherwise, we would have had to wait another hour until the next bus came.

We will have some dinner in a couple of hours. Then, we’ll head home and hopefully have a sound night’s sleep. Tomorrow we’re planning to catch the bus to Aegiali and swim in the ocean. Then we’ll catch the bus to Chora to visit with Rita and Susie, and the bus to Katapola for dinner and a rest.

July 27 AMORGOS

As I mentioned in the previous entry, last night we walked to the unfinished Temple of Apollo. The sun was just setting and cast a beautiful amber glow on the marble. Like at Stonehenge, you can only admire the marble archway from a footpath 10m away. Still, it was a lovely bit of history and I didn’t mind admiring it from a distance.

The Temple of Apollo, with Naxos town in the background:

The restaurant was largely empty because the storm passing over the island was causing numerous waves to crash onto the walkway to the Temple of Apollo (and to the restaurant). We got a “front row” seat and enjoyed watching the boats come and go and the sun setting over the town.

The restaurant below the Temple of Apollo:

We ordered four appetizers - tzatziki, wild greens, calamari, and meatballs – with the intention of sharing them. The tzatziki and wild greens arrived right away. We expected the “wild greens” to be a mixed green salad. What we got was something similar to cooked spinach.

The calamari, when it arrived, was absolutely delicious. The meatballs were heavily spiced and more like mini hamburger patties. Mom tried the calamari and didn’t like it so she ate most of the meatballs while Simone and I finished off the calamari.

This morning we woke early to catch the ferry to Amorgos. Dmitrious drove us to the dock, where we lined up with about 100 other people. The ferry arrived a few minutes late, but the ferry crew made up for that by making sure that people boarded the ferry quickly. This involved the crew yelling “Hurry up! You are too slow!” and pushing people onto the ramp.

There was very little space for luggage so most people had to carry their luggage inside and stack it in the aisle next to their seats. This meant that we had to lift our luggage over other people’s luggage. Normally I wouldn’t mind that, but the crew had already cast off. So, we had to lift our luggage over other people’s luggage, but for added fun we had to do so while the ferry was heaving and lurching in heavy seas. We eventually found our seats and collapsed into them, glad to be sitting instead of staggering around in the aisles like drunks.

Exiting the ferry at the port of Katapola proved quite easy. Cousin Rita met us at the dock and whisked us down the causeway to a café for coffee and a brief chat. She then hired the local taxi (there’s only one on the island) to take us and our luggage to our pension. It’s actually a “room to let” in someone’s house, and over looks the port of Katapola. Rita arranged for us to stay in Katapola instead of Chora because she felt we would get bored in Chora.

Our pension:

After a brief stop at the pension we got back into the taxi and went to Chora. We said hello to aunt Susie, then Rita showed us the way to the kastro above Chora. The kastro is an ancient structure where women and children would hide when the town was invaded. All of the roofs in Chora are connected and they all lead up to the kastro, so the women and children would go from roof to roof until they reached the safety of the kastro.

The kastro is not normally open to tourists. However, since Rita is a local she arranged to borrow the key to the kastro so we could visit it. When we got to the kastro there were actually two young men there, who also had a key. I didn’t realize that there was more than one key!

The steps to the kastro (no rails!):

We climbed through the small doors and carefully made our way to the kastro wall where we had a magnificent view of the city. It was still blowing a gale so we had to be particularly careful about our footing and our belongings, which could easily fly off in the heavy wind.

The kastro door, all 4ft high of it:

A view of Chora from the kastro:

On our way down from the kastro Rita slipped on some loose gravel and hurt her knee. The two young men, who had probably finished their military service, checked her knee and helped her get down from the kastro wall to the kastro doors, which provided some relief from the wind. One of the men went down into Chora to get the doctor. Three men arrived about 30 minutes later with the nurse and a stretcher. Rita refused to be carried down the steep kastro steps in the stretcher and instead opted to go down the steps on her bum. At the bottom of the steps the men helped her into the stretcher and carried her out of the town (which only has footpaths) to a waiting ambulance.

The ambulance:

We thanked the two young men for helping Rita, then piled into the ambulance like a bunch of circus clowns. At least, that’s what it felt like. It was a short drive to the local hospital, where the doctor checked Rita’s knee and provided a temporary bandage so she could walk. He insisted that she go to Naxos the next day to get an x-ray of her knee.

One of the men who carried Rita on the stretcher drove us from the hospital back to town in the ambulance. When we got out all of the locals wanted to know what had happened to Rita. She didn’t want them to worry and explained that she’d just had a minor slip.

Aunt Susie had lunch ready for us and we enjoyed stewed beef with mashed potatoes and a pea and tomato salad. Susie noticed that Rita was limping and wanted to know why. Rita explained that she had slipped. Susie was upset, but became even more upset when she learned that Rita had to go to Naxos for an x-ray the next day. Mom volunteered to go with Rita to Naxos and Simone and I volunteered to stay with Susie until Rita and Mom got back from Naxos.

Aunt Susie, Simone, Mom, and cousin Rita:

After lunch we took the taxi back to Katapola. We were all feeling very sweaty and sticky so we had showers and changed clothes. Then we walked into town to check things out. We took a lot of pictures of the harbour and the whitewashed alleyways. When we got back to the pension I copied the photos from our cameras to my laptop and we enjoyed a little slideshow of the day’s best shots.

Katapola harbour:

A shop in Katapola:

Cat hunting a lizard in Katapola:

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.