Island of Naxos

There are hundreds of Greek islands, so how does one decide which one or two to visit? Well, I knew I wanted to visit Santorini because it has a reputation as the most typically Greek island, visually at least, with white-washed buildings and blue domes, overlooking the sea. But we also wanted to visit a less touristy island where Greeks live and work, so after some research about the various islands, and some study of the ferry schedules, I decided on the somewhat unknown jewel of Naxos. 

Naxos is fairly large island, in the same group of islands as Santorini, known as the Cyclades Islands. It is also the greenest of the Cyclades. When the ferry arrives in the port at Naxos Town, the first thing you see is the Portara, the doorway to the ancient Temple of Apollo, built in 522 BC. Unfortunately, we never made it to the tiny island (connected to the main island by a causeway) to stand under the doorway and make a wish, as is the custom, because it was so windy and cold whenever we had the time to go out there. We have to settle for a distant photo instead. (Click to enlarge photos.)

Upon our arrival, we were greeted at the dock by Rena and her father, Panos, from the Pension Sofi. After settling into our "studio," they invited us down to the lobby for a drink and some snacks, and then with a map, they told us all about their beloved island and what we should see and do while we were there. They also told us about their family farm on the northern side of the island, where they have olive and fruit trees, a vineyard (they make their own wine), various farm animals, and a greenhouse where they grew the tomatoes they served us, even though it was still May, and the weather there had been colder and wetter than they could ever remember it being in May. They were very helpful, always cheerful, and obviously work very hard everyday. My guess is that Panos is in his mid-70's, but you should have seen him grab one of our heavy suitcases and haul it up the stairs to our room! Delightful people!

The front and back sides of the Pension Sofi. Our balcony is the one in the photo on the left, upper right side.

At their suggestion, we rented a car for two of the four days we were there, and explored a good bit of the island, but I have to agree with them that you really need at least a week to really get to know Naxos. Next time...

One of the things we discovered while driving on roads where the GPS was not very helpful, and the road signs are very difficult to discern, was that all you have to do is ask someone -- or just look a little confused, and someone will ask you if you need help. 

At one point, we pulled up behind a truck that had been stopped because the road ahead was closed until later that day. The driver spoke to one of the guys telling people to turn around, and then as he started to turn around, he leaned out the window, and in Greek, told us to follow him to a detour. So, we did!

After following him for several kilometers, we had reached a point where we needed to go separate ways. He jumped out of his truck and came back to our car, and with very few English words and lots of Greek, he explained that we could follow the road we were on and it would take us where we wanted to go. He wished us well, hopped back in his truck, and continued rambling along the dirt road that would take him wherever it was he was going. And that was exactly the kind of experience we had hoped for on a quiet Greek isle, but it didn't end there!

A little while later, we were unsure we were still on the right road, so we stopped at small market, hoping someone would speak enough English to tell us if we were going in the right direction. At first, I wasn't sure we were going to be able to communicate because the young woman working near the door, didn't speak English, but she referred me to her boss. He was waiting on a customer, and when he started to answer my question, the customer, a middle-aged man with very good English skills, took over. He proceeded to show me on the map, all the places and things we needed to see while we were on Naxos, of course adding that four days was not nearly enough to see all of it! Sam, wondering what was taking so long, came into the store and caught most of it, when I realized we had both left our car doors open, with cameras and my handbag sitting on the floor! I expressed some concern that Sam had left the car, not only unlocked, but wide open, the "tour guide" told us not to worry, he leaves his keys in his car all the time! After being in big cities like Athens (or really anywhere in the world), and having to be so careful about our possessions, it was refreshing to feel so safe. I love Naxos!

Later that day, we visited an ancient ruin, which is very well preserved, the Temple of Demeter, Goddess of the Harvest. It's high on a hill overlooking a beautiful valley, filled with fields of crops. It was breathtaking!

There is so much breathtaking scenery on Naxos, and I took so many photos! I will have to save most of them for a lengthy slide show later, but here are a few...

Red poppies, one of my favorite things! We were in Greece and Italy during the peak time for Mediterranean wild flowers!

Fields and hillsides full of poppies! Bright red spots everywhere! Fluttering in the breeze, they seem to be giggling, and they just make me feel happy!

From this mountain road, you can see all the way to the sea and other islands. 

This is one of several marble quarries, where the famous white marble of Naxos is mined. It is said that it is so pure, that when sliced thinly, it is translucent.  It is a little sad to see this mountain stripped of its treasure, but it was also beautiful. Like a gigantic  marble cathedral.

 Lots of donkeys on the Greek isles. This one was not very happy to be tied up to the tractor, but agreed to pose for a moment.

Oh, how I wish I could get a little scooter like this for my granddaughter, Elinor!

This old guy (actually, probably no older than we are!) is a resident of the town of Apeirathos, which is called the marble town because its streets are made of marble. 

We visited the distillery where the famous Kitron liqueur has been made from the leaves of the citron fruit for 115 years. It comes in three different colors: yellow, clear & green. Yellow being the strongest (36%), and green the least (30%).

During our explorations, we came across this little cemetery, where we met a young man who was tending the grave of his father who had died only 20 days earlier, at the age of 51. It seems they have a custom of keeping an oil lamp burning on loved one's graves, which is why there were bottles of olive oil at many of them.

 Driving along a beach road, we came across this door, just propped up against a tree. Perfect addition for my door collection!

At the top of the hill in Naxos Town, there is a Venetian castle that was built in 1207. And like Venice, the hill is a maze of walkways, where one can get "lost" and find all sorts of interesting things, like the tiny bakery where we bought the best bread we had on the whole trip! Also, there is a Venetian museum in the castle, and when we stopped in, we discovered there was a traditional music & dance festival happening that evening, with all you can drink local beverages! So, of course, we had to attend!

The show was entertaining and very educational. Our host (his name escapes me at the moment) was so funny, and reminded me a lot of a Greek Robin Williams.

The musicians played different instruments and our host explained how some were made, and he gave us the background on the songs and dances that were performed. It was quite lovely, and sometimes sad, but mostly a lot of fun! At the end of the performance, the dancers encouraged all of us to join in and it got pretty wild and crazy! Of course, the consumption of copious amounts of Greek wine, kitron, raki (Greek version of grappa), and rakomelo (combination of raki, honey & cinnamon - yum!) helped rid most of us of any inhibitions we might have had! Everyone danced, and laughed so hard - a great time was had by all!

Traditional Greek dancing.

Of course, any writing about the Greek isles has to include something about the food. Ahh, the food. So good. At almost every meal, we shared a Greek salad, you know, tomatoes, cucumbers, sliced green peppers, red onions, olives, oil & vinegar, and FETA CHEESE. Lots and lots of feta! Sometimes, there was more feta than any other ingredient, as you can see in this photo!

On one of our drives, we stopped in the small town of Filoti, and had lunch at a pizzeria. We ordered the special, which included Greek pizza, Greek salad, and beer for two, only €14 (about $20). Since I don't drink beer (I know, lame, huh? But I really don't need another vice, so it's a good thing!), the waiter said he would give us a half liter of local wine instead. Wine so strong, we thought it was actually raki!

We didn't drink all of the wine (Sam had to drive after all and I didn't want to fall asleep!), but our pizza and salad were delicious! And, as you can see, LOTS of feta!

While we were eating, we heard a loud speaker coming up the road, obviously on some kind of vehicle, and we assumed it to be some kind of political announcement. As it came into town though, we realized it was a chicken salesman! He pulled up to the side of the road, opened the back of his truck, and started selling live chickens to the local restaurants!

As in Italy, another favorite of Greek diners is octopus. It is common to see them hanging on lines at the entrance to cafes along the shores.

Remember Señor Zorba's Mexican Restaurant on Santorini? Well, we did have a Mexican dinner while we were on Naxos, at a place called Cafe Picasso. I had read about it on a website about Greece, written by an American who said it was very good, so we decided to give it a try. It wasn't bad, but having grown up in SoCal, we are pretty hard critics of Mexican food. Still, it tasted pretty good, and the margaritas were great!

One of the best meals on our trip was our last night on Naxos. I don't have any good pictures, but it was at a restaurant called Mapw (pronounced Mah-ro), a very authentic, fresh ingredients, everything made there kind of place. The food was amazing, and our server was great! When we apologized for not finishing our huge meals, he said, "That's OK, I'll take it home to my chickens." When I asked, "Do the chickens eat leftover meat?", he responded, "No, but the piggies will eat anything!" I felt better knowing at least it wouldn't go to waste. Anyway, when he brought out our dessert, we expected the usual little complimentary glass of raki or kitron to be brought with it, but instead, he brought us a half bottle of the good local wine we had had with our dinner! Just what we needed -- more wine! Needless to say, we slept quite well that night!

So, there you have it, Naxos in a nut shell! Oh, one last thing... how about another beautiful sunset?