How BIG is the WORLD?: August 2015

Monday, August 24, 2015

7/2015 GREECE - PAROS & SANTORINI ISLANDS

10 – 14 May 2015

PAROS: my budget Aegean cruise via Ikaria, Mykonos and Syros!

CYCLADES ISLANDS

Parikia harbour

Encountering very high seas as we cross across the open Aegean Sea through the many Greek islands I find many things to distract me on the 8 hr voyage – stateless refugees to chat with, a large, comfortable ship to wander about and chasing power plugs to charge computers & phs. Talked with one couple – NZ & Ireland, who are cycling through Turkey & Greece for 6 months. Every year they pack up their bikes and pick another part of the world to cycle, gradually completing a world trip over the years. Then they return home to work hard for another 6 months before setting off again.

The ship calls into Mykonos with many tourists disembarking for the glamour island of the Aegean as we oldies continue on to Ermoupoli port in Syros, arriving on time,7pm.

We spent an interesting hour or so checking out the harbour attractions and the many luxury shops (where I spotted gorgeous timber framed sunglasses which were way out my price range) before the next ferry arrived for a quick hop across to Paros. Arriving late in Parikia, I find my own way to Meletis Studios, a great setup with good kitchenette. This island is another laid back & mountainous island and is certainly set up for hordes of holiday makers, yet to arrive. The old town of Parikia is really lovely and I start to adjust to the glaring white washed walls that line the winding streets here.

The Frankish fortress walls are in good shape in town and the old town is very seductive, with many lovely restaurants and cafes to while away the hours. I catch a bus around to the south east and the island looks lovely with plenty of lush farmland. Dryos is a windsurfing resort town but it is truly deserted with the 6 of us who got off the bus, the only folk walking around empty cafes and streets. Getting the only bus back to Parikia, I get off at Lefkes to pick up a Byzantine walking path back to Parikia, though Kostos & Marathi villages.

Easy to find the path here

Paros definitely needs to eradicate these very prickly weeds

The path was easy to find at the beginning with good signposting but then becomes more elusive, leaving us to try goat tracks to nowhere on Mal’s premise that, “it looks like it’s opening up ahead”. In the end, the Byzantine road deserted us and we back track to the highway to walk most of the 12km following bitumen into Parikia. Good local museum & churches ticked off in town and 4 days passed most easily, walking each day through the old town admiring shops full of wares all priced for more euros than I would pay dollars. The coastal path was nice to walk along as the weather improves day by day, to include at least one sunset in a hammock by the beach. Now it’s starting to feel like a holiday ;-)

NOTE: Paros marble has been well renowned throughout the centuries (oh, you didn’t know?). The Venus de Milo was carved from Parian marble, along with Napoleon’s tomb.

Lovely view from the balcony

Even the washing is blue & white here

14 – 18 May 2015

SANTORINI

High on the cliffs

CYCLADES ISLANDS

A very short ferry trip to Santorini and I readily impressed on arrival – not only are there public buses to take tourists into town for only a couple of euro, the road zigzags over 300m UP a massive cliff face. And the fact that I was actually in Santorini was exciting, because I never imagined I would make it to such a famous and popular island on this trip.

The island itself is certainly very striking, nested around a crater left by the biggest volcano eruption in history. The Minoans from Crete figure strongly in Santorini’s history, when the island was whole, back in 1000 BC. We get a great room in Fira, at the Markakis studios, with a little kitchen, balcony & a knee high swimming pool, but still it is soooo relaxing to sit in the sun and the manager is very helpful. Only have a few nights planned here, so head off to Oia on the first day for reputedly to the BEST spot to watch a famed Santorini sunset. On a lovely evening with hundreds of tourists jostling for good positions, we get the obligatory photos but certainly feel uncomfortable with the sheer volume and behaviours of some tourists, especially the Chinese tourists. One wall in the village has a hand painted sign stating NO PHOTOS, THIS IS A SCHOOL. It did seem as though if it didn’t move, a tourist would take a photo of it.

Next day, exploring the small old town, it soon becomes obvious that it’s a bad idea to walk about on the days when the cruise ships are in port. The tourists swarm through the stores in their hundreds, looking for bargains, souvenirs and things to do whilst off the ship. There is such a difference in the small streets and laneways when they head back to ship via the chairlift and Fira settles back down quietly to await the ships tomorrow.

Walking the cliff path another day to Firostefani and Imerovigli villages, I start to indulge my retail therapy impulse with small purchases when passing by Aegean Designs and some irresistible silk cushions, I met Alison, an artist originating from Melbourne who has just opened a gallery in Carrum, Melbourne. It was interesting to chat to her, especially as a business owner, about the current financial woes that Greece is facing and she sums it up simply that the Greek government has to decide this week to either make a repayment to the EU or pay pensions, which is adding a lot of uncertainty for many Greeks.

Back to Oia early in the afternoon, for a quiet look around this time (& more shopping for good earrings and books) leaving just as the tourists begin to arrive to take up their positions for the sunset. After all that acquiring, I have enough to send off another parcel on my last day. I also squeeze in a visit to another small village, Megalochori – a Living Project - it has been revitalised with investment from some its successful villagers who have restored some of the lovely mansions to save the village from disrepair and become the most picturesque village on the island.

A cute little museum in town rescues this island from only being a shopping trip. They have some lovely Aegean frescoes that have been preserved by the volcanic ash. After looking at accommodation options in Cos, our next planned stop, most are holiday resorts and we start to think that it may be an island we could easily miss. More ferry timetables and checking maps again, we find ferries travelling regularly to Crete, which looks far more interesting with a popular gorge walk and another weekly ferry that travels from Crete to Rhodes. Off to the ticket office and we’re off to Crete next!

NOTE: The Greek Government is trying to come up with ways to convince the IMF and Eurozone creditors to pay out 7.2 BILLION euros of bailout cash! News on TV, in papers & online are full of what may happen, if the talks fail and the country defaults on its debts. A Greek Euro exit (Grexit) seems the worst case scenario in European markets, as a disorderly default would leave the Union wondering which country may be headed for the door next.