Paros & Naxos
This morning we awoke in the sheltered bay of Naoussa, Paros. Whitewashed houses of the little town were in the background, and the water of the sea had a bright blue color. The ships tenders took us ashore to a nice beach with calm waters. We spent the morning swimming and kayaking. Back on board we had our first talk, given by the National Geographic expert Bob Hohlfelder on piracy in Antiquity. It was fun and we learned so much.
After lunch we sailed to Paros, the largest island of the Cyclades. The island has a very long history and a green mountainous landscape. The port is dominated by “Portara”, the gate of an unfinished temple dedicated to Apollo. Above is the “Kastro”, the beautiful medieval town of Naxos. As soon as we arrived we took a pleasant little tour of the island that gave us the opportunity to get to enjoy its landscape, discover a lagoon which is a bird sanctuary and admire its sandy beaches. In the village of Damalas we visited an old traditional olive press and the only pottery shop on the island where Manolis still makes forms of 100 year old pottery beside his modern creations. After we returned to the port we took a walk to explore the old town of Naxos with its mystic medieval atmosphere and its charming architecture. We were introduced to the taste of the local citron liqueur and discovered the “eye of the sea” a local shell of the sea.
We spent a beautiful evening at the port which gave us the opportunity to experience local life.
This morning we awoke in the sheltered bay of Naoussa, Paros. Whitewashed houses of the little town were in the background, and the water of the sea had a bright blue color. The ships tenders took us ashore to a nice beach with calm waters. We spent the morning swimming and kayaking. Back on board we had our first talk, given by the National Geographic expert Bob Hohlfelder on piracy in Antiquity. It was fun and we learned so much.
After lunch we sailed to Paros, the largest island of the Cyclades. The island has a very long history and a green mountainous landscape. The port is dominated by “Portara”, the gate of an unfinished temple dedicated to Apollo. Above is the “Kastro”, the beautiful medieval town of Naxos. As soon as we arrived we took a pleasant little tour of the island that gave us the opportunity to get to enjoy its landscape, discover a lagoon which is a bird sanctuary and admire its sandy beaches. In the village of Damalas we visited an old traditional olive press and the only pottery shop on the island where Manolis still makes forms of 100 year old pottery beside his modern creations. After we returned to the port we took a walk to explore the old town of Naxos with its mystic medieval atmosphere and its charming architecture. We were introduced to the taste of the local citron liqueur and discovered the “eye of the sea” a local shell of the sea.
We spent a beautiful evening at the port which gave us the opportunity to experience local life.
