Paros & Naxos Islands
On Monday, we woke up in an anchorage off the town of Naoussa, Paros Island. This morning we had different options. Some went hiking up the hill just above the beach. When you reached the top, the view was superb and the surprise was a 19th century lighthouse. Others went swimming and the lazy ones basked in the mid-October sun.
After lunch, we docked at Naxos. Naxos is the largest and greenest island of the Kiklades. At the entrance of the harbor, a huge “portal” greets you. It faces Delos, the sacred isle where Apollo was born. You feel that going through it would transfer you to another dimension.
We met our coaches and drove to the interior of the island. Mt. Zas, named after Zeus, was hidden by clouds. At Damalas village, our favorite potter Manolis welcomed us and we enjoyed visiting his family’s 19th century olive press.
We returned to the Chora and walked through this fascinating town, where antiquity, Byzantium and the medieval years merge. Naxos was the capital of the “Duchy of the Archipelago,” established by the Serene Republic of Venice in the 13th century. For some of us, the walk ended at the local cheese store, where we sampled “kitron,” a local liqueur, and “arseniko,” a local cheese.
After 10:00 PM, we sailed from Naxos heading north. Poseidon and Aiolos were getting a bit active, and Naxos port did not offer us enough protection for an overnight stay.
