A Greek Oddity

Tuesday 6th May 2014 - Serifos - Exploring Livadakia and the Chora

We started the day with an amazing breakfast.  Matoula was already downstairs in the small kitchen off the courtyard when we came down at 9.00am.  She brought us a generous spread of boiled eggs, bread with jam and honey, cheese, ham and a semolina type desert with sultanas and sprinkled with cinnamon - I think it was halva. An amazing feast to start the day!  This truly makes up for the smelly bathroom and mosquitoes!


As always I'm always naturally drawn to the water so we go to explore the beach which is short walk from the Serifos Palace past houses with poppy filled gardens.  Livadakia beach is delightful - completely deserted at the moment.  A small curved beach lined with tamarisk trees.  


After a stroll along the beach we head up over the hill towards the port.  We pleased to see a bus service running which means we can see more of the island.  Up above the port, the white houses and churches of the Chora gleam in the sunshine.


I had read that it is about an hours walk to the chora from the port.  It's hard to gauge looking up at it from below but for our first trip up their we decide to catch the bus.  The Chora is divided in two parts which I'll describe as a higher Chora and a lower Chora though on this first trip up there didn't discover the lower Chora.  Up in the higher Chora towards the Kastro is a pretty little square and lots of attractive alleyways.  


In the guides that I had read about Serifos, it described the Chora as one of the prettiest in the Cyclades.  It is attractive for sure, but in a less 'boutique' way than Chora's such as the neighbouring island of Folegandros. 


It is very windy today - the man from the port cafe on Kythnos was right - the wind is definitely picking up!  Vertigo (of maybe it's acrophobia) get's the better of me on most occasions  The wind up in the Chora isn't encouraging me to walk up to the Kastro _ I'm not sure I could have made it anyway with the sheer drops either side.  Peter goes and I walk around the streets surrounding the square.  


We stay for a cup of tea at Kafeneio Tou Stratou in the square with a view of the Town Hall and church.


The walk back down to the port is 2km - the bus is 4.5km.  The path is very good and it's a really enjoyable walk.


Before we go back to the Serifos Palace we take another walk along the beach.  We pass a Alexandros - Vassilia rooms and apartments which also has a little taverna right on the beach.  There isn't anyone in the taverna but we go in and ask if it will be open later.  Vassilia is a lovely welcoming lady and told us it would be open though at this time of year it isn't a full menu.  What they have available is Greek salad, tzaziki, local sausage and pork chops.  Perfect - we'll be back later!


The wind is really picking up.  We take the opportunity to wash clothes and get them out on the line.  I hope it will all be there when we get back.

The meal at Alexandros - Vassilia is great.  The hospitality is wonderful and good basic Greek food can't be beaten especially when washed down with the local wine.

We are joined by a very sad looking local dog.  We had seen her on the beach earlier.  She has a tick on her skin and an infection in her eye - she looks in a bit of a state but she enjoys some leftover pork chop.

The wind has picked up even more this evening.  I wish we'd brought the washing in!

Monday 5th May 2014 - Last Day on Kythnos and on to Serifos

Today we leave for Serifos but the ferry isn't until late afternoon.  Once we pack we go and pay for our stay with Katerina who orders a taxi to pick us up ate 5.00pm.

Photo's of Filoxenia

This is our last opportunity to wander the pretty streets of the Chora. We cut through the Gazoza Cafe Bar from the main street and discover a new alleyway with the most beautiful painted pots.  I don't quite know how we missed this first time around.

More Kythnos Chora Photographs

The route to the outskirts of the village is so pretty and so quiet and we decide to continue walking up to Panagia Tou Nikous.  The views over the Chora are fabulous.  Apart from the sound of birds and the cicada's there is absolute silence.  From this vantage point we could see an elderly man and lady tending their garden and a man passing along the edge of the field on a donkey.  If you love a bit of solitude then this is definitely the best time of year to visit the islands.

The walk back to the Chora gives us the chance to admire a few more details that we missed previously.
  


We go to Gazoza Cafe Bar on the main street for lunch - a little bit of boutique chic in the heart of the traditional Chora.  Outside are upcycled seats made from pallets covered in brightly coloured cushions.  A little meze  finished off with some local preserved fruits is just perfect.  One of the preserved fruits was lemon - the other we were told was called pergamondo but I wasn't sure what this translated to.  After a bit of a Google I discover that peramondo is the fruit of the bergamot and is a cross between a lemon and a bitter orange.


We have another hour before we need to go down to the port and we spend this sitting on the balcony of our room at Filoxenia.  We watched the light scattered clouds move across the landscape until time to go down.


Katerina is there to see us off in the taxi.  We had a wonderful stay at Filoxenia and it is definitely somewhere we highly recommend for location, high quality accommodation and the most excellent hospitality.

At the port we stop for a cup of tea before the ferry arrives.  The cafe owner tells us that tomorrow a force 7-9 wind will arrive.  He wasn't sure of the time exactly but the big wind will be here tomorrow!

The ferry Adamantios  Korais appears on the horizon and seems to take ages to arrive in port.  It was running 45 minutes late and is the busiest ferry we have seen so far.  Boxes of vegetables are frantically unloaded before we can get on board.

The Adam Korais set sail from the shores of Kythnos.  Farewell Kythnos!

The ferry skirts the coastline of Kythnos down to it's toe  before heading further out to sea.

This was a great people watching opportunity.  There were a group of North African/Middle Eastern young men larking about on the deck - hanging over  the railings testing each others bravado.  A small film crew were filming a grey hair man who appeared to be reading a book and intermittently looking out to sea.  A couple of gypsy children were performing for the tourists - great photo opportunity for many but didn't sit quite well with me photographing children without parental consent.

The sun began to set as we approached Serifos.  Turning towards the harbour we are plunged into dusk as the highest point of Serifos island is placed between us and the sun.

Disembarkation is a little chaotic again but we know that we are going to be picked up by someone the accommodation we had booked.  We had done a little search on Trip Advisor and knew that we wanted to be in the port as opposed to the Chora this time.  We had chosen the Serifos Palace as it was offering a duplex apartment with sea views AND breakfast for a very reasonable price.  20+ years ago the opportunity to preview and book rooms on the fly wasn't even a thought.  You'd turn up on an island and take pot luck with whoever sold their room to you best!

After 10 minutes a little van arrived with Serifos Palace written on it.  A lady greeted us and opened up the back for our luggage which was placed in the back with bags of spilled cement.  The lady didn't speak much English but did mention a restaurant called Gialis along the harbour that seemed to be associated with the Serifos Palace.

The van took us up a steep hill but we were at the Serifos Palace in about 5 minutes.  The apartment was split level and had a small upstairs bedroom with tiny separate shower.  Most of the upstairs space was taken up by various balconies which, had it offered a sea view would have been brilliant.  Standing on tip toes on one balcony you could just about see the sea.  The room upstairs was so small there wasn't a dressing table or space to put the luggage.


Again we are the only people staying in the Serifos Palace which is quite nice.  However as the first visitors of the season the shower room upstairs smelt damp and was infested with mosquitoes.  Our first mission was to get rid of all the mosquitoes and to plug in the bug basher!

Before the lady left she showed us how to switch on the hot water and also asked us what time we'd like breakfast and we agreed 9.00am.  We decide to keep the luggage in the large room downstairs and to also use the downstairs shower which seems to have been refurbished more recently.  The kitchen was basic but functional with a small dining area and again lots of patio space at ground floor level.  We decided to only use the upstairs space to sleep in.  We're exhausted and from the balcony there doesn't appear to be any sign of life in terms of a local taverna or shops so we stay in and drink wine and eat biscuits!



Sunday 4th May 2014 - Kythnos - Dryopida and the Caves

Today we are going to visit the village of Dryopida  Like Kea there isn't a bus service running at this time of year so we book a taxi - or rather Katerina phones for a taxi for us.  The journey spirals up above the Chora and then drops down again it Dryopida itself.  We are dropped off on the main street leading into the village.  Dryopida used to be the capital of the island and takes its name from it's first settlers on the island, the Driopes.

http://www.kythnosislandgreece.com/kythnosislandtravelguide/kythnosislandtownsvillages/dryopidavillagekythnosisland/index.html

In particular we are keen to visit the Katafyki Caves.  We decided to explore the village first and hopefully would find the location of the caves in doing so.  We weren't 100% sure that the caves would be open to the public at this time of year.

We found a cafe to have brunch.  The old man from the cafe told us that the cave wasn't open at this time of year as it was still low season.  We ordered a Greek salad and a 'special' omelette with tea. As we tucked into salad and tea a group of about 20 elderly Greek ladies walked by.

Within seconds the man from the cafe in broken English and lots of hand gestures told us to follow the group of women - it seems they were here on an organised trip to the cave.  The man indicated that our food would be ready for us when we came back.  We grabbed our bags and followed - not sure whether we would be welcome or not.  We asked the guide if it was OK to join and he said yes.

I'm quite glad that we had joined a party of elderly ladies as the descent into the cave was slow which gave me time to pace myself - and my vertigo.  The Katafyki Caves are said to be the largest and best caves in Greece.  The year before I had visited the Caves of Antiparos a second time but couldn't make it to the bottom because of my condition.  Katafyki may be big but isn't as deep as Antiparos - at least I could make it to the bottom!


Went back to the cafe -  our tea still warm and our omelettes were brought to us fresh from the pan. Some of the ladies from the group also came to the cafe to eat.  They were also drinking ouzo and I didn't need to understand the language that they were (to use a Norther phrase) 'a right rum bunch'.  

We explored the village a little further before calling for the taxi to take us back to the Chora.  There are examples of the villages pottery heritage in the architecture everywhere. 

At the last minute we decide to go to the port to spend the afternoon and also to buy our ferry tickets to Serifos.  


There isn't much to the little port of Mastichari.  It's nice enough but we're so glad that we decided to stay in the pretty little Chora,

That evening the wind began to pick up and was quite breezy.  We have another walk around the Chora before going for dinner.  We walk around the outskirts of the Chora to catch the sunset.  We start off by walking through the cemetary next to Filoxenia which is illuminated by candles in lanterns down the walkway.


We are eating a little bit later this evening and have a wider selection of tavernas to choose from.  We choose To Steki Tou Ntentzi on the main street but eat inside because of the wind.  We had Greek salad, caper sauce made with potatoes, local sausage for me and kebab for Peter.  The restaurant is very popular with local people and the decor is rustic with a modern twist.  It was an excellent meal in nice surroundings.


This is a lovely way to spend our last evening on Kythnos.


Saturday 3rd May 2014 - On to Kythnos

George was still asleep when we left so we didn't get chance to say goodbye.

On the way to the port we pick up some pastries from the bakery for breakfast.  The Aqua Spirit is on time and she is virtually empty.  Farewell Kea!

Hello Kythnos!

When we arrive at Kythnos we still hadn't decided where to stay - Port or Chora.  I had read that the Chora was very pretty but had limited accommodation.  I had read great reviews about a small place called Filoxenia in the Chora.  We decide to deliberate over a cup of tea.  I'd managed to pick up free wifi - the island has it's own - and I emailed Maria the owner of Filoxenia.  I didn't know how long it would take to get a reply so in the end we decided to take a chance and get a taxi up to the Chora anyway.

When we arrived at Filoxenia, a lady was waiting for us in a beautiful, flower filled courtyard.  Maria had phoned her mother to tell her to expect us - Maria was in Athens.

Katerina showed us to a room which was absolutely delightful with lots of little extras.  The view of the mountains from the balcony was breathtaking.

After a quick unpack we set out to explore the Chora - and the description if it was right - it really is a pretty little Chora.

There are wooden signs around giving the distance of various walks from the Chora. We decide to walk to Apokrousi which is 3 Km away.  We follow the signs which takes us past fields full of spring flowers and bee hives.  The road is empty and undulating.  We couldn't see beyond the curves of the hill so it was hard to judge how much further we had to walk.  It felt as though we had walked further than 3km already.

Eventually we could see the sea.


We began our descent down to the beach. To the left we saw a couple of men doing some building work in preparation for the beginning of the season.  Apokrousi beach was completely empty and pre season still had litter along the shoreline that had been washed up from the sea.  There wasn't another soul in sight.  A little beach taverna was shuttered up and looked a little desolate.


Kolona is the islands best beach.  To get to this beach we needed to walk along to the end of Apokrousi beach and climb over a hill via a narrow dirt track.  This is only accessible on foot or by motorbike and the hill is quite steep.  The view from the top of the hill is fabulous.  Kolona beach is a narrow strip of sand that runs between the island and the little islet of Agios Loukas.

As much as we were tempted to walk to this beautiful beach I think we (I) was daunted by the thought of the walk back in the midday heat.  So far we had walked mainly in a downwards direction so the walk back was going to be quite tough.  

We decided to phone for a taxi and luckily we had the business card from the taxi driver that had picked us up at the port.  As soon as Peter mentioned where we were he said no and hung up even before we had chance to negotiate a price as I think I would have paid anything at this stage.  I had got a bit of sunburn from our walk to the lighthouse on Kea and was still suffering a bit.  At this stage I was quite prepared to sleep on the beach rather than climb the hill back up to the Chora - from here on the beach the hill looked quite imposing but I'm sure was more psychological than anything.  I switched on my data roaming to see if I could find the telephone number for another taxi but it wasn't having any of it - not one bar of a signal.

Apart from a couple of fishermen coming into shore there wasn't another soul in sight.  Even the builders had now left for the day.  We had no choice but to begin the walk back.

We had recorded the journey there with Map My Walk and it had measured 5kms to Apokrousi and a further 2kms to the top of the hill above Kolona beach.  Each kilometre ticked off on Map My Walk was a kilometre closer to the Chora and a nice shower and a drink. 


As we approached the Chora we could hear gun shots. Local people were sitting in the square dressed upin the square dressed up and we could see that there was going to be a wedding.  The church bells range out. Became clear was a wedding. Church bells rang out and from our balcony we could see a stream of people making their way to the church.  A young man arrived at the house next door where he dropped off his baby and left with bazouki.


Later on we head out for a meal.  There area number of great tavernas in the Chora but several didn't open until later in the evening  There was one taverna set back off the street and as soon as the lady saw us she switched on the outside lights of the restaurant.  We didn't need any more invitation to eat than that!

We are invited into the kitchen to see what is on offer.  I have the meatballs and Peter has rabbit washed down with a local wine.

The courtyard is so pretty all lit up. We are the only people eating at the restaurant but it isn't long before we are joined by a group of local visitors


It was like watching a scene from West Side Story.  The cats were very territorial and would stake their places close to our table based on their size and bravado.  One cat with a funny eye and another with their head permanently cocked to one side square up to each other until one relents. 

To end the meal we are brought complimentary preserved cherries - a local speciality.  Delicious!

That's more than enough activity for one day!


Friday 2nd May 2014 - Kea - In Search of the Lion

George had said that whenever a ferry is due in port the bus would be there to take people to the Chora so we decided that we would be at the port just before 8am.  

We went to the local bakery and bought some pastries and sat on a bench to eat them whilst we waited for the Aqua Jewel to come in.

The Aqua Jewel was on time.  Only a few people got off the ferry but there was no sign of a bus.  We hadn't seen any signs of public transport since we arrived on the island.


It was clear by now that there wasn't going to be a bus so we decided to bite the bullet and caught a taxi up to the Chora for 7 euros.

It was still quite early and the streets in the Chora were empty and very quiet.  We took in the views across the valley, up to the mountains and down to the bay.  


We decided to stop in a cafe for a cup of tea.  We watched with amusement as a refuse collection wagon navigated a very tight squeeze under an archway with inches to spare each side. Vehicles stay on the outskirts of the Chora as the streets are so narrow.

Peter went into cafe to pay and asked directions to the Lion of Kea.  Peter  said that we need to walk straight up the main street of the Chora.

Just a little further up we came to a split in the street - one on the left going down and one on the right going up. I don't know what possessed us but we decided to take the path to the left.  This was not the right way to go!


After walking for a while the path became narrower and although swathed in beautiful spring flowers, there were also quite a lot of nettles and thistles.  I had read that this was a simple straight forward walk of about 1.5km from the chora - not this semi perilous trek over makeshift stone steps.  (OK so that's a bit of an exaggeration!)  It took us past a small holding with chickens, donkeys and a barking dog.  

Peter spotted a man on a donkey on a path above us which is when we realised that we should have taken the other pathway straight up.

Once back on the main path we could see the lion in the distance.  We walked around and down some deeply carved stone steps to the lion   My vertigo began to kick in a bit but I did manage to clamber onto the lion for a photograph or two!

We returned back to the Chora along the wide path which lead us straight to the main square.

Kea Chora


We stay for lunch in Ton Kalofagadon restaurant in the town square in front of the town hall which overlooks the valley.  The restaurant comes highly recommended by Matt Barrett and has great reviews on Trip Advisor and we weren't disappointed. The waiter is very friendly and helpful and tells us what is on offer.  I choose the beef cooked in tomato and herbs and Peter had the local pork dish. Delicious.


After another walk around the Chora we catch a taxi back to Korrisia.


Korissia


The old abandoned tower of the enamel factory


Our stay on Kea has been short but has been a great start to the holiday.  It's a shame that the public transport was't running to explore the island further (or that I have the guts to drive in Greece) but this little island is a real gem.

Thursday 1st May 2014 - Kea - a Walk out to the Lighthouse and Beautiful Sunset

What a fabulous day!  The sun is glorious and there is a slight breeze - great walking weather and what better way to discover the area.

We are now able to appreciate the pretty garden of the United Europe - obviously tended to with great care by it's owners.

We walk to the port and decide to walk to the lighthouse at Agios Nikolaus.  The one thing that stands out is the most amazing display of spring flowers at every turn.

The coastline meanders in and out along the edges the deep bay.  The first place we come across is the little village of Vourkari. 

Just beyond the village we stumble across an archaeological site which is fenced off.  We later find out is the prehistorical site of Agria Irini.  See a bit of history from Matt Barrett's Travel Guides  http://www.greektravel.com/greekislands/kea/history.html

A little further around the bay we walk past what looks like a former landing quay for ships and the remains of a settlement.  A sign close by gives a clue.  The sign indicates that the Mixalinos Coal Emporium Company was operating there between 1895 and 1940.  It makes sense that this was a harbour for coal carrying ships.  Closeby we also pass a plaque commemorating the efforts of national hero Lambros Katsonis.

An excerpt from www.keatours.gr provides a bit more information

Moving to the narrow peninsula further down, one finds, now deserted, Kokka.

This was once an industrial area, one of the most important refuelling stations for coal- powered ships in Greece and a strong source of income for the island.

Today the coal warehouses and the workers’ houses, built at the end of the 19th century, as well as the central supply pier, lie deserted, left to the ravages of time.

The road past Kokka leads to a narrow strip of land between the open sea and the gulf of Agios Nikolaos, known as the narrow strait of Lambros Katsonis, which highlights the role played by Tzia in the pre-1821 revolutionary period. As recounted by the marble memorial sculpted by the island’s own Georgios Xionatos and positioned at this spot, the glorious seafarer Lambros Katsonis, serving in the Russian Navy during the Russo-Turkish War (1787-1792), used the port of Kea as his base.

After a bloody battle with a division of the Turkish fleet in 1789, he was cut-off in the port, but managed to escape during the night to the open sea by carrying his ship over the narrow strait of Kokka with the help of the local inhabitants. For their dedication to Katsonis’ cause, the inhabitants  of Kea suffered slaughter and destruction at

the hands of the Turks, while the Bishop of the island was hanged because he had officiated over Katsonis’ marriage to Maroulio, daughter of a local noble, Petros Sophianos.

Katsonis and Maroulio had three sons, the first of whom was murdered in Kea by the Turks.

From the narrow strait of Lambros Katsonis the path leads to the  lighthouse of Agios Nikolaos, which greets and bids farewell to the boats in the bay, as well as navigating passing ships. Built on the ruins of the sacred temple of Poseidon by the French Lighthouse Company (height of tower is 8m and height of focal plane is 32m),

it was the first lighthouse built in the Cyclades, in 1831, and the second in Greece.

We also find out later through a discussion on Matt Barrett's Greece Travel Guide Facebook Group that just off the coast of Kea was the scene of a terrible tragedy which resulted in the sinking of Titanic's sister ship the Britannic.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/3279154/Wreck-of-Titanics-sister-ship-to-become-underwater-museum.html

As we begin our approach to the peninsula and the lighthouse we detour to a stone building on top of the hill that offers fabulous views  of the coastline, inland and out out to sea.

We walk back down the slope to take the lower path around to the lighthouse.  The hillside is absolutely covered with pretty lilac coloured flowers.  There is a lady picking a bunch of these flowers and we open a conversation by agreeing how beautiful the flowers are.  She tells us that the flower is called Statice or Sea lavender and is used in dried flower displays in the home in Greece  We stay and talk a little and find out that she is a teacher and had lived in England for a while.  

Limonium sinuatum, commonly known as Statice, Sea Lavender, Notch Leaf Marsh Rosemary, Sea Pink, Wavy Leaf Sea Lavender,[1][2] is a Mediterranean plant species in the family Plumbaginaceae known for its papery flowers that can be used in dried arrangements.

It is a short-lived perennial plant, and is often treated as an annual. The leaves are pinnate, lobed, and lance-shaped - up to 10 cm long (3.9 inches). All parts are downy. The winged flower stems appear in summer, and are about 70 cm tall (27.5 inches). The flowers present in short, papery clusters in colours ranging from white to pink, purple, and yellow. It has been known to become invasive.[3]


The lighthouse is a few minutes walk around and up the peninsula.  The area is deserted and we are the only people there.  We sit and rest on the lighthouse wall and admire the beautiful view. The breeze is just perfect.

The walk back to Korissia gives the opportunity to take photographs of more flowers and we also spot a bench overlooking the deep St Nikolause Bay which I had read is a great spot to watch the sunset.  We'll be back there later!

Once back at Korissia we have a nice treat.

Kea Sunset and nightfall

We had originally planned to stay only for 2 nights on Kea but felt that we hadn't even touched the island.  Although we appeared to be the only people staying at the United Europe we went to speak to George to let him know that we would like to stay another night.  George invited us into his home and introduced us to his wife Birgitte.  George was insistent that we stay and have a drink with them which of course we couldn't refuse.  George (he uses his English name to us) tells us that he worked in England for a few years.   During the conversation we told them about the beautiful purple flowers we had seen growing on the hillside and noticed that there was a display of them in a vase in their kitchen.  We had taken cuttings of various plants on our visits to the Greek islands and had managed to keep them alive back in the UK.  Birgitte  said she had some seeds of a lovely plant that grows with many different coloured flowers and she put some in a tissue for me.  We told George that we wanted to go and see the Kea Lion and asked if any buses were running.  It seems that at this time of year the bus doesn't run very frequently but George told us that there will be a bus when a ferry arrives in port.  So we have a plan of action for tomorrow!

Wednesday 30th April 2014 - Arrival at Athens and on to Kea

We're so thrilled to have 16 days for this island hopping trip and also to be here at the time of year.  I haven't been to Greece in spring for many years but remember the abundance of beautiful flowers - heaven!

This year we plan to travel from Lavio Port to Kea and then around to Kythnos, Serifos, Sifnos and Syros and then back to Athens for a few days.

A straight forward flight from Manchester to Athens - just how I like it!

We need to catch a bus to the port of Lavrio.  Instead of catching the bus right outside the arrivals terminal as we would to catch the bus to Piraeus, we cross the road towards the Marriot Hotel.  (don't cross the road - the bus stop is on the left.)   After about 20 minutes a bus arrives - we travel to Markopoulo which is about a 10 minute journey where we change to catch the bus to Lavrio.  A great way to check where you are so that you don't miss you stop is by using an app with offline maps and GPS capabilities.

To be sure you're getting off at the correct stop it's always worth asking the driver to give you a shout.  Markopoulo is a bit of a nondescript bus stop so it would be easy to miss.


The bus to Lavrio stops at the same place where we disembarked.  The journey to Lavrio takes about 45 minutes and the journey takes us through a couple of pleasant towns.  It's so good to be in the sunshine!

Lavrio is the final destination and the bus stops in a small square.  We can see the harbour through the trees so head off in that direction.  Once on the sea front we get our bearings.  The port is about a 10 minutes walk to the left through what feels like a semi industrial area - not much to see down this end and nowhere to leave your luggage so if you have some time to wait - stay in the town.  We have a couple of hours before the ferry departs so we decide to have a meal and choose a little taverna called Petrino. The food is simple but as the first Greek meal for a year - every mouthful is relished.  The holiday has begun!

This also gives us the opportunity to ask if we can leave our cases in the restaurant whilst we have a wander around which the owner agrees to obligingly.  Unfortunately we don't have enough time nor a method of transport to travel beyond the town.  There is an amphitheatre which is apparently the largest and the oldest in Greece but the taverna owner tells us that it is too far to travel to without a car if we have a ferry to catch.  The town is small and compact and we easily kill a few hours wandering around.


Eventually it is time to walk to the port.  It felt a bit of a trek in the midday heat.

The Marmari Express eventually arrives.  The activity is a fraction of the scale that you would see at Piraeus but still a great place to people watch - meeting and greeting or saying goodbye.  


We go out to the small deck.  What would have been a really pleasant journey was somewhat marred by the most horrendous display of dog barking I have ever seen.  There must have been about 10 dogs on deck all snarling and snapping at each other - the noise was unrelentless!  Thank heavens it was a short trip!  (Since when did the Greeks become such animal lovers?  Or are they security dogs?  Not sure)

As the sun began to set, the Marmari Express arrived into deep horseshoe shaped port surrounded by soft undulating hills.  

We had booked a room at the United Europe which seemed to be located close to the port but also a good price.  We had found accommodation on Kea to be quite expensive but the United Europe was one of the cheapest we could find.  It was a bit of a gamble as there were no reviews for the United Europe on Trip Advisor but had been mentioned in Matt Barrett's travel guide which was good enough for me!

It took us a while to get our bearings but United Europe was indeed a short walk from the port. We had been emailing Despina beforehand and when we knocked it was she who answered the door and showed us to our room.

The room was basic and clean with a small kitchenette. There was a small balcony overlooking the hills and a lemon tree close enough to pick for gin and tonics!  We were very exhausted and went straight to bed without unpacking!  We're here!


Packing hints and using technology _ think last year using snitch eetc.