Jeff––Saturday
No, that's not the name of a new Marvel Comic Book hero looking to become a box office star, it's the name of a magical Cycladic island, very happily playing most gracious host to a low key cast of appreciative summer stock performers. You may now count Barbara and me among them.
About an hour due south of Mykonos by ferry, Naxos is the largest of the Cyclades. It is also quite green and mountainous, offering vistas reminiscent of America's Rocky Mountains. I'd been there before on day trips with friends from Mykonos, but this was Barbara's first visit. I offered to take her wherever she'd like on her birthday, and she picked Naxos. Once again she choose wisely, and I benefited simply by going along for the ride.
We took a lot of photos and met a lot of wonderful folk--some of whom we now feel as if we've known forever. Trouble is, our boat this evening back to Mykonos was delayed by several hours. By the time we got home, other commitments on the part of my photographer and a few technical glitches, made it impossible to get the photos from her camera to me in time to make this post. And so, for now you'll miss some of those shining faces and wondrous places. But we'll be back with more...
So, here's what I have for you for now. Welcome to Naxos!
 |
| A shipboard romance on the rocks |
 |
| Our hotel...with the view in the headline photo. |
 |
| The old town of Naxos |
 |
| Naxos town |
 |
| Naxos harbor |
 |
| Barbara's favorite shop |
 |
| Harbor sunset |
 |
| Breakfast at the Hotel Grotta |
 |
| Another photo of our hotel, looking down into town. |
 |
| Old town alley ways. |
 |
| Sunset from up by our hotel |
 |
| Meet Nikoletta, co-owner of the hotel, with her brother Dimitri |
 |
| Here's Dimitri! |
 |
| This the Olive Press Museum also operated by Nikoletta |
 |
| Inside the Olive Press Museum |
 |
| The museum is in the village of Eggares |
 |
| This character stopped us on the road. |
 |
| He said he had to show us something, and pointed the way. |
 |
| We followed the clues and voila... |
 |
| A body laid out before our eyes. Rigor mortis had definitely set in. |
 |
| Ahh, the beautiful mountains of Naxos |
 |
| Naxos is known for its goats. |
 |
| And this crew had taken over the road, stopping traffic. |
 |
| And who would dare argue with this character. |
 |
| Ahh, now into the artist welcoming village of Halki |
 |
| Art must be lubricated, and so there's a distillery. |
 |
| And an old fashion traditional Greek cafenion |
 |
| The co-owner of FISH & OLIVE, a true gem of pottery and the arts. |
 |
| A home in the mountain village of Koronas |
 |
| Wine in a gem of a taverna in Koronos. |
 |
| Fresh goat, lamb and vegetables...all locally grown. |
 |
| The town. |
 |
| The town Remembers |
 |
| Barbara and I remember. |
––Jeff
Posts
Do I detect another Kaldis novel coming on...?
ReplyDeleteMe thinks you could be on to something, Michael. I bought the guidebook, and a map...which is always a first step along the road....
DeleteI am with Michael—which book will we visit Naxos? Eating Goat? Not sure about that.
ReplyDeleteGoat is very popular in this part of the world too, and can be delicious!
DeletePossibly #11. As for the goat dilemma, it's what keeps the island rural and undeveloped, I suspect, as the goat herders want the land to remain that way. It's also know for agricultural bounty with potatoes and 500,000 olive trees!
DeleteNot sure why. Perhaps it was just her beautiful name. But when I was a child pouring over maps in the atlas, I decided that Naxos was THE Greek island that I wanted to visit. As you know, my brother, David and I planned a trip to Greece in in 1985, but our itinerary was changed by the cruise line because of highjacking at the Athens airport. I have, alas, never had the chance to return. If I do get to come back, Naxos will still be my first choice.
ReplyDeleteAriadne thought the same way, after saving Theseus by a thread, so to say.
DeleteI think you'd find it an interesting community. I found three bookstores in the town without even looking for them. In fact we met an American woman who went there to visit, fell in love with the place and has been there for 3 years volunteering as a docent at the main cathedral. That said, it's not the world cultural center of your Florence.
My brother, here are things I am happy to have in common with Ariadne. Others not so much. We need to stop talking about reciprocal visits and put 5hem in the calendar. Please.
DeleteI'm over here until just before Election Day, but B is in the air heading your way as I type this--and not back until the beginning of September--so you can compare calendars in person! xo
DeleteWow, beautiful. If it weren't for all your friends, a move from Mykonos to Naxos might be in order, to get away from the summer madness.
ReplyDeleteNaughty on Naxos? The Naxos Noose? The Naxos Nag? Nailed on Naxos? Ah! Naked on Naxos! No? The Naive of Naxos? No Name on Naxos? Naxos Nanny? Naxos Napolean? Oooo, Naxos Narcotics! Nasty Naxos? Nazis of Naxos? Necking on Naxos? (No, I don't need to hear about it...) Naxos Necrophilic? (let's not go there, either) Needle of Naxos? Or if it's going to be a cozy, Needlepoint on Naxos? Naxos Network? Naxos News? Naxos Niblick? (The murder weapon was a golf club...) Nightcap on Naxos? Nightingale of Naxos? Naxos Nine? Noon on Naxos? North by Naxos? The Nose of Naxos? Naxos Notebook? The Naxos Novel? (No, probably not, but maybe a working title...) The Naxos Nude or Nudity on Naxos? (Sex is always a big seller) Naxos Nuptials?
Ah. Got it. The Nut of Naxos.
Just trying to help...
You hit the nail on the head about why I stay on Mykonos during August. It's all about the friends, though I must say many flee the madness and many more would like to do so if they could.
DeleteOn the titles, I'll keep (some of) them in mind, though there's another bouncing around in my head as playing off of current events: NYET, NAXOS NARCISSIST.
Everything is beautiful in Naxon.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could fly on my magic carpet to that taverna in Koronos, to the town of Naxos and its harbor, and to the shop, Fish and Olive.
Don't eat goat or any meat, but I know there is so much good food to eat, I would not go hungry. Could live on olives, if necessary.
It would be a flight worth taking, Kathy. :)
Delete