Amazing Naxos

Jeff––Saturday

Sorry folks. I just spent three hours preparing a wonderful piece on an amazing place we discovered on Naxos. A true mystery. But then a bigger mystery occurred. I hit save and the entire piece vanished. I simply do not have the energy to recreate it.  If I find it, I shall, but I'm not hopeful. My sincerest apologies for running this redux from last summer.


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