Day 16 - Mykonos to Paros

Espresso Freddo: 0

We checked out of our hotel bright and early and got driven to the port.  Our notes had said to get there at least 45 minutes before departure so we had been a little nervous that our pick-up time was only 50 minutes before.  It turns out we needn't have stressed.  I think the early arrival time is only needed if you are in a car and you need to all get lined up to drive your cars onto the ferry.

There were about half a dozen places at the port where a ferry could dock.  Our driver had told us to check the screen to find out which one to wait at.  However, the screens were off.  And there was a sign below saying don't believe what they tell you as it is often wrong!  

We queued up with a large group of other people, assuming they knew where they were going.  It is possible they did but wherever it was they were going was not Paros.  We were queued at dock 3 and our ferry docked at dock 7.  As this was all of 1 minute walk away it wasn't a drama.  We boarded and I slept most of the way to Paros (good anti-sea sickness drugs!).

When we got to Paros there was no sign of our driver.  We'd docked a few minutes late and it was chaos at the docks.  He was having to do laps.  We eventually made contact and he drove us to our hotel.  Once again it has fabulous views but it is 10 minutes from the edge of the port town, Parikia, and 20 minutes from the centre.  Also the walk into town involves an unpleasant stretch along a main road with very limited footpaths/verges.  I'm all for supporting small, locally owned businesses but surely there is one a little closer in?

After an hour to settle in our driver, Aris, picked us up again for a private tour of the island.  He is a skillful driver but a tour guide he is not.  We told him we were interested in history and museums, expecting him to suggest an itinerary and tell us info about each site.  Instead, he looked blankly at us and asked us where we wanted to go.

Our first stop was the ancient marble quarries near the village of Marathi (Mary's suggestion).  Parian marble is famous and highly sought after as it was pure white.  There have been quarries here since the 3rd century BC.  It was interesting to amble around here although a lot of it was fenced off as it wasn't safe, even by Greek standards.  There was a sign saying they were hoping to raise funds to build a visitor centre and also make one famous quarry, that of the Nymph, accessible to the public.  Aris had never heard about this place so went for a wander too.

Next stop was the village of Kostos (Aris suggestion).  I'm not sure why (it turns out it's his home town).  It was a pretty little village, but just like many other pretty little Greek villages.  We only spent about 10 minutes here.  Nothing really to see, other than to be boggled by the number of churches.  There were these 2 side by side.  For a village with a population of perhaps a few hundred at its peak.

After this we went to a private museum that Aris insisted we visit.  It wasn't clear why.  He was on friendly terms with the owner and convinced her to stay open so we could visit.  It turns out it is devoted to the art of a famous Greek sculptor Nikos Perantinos.  He made many scupltures in the classical style (dull) and also many busts of famous Greek people (interesting because like-life).  Not a bad stop but only really interesting if you knew who all the famous people were.

Next stop was the town of Lefkes for lunch.  We ate at a restaurant recommended by Epos, Aris and our hotel called Klarinos.  We had a dish of chickpeas and some fried zucchini (Good), some capsicums stuffed with feta (Decent), some village sausage (which I thought was Decent but both Mary and the restaurant cats thought was Disappointing) and some tzatziki which definitely was Disappointing.  I don't think they'd even gone so far as to wave a clove of garlic over it.

After lunch we went for a walk around the town, which was pretty and was worth an amble.  Then it was back in the car and we headed to the largest town on the island, Naoussa.    We'd been promised some Venetian ruins by Epos. They are there, but you can't visit them.

We again wandered around town for a bit before it was back in the car to drive to Kalimpithres beach (Epos suggestion).  There are some amazing rock formations there and this has created some sheltered swimming pools.  Aris didn't know about this.   We googled later.

Next stop was Monastiri (Epos again).  There is an ancient theatre there but Aris didn't know when it was built or who by.  There is also a path out to a lighthouse from there.  I asked Aris how long it would take to get to the lighthouse.  He replied it depends on how fast you can walk.  We didn't attempt it.

Then we headed back to the hotel.  On the way we passed a sign to a Mycenean Acropolis so Aris drove us up a precipitous gravel track to see the ruins.  He didn't know when it was built or what happened to the people there.  

Finally he drove us back to the hotel, where we happily waved him goodbye.  In Aris defence he was good-natured and happy to take us anywhere we wanted to go.  He was a good driver.  He was just a lousy tour guide.  Argiris would have known a little bit about this history of all the places we visited.  We have two more private tours - one on Naxos and one on Santorini.  We can only hope they are better.

For dinner we braved the walk into town.  We got to an recommended restaurant but there was a queue out the door.  They must be famous on social media.  It was on one end of a long stretch of beach and the road was studded with restaurants so we kept walking.  We stopped at one for a drink and to watch the waves before heading to a place called Il Napoletano which served pizzas cooked in a wood-fired oven.  And pizza was basically all they served.  It was a tiny place.  A woman runs it with her daughter and brother helping with the front of house and her husband making the pizzas, which were Good.

When I got back to the hotel I popped next door to give Mary something and managed to lock myself out of my room.  The reception here isn't staffed around the clock, so we would have had to call someone to come out and let me in.  Instead, Mary came to my rescue as my big sister and climbed over the parapet between our balconies and got into my room that way.  Fortuntately I had my balcony doors open.  Unfortunately that was why my the door to my room blew shut.

All in all, an interesting day.