Last night we went back into Naoussa for dinner. I believe it was around 7pm, but it was difficult to find anywhere that was open or had anyone else eating. Evidently people eat real late here - like closer to 9pm. I am not capable of such feats of strength. I do get quite hungry. Nicole and I had pasta pretty much by ourselves on a rooftop in the middle of town. It was a nice (and quiet) dinner. As the sun eventually went down, we roamed the narrow stone walkways of the town and slowly but surely the outdoor restaurants and cafes began to fill up. So far, I am very much liking Paros. It is just so different from Santorini, and that’s a good thing. We are hearing Greek spoken around town, which should not be shocking, but it had previously just been a combination of French and English.
The following morning, we set out for Antiparos, the neighboring island of Paros. And if the Greek islands were a soap opera, Antiparos would be the evil twin brother to Paros that shows up three seasons after the introduction of Paros, but is also played by the same actor. Much in the same line of thinking, Antiparos was as much a delight as Paros despite being so anti. The ferry to Antiparos was quick, cheap, and easy. The initial street along the waterfront reminded me a bit of Catalina, but the similarities pretty much ended there. The town, though small, was full of small shops and cafes, all painted the characteristic white and blue of the Greek isles. While one would think of this place as a playground for the rich (Tom Hanks has a house here), or at least a popular place for tourists or honeymooners, we actually didn’t see that many tourists occupying the seats at the cafes. In fact, lots of people were waving to each other as they walked down the streets and recognized each other. Greek was spoken widely and it was grand.
Nicole and I did a bit of exploring about the town and ran across the old castle from a time when the Venetians had tried to exert dominance over the area (a signpost next to it told me so). Not much of the “castle” remained, but immediately around it was a residential area that was so perfectly scuffed and worn, that it almost seemed more suited for Greekland in Disney World. Needless to say, we took a lot of photos in this area, and only 3 or 4 tourists crossed paths with us. After that, we did some more exploring and ran across a beach that only had a local woman and her daughter on it. The water was a rich combination of dark blue and turquoise and we didn’t have to jockey for position to see it.
We had a slow stroll back through town and eventually stopped at a small cafe where only a couple Greeks were enjoying some strange coffee concoction that we see everywhere. I had a beer which I can’t even pronounce because it was all in Greek text. It was very refreshing. After that, we took the ferry back across to Paros and drove back to our hotel to relax by the pool.
The following morning, we set out for Antiparos, the neighboring island of Paros. And if the Greek islands were a soap opera, Antiparos would be the evil twin brother to Paros that shows up three seasons after the introduction of Paros, but is also played by the same actor. Much in the same line of thinking, Antiparos was as much a delight as Paros despite being so anti. The ferry to Antiparos was quick, cheap, and easy. The initial street along the waterfront reminded me a bit of Catalina, but the similarities pretty much ended there. The town, though small, was full of small shops and cafes, all painted the characteristic white and blue of the Greek isles. While one would think of this place as a playground for the rich (Tom Hanks has a house here), or at least a popular place for tourists or honeymooners, we actually didn’t see that many tourists occupying the seats at the cafes. In fact, lots of people were waving to each other as they walked down the streets and recognized each other. Greek was spoken widely and it was grand.
Nicole and I did a bit of exploring about the town and ran across the old castle from a time when the Venetians had tried to exert dominance over the area (a signpost next to it told me so). Not much of the “castle” remained, but immediately around it was a residential area that was so perfectly scuffed and worn, that it almost seemed more suited for Greekland in Disney World. Needless to say, we took a lot of photos in this area, and only 3 or 4 tourists crossed paths with us. After that, we did some more exploring and ran across a beach that only had a local woman and her daughter on it. The water was a rich combination of dark blue and turquoise and we didn’t have to jockey for position to see it.
We had a slow stroll back through town and eventually stopped at a small cafe where only a couple Greeks were enjoying some strange coffee concoction that we see everywhere. I had a beer which I can’t even pronounce because it was all in Greek text. It was very refreshing. After that, we took the ferry back across to Paros and drove back to our hotel to relax by the pool.
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