Tuesday 4 June (Day 42)
Today we took the road up the middle of the island to the
highest point on Koufonissia (113m) where we had a great view of the
surrounding islands of Amorgos, Naxos, Keros, Donousa, Schinoussa and Kato
(lower) Koufonissia.
We then went back to Portes Beach for a swim before going to the restaurant
Gastronautis. I had scorpion fish which
Tracey declared to be an ugly critter but was told by the waitress that he just
‘had an opinion’ (I think this means he had an attitude).
Wednesday 5 June (Day 43)
The ferry Blue Star Paros arrives (from Athens) in the Small
Cyclades in the early hours of the morning and we are now getting used to it
waking us up. We were awoken early this
morning by the arrival of some new guests.
At breakfast the owners mum looked a little blurry eyed so we tried to
ask her what time she went to pick up the new guests. However, she took this to mean that we needed
to know the times of the Blue Star Paros ferry on Friday and she indicated that
we should come to reception after breakfast for the answer. Oh dear!
We decided to try and avoid further confusion and sneak off
for our walk but she spotted us and called us over. Fortunately, one of the new guests is an
American whose parents are Greek and he speaks both languages fluently. We were straightened out the confusion and
took the opportunity to make arrangements for our departure on the ferry on
Saturday.
We walked along the coast as far as we could enjoying the
fantastic scenery on the way before making our way back inland along a ‘footpath’
that was more like a goat track when you could find it at all. As we had just started along the path we
noticed a large bird sitting on a wall and approached it carefully so that I
could take a photograph. It was a
strange looking bird and seemed unable to fly so we concluded that it must be
the last surviving dodo but on further investigation it now appears to have
been a guinea fowl. Oh well, so much for
our future as zoologists.
On returning to room I remembered that I wanted to take a
photograph of where we are staying so returned back outside to take one. I was immediately accosted by the owners mum
(Yota) who asked if we wanted coffee. I
declined her offer as Tracey was in the process of making tea and she then
insisted on me partaking of some local raki and bringing some back for Tracey
who by this stage was wondering how many pictures I was taking.
Thursday 6 June (Day 44)
As the weather was so
nice today we went to Fanos beach and were lucky enough to bag one of the few
spots under a tree. We spent the day being
very lazy only managing a swim and a saunter up to the beach café for a coffee
late in the afternoon.
We decided to go a bit further afield for our supper tonight
and went to a fish tavern on the other side of town. We were given menus but told that there
really was not much point in looking at them and that it would be better to
simply go into the kitchen to see what they had. We eventually chose some sardines wrapped in
vine leaves, calamari (squid), baked vegetables and some lemon potatoes –
delicious!
Friday 7 June (Day 45)
We spoke to the young American couple at breakfast this
morning and discovered that they had eloped and got married on Santorini just a
week or so ago. This cannot have been
easy as they are both from large Greek families who enjoy nothing better than a
‘big fat Greek wedding’. The wife
starts med school in the fall so they are enjoying an extended honeymoon in the
Greek islands and visiting some of their extended family.
We went to the beach again today and had only been there a
short while before it started to rain.
Using some bamboo sticks and a towel we were able to construct a
rudimentary shelter but by the time we had finished it the sun had come back
out so we converted it to a sunshade – genius!
Unfortunately I did not have my camera with me so there is no
photographic evidence.
Tomorrow we take the ferry back to Naxos and stay their one
night before getting our flight to Athens and then on to Kefalonia for the next
5 weeks. Here’s hoping for a smooth
crossing and an even smoother flight on a very small prop engine aircraft.
View from the top
More photos of rocks
Portes House
Guinea fowl (or dodo)
A Scorpion fish
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