Greece - Part 2: Naxos

Greek Islands - sun-baked metamorphosed rocks draped with white-washed blue-domed buildings. Seafood galore, clear blue skies, olive groves, beaches, wine, and sunsets over the turquoise Mediterranean Sea. My destination amongst all the Greek Islands is the Cyclades.

Part 2 of my trip to Greece sees me leave Athens and take the Fast Ferry to Naxos Island. This island in the largest and greenest in the Cyclades. I stayed over through Easter, when tourists vanish and locals travel back to their family.

Please click on the photographs to enlarge them:

The Fast Ferry. (How did I take this photo?
Well, I fell out and ... no, it's just a similar boat.)

Hora City on Naxos Island at sunset.

The Temple of Apollo on Naxos. The doorway is all that is left.

The Soula Hotel I stayed at. Empty.
A whole room to myself for 8 euros a night!

The glorious marbled Greek washroom.
(Greek showers never have curtains and you cannot put toilet paper down the toilet...yeah.)

Greek fishing boat in the harbor at Hora.

Hora town viewed from the harbor.

The crystal-clear turquoise Mediterranean Sea.

Sunset from Hora harbor on Naxos.

I like photographs of sunsets...

Artistic photograph of black vine on white wall.

Peekaboo! One of the hundreds of stray cats.

The patchwork town paths remind me of snake's skin.
Some archways are a bit short though.

This the is strangest sight on my trip:
a mummified stray cat, sticking out of a stone wall.

After taking the first photo of the cat, a local walks right past without even a glance at the strange feline mummy emerging from the wall! Unbelievable!

Artistic photograph of the sun setting over a Naxos fishing boat.

Octopus drying outside a restaurant.

The day's catch at sunset.

Octopus on my plate.
Mmmmm. Rubbery but flavorful.

Apollo's Temple at sunset. Artistic photograph.

Naxos harbour statue at sunset.

Sunset over kids playing on the beach.

The beach I spent hours a day on. 30 seconds from the hotel.

Glorious Naxos beach.

My lizard friend. Loves to sunbath on the hot pavement.

Tracks in the sand from a beetle.

Amazing rock arch in the sea.

Artistic sunset along the road to Hora town from my hotel.

Sunset over rough blocks of marble.

My last sunset on Naxos.
The colours are intense. Absolutely stunning.

The slow ferry coming to take me to Santorini.

Naxos was an incredible island. Although my 5 days there were a bit slow and lonely (as there were few other travelers), I am very glad I went in the off season. It is not hard to see how spoiled and congested the island will become in the summer... As I would see on Santorini, a much more "popular" island.

Next post: Greece - Part 3: Santorini and home again.