travelerjan

Nelson,start a new thread. Please. Nobody will see your query at the bottom of a loooooong unrelated topic.

lancer11

kja,
once again thank you for your trip report as we leave in 6 weeks. I am a little confused about the luggage situation on the ferry. Can you explain this for me? Is there a luggage room so to speak and everyone's is just thrown in like a free for all? So anyone can walk off with anyone's luggage? UGh. I never keep any valuables in the luggage but still.......

kja

OMG, what a wonderful set of greetings! Thank you, Fodorites, for joining me and sharing your observations! And please, keep it up -- I so appreciate your comments!

@ Tralfaz: That’s very interesting about Akrotiri and the Dorians – I must learn more once I have a chance! In the meantime, you are so right about the importance of shaking off the bad moments -- that's a skill that I've found incredibly useful on EVERY trip I've taken. Like you, I definitely found Santorini a mixed bag – I’m glad to have had my jaw drop at the beauty, and at Akrotiri, and at the Museum of Prehistoric Thira, but the rest…. Well, how would I know if I hadn't actually gone....

@ thursdaysd: I hope I get to visit Rhodes some day…! I remain envious of your many travels, but honestly, I'm just sincerely grateful for the opportunities that I have had -- I consider myself inordinately fortunate!

@ yestravel: I envy you a visit to Santorini before the cruise ships made it a regular destination! I’m pleased to say that Naxos has not, IMO, turned into another tourist jungle. I really enjoyed it, as I hope will be clear in my post on it, which I hope to add later tonight or tomorrow.

@ ToujoursVoyager: Thank you for you kind words! If you are brave enough to return to Thira / Santorini, I would encourage you to consider a visit to the Museum of Prehistoric Thira – it really does have some exquisite pieces. I had SOOooooo wanted to walk a part of that old donkey path! That was my plan for the morning I gave up because of the misinformation from Spiradakis. Growl.

@ Nelson: I can fully understand your dilemma, but unfortunately, I don’t have a solution. I strongly encourage you to begin your own thread – Fodors has a number of experts on Greece, not all of whom are following along (or at least, not all of them have added a comment). In the meantime, I hope my subsequent posts on the Peloponnese, Delphi, and Athens prove of use to you!

@ otherchelebi: I’m glad to see that you are along for the ride! I was very pleasantly surprised by Thessaloniki, and hope my report proves useful to you as you plan a visit there.

@ travelerjan: Good to see that you are still following along, even if it is a loooooong thread in a format that you would not choose. ;-)

@ lancer: Here’s my experience of the luggage for the ferry between Santorini and Naxos, which I suspect is not unlike other ferries: When you board, you walk up a ramp connecting the shore to the ferry, on a part to the side of the section the cars use. Once you actually enter the mouth of the ferry, there are several luggage racks – big metal things – to the side, and you leave any LARGE pieces of luggage there. I don’t know if there’s a way to take big pieces higher; once you leave your luggage there, you go through a standard ship door – one of those things with a raised metal base and steep, rather narrow stairs – something that can be closed off easily if a ship compartment becomes flooded. (Sorry I don’t know the technical terms, but maybe just a description is actually more helpful?) So you only take a small bag – something with all your valuables – up to the seating areas. Your main luggage is stored on what is basically an honor system, but like a train or long distance bus, it’s not like anyone can take it off the ferry in between stops. I don’t know if anyone actually watches it, but I doubt there are many troubles, or we’d be hearing about them! (At least, that’s my take.) One gets an announcement about departure a bit before arrival. I made sure I had a good sense of when we were to arrive, and had decided to go down at the 15-minute mark – I was on my way when I heard the announcement. One takes one’s luggage from the place one left it – or to which it was moved (as can happen, for example, when my strong steward moved things about), and then you line up for departure. The ferry stops for only moments, so it is rather important to be there and be ready to debark, in line and with your luggage, when the time comes! Does that help? I'm suspect that it sounds like a chaotic process, and in some ways it is! But FWIW, I thought debarking went more easily than I had expected.

thursdaysd

Re luggage: When I was taking trains in India I carried a cable and padlock, and locked my bigger bag to loops under the seats/berths. Would it be possible to lock luggage to the racks on the ferry?

lancer11

kja,
Thank you. I have two ferries. Mykonos to Santorini then Santorini to Crete I will make sure we are in the luggage area 15 minutes before are scheduled arrival. It's good to know there isn't much time to get off the ferry. We are also staying in Firostefani while in Santorini. Thank you once again for your report. Very informative.

HappyTrvlr

Kja, I feel the same way about much of Santorini. It looked so Greek but the experience was so not like the wonderful experiences I had elsewhere in Greece.
The views are incredible though. And I even returned a second just to visit Akrotiri which had been closed during my first visit( the had roof collaspsed killing tourists.thus it was closed and a safer roof installed.)

kja

@ thursdaysd: I’ve used the chain & padlock strategy before, too. But I admit I wouldn’t use it if I only going a single ferry stop – WAY too heavy and cumbersome, IME! And on a ferry, I would seem to me to pose a risk of getting the cable intertwined with other luggage in that last dash to retrieve one’s suitcase before debarking. JMO! ! I’m more likely to show up a bit before the departure time to make sure that no one is walking off with my luggage – just as I do with under-carriage busses. JMO.

@ lancer: I’m glad you are finding value to my report – thanks for letting me know! I’m sure you will see some wondrful things! And I think you will find some merits to staying in Firostefani – I did!

@ HappyTrvlr: I read about that nasty roof collapse at Akrotiri! Once you returned, were you as awed as I was?

Heimdall

Re the luggage: kja describes the process accurately, and the car deck is locked while the ferry is at sea. You are allowed to bring large suitcases to your seat if you are foolish enough to do so, but you will regret struggling up and down the steps and finding somewhere to put them in the seating area.

Look at it this way: every time you take a flight, you leave your luggage at the check-in counter, it passes through a complicated system, and numerous baggage handlers have access to your bags before they are loaded on the airplane. You are never 100% sure it arrived intact (or at all) until you see it on the carousel after the flight. Everyone knows someone whose luggage didn't make it on the airplane.

With ferries you carry the bags to the car deck and leave them in a secure area. You return to the secure area just before the ferry reaches port, and retrieve the bags yourself. They never pass through anyone else's hands, or get moved more than a few feet during the voyage. That, in my mind, is safer than checking your bags on a flight.

kja

<b><u>Naxos – part 1, including Delos and Mykonos</b></u>

Day 9, cont.

It was just a short ride from the ferry port to the absolutely outstanding (and seriously recommended!) <b>Hotel Grotta</b>, where I enjoyed TRULY excellent service, breakfasts, and views, and where I was warmly greeted.
• I lingered over the welcoming treats (delicious!) and wine, but, with some errands to run before the day's closings, I finally tore myself away.
• I took the "shortcut" (a short path through an undeveloped hillside) to the main part of Chora – which is what I am choosing to call the capital city of Naxos. Some call it Naxos Town, or Chora own, or simply Naxos…. I was so confused when I began planning! I’ll try to call it Chora when I mean the city.

The cathedral was closed, as were the nearby excavations of ancient Chora.
• Then, enjoying the views I encountered with each advancing step, I strolled to the
• Magnificent <b>Portara of the Temple of Apollo</b>. Wow!
• The setting, the very fact that the Portara still stands, the extant traces of architectural detail ... To my eye, Awesome!

After a few quick stops to finalize some ferry arrangements,
• I returned to the hotel, walking along the rather rocky <b>Grotta Beach</b> to do so.
• I enjoyed it, but understand why it is not ranked among the finest beaches of Naxos -- a bit too rough for that, but therefore also a bit different and interesting!

I settled into my room and freshened up before heading into the city again.
• I roamed around the Old Town / <b>Bourgos</b> district,
• Found that the Folk Museum wasn't open (too early in the season, I think), but the
• Castle Museum in Chora's old Venetian Castle (aka the <b>Della Rocca-Barozzi Venetian Museum</b, was open, and provided what I thought an interesting array of artifacts in an historic setting.

Toward the end of my exploration of the Castle Museum, I looked out of a window to see the beginnings of a sunset. So,
• once I finished my visit, I headed back to the harbor and
• savored the most spectacular sunset of my time in Greece!
• With changing shades of blue and yellow and rose -- all incredibly soft shades! -- it seemed to last forever.
• Even people who were working, and people who told me that they had lived on Naxos all their lives, stopped for this particular sunset.
• And the tourists awaiting service didn't object, understanding the moment.
• I didn’t even see anyone hovering over his/her smart phone! What does THAT tell you!
• WOW WOW WOW!
• How is it that I am fortunate enough to see things like this sunset?

As the sunset faded, I made my way to
• <b>Nostimon Hellas</b>, which I truly enjoyed -- it was a lovely setting in which to enjoy a tasty, modern interpretation of traditional Greek cuisine.
• And then a long, pleasant, walk back to my hotel.


<u>Day 10</u>

Up early, I savored my breakfast at the Hotel Grotta. I had read raves about its breakfast buffet, and even so, I was completely unprepared for the astonishing array of fresh, and freshly baked, dishes that stretched out before me. WOW and WOW. And kudos!

My plan for this day: Visit Delos, which I would do by taking a day-trip that also necessarily included Mykonos.
• I managed to get a seat at the open, outer, port-side edge, just beyond the cabin (and thereby protected from the wind), and I managed to reclaim that seat for all but that last segment of the excursion.
• Even so, I'll admit that this trip involved WAY more time on the water than I would have preferred. I greatly enjoyed an hour or two on the water. That would have been enough for me! This trip included more ... much more -- I think about 6 hours. Sigh.

But I'd do it again, without question, for the chance to see <b>Delos</b>!
• OMG, what a special place! The Delos lions, the mosaics, the bits of statuary half-hidden among the ruins... !
• And some wonderful pieces in the museum, including the originals of the most stunning items.
• And when I was there, it was completely and gloriously bejeweled with blooming wildflowers. OMG! I am SOOooooo lucky!
• As I was leaving, I walked for a bit with one of the site’s staff. She mentioned that recent rains had spurred the astonishing wealth of wildflowers – and encouraged and hid snakes. Ack! I am definitely glad that the ONLY way I knew of this problem was because she brought it up!!
• My 3 hours at Delos passed WAY too quickly!

I was less enamored of <b>Mykonos</b>, and honestly, I didn’t expect to be enthralled – I would have skipped it if it hadn’t been part and parcel of visiting Delos from Naxos.
• It is, of course, a very pretty place on a stunning waterfront, but as is probably clear by now, places that seem devoted to tourism are rarely my favorites.
• I did enjoy walking by the Paraportiani Church, even though it was closed. I was impressed with its classic Cycladine architecture, and
• A man was on the nearby rocks, gutting his day's catch of fish and tossing them into the air, where a flock of seabirds wheeled and swooped and cawed as they savored this feast. Nice!

I walked around and around, without finding the island's famous windmills, until
• The heat finally got to me. With a bit of effort I managed to
• find a QUIET place for a glass of beer. (Boisterous places abounded!)

With something under an hour to go, I decided to amble back to my ferry, and
• OMG, I'm lost! (Again?!? Yes indeed, lost!)
• How could I possibly have become lost in such a tiny place?!? I'm still in sight of the water, and
• Whoa -- there are the windmills! Cool!
• And, I’m glad to say, there was a posted map by the windmills.
• Some of you might realize that I had inadvertently roamed to the far side of the town….
• I’m glad I saw the windmills and had plenty (plenty!) of time to return to my ferry, and
• Then the LONG boat ride back to Naxos.

Once back in Naxos, I spent a few relaxing moments in my hotel's jacuzzi, and then
• after a wrong turn or two, I managed to return to the castle (which I had visited the evening before), JUST in time to see a performance:
• I saw an accomplished violinist, accompanied by a skilled pianist, in a
• Charming medieval hall from a seat that let me see both musicians' fingers.
• The performance, and the acoustics, were, IMO, not perfect, but were definitely commendable, and I enjoyed the variety of pieces they chose to perform __ folk and classic, upbeat and more somber.
• There was an intermission, during which our host – the owner of the castle -- invited us to savor local wine or ouzo or citron. (I think one could also have indulged in advance of the performance, but I arrived a bit too late for that.).
• Whatever the financial benefits to the current owner of the castle, I think he is to be commended for opening space in this evocative castle in a way that promotes the arts – JMO.
• What a pleasant couple of hours!

Contrary to the many assurances I read in advance of this trip, restaurants in Greece are NOT necessarily open late – or at least, many aren’t open late. Sigh.
• As I sought a place to dine, I passed any number of restaurants that were just closing, or had already closed.
• I ended up at one of the few open harbor side cafes, <b>Meze2</b>. Not a good choice, IMO, although it did have some redeeming features.


Next up: More of Naxos….

kja

@ Heimdall: What a wonderfully illuminating comparison of luggage handling on ferries versus airplanes – thank you! I’m sorry I missed your post while working on my post about the first part of my time on Naxos….

Tralfaz77

Loving this installment in your report as I mentioned Naxos is next on my list. I took a look at your hotel's website, nice! Those photos of the breakfast buffet are all I needed to see. Wow and Yum! I wouldn't know where to begin. Great hotel location too, quiet AND convenient with a helluva view.

Delos is a must-see for me and from what you say is as glorious as I imagine it. I DO wish there was a way to just do Delos and skip Mykonos, I could do without that long ferry ride as well. As far as getting lost in Mykonos town, seems it happens to even the best navigators. I just read somewhere that it was deliberately designed, way back when, to confuse possible pirate invaders. Apparently it worked, and still works, quite well!

Yes, it's precious moments like that lovely sunset you saw which offset the negative experiences. That element of surprise, totally unexpected, makes those moments all the more special. I feel fortunate in that I never had a totally unpleasant trip anywhere, in the end all the good and the bad balanced out.

Can't wait to hear what's next on Naxos. So many lovely sites, villages and countryside, one is spoilt for choice.

travelerjan

Yes ... the sunsets ... yes. Here's a secret: there's a Naxos skycam website. with 4-5 views. http://www.naxosisland.eu Since Greece is 7 hrs ahead from Eastern Daylight, tune in about 1 pm to the "portara & seafront" view for the sunset. Right now I'm looking at the shoreline at St. George Beach. It's sunny & windy.. you can hear the wind on camera above Flisvos Sport Club

THere's also a link below: "Live ship data" ... it shows all the ships in the Aegean, and exactly where they are at the moment. Right now, That old gramma of a ferry, Nissos Samos is pulling away from Naxos pier. There she goes! (great way to kill time at the office when work chores bore!).

Tralfaz77

travelerjan:

Tremendous, thanks!

Tralfaz77

travelerjan:

I just checked with Weather Underground and sunset in Naxos is supposedly 8:18 pm, 1:18 pm EDT, pretty much what you said. In the last half-hour or so I have been checking in from time to time to watch the ever-changing pre-sunset colors of the harbor. Love the audio too, heard what sounded like church bells earlier. This is seriously addictive.

kja

@ Tralfaz: The Hotel Grotta really is a gem, IMO, and some other Fodorites have also stayed there and praised it. If you go, you might want to take a small flashlight in case you walk back along the shortcut after dark. Interesting about Mykonos and the pirates – I like thinking that I only got lost because of an intentionally labyrinthine street plan!

@ travelerjan: Cool web-site – thanks!

billbarr

I've heard two reasons why Mykonos Town was built as it is. As Tralfaz says, to confuse pirates and the other, sometimes also mentioned by locals, was to provide a defence against the winds that regularly blast the island, especially in the months of the Meltemi.

I have no idea which is most likely to be true but getting lost in those narrow streets is all part of it for me. It's good you found your way out quite quickly kja. Many folks don't!

bill

travelerjan

Traalfaz, about where u stay in Naxos -- much depends on when you want to go, and how important beaches are to you, and what your age & stamina is. I speak as one who's stayed many places in Naxos -- up in the Kastro area, in Hotel Grotta & next door in studios Ellada ... and finally, at St. George Beach. I usually go in late May, a couple of times early September, both times the island is pleasantly populated, but crowds not an issue. Herewith my experience (which may be irrelevant to yours).

• KASTRO -- wonderful views at night, looking down at ferries coming & going, etc. Problem is, its walk walk walk & climb climb, and if you get down to the sea level & realize you've forgotten your sunglasses, Quelle backtrack! And if you go to swim on a hot day, by the time you get back to your room you are hot again.
• GROTTA -- much the same problem... liked the hotel, but it's way on the other side of town from St. G. Beach. If you want to bus to an outer beach, you can catch an outbound bus not far from the hotel... but returning, the bus is over at the East end of the port, and a long walk. If you don't care about swims, or routinely rent a car for whole stay, then the distances are irrelevant. (However, walking up hill in dark after dinner is a challenge, I always took my flashlight).
• ST GEORGE BEACH -- level with town, and a very easy stroll along the waters edge to the port & cafes, shops, entertainment. So nice to wake up on/near the beach. Yes, it's a shallow beach & you walk out 100 yards to swim, but I don't mind. ANd whenever I want a "beach day" I take a bus to Prokopios or out to Plaka. St. George appeals for a stay because it has shade & trees & greenery & outer beaches are strips of hotel at edge of farm-fields, and in hot weather can be sunbaked & dusty for a stay. Duing my visits with others, we've rented a car to explore far reaches of the isle but otherwise have done fine with local bus network.

... but of course this is all based on my visit timing & priorities ... if I came btween Mid-July & Mid August I might stay farther out.

artsnletters

I'm glad you enjoyed Delos. Isn't it magnificent? I was there on two consecutive mornings, three hours each time, and did not get everywhere I wanted to go. I will probably return at some point. I loved the mosaics, but it drove me nuts when I got to one and there was a big weed (3 feet tall) sticking up in front of it at the one place you could stand to see the mosaic. Less than a wonderful view, and hard to take decent photos. You would think they could spare someone to go around and just take out those weeds - there were probably 10 of them total, but each one was a real annoyance, and these were highlights of the site. Or had they cut them down when you were there?

I love that you remember the Scruffman! He is just about to start his last semester at Berkeley and is getting ready to apply to grad school in International Relations. He's still traveling - he was in a Spanish program in Spain last summer and then studied in Chile this spring. I had some fun phone calls with him while he was there, but nothing to rival the adventures of the Big Trip!

kja

@ billbarr –The idea that winds were a consideration in the layout of those streets makes a lot of sense, too – and maybe the townspeople recognized that a single solution would help with both viscious winds AND pirates? In any case, I agree that getting lost in that maze of narrow streets had its wonderful moments, and in the end, I found my way back to my boat in time. Hard to complain about that!

@ travelerjan: I wonder if the buses on Naxos have changed their routes? I took a bus to Agia Prokopios beach, and upon return, the bus left me near the causeway to the Portara, and so not far from the Hotel Grotta. But your basic point is an important one – the best location for a hotel on Naxos depends on what one wants to do!

@ artsnletters: Delos was, indeed, magnificent – a highlight of a highlight-filled trip! There were weeds sprouting in and around a number of the mosaics, but none that I recall of the size you mention – thank goodness! … You must be so proud of Scruffman! I’m glad to hear that he is doing so well, and hope that you are, too.

. . . .

<b><u>Naxos – part 2</b></u>

<u>Day 11</u>

For this day, I had my hotel arrange for a rental car so I could explore a bit of the island.
• It took a bit longer than I hoped, mostly because of a few miscommunications that were recognized only in retrospect.
• Despite that, I was extremely pleased with <b>Fun Cars</b>, and am grateful to the Hotel Grotta for facilitating my rental.
• It was late morning when I finally set out, but that meant more time to linger over breakfast and then enjoy the views from the Grotta's terrace.

My first stop of the day was the <b>Temple of Dimitras</b>, with its tiny (closed) Orthodox Church.
• What a glorious setting, and again,
• adorned by a riot of wildflowers!

Next: the town called <b>Halki</b>, where
• I visited a citron distillery, complete with displays of traditional equipment, and
• The opportunity to taste the three different strengths of this beverage.
• I then walked around the town a bit and
• Stopped for orange juice before heading to....

<b>Apiranthos</b>, a town paved and sometimes walled in white marble, a town that wraps scenically around the slopes of a mountain.
• I reached town just in time to stop in its women's cooperative to buy a few small, beautiful, handwoven textiles before the town's long siesta began.
• I proceeded to roam about this delightful town, admiring brilliant blooms in flowerpots and glimpses out over some stunning scenery and well-tended cats napping in shaded corners and a few bits of debris where old buildings have not been replaced and a field with grazing sheep and

Uh oh … I am completely lost. Yes, again – I seem to have a knack for it! ;-)
• OK, it's not that big a town, right?
• But every intersection seemed both familiar (marble alleys and stairs, whitewashed walls, plants with deep green leaves and bright blooms, closed shutters, sprawling cat) and unfamiliar (even if I'd been there before, I was probably going in the opposite direction).
• And this town seemed to take the mid-day pause very, very seriously! I walked for nearly 1/2 hour before seeing someone, ANYone!

Oh, I was glad to see that first person! -- an older woman who stepped outside her home.
• I had a photograph that should help her figure out where my car was – that’s something I do – take a few pictures where I park a car in case I get lost.
• So I set my camera to show the church next to the parking lot where I had left my car and the did my best to ask, in Greek, "Excuse me, do you know where this place is?"
• I think she thought I was asking to take her picture, because she immediately shook her head and said, "Ohi, ohi," (no, no!) and turned away.
• I kept trying to say please and excuse me and where is, and
• As she neared her door, I think she realized that I was asking for her help.
• She turned, and as I continued to try to convey my need, she slowly approached and took the camera and said, "oh! Agia xxx!"
• Success!
• She began to try to signal the directions when a young lad came by, and the woman asked him to take me to the church.
• He spoke some English, but he didn't seem inclined to converse.
• But even at his young age, he carried himself with incredible dignity and grace. I’ve not yet found a way to describe this young boy’s demeanor, but I know I found it striking and awesome and utterly natural.
• He led me back to any area that I clearly recognized, reluctant to let me out of his eyes until he had fully discharged the duty he had been asked to assume.
• I am grateful for, and appreciative of, his sense of responsibility.

On my way again, I drove to an intersection noted by staff of the Hotel Grotta -- a place where one can see the meeting of the wet and dry sides of Naxos. Wow! And, off in the distance to the north, views to the sea -- glorious!

One of my main reasons for renting in a car to explore Naxos was because I wanted to visit the <b>Panagia Drossani</b>, the oldest Christian church on Naxos, dating from the 6th century.
• With a small main section and a pair of side chapels, it was impressive!
• It's frescoes may not be in pristine condition (far from it), but I thought them incredibly expressive and well worth seeing.
• It is also home to a very beautiful silver-wrought icon.
• If what I had read was correct, this church was one where a small donation is considered appropriate, so before I left, I gave a very small donation -- just 2 or 3 euros, IIRC.
• I was surprised when the woman who attended the church ran after me -- had I somehow offended?
• She grasped my hands and gave me a small card with the image of the church's most priceless icon. That was nice!
• Walking around the church, I was surprised to find that it's tiny cemetery held the grave of someone who died recently. It reminded me of a thread on burial customs on Fodor's within the last few years that discussed ways in which spaces in European cemeteries are, for lack of a better word, recycled. I have no idea what happened here ... It just made me wonder.

Because I had never seen an olive press, I had hoped to do so that day. I was reasonably certain that it was too late when I left the Panagia Drossani -- and I was. ☹

As I headed back to Chora, I refleced on the incredibly varied landscapes of this island.
• From beaches through rocky peaks; and
• Barren, parched, rock-strewn slopes through lush, green, flower-filled fields;
• An occasional goat or sheep or horse tucked into a pasture, and
• Wildflowers everywhere, but different ones, depending on altitude and rainfall and who knows what...
• I finally drove to my hotel, where (as arranged) I could return the car. It was so easy! All I had to do was give the keys to the receptionist when I was done with the car.

I enjoyed a glass of wine with the Hotel Grotta's incomparable view of the Portara,
• Freshened up, and -- before leaving for dinner –
• stopped at the hotel's desk to confirm my plans for the next day, when I was to leave by ferry to Athens's Piraeus port.
• And that is when I learned that my ferry had been cancelled due to a strike. What?!?

To make a long story short, over the next few hours
• a man at the agency from which I had gotten my ferry ticket managed to get me onto a flight the next afternoon and
• the staff of the hotel changed my car rental arrangement from Piraeus to the Athens airport.
• I would not be able to reach Cape Sounion for sunset, but I'd already had one truly awesome sunset, and more to the point, I had already learned that being well-positioned for a good sunset view is no guarantee of seeing one.
• And – double bonus! -- I was spared a really long ferry ride and would have a few extra hours on delightful Naxos.
• I cannot thank the staff of the Hotel Grotta enough for their kind and patient assistance at this time – they were there with me, exploring each and every option, with each changing moment. Kudos!

With my arrangements made, I went back into town,
• confirmed that the folk museum was closed,
• Admired some handmade textiles at a local shop, and
• Then had a delicious dinner at <b>Ammos</b> -- oh, what scrumptious stuffed calamari!


<u>Day 12</u>

After another awesome breakfast (I remain in awe of the Hotel Grotta’s breakfast buffet!), I checked out, leaving my suitcase at the hotel.
• Now open, the <b>Cathedral</b> held some noteworthy icons.
• The museum with Naxos's prehistoric ruins was still closed.
• A long, uphill walk on this hot day brought me to the <b>Archeological Museum</b>, which held a particularly impressive collection of Cycladic figurines. A great fan of Brancusi, I was enthralled by these figurines.
• A nearby church made use of some ancient columns and their capitals.

I paused at a harbor-side table for a glass of wine, served with a surprising array of tasty treats. And I then
• managed to catch a bus to Naxos's <b>Agia Prokopios</b> beach with minutes to spare.
• I spent the next 1.25 or 1.5 hours walking from end to end and back. -- very beautiful!

It was soon time to return to Chora and to my hotel, where I showered and changed in its pool area, and then,
• After a few last glimpses of the glorious view from the Grotta's terrace,
• I appreciated a ride to the airport (the service provided by the Grotta really is amazing).
• It was not long before my 40-seater took off.


Next up: Cape Sounion

Heimdall

<b>Kja</b>, I'm still following your report, and love your writing style. The Naxos Island bus station is where you say it is, near the ferry dock and causeway, so theoretically all buses should start and end there.

<b>Artsnletters</b>, I'm another fan of Delos. I guess wildflowers become weeds when they lose their bloom. They are certainly present on Delos, but I like the island in its natural state. I've visited Delos in May and June, and go there early in the morning while there are few tourists on the island. Have a look at my small Mykonos & Delos Flickr album, which has lots of photos of the mosaics. There is an issue with Flickr where some photos are shown as "no longer available" on my MacBook, but they all show up in my iPad app. https://www.flickr.com/photos/heimda...57627791957268