Paros

Is this really in the same country as Athens?

The ferry empties out the `Paros` travellers onto a quay side, busy with happy smiling people. We can see whitewashed buildings, cascades of bouganvillea, a little Greek windmill, and a tiny church with its dome bright blue in the sunshine.

`Studios Mike` had e mailed me directions and, as instructed, we found Mike himself 70 metres along the seafront waiting for us. He says `I have allocated you a studio not in this building. Your studio much better, quiet, peaceful, you will like!` Oh, no, not again goes through my mind. His son, Manos, is instructed to take us there. It's one road back from the seafront, which is good as the seafront road is busy. On the second floor, we are shown a lovely studio apartment. Nice bathroom, kitchette, air con, tv. Then, the balcony! Oh my word, the view! Across the rooftops we have a fabulous view of the sea. We can see part of the harbour, and can watch the ferries coming in and out, then the curve of the bay and the land on the otherside dotted with little white houses. This is lovely. Supermarket, bars, restaurants all within 2 minutes. Perfect.

Quick supermarket shopping trip. Then off to the beach. I am desperate to get into the sea. The beach gets better the further away from the town. There are even better beaches accessable by boat or bus, we will explore those later. But for now, I just need to get in the sea. Its crystal clear and sandy with some gravel nearer the town. Norman is happy on a sunbed under a parasol with a beer. I am swimming at last. Bliss!

The furthest beach is the best. The sunbeds and parasols are free as long as you buy a drink or something to eat. (so two small beers are €5, good deal) The beach is soft sand with just a little gravel band about a foot wide where the ripples break, so I can step over it. Love it. The water is crystal clear with a few little fish inquisitively buzzing around. The view is of a bay dotted with yachts and small boats going about their business. Further away the ferries come and go, I am still surprised how quiet they are.

Just around the corner from our apartment is a fish market. Lovely fish fresh of the boat. Can`t resist. I have two electric rings, one saucepan with lid and a small frying pan. So I buy a bag of prawns (€10 a kilo) and get cooking. A little butter, some garlic and chuck the prawns in. I have to do batches but the result is great (if I do say so myself). Imagine, sitting on your private balcony overlooking the sea, shelling and eating fresh prawns with a glass of cold white wine as the sun goes down. The crickets have just stopped chirping, the stars are starting to sparkle reflected in a perfectly flat sea. Bats are doing acro`bat`ics to catch their dinner. Across the bay, lights twinkle in the little white houses. Its warm but not sweaty. Its perfect.

Took a boat trip to Antiparos today. Another pretty Greek island. Very similar to Paros but just a bit quieter. Little narrow streets with bars and cafes. You can do a bus trip to see some caves, but we felt we had seen enough so headed back `home`.

I am getting bus withdrawl symptons so today we take the 20 minute local bus to Naousa. Pronounced `Nouser` as in `Mouser` with an `N`. We head up over the hills past little villages and hamlets, tiny churches pristine white with blue roofs sparkling in the sun. Then down into Naousa. Its a very pretty harbour with working boats. Fishermen are mending nets and hanging octopus out in the sun. I will ask Mike or Manos why they do this, but meanwhile it takes a good picture. There are hotels, bars, cafes and, shops etc, and a tiny beach. You can get a boat across to nicer beaches if you like. We have a wander then settle on a restaurant for lunch on the harbours edge. I wish I had the guts to take photo's of people. But a) I think its rude without their permission, and b) if you get their permission they pose which is not what I want. The restaurateur is so `Greek` its untrue! He`s a well built man, very tanned with oily black curly hair which extends down into his partially unbuttoned cotton shirt. He has serious designer stubble. His shirt is showing patches of sweat (fortunately he doesn't smell sweaty) and his face is glistening. He wears beads around his neck and wrists. He looks every part of a Greek fisherman, what a charactor. `Yassau, yassau and welcome`. He moves furniture so we have a perfect table for the view, out of the sun, and chases the ever present cats away. We are told the provinence of every fish on the menu. We choose the `local mixed fish platter for two` and a half litre of house white plus water to wash it down. First a plate of flat bread hot from the griddle drizzled with fruity olive oil and oregano. Well, the platter arrives, doura, mackerel, sardines, fish the size of sprats, whitebait, of fillet of a very white succulent fish, octopus, and a fish that looks like a piranha! Accompanied by greek salad and potatoes. We wont be needing much tonight! We did our best and only left bones and a few scraps. The cats will go hungry tonight. Actually this is not true, everywhere we have been the local people seem to feed the cats. We have seen no signs of cruelty anywhere.

Paros in a nut shell! Love it! Definitely want to come back here. Mike has guests who come back year after year. I am not surprised. He is a charming man with a lovely family who make you most welcome. The apartments are perfectly located, spotlessly clean and inviting. Ten out of ten from us!