This is our third visit to Naxos Island in the Cyclades having lived on the Island for 4.5 months in 2000/01. We were picked up at the port by Giannis who is our landlord for the next six weeks. We also got to see our old friends Andreas and Nelly as well as Katarina and Stephanos, Maria and Manolis, and Dimitris.
Ferry from Athens to Naxos
In 2000 we came to Naxos because it was one of the few island with Ferry service after there had been a boat accident which killed 82 people. Our intention was to stay only one night but we went to some live music and dancing at the Kastro, got to know the owner who invited us to his wedding, and ultimately ended up staying over four months. Naxos is known as the ‘agriculture’ island and food is grown here for distribution around the Cyclades. It still has an active tourist component but not as big as other islands in the Aegean.
Port at Paros Island
After six days without Ferry Service our boat from Athens to Naxos was quite crowded. For only a few Euros extra we booked into the first class lounge which meant we were guaranteed a seat. As it turns out, it was well worth it for the 6 hour boat ride.
Marilyn and Kelly in “First Class”
As soon as we arrived we made arrangements to rent a car from Markis at Vision Car Rentals. The normal price is 25 Euros per day but we know Markis from previous visits and he gave us a car for 150 Euros for the entire month. That’s only 5 Euros per day. Having a car is fun on the island as there are so many ancient sites to explore and beaches and villages to visit.
Marble Mountain
Naxos also has an abundance of marble and every floor, stairway, counter top, etc. is made from Naxos marble. We first saw this marble mountain in 2000 and were interested to see how much smaller it is now after being cut away. The marble is removed in huge blocks and taken to a location where it is sliced into slabs of different thicknesses. There is marble discarded everywhere. (If you look closely at the picture above, you can see a truck at the bottom of the marble to give you some idea of the scale).
Hunting for Naxos Eyes
We traveled down the coast to one of my favourite beaches to look for Naxos eyes but the wind has been strong and it was a bit chilly near the sea. The “Eye of Naxos” is a natural jewel shaped by the sea and sand in the oval opening of a shell, and is one of the lovliest gifts you can give to a friend as it is believed to bring luck and good fortune. I’ve always found a few when staying on Naxos although most tourists only hear about them. They are made into jewelery and the shops in Naxos have lots on display in rings, ear rings, bracelets, etc. I’ll post a picture once I find one (on my secret beach).
Kouros
Exploring the narrow streets of Hora (Naxos Town)
Today, we all went on a hike with some local residents. Each Sunday, a group gets on a bus and travels to a location, hikes for a few hours and then gets picked up by the bus at the end of the hike. It isn’t a tourist event but something we know about from our previous time here. They are always interesting and often follow paths used hundred’s of years ago by mules to connect one village to the next. Our hike took us to the ruins of a Venetian Castle built around 1400AD. Here are some pictures of our climb and descent.
Vicky will be flying back to England on Wednesday and Kelly will leaving for India a couple of days later. Ed and Nancy arrive from Alberta on the 18th. It’s been windy and a bit chilly but 18-20C is still nicer than the weather in Canada. Tomorrow we are going to do some more driving around the island and Marilyn and Kelly also made up a scavenger hunt which we’ll do throughout the old town of Naxos.
