Author: Priyanka Desirazu

Title: A day each on the islands of Paros and Naxos that positively attenuated the pace of travel as compared to Athens, thereby resulting in a quietude that further enabled self-reflection.

Author Information: Priyanka Desirazu (in person) along with memories of Athens, friends and family (in spirit)^*

* Once again alive, but now slightly worried that they will be at the receiving end of endless WhatsApp video calls from me, animatedly exclaiming about how beautiful the islands are.

Throughout this rather prolix article, I’ve slipped in Greek Alphabets in 12 words – if you find them, let me know! Alert: This is not a test.

Introduction: As much as Island Hopping sounds very flamboyant, picking the islands you want to play hopscotch on is quite an arduous task. Since Athens was undoubtedly on the plan and I had just a few days remaining of my hallowed PTO from work, I decided to pick islands close to Athens. Now, the Cyclades are a group of about 220 islands in the Aegean Sea that constitute the Aegean archipelago. They are known as the Cyclades since they form a circle around the sacred island of Delos, which to ardent followers of Thucydides out there, is one of the most important mythological and archaeological sites in Greece. Now my herculean (referencing a Roman god here was not intentional!) task was to narrow my pick to just three islands. Many suggested that I visit the island of Kea but after looking into a motley of transportation options (read as “just the one ferry that transports people back and forth on very specific days of the week and very fixed times of the day that depend on the phase of the moon etc.), I foμnd that short of me swimming to and from the island – Kea is not going to make it to the Top-3 islands that I will hop to this time.

Paros was an easy pick for many reasons; one – being that it is your picture perfect mind’s eye version of Greece in all its glory (think white and blue galore), two – that it is known for its enchanting rural villages and magnificent beaches and three (most importantly), there is a ferry from Athens to Paros that will get me there regardless of the earth’s natural satellite grid location. So there you go, the stone was first thrown successfully into the box called Paros.

Naxos became the most obvious next island to visit, given its proximity to Paros, the chance of experiencing the hustle and bustle of a port town, visiting the ancient sites, feasting your eyes on the amazing natural landscapes it βoasts of and most importantly the fact that it is one of the most under rated islands even though it is the biggest of the Cyclades. I remember looking at many travel guides and found that people very rarely chose Naxos. I always enjoy cheering for the underdog and that made my decision as crystal clear as the waters of the Aegean Sea. If you are still thinking of hopscotch, the stone’s trajectory for now is Paros to Naxos.

Materials and Methods:

Just to recap, the previous article culminated in Athens and I was ready to take to the seas, quite literally. I called for a cab that would drop me off at the Port of Piraeus in Athens, from where I would take a ferry to the island of Paros. Somehow I thought a ferry would be a medium sized vessel that transported humans and cargo from one place to another. I had to reconstruct my definition of a ferry while my cab pulled into the port. What I saw dθcked, was a ship as huge as the Titanic we were shown when that movie released in theatres, on TV when Star Movies used to run it on a loop and again in the theatre when it came out as a 3D movie! And even though it was 6:45am, I could almost hear Rose and Jack’s Irish dancing gig track, amidst all the chaos.

I was just overawed taking in the scene and therefore, trying to hold on to my backpack and suitcase while stepping on to the ship, I fumbled clumsily to fish out the ticket I had to display to the handsome steward dressed in a crisρ white uniform. After it was established that I have indeed earned my right to board this large vessel, I finally stepped foot onto the grand Blue Star Ferry. I rode the elevator (yes, you read that right) to the expansive lounge. I found a comfortable couch by the window and watched the sun rise as we headed towards Paros, while eagerly texting friends and family from my Orange Mobile SIM Card hoping feverishly that I would have cellular network in the middle of the Aegean Sea. I totally did – and have to say that Orange Mobile’s service was a life savior – very reassuring to know that you are always connected to the world, have access to high speed internet for Google Maps so that you actually reach the ancient site you want to visit.

After eating a good selection of Greek food in Athens, I was ready to eat a scrumptious veggie burger with fries and Sprite, on my way to Paros. With the burger in one hand, Daniel Kahneman’s “Thinking Fast and Slow” in the other and the stunning view of the turquoise water, my 4 hour and 5 minute journey was incredibly smooth sailing. The exact sαme vessel would take me from Paros to Naχos the following day. On that leg of the journey, I ended up sitting in the same place by the burger joint but instead of Kahneman this time, I had some lovely company with whom I spent my nautical journey from Paros to Naxos.

Results:

I had less than 24 hours in Paros so planned it in such a way that I am able to see the important sites (primarily, the ocean!) at leisure and also get a feel of what island life is like. I got off the ship and was greeted by the cheerful Alexandro, who was my host in Paros. While browsing through the listings on Booking.com, I came across many hotels but decided to pick a home instead so I can live in Parikia – an enchanting maze of streets and passages paved with marble and fronted by cubed shape white washed houses with balconies and shutters. We passed by Parikia’s signature statement – a lone windmill which almost marks the middle of the town. We chatted about Paros as Alexandro led me through the winding streets, finally reaching the place I had chosen to stay – “Bougainvillea House”.

About 10 minutes from the port, this charming place added a beautiful splash of color to the city’s white walls. Alexandro’s mother, Phaedra was at home, making sure I had everything I needed and even had a large assortment of fruits ωaiting for me! They gave me some sound advice about navigating through Parikia and then left me to figure out the course of my day. I first walked to the Panagia Ekatongapiliani – The Church of a Hundred Doors and was enamored by the Byzantine stone patterns, Cornithian capitals and the iconostasis in front of the apse. I then visited the Archeological Museum of Paros that has a lovely lapidarium at the entrance and is known for its marble statue of Nike where the head, arms and wings of the statue are missing. I decided to take a long stroll in Parikia, taking my time to stop and talk with the locals and sit by the sea-facing benches and alcoves. It was time for dinner and I stopped by this café called Exesion that had more vegetarian options than I could ever think of! I ordered a mélange of dishes and was thoroughly satisfied as I slowly walked backed to Bougainvillea House. I have to admit that after the tumultuous nights in Athens, the pin drop silence at night in Paros was a little unnerving. I tried my hand at Alexandro’s guitar but was quite disturbed with the possible ramifications of that action, given the nature of noise (not beautiful sounds) emanating from my room.

The next day, I took the same Blue Star Ferry from the Port of Paros and reached the port facing town of Naxos about two and a half hours later. The minute you step foot into town, you are in the towering presence of the Portara – a marble doorway called the Jewel of Naxos. Apart from being the biggest island of the Cyclades, Naxos is also ςonsidered to be one of the greenest. I was excited to stay at Hotel Coronis on Protopapadaκi Street, with a room facing miles and miles of water. The city of Chora is one of Naxos’ major tourist sites that has a stroll worthy waterfront and a ubiquitous marble look, no matter where you view it from. It is a place where time has stopped.

It was a rather boisterously windy day and I spent the afternoon by the waterfront – watching ships, eating an Italian meal and contemplating about the years I have spent on this planet. I was then told by a local that if I had the time, I should view the sunset from the islet of Palatia where the Portara is situated. While planning this leg of the trip, I had decided to visit the Portara of course, thinking I will circumambulate the structure, admire the islet and probably spend about 20 minutes at the most. I was only coming to realize how fallacious that plan was!

At about 3:50pm, I started to traverse the promenade, walking to the end of the waterfront where there is a narrow mud path that takes you to the islet of Palatia. I felt a deep sense of excitement as I climbed the hill. It was 4:24 pm when I reached the top of the hill and the sun was beginning to set. What I then saw was absolutely breathtaking!! I was right on top of the hill on the islet, all alone, surrounded by the phenomenal Aegean Sea and a tempestuous wind. It was a hauntinglγ beautiful moment. The Portara loomed large in front of me – and I had to remind myself that it is an unfinished temple dedicated to Apollo built in the 6^th century. Greek Mythology says that Theseus abandoned the Minoan princess Ariadne here, right after he killed the Minotaur (… Thank you Mind, I didn’t have to be thinking of monsters when I am in solitary confinement on an islet). The next hour, solely documented by photos, is where one can see the color of the sky changing and this is by far the best sunset I have ever seen in my life. I will take a breath and let the photos do all the talking.

Discussion:

I spent some time just walking through the network of winding streets in Paros initially keeping a track of where I’m turning and how to trace my steps back. After a while, I decided to just go with my instinct and keep walking. No matter how convoluted the path was, I was always able to easily find my way back. There was an instant sense of familiarity with this gorgeous tear-drop shaped island. Ancient relics, Venetian castles, whitewashed homes, blue domed churches present a scene that epitomizes rustic Greece at its prettiest.

I was completely spellbound by the sunset I saw in Naxos and cannot recommend it enough. I’m glad I visited Greece in the off-season months because it enabled me to experience island life with the locals and have the entire islet of Palatia to myself! Thinking about it even now is exhilarating to me! Thanks to Orange Mobile’s fabulous network, I was able to call close friends and family from even the islet to show them what my eyes were seeing. Contrary to my earlier thought, they were rather happy to be virtually present in my journey! I remember Avva (my grandmother) saying that she could not believe that tεchnology today enabled me to video call her from a remote island in Greece. Of course she cautioned me to stay away from the edge of the hill and advised that I eat dinner as soon as possible!

Supplementary Materials:

After staying at the pleasant Hotel Coronis in Naxos, the next day (post a salubrious breakfast), I boarded the Blue Star Ferry to one of Greece’s most popular islands – Santorini. The villa situated between the two famous blue domes of Santorini was waiting for me and I was thrilled beyoηd belief! Continue with me on this journey as I drop anchor in one of the most gorgeous locations in the whole world!