Tuesday, May 8 Naxos

Tuesday, May 8

This morning dawns clear.  We walk to a nearby bakery and get a ham and cheese pie and some coffee which we enjoy at a small outside table.

 Then we set off to explore Naxos town (also called Chora).

We notice that there are flowers at nearly every house, and some homes with more land have many flowers or even a garden.  This man had not only grapes, but a lemon tree, a pomegranate tree, olive tree and a fig tree.

We head towards Agios Georgios beach first.  There are already a few people in the water and several more lounging in the sun.  The water is shallow so folks can walk out a long way.

We can see the Portara which is on a spot of land connected to the mainland by a walkway, and head that way.  Past some markets

The Portara is an ancient doorway that now leads nowhere, but was once the entry to a temple to Apollo.  Begun about 530 BC, this once marked the acropolis (high point) of the island Palatia.  (The level of the Mediterranean has since risen considerably.)  The temple became a church and then during Turkish and Venetian rule it was slowly dismantled for use elsewhere.  The remaining doorway is made with four blocks of marble each 16 feet long and weighing 20 tons.  How they ever got it into position in the first place is a wonder!

 Yes, that's Greg in the red shirt.

There are some pretty succulent type flowers among the rocky hill.

On the other side of the Portara, the coast becomes rocky.  There are more ruins, some under the water, in this direction.

From here we walk along the coast briefly then head inland and up towards the Kastro - or castle.
After a short time,  we leave regular streets behind and enter a warren of narrow stone-paved walkways.

 We pass several churches around a small square that dates back to the Mycenaean town of 1300 BC and many homes as we choose paths that lead ever upward. Stairs, passageways and tunnels, and lots of flowers, especially bougainvillea.

Again, some homes have small gardens.

 And there are water faucets now and then.

 We eventually find the gate to what was a walled area around the Castle.

 There are still many Venetian built homes where you can see coats of arms over doorways and they say that about half of them are still owned by the original families. This one was clear, but newer than most.

 This is the lower level of a two story house. I spoke briefly with the owner, who says it was in terrible disrepair when she bought it.  She lives upstairs and has spent several years restoring it, making the lower level a shop with antiques, jewelry, etc. The shop has several large columns which were once part of some temple, but now support the upper floor.

 We stop at two archeological museums - the first a small one in the Castle itself, the second in a larger space nearby.  It is apparent that they have more material than they can handle and shelves are filled and there is little to no signage.  A couple of women are working, perhaps inventorying things? One works at a computer while the other opens cases and rather casually removes items.  No gloves.  There is so much history and so much material that requires work - and so little money - that things move slowly.

This mosaic was removed from a roman home.

 Nice view from the one remaining tower of the castle.

 We begin going back down the hill through the old town and towards the new, stopping for a snack and drink at a little place called Honey & Cinnamon.

Back in town, we pass a soccer stadium, the current main church (closed btwn 12 and 3), a pet store and other shops and businesses.  Lots of dentists, eye doctors, and such.  I pop into a bakery for a bite of bougatsa and another pie with turkey and cheese for later.  

 These gentlemen just looked Greek.

 Local wine - no fancy bottles here.

 Seafood restaurants along the beach.  Though not as expensive as Athens or Santorini, it is still pricier than pork and chicken.

 We flip the AC on in our room for a bit and relax for a while before splashing along the beach, then stopping at the local market for some wine and chocolate.   Hey - it's vacation! 

Later, we head down to the water again,  hoping for a nice sunset, but 'tis not to be.  Some nice flowers, though!  Though it was clear today, the clouds and haze have moved in.  Nice to walk around with little traffic - pedestrian or vehicular.

It has been cool enough that we don't need the AC at night....just a shot now and then at the height of the afternoon.