PAROS and PIRAEUS

SUNDAY, 18th September.  It was still quite hot when we arrived in Paros and extremely busy.  Our hotel is about 600 metres from the ferry terminal with a path for most of the way, but it took a little while to walk there as there were so many people to avoid and a lot of traffic about.  Once we'd checked in to our room and sorted ourselves out, we headed out to find a quiet place to eat.  Most of the many restaurants we'd passed were crowded but we found a place where there were just a few diners and ordered a meze plate for two.  A good choice as there was an excellent selection of meats, cheeses, olives and bread sticks which we washed down with beer.  Our hotel is across the road from the waterfront, our room is on the first floor and we have a balcony overlooking the bay and so we have views and a breeze, which is very welcome on this warm night.

Sydney and Boris on the ferry

MONDAY, 19th September.  It was reasonably quiet when we woke this morning and very pleasant sitting out on the balcony with our morning cuppa.  

Nothing much happens here before 9am, and so we had an excellent late breakfast this morning at a cafe in one of the back streets as we hadn't had a chance to puchase any provisions as yet.  Although Parikia, the main town of Paros, is very touristy, it is rather attractive, especially in the old town where we spent a couple of hours rubbernecking

 before visiting a supermarket for supplies, then returning to the hotel to spend the afternoon doing very little, just revelling in being here.   In the evening we joined the throngs out in the streets searching for dinner. and chose a nearby souvlaki restaurant which served yummy gyros.

TUESDAY : 20th September.  We took a bag of washing around to the nearby laundry this morning.  Up until now I have been washing our clothes by hand as at our previous accommodation we've had large tubs for washing and lines for drying, but with the very small bathroom basin we have here it's a bit more difficult.  So we paid 8euros for the wash and hung them on the clothes airer on the balcony where they dried nicely in the sunshine & breeze.  Today's outing was by ferry to nearby AntiParos Island, about 1/2 hour away.  

Leaving Paros

On AntiParos

It was an enjoyable ferry  ride to a very pretty island, with attractive laneways filled with all sorts of shops, many of which seemed rather expensive but we found a cafe opposite the school that served an excellent brunch and we had some fun shouting hellos and waving to the schoolchildren in the playground. 

On our return to Parikia we wandered a little more through the town 

and later went swimming at 'our' beach, having to be careful of the pebbles when walking into the water.  A very easy, pleasant day.

WEDNESDAY : 21st September.  After our fruit and yoghurst breakfast this morning, we strolled to the bus station, bought a 10euro day pass each and boarded the bus bound for Drios, on the south east coast.  The trip took 50 minutes and went through the middle of the island

        

Scenes from the bus

                                                                 

After coffee and a snack at a cafe in Drios, we walked down to have a look at the pebble beach but though the water looked inviting, there was no time to go swimming as we had to be mindful of the bus timetable

Drios Beach

Our next bus ride was to Naoussa in the north, a journey which took only 20 minutes from Drios, and is a lovely fishing and tourist village, with the usual little laneways to get lost in, full of tiny shops, restaurants, etc., covered in bouganvillea, and the obligatory white buildings.  We spent a couple of hours there, ate ice creams in the gelato shop, had coffee in one restaurant/bar, beer in another and in between, strolled around taking many photos.

We felt quite at home in Naoussa which very quickly became our favourite place and we were sorry we couldn't spend more time there.   We've been out for an excellent moussaka and Greek salad dinner on what is our last night on the islands.  Tomorrow we will ferry back to Piraeus for an overnight stay before departing on Friday morning for Basel in Switzerland and a couple of weeks in a rental motorhome.  Sounds good!!

THURSDAY, 22nd September.  Another pack up day today.  It rained through the night, at times rather heavily but by morning the rain had gone and the sun came out.  We'd decided to make sandwiches  from the leftover food in the fridge to take on the ferry and have a cafe breakfast before leaving Paros, leaving a koala for the waitress, a tiny young lady of about 4'10" who'd served us on a few previous occasions.  The cafe is a family run business, she is a very hard worker, cheerful and friendly and an asset to the cafe.  Breakfast over, we strolled around to the ferry port and sat on the low brick wall surrounding the roundabout, 

watched the crowd building and waited, and waited.  We'd known that the ferry was going to be late as Mike had checked its progress but chose not to be part of the throng.

The ferry eventually arrived, 3/4 hour overdue which of course meant that we were late leaving, finally reaching Piraeus at 4.30pm instead of at 3.00pm.  The trip was slow, boring, we read, dozed and ate our sandwiches and although sorry to farewell the islands, we were pleased to be done with ferries for the time being.  There was a 15minute walk to our booked hotel, the same one we stayed in at the start....oops!  a problem with the booking and no rooms left but Helen, the very obliging and helpful receptionist, made a couple of phone calls and we were able to secure a room in an affiliate hotel around the corner.  Phew....what a relief.  A rest, a cool down and showers were in order and we strolled up the street for a meal but our planned after dinner walk was abandoned as it had become rather cold and we hadn't taken jackets with us.   As we were both very tired and will be off to an early start in the morning, it was early to bed. 

FRIDAY, 23rd September.  It was a sad occasion this morning. Before we left Piraeus,                                                        

                                    "Mario", my Lanza brand carry-on case

whose wheel wouldn't cooperate

and met his demise when Mike placed him in a skip,

as suggested by the hotel receptionist as they apparently don't have charity shops in Greece.  It seems silly to be sentimental over a suitcase but it has served me well over many trips, and I paid good money for it!  We walked to the bus stop, caught the X96 bus to the Athens airport, a journey which took an hour and a half in heavy traffic all the way and cost 5.50 euro each, 

Early morning in Piraeus

 Piraeus marina

                                                         

Piraeus seafront

                                                                       

and on arrival, checked in, walked the same very long walk we walked when we arrived in Athens, 

and spent another half an hour or more in the security queue before finally boarding the EasyJet flight to Basel, Switzerland.