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France and Greece 2018

October - November 2018
A 24-day adventure by Nanaroo Read more
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  • TravelerFrance and Greece 2018
    Day 13

    Parikia

    November 1, 2018 in Greece ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    We went to the capital and largest city in Paros, Parikia. City may be a bit of a stretch, though, more like a large town. We walked around the water front, admiring some large sailboats and catamarans and then went up the street to the Church With a Hundred Doors. It is a complex of chapels and a large church. The most impressive part was a chapel built in the 4th century with a Baptistery, a stone immersion tub in the shape of a cross. There was a Byzantine museum as well, with works of art from the 15th century onward. The large church had a women's gallery where you could look down into the main worshipping area. Like other Greek Orthodox churches we have peeked into ( they are usually locked), it had a huge brass chandelier, about 10 feet across, with candles on several levels.
    Just down the street was the Archeological Museum, with statues and artifacts found all over the island.
    We also visited the remains of a Venetian Fort. The Venetians ruled here from the 1300's to the 1500's. All the towns here have narrow alleys to walk through the old town, and Parikia was no different. Some shops were open, but because by this time it was after lunch, most were closed for siesta which generally goes from 1:00 til 5:30. It is also the end of the season, so some are closed until next spring. Parikia is on the opposite side of the island from Drios where we are, so we went there in one direction and returned in the other, completing a circumnavigation of the island.    Read more

  • TravelerFrance and Greece 2018
    Day 13

    Antipiros

    November 1, 2018 in Greece ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Antipiros is an island very close to Piros. We had signed up for a tour from the resort and left this morning with two American ladies and our guide, Stamos. He owns the resort with his wife, Maria, who was the chef at the cooking night. We got considerably better at understanding his English as the day went on. He referred to our group as 'homogeneous' which apparently meant that we got along well together. Another interesting phrase was that he didn't want to get 'corroded', or in our terms, rusty, so he did the tour every week.
    It was a short ferry ride to get to Antipiros and we did some sightseeing and then got on another small boat to go to the island of Despotico. There are no people living on this island, but 1000 goats roam it. There is a big archeological dig there, where they have uncovered a temple dedicated to Apollo dating to about 1500 BC. Stamos was extremely knowledgable about this site as he has made quite a study of local archeology. The temple was destroyed after Christianity came. The Venetians in the 1300's took away a lot of marble to be used in their own Castle and surrounds in the town on Antipiros. They continue to excavate and depend on donations for much of the cost. Tom Hanks and his wife have made huge donations to this and Stamos showed us their house later, on Antipiros. After leaving Despotico our boat captain took us to see the cliffs and the sea caves on the coast of Antipiros.
    We had lunch at a taverna and let Stamos do the ordering so we could try many local dishes... calamari, small fish, soft cheese, deep fried zucchini, mashed fava beans and a warm green salad.
    We did a short walking tour in the town by the ferry to see the Venetian castle and all of the marble pieces scattered around that had come from Despotico. Stamos thinks many of these should be returned for the restoration there.
    Our day ended with a visit to a ceramic shop back on Paros. Beautiful pieces, all hand done by the owner.
    It was a great day!!    Read more

  • TravelerFrance and Greece 2018
    Day 14

    Winery and marble

    November 2, 2018 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    On our last day on Paros, there were a few things we wanted to see. One was a winery at Naoussa. Some of the others from here had gone the other day and said it was worthwhile. It was!! The winery has been owned by the same family since the early 1900's and they have on display many presses, and equipment used over the years, as well as pictures taken over some time. You can stroll down the room used for barrel storage and look into the bottle storage areas. We were the only people there, so took our time looking around and then tasted six wines. The fellow working was very well versed on the wines and gave us a rundown on each one answering questions as we went. Their grapes are grown in their own vineyards and across the island. One type of grape is grown only up in the mountainous areas and is still brought down by donkeys as there are no roads to use. It was a very interesting visit.
    We went to the waterfront in Naoussa for lunch at an outdoor cafe and took a stroll down the dock area after, spotting an octopus on a rail, drying in the sun. Calamari for supper?
    Another place we had heard about, in the centre of the island, was the ancient marble quarry. The marble from here was highly prized for its colour and purity. The big claim to fame for it was the marble for the Venus de Milo came from here. It was used, of course, for many temples and important buildings over 3000 years ago. There is not much left to identify the old quarries, except pieces of rough marble lying about. It has all grown up with bushes. There did seem to be active quarry a small distance away, but we were not allowed in there.
    One thing I had been trying to get a picture of, was the terracing up in the mountains. Rock walls were built on the side hills to make small patches of farmland. Stamos told us that some of these walls are 1000 years old. These terraces go up from steep, twisting roads where it is difficult to stop and take a picture. This was the best I could do, but doesn't do it justice. I have picked a few stones in my day, and would not want to be building these walls!    Read more

  • TravelerFrance and Greece 2018
    Day 15

    On to Athens

    November 3, 2018 in Greece ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    We flew to Athens today from Paros. I had to take a picture of the departure area at the Paros airport. The grey door on the left leads to the one scanning machine and another lounge on the other side about the same size...smallest airport ever, I think, but chatting with a couple there who have gone there a long time, it is bigger than it used to be.
    We navigated the Athens Metro system and a short uphill walk to get to our Airbnb, within the area of the Acropolis. We are quite disappointed in the city itself. The part we are in is run down, graffiti everywhere, sidewalks broken up. Not very appealing. Of course, you can see the Acropolis and the temple of Zeus from the rooftop patio of our building, so there are some redeeming qualities.
    We walked to Hadrian's Arch which sits right near the Temple of Zeus. The Temple was begun in 515 BC but was not finished until Hadrian did so in 131 BC. Some columns are still standing and they are huge!! The whole structure was as long as a football field, but not quite as wide.
    We also visited the Panathenaic Stadium, home to the modern era Olympic Games. It is a magnificent stadium, built totally of stone, seats and all, reconstructed on the site of an ancient stadium for the 1896 games, the first of the modern era. It could hold 68,000 people. I won my event, as you can see from the picture. Dave won his as well, but was too tired to climb the podium.    Read more

  • TravelerFrance and Greece 2018
    Day 16

    The Acropolis

    November 4, 2018 in Greece ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    What a day! We walked to the Acropolis and climbed up to the top with thousands of others. During the off season the first Sunday in each month is free to go into the Acropolis. We had bought a pass for several sites anyway, but the masses turned out for the first free Sunday today. There is so much more to the site than the Parthenon...much more than I ever realized. We visited the ruins of the ancient temple of Dionysis and the Theatre of Dionysis, which is quite well in tact. As we gradually climbed the hill, we came to the Odeum of Herodea Atticus, another theatre, larger and very impressive. Continuing up we went by the Temple of Athena Nike near the magnificent entrance to the top level. There, of course, is the Parthenon, an absolutely huge structure and one of the most recognized in the world. Near it is the Temple dedicated to Athena and Poseidon.
    The walk down from the Acropolis was most interesting because of the crowd. A waiting line 15 people wide had to merge onto a stairway, 3 people wide, so it took quite a long time, but everyone was patient as we inched our way along and then down the stairs and the slope.
    We headed for the Ancient and Roman Agoras, located end to end. You need to use some imagination to picture the marketplaces that once were situated there. We had lunch right next to the Roman Agora, in an outside cafe and tried to absorb the ancient vibes. We then walked through the Agora. One building still standing there is the Tower of Winds. A church on the grounds has been turned into a museum for recognizing the international archeological groups who have contributed to the work done in Greece.
    Through the day we had gotten farther and farther from home, so the walk back took quite a while. We went along one of the main shopping streets, closed to traffic, and full of people, which surprised us on a Sunday. This one street had to be at least a kilometre long, and there were lots of others crossing it as well.
    On our return, we took a glass of wine up to the rooftop patio and enjoyed the view of the Acropolis as the sun was setting. An appropriate way to end our day in Athens.    Read more

  • TravelerFrance and Greece 2018
    Day 17

    Lasting Impressions

    November 5, 2018 in France ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    We are on our way home...first leg to Paris is completed and tomorrow we fly back to Canada. I have been thinking about what the lasting impressions will be from this trip. What sights, sounds, tastes will be reminders of France and Greece?
    The Dordogne area of France will always be about Medieval castles on rock outcroppings, surrounded by the houses and shops of a Medieval village. Secondary roads so narrow that sometimes the buildings almost touched the road. Prehistoric drawings in caves. The Malbec wine of the Cahors region. Duck confit and Foie gras and the wonderful pork terrine on a baguette. Kind people who struggled with English because our French was so bad.
    Paros will remain in our memories for its sparkling white buildings and narrow alleys covered in paving stones, with bright pink bougainvillea bushes. The barren landscape seems less so when you remember the olive groves and fruit trees. Ancient history is everywhere in the castle ruins, the ports, and the archeological digs. Moussaka, Greek salad with a slab of feta on top, black olives, cheap wine, baclava, are the tastes and smells that will stay. The gorgeous turquoise blue of the water against the volcanic rock or the golden beach is a picture in our minds.
    Athens, a city of rich history, from the time of the Greek gods, provides photo opportunities at every turn. The city is dominated by the Acropolis, viewed as you come around corners, all over the old city. The immense size of the buildings built so long ago, has to be seen to realize what an achievement each one was for that ancient civilization. The graffiti of today also leaves a lasting impression.
    These are some of the snapshots preserved by our brains as well as our cameras as we head home.    Read more

  • TravelerFrance and Greece 2018
    Day 1,430

    Southern Italy 2022

    September 18, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    We have arrived in Southern Italy, at Villaggio l’Olivara at Tropea . The travelling went well as we flew to Rome through the night, arriving on the morning of Sept 16th. We had booked a hotel within walking distance of the Centrini Railway station. So it was just a shuttle bus in from the airport and a short walk to the hotel. We were able to leave our luggage there and go out to look around for a few hours. Checking in that afternoon, we were well ready for a long nap. Not so good at going without sleep for a night anymore.
    There were several restaurants in the area and we chose an outdoor spot by the Basilica, where we had looked around earlier that day. When it was lit for the evening, it made a beautiful backdrop to our first meal in Italy.
    On Saturday we took a train from Rome to Lamezia Terme and picked up our rental car for the drive to Tropea. Tropea is mostly known for the beaches here, and the town was bustling as we tried to find our way through a maze of narrow, one way streets to our home for the next week. Thank goodness for getting a SIM card the day before, so we could use MAPs to find the route.
    The resort sits very high above the town and looking out on the ocean. There are steep (first gear) switch backs to get up to the top, but a wonderful view when you get here.
    Today we spent finding our way around the resort and a trip into town for supplies. Dinner this evening will be at the restaurant on site. The menu looks intriguing!
    Sunshine, warm breezes and a great patio for morning coffee and late afternoon wine/beer. A relaxing day as the start of what looks to be a week on paradise!    Read more

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