Náousa

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