7th June 1984 - Arrival in Naxos

Thursday 7^th June Got up early once again – woken by a motorbike. I finished packing and went up to the bus stop, where quite a few people gathered. The bus came, went into Fira and back again to Athinios, where the Ios was waiting to be boarded by a whole lot of people on the wharf. We got on and it left at 8.00. First a Sth African sat next to me, and then a Parisienne with incredibly long toes. The boat called first at Ios, then at Paros, before Naxos where I got off. The sea was as smooth as when we were on the Sea of Japan. We passed a school of dolphins/porpoises before Paros. They jumped high in the air, “flip-flopping like in Seaworld” (bloody American tourist).

   It was surprising how many little islands we passed, uninhabited or barely and not marked on any map that refuses to carry a lot of detail. We arrived in Naxos at 2.00 and I was met by a lady who would charge me 400ΔΡX for a room per night. I got in her ute and her husband drove me around the town to a small long building with about six rooms, each with two beds and private amenities. The building wasn’t close to anything except the road and the beach – about a fifteen minute walk to Naxos town, which I did. A lot of new building work, as elsewhere.

   I found out about the next boat to Pireas and then wandered around the narrow streets of the old Venetian fortress, which is on top of a hill. The streets are paved with concrete and marble, some of the doors are partly below street level. The houses are all painted white, some have little courtyards in the front with cats and pot plants on the steps and painted little gates and doors and windows. There are archways over the lanes and it is refreshingly cool underneath because it is very hot in the sun on Naxos.

The Port of Naxos

  I came upon one of the bigger churches, I think it is Roman Catholic [so I guess dating from the Venetian era] and shut. Like other churches in Greece I have seen, the pavement outside is smooth, clean and clear and probably only recently (re)paved. One side of this church was attached to other buildings. There are no single buildings in this area, only blocks.

 

Church of Presentation of the Lord, Naxos

   After this jaunt, I bought some food and went back to my accommodation and wrote a little but mainly fell asleep, waking up again at 9.30, so I got ready for bed.