Greece-Naxos

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After two days in Athens we were off to Naxos. The largest and greenest of the Cyclades Islands which boasts towering mountains, rich valleys and breathtaking seascapes. In the villages high on the mountain tops, the residents wear traditional clothes and live off the land. At the entrance to the port of Naxos is the marble gate, Apollo temple, dating back to the 6th century BC. The legend is that this place is known as "Portara". The god Dionysius found Ariandni there and being abandoned by Thesus. The island is also host of Cycladic architecture with Venetian castles, monastaries and medieval churches. We took the ferry out of Athens and it was a four hour trip. The ferry was huge with assigned seats, much like an airplane. We relaxed with a glass of wine and watched a movie (always glad to have a laptop handy!) We arrived in Naxos and was met by our driver. It was a 15 minute ride to our hotel, the Melidron. The small hotel was fantastic. A great staff and lovely views. It was walking distance to the beach and the small town where it was located was a nice change from Athens and the port of Naxos.

We spent the first day at Plaka Beach down the street from our hotel. Beautiful, crystal clear water.

The next day was my Birthday so...catamaran day!

The next day we took a tour for a hilltop food tasting. We made four stops to the top of Naxos, eating as we went. Unfortunately due to the Catamaran trip the day before, we were so hungover we wanted to die! We couldn't eat any of the food 😒By the third stop I managed a piece of bread and a glass of wine (the Jesus diet) which helped resolve the situation. There was a tiny little church on one of the stops with only about 15 chairs inside. We also passed the Travertine quarry which was very interesting to me. All of Greece uses this marble everywhere. (Not as pretty as Carrara though!)

OUR LAST DAY IN NAXOS...OFF TO CRETE