Kalimera, Paros!

Okay, I have been here a week and a half, and although I can slowly decode anything I read in the Greek alphabet, I have only learned 6 essential words/phrases in Greek.Kalimera- good morning

Kalispera – good afternoon

Kalinichta – good night (I forgot I knew this one so maybe it is 7)

Ne – Yes

Ohi – No

Efkaristo – Thank you

Yassous or Yassas – Hello, goodbye and cheers (a catch-all word)

We took the morning ferry from Naxos to Paros on a sea that was as calm as a birdbath and as clear as glass. Eleni met us at the dock in Parikia and took us to her perfect little guesthouse on the edge of town just a few meters from Livadia Beach. A spacious room with a private sunny patio that opened out of a beautiful courtyard with beautiful gardens that must be exquisite in lush summer months.

The first day we walked around the old town, including a visit to Yria Ceramics, run by Monique Mailloux, a woman who I went to Franconia College with almost 40 years ago, who moved from there to Paros and never left (except unfortunately she left on vacation an hour or so before we arrived!). We shopped the few stores that were open and Pat bought a rugged sweater made of natural yarns and I bought a trendy (a.k.a. not entirely practical) little Greek sweater dress on sale which is now the coziest and most comfortable piece of clothing I have with me (and of course the only thing I am not completely sick of.) I have finally washed my clothes by hand with shampoo for the last time – have I mentioned this is the only thing I will NOT miss about this trip?!

Paros is apparently the 3^rd most popular destination in the Greek islands because of its numerous white sand beaches and the upscale nature of its shops gives away the income bracket of its usual clientele. However, lunch at the Mikro Café, an intimate and intellectual little bar and bistro in the heart of the winding Old Town streets, seemed so welcoming that it made me think running a little bistro should be my future destiny.

 An afternoon respite on the beach and then dinner in a seaside hotel of Greek specialties like tzatsiki, calamari and zucchini croquettes.

After a breakfast of dakos (which we thought was “tacos” and which seems like the Greek equivalent – feta cheese piled on tomatoes and chunks of dark whole grain bread), the second day we rented a car, the smallest Peugeot in the world perhaps, and drove around the island, in detail shall we say, since it was such a small island that driving every road and visiting every beach we possibly could (and some were not drivable) seemed like the right thing to do. Eventually we stumbled across Molos Beach, a secluded and peaceful cove with a sandy beach and a tiny marina, that made everything else before and after seem second rate. Homemade spanakopita and moussaka at seaside café in Aliki made the afternoon just right.

Overall Paros seemed fairly populated and modern and more evolved food-wise with much “biological” fare as they call it, which makes it much more appetizing, shall we say, to aliens from other countries.

The following day at noon we said goodbye to Paros and boarded the Blue Star ferry for a smooth sailing journey back to Naxos town to pick up a car and begin the next and nearly last leg of this westward journey that is sadly coming to end in the not-so-distant future…