Greece Trip - Day 12

7 July, 2009 – Ios to Paros

We took our last ride on our bikes this morning to the top of the island and to Homer’s Tomb. When we made it to Homer’s Tomb, we spotted hundreds of bee hives scattered down the hill and across the land out to the coastline. There were bees and butterflies in the bushes near the track where you could hear the constant hum of the bees; and on the other side of the track you could hear the clanging of bells coming from a herd of goats. I loved it! When we got to Homer’s Tomb, there was a stack of rocks on top of it – we each added a rock to the mound: our own little addition to this historic spot.

After Homer’s Tomb, we drove along the bar lined street of the party beach – Mylopotas. The bars and restaurants were very funky, they had lounges and wicker furniture, hammocks hanging between trees or poles and plants galore as decoration. They were empty though at this time of day, as was the beach (except for a few remaining people sleeping on the beach from the previous nights party). We dropped the bikes and scooter back off to the hire place and then walked down through the town back to the port area for lunch.

Donnal and I decided to go on a honey finding mission – we wanted some local honey! We asked in a few shops and were told each time that they don’t know where you can buy local honey, so Donnal had the idea to ask the people at the friendly family restaurant. The son was out front setting up the table for lunchtime, so we asked him – he made a 10 second phone call and then directed us to the Scooter Hire place on the other side of the port!! Who would have thought to look there??!! They don’t usually sell the local honey to tourist, they only sell it to locals, the restaurants and friends of the restaurants, so we were very lucky to be able to buy some. We both got a huge jar of the honey and they lady back at the hotel tapped the lid for us to help prevent spillage on our travels.

It was another quick ferry ride to our next island – Paros, and then it was a short walk from the port to the hotel on Paros. It was even hotter and more humid in Paros, if that was at all possible, so we were all fatigued and sweaty by the time we got to the hotel. I opted to have a bit of a rest and catch up on my travel diary in the air conditioned hotel room for a few hours. Donnal was feeling a bit sick, so she went for a sleep. We caught up later in the afternoon and went for a walk along the beach (which was only about 30 metres from the hotel) and bumped into Steve and Jo sitting at a bar under the trees on the beach. We sat down, had a cold drink and chatted to some ladies who have moved from Scotland and Sweden and have lived on the island for the last 10 years.

The group met up later in the afternoon to go for a walk of the town. We visited an Ancient Cemetery that was discovered along the shore line, the oldest tombs dating back to the 7th Century BC and then up to the 4th Century BC. We then visited one of the oldest Churches and Baptisteries in Greece, which was built in around 300AD. I have seen many churches in my travels but none as quaint and as impressive this one. It is made from marble and stone and is the church of 100 doors. In the upper level, ancient frescos can still be seen and it is a wonderful angle to look at the height of the altar or to look over into the rooms of the lower level of the church. The round building that is the baptistery was beautiful; the sunlight beamed through the windows of the round ceiling and cast shadows across the room. There was a service about to begin in the church, as people and priests were gathered in the outdoor areas having the traditional refreshments before the service.
The main street of the town along the coastline is not very impressive and I wasn’t sure if the island had much to offer when we arrived, but once you make your way into the maze of streets in old town the town comes alive.

The streets are beautiful, clean, quaint, traditional and welcoming. The narrow, windy streets were full of gift and craft shops, local produce stores, cafes and restaurants. Part of the Castle were discovered and the architecture was intriguing – it was made up of a jumble of different shapes and sizes of marble and were put into a cylindrical shaped part of the building.

We found a restaurant that was recommended by a previous group that was set in a garden terrace. The food was fantastic, again. This time I had stuffed lamb for the main and baklava for dessert – delicious. After dinner we found a shop that sold goods made from Olive tree wood. The colours and grain in the wood was gorgeous and it quite a rare wood - I bought myself a bangle and an olive fork. We also found a cute wee shop that sold local produce like honey, olive oil, soaps, preserved fruits and spices. I bought some Thyme Honey in a sweet heart-shaped jar with a little doily and ribbon over the lid. When we were walking back along the main street towards the hotel around 10pm, the streets were alive – kids were playing in the squares and the restaurants were full of local just sitting down for dinner.