|
Don't Arrive on a Sunday.. Page 2
|
| Today was a trip to Pyrogos at the top end of the island a full 24kms away. This is the second largest town and does have a small tourist trade which mean they have a taverna and it's actually open. To make up for not getting lunch yesterday we ordered too much food, had to leave some and left feeling like stuffed pigs. At the table next to us a French couple were tucking in to pigeon, now that solves a small mystery. We have been passing these strange looking buildings that have no windows or doors, what could they be?. Our best guess was some kind of mausoleum but there was a lot of them and in the most remote places. They turned out to be Pigeon Houses, the locals build them feed the pigeons then pop in and grab a few for lunch. |
Village Taverna
|
Pigeon House
|
| We are thinking of heading to Crete next week, so have been watching the sea closely for days. The first few days it was let’s go then yesterday it was rough with white caps, let’s not go. Cindy and I are land lubbers, we can get sea sick on a duck pond, so just a sign of a ripple on the water and we get nauseous. The plan would be to get the ferry to Mykonos then another ferry to Crete via Santorini. If the sea was rough we could get off at Santorini and spend time there.
I would prefer to go to Crete as my father was there in 1941 during the battle for Crete in the early part of the 2nd world war. His ship the HMAS Fiji was sunk by German bombers and he spent 6 hours in the water before being rescued and taken to Alexandria in Egypt. He was reassigned to another ship and that was bombed and sunk. Now being bombed once is unfortunate but twice well that's just careless. He did make it home and for years the blankets they wrapped him in when rescued were on my bed still stained with oil.
|
HMAS Fiji
|
Commonwealth War Graves Crete
|
|
| Yesterday we booked the ferry tickets to Crete and this morning there is a stiff breeze and white caps out to sea, we both have our fingers crossed that it's carm on Monday. We have been on the ferry from Mykonos to Santorini once before, the sea got that rough the boat only got as far as Naxos and stopped there overnight. We spent a very uncomfortable night sleeping on the floor of the ferry while our room in Santorini (that we had paid for) stayed empty. |
Mykonos to Crete ferry
|
Tinos Town
|
|
Today we set of for Panormos the most northerly village on the island. Cindy has never driven a left hand car before, I have offered to let her have a go but she always declines. Well today she said yes, very brave when we are on narrow winding mountain roads, not her brave, me brave I'm in the passenger seat. She set off at a brisk15 kms an hour in first gear for about a kilometer then shifted into 2nd. After about 10 minutes she was humming along quite nicely, bit wide on few corners but not life threating. 20 minutes later she up to 60 which on these roads is a little fast for my liking. I tried pushing my foot through the passenger foot well on a couple of corners, strange how you do that as it's never going to slow the car down.
|
|
We arrived at what can only be described as the best little harbor I have seen for many a year. A small bay with an odd collection of small fishing boats bobbing in crystal clear water. The harbor was fringed with little tavernas sporting an array of table clothes mostly in blue and white and best of all it was quiet with very few people about. After our usual photo shoot it was time for lunch, which taverna to choose? Lunch was a real treat the best food we have had so far, that good that we will be back on Sunday, (that's if the bloody place is open).
|
Panamos Harbour
|
Taverna Panamos
|
| On the way back we stopped at Kardiani, a small village built on a steep hillside with an amazing view out over the sea to the island of Syros. There was water running down through the village which explained the abundance of trees and the gardens lining the hillside. Cool and tranquil was the feeling of walking through the narrow streets, no cars no motorbikes, this village can only be accessed on foot. At a small shop sat a very large man who looked like he would never be able to climb the hundred or so stairs up to the road above. It made me think, what happens if you get sick here?, I'd like to see them stretcher you out up them stairs, maybe they super glue you on first. |
Kardinia Village
|
Kardiniaight
|
|
|
|
Left - Steps out of Kardinia
Above - A village with no traffic
|
| Isn't the internet a wonderful thing, Cindy is sitting on a Greek island trying to sort out the adoption of a Thai street dog to women in Texas. Well trying is about on the mark, the signal here is very up and down. Sometimes it works near the open window in the lounge, failing that it's the foot of the bed or outside on the patio. I have to say when it's playing up there has been some very unlady like language at times. The service is sold here as 1.3g, that’s a new one on me, there's 4g, 3g and 2g but 1.3g, sounds like 2g with a broken leg. It still keeps Cindy going for several hours a day, it's hard to tear her away from her link to the world of doggies. |
Typical Tinos village
|
One of Tinos's 600 churches
|
|
|
