Last day on Naxos

 

Our last day on Naxos was a quiet one, not least because the mild, fair weather we’ve had all week didn’t last forever, and the new day brought firstly clouds, then some thunder, followed by a light drizzle that kept people off the streets. Not to be deterred, we set off mid morning to wander again through the little streets of Naxos Town, enjoying the narrow alleys and coming across a church we hadn’t yet seen, complete with lovely eucalypt in the courtyard. The notice outside the church - the Holy Parish Temple of Pantanassa - informed us that it was built as an “evolutionary” of the old monastery of St Trinity, which was built during the ages of the war on icons. Full of icons itself, the irony wasn’t lost on us.

The only pressing task for the day was to book our ferry tickets to Paros, and then on to Syros. Having watched the ferry come in a couple of nights ago, at least 15 minutes late, and with only a narrow window to arrive in Paros and hot foot it to the next (different) ferry to Syros, we decided to change the plan and take the 9.30am ferry to Paros, stow our luggage for the day, and explore for a few hours before the evening ferry to Syros. An opportunity to see yet another of the islands too.

Tickets sorted, we headed to our favourite coffee shop for a cappuccino, sitting under the awning as the thunder and light rain started. Something a bit different anyway!

Next task was to locate the traditional barber we’d seen a couple of days ago. He was busy at the time, so the plan was to come back so hubby could get a haircut and beard trim. It took us a bit of tracing and retracing paths we thought we’d gone along in previous days, before we finally spotted his blue and red barber pole outside the front. I can’t imagine how we missed that before in all these narrow, winding streets!! The barber experience was fun, not just for hubby who enjoyed the pampering, but for me as well, enjoying watching and taking a few snaps.

From there we headed down to the promenade to explore a few more shops. We stopped in to try Kitron, the citron liqueur for which Naxos is famous. It’s made from the fruit and leaves of the citron tree, which is similar to the lemon tree but stronger and slightly different in taste. There are three varieties of Kitron - clear, green and yellow, with the green being sweeter with less alcohol, the yellow being stronger, and the clear somewhere in between. The helpful lady at the shop said to drink it straight, but cold. It’s a strong liqueur, so I think at the most I’d be putting a few drops into a big glass of soda water!

A few days ago we came across a shop in a street not far from our apartment, where they custom-make leather sandals. The idea is you choose the design you like, and the size, the colour of the leather and the sole, and they make the sandals to fit. Sounds perfect for someone like me who finds it hard to get comfortable shoes and sandals at the best of times. I tried a few of their samples on, and we worked out that I would need a 39 sole but 38 straps - that’s not something you could ever get from an “off the shelf” sandal - so I was sold, and ordered a pair on the spot. When we returned the following night to collect, they fitted so well I ordered another pair! If you’re ever in Naxos, you should definitely go to Pagonis for a pair of custom-made Greek sandals, or two!

Heading back to our apartment for lunch, we came upon a truck that was stopped in the street, unable to get through because a small car had parked crookedly leaving insufficient room to pass. Three men sat in the cab of the truck, waiting for the owner to return, while a line of cars built up behind them. Then the impatient, frustrated beeping started. Eventually the men got out of the truck, went to the back of the car, lifted it closer to the kerb, then did the same with the front. Finally they were able to get by. That’s what you do when there’s a car in your way in a narrow Greek street.

Early in the afternoon the storm passed, the rain stopped and the sun reappeared, so we headed off to stroll to Grotta Beach in the sunshine. It was beautiful, and we sat on a rock and admired the clear water and the lovely views.

The sunshine was relatively short-lived, but lovely. As another storm front appeared over the neighbouring island of Paros, the sun disappeared behind it and we heard a thunderous rumbling, that wasn’t thunder. Around the point came one of the large fast “Sea Jet” catamarans that also ferry people between the islands. It was quite a sight coming in to dock.

We then began the slow wander back to our apartment, past the freshly caught octopus hanging outside a restaurant..........

......... past the smelly cheese shop that hubby won’t go in because it’s SO STRONG............

.......... and stopping for a lemon/sugar/butter crepe just at the top of our street. Because you’re only in Naxos once. This place had so many possible flavour options, but in the end simple seemed best.

Our last dinner on Naxos was at one of the local restaurants in our area, at the main square of the town, just a short walk from where we were staying. We chose it because the specials board had declared, for the past day or so, a “beef stew with tomato” that sounded very inviting. And it didn’t disappoint. Served with delicious fried Naxos potatoes that we’ve discovered are among the best potatoes we’ve ever had, and another amazing Naxian salad with their specialty cheese, called Xynomyzithra (the name means sour Myzithra), a traditional fresh, soft cheese made from goat’s milk. I think it might just be my new favourite cheese. A great way to end our stay on beautiful Naxos.