Naxos

Well, our marathon 'fast boat' journey to the Island of Naxos (it took six hours), we arrived at our accomodation located right on the edge of Agias Prokopious. The view is amazing and the beach is quite a nice sandy one, with the standard crystal clear water... We hired a car, exactly the same as in Sifnos, but for five euro a day cheaper! Haggling like a wog now!!!!! (Plus it was brand new)

First day out, we explored the beaches south, including the famed Plaka and Agias Anna. However, we got off the usual beaten track and looked at every one of them as far as the road would take us...'road' is a loose term. Hire cars can travel anywhere!!! We found a beautiful inlet, mostly sandy, and out of the breeze, at a place called Pyrgaki. We noticed the effects of th poor economy in Greece with many, many abandoned building projects.  One at these was obviously going to be a huge hotel, but is now just a shell, overgrown by weeds. Seems Greece has a lot of fairly new ruins as well as the ancient ones! We returned by driving up the centre of the island from the seaside town of Agiasos. It is much larger than Sifnos, and the interior is quite bare and barren. Farmers struggle here. But we found the sights fascinating.

The following day we travelled north, and explored again. We travelled up the very wiggly road to the coastal town of Apollonas. A small fishing town with a black sandy beach, we swam and soaked up some sun. Of course, a light lunch at a local Taverna with a couple of beers, and the to the unfinished statue of Dionysus. It appears to have been started about 600 BC, and typically, the Greeks still haven't finished th thing!  It has been carved out of a mountain of marble (literally) and is 38 metres long. I have no idea how they were going to pick it up once it was finished??? To see the entire hillside, in fact mountain, of pure white sparkling marble is amazing. 

The third day, it was more exploring. This time up into the mountains, then over the, to a beach side paradise named 'Kaladas'. Although a steep and windy road, through some of the most barren but spectacular mountain scenery we have ever seen, the trip was amazing.  I never expected the Greek Isalnds to throw this type of scenery up.  And the beach looked like something I imagine the West Indies would be proud of.  Beautiful, probably the best we have seen.

We kept coming across road signs that we have no idea what they mean, although we can guess at one in particular!

We had an afternoon spent in Naxos town as it was too windy for the beach. We wandered around and went to a restaurant inside the old walls called Lithos.

We returned another night to have dinner on the harbour.

Today, we say goodbye to Naxos and leav for Santorini.  And what a great surprise to see David and Bianca on th same ferry! The two hour ride went in no time as we swapped our travelling stories. 

Santorini

We were whisked off to our respective accomodations, ours in Oia and David and Bianca in Fira Stephani. Both digs are amazing. David and Bianca have a private jacuzzi and we have 258 steps to the f#*##ng bus stop!!!! Really, it is fantastic as you can see.  Cath and I made our way to theirs an went for a lovely dinner, in a restaurant overlooking th magnificent Santorini.  Our second time here, and it is still amazing.  After David failed to finish his meal of 25 varieties of meat, we said goodnight and caught a taxi home.

A sleep in, a magnificent breakfast served on our balcony, and this 258 steps to th bus stop!! Enough of this, lets get a car.  David and I went straight to the nearest car hire place. I can now haggle like a wog, so I took charge.  The blonde bomb shell assistant was no distraction at all.  Her bare midrift, short, short, short leather skirt and low, low, low cut top had nothing to do with us hiring the most clapped out bucket of bolts in the yard.....hey, it had airconditioning!!!!  We took it back and the girls were so impressed at the deal we had struck!!!  If only it went up hills....anyway, off we went exploring the beaches of the famous Santorini..........after some hours, we can tell you this.  The beaches on the southern side of the island, well, they suck.  Tiny little rocky messy beaches.  After finding a nice little seaside Taverna, a little lunch and some beers, we eventually settled for the best of an ordinary lot, at Agius Paraskevi. Here we had a swim in lovely cool water, a lie in the sun, some had a massage, then a shower. Not bad for ordinary! We enjoyed evening drinks on our balcony till late with our kids. What a great couple they are?  What a great day!

Today, we enjoyed brekky on our balcony and a laze by the hotel pool.  Tomorrow, we are looking forward to a catamaran cruise, swimming and snorkelling with David and Bianca.  Good fun!