36 Hours in Chora, Naxos
By Helen Grubner. Filed in Uncategorized |
Sunday 16 June-Monday 17 June 2024
Talk about a lazy Sunday. I had nothing in particular to do whilst waiting for BLUE STAR 1’s departure at 2130 hours. I very much wanted to break my rule that is not to buy anything to take home until the final week of my trip. I was in quest of a hand knocker such as you see on many of the doors in Ermoupoli. Perhaps a replica as I imagine an original, which could be as old as 150 years, if for sale, would cost a pretty penny. Unfortunately, I found nothing like that for sale.
Anywhere there was shade, I sat for a while and watched the world go by. Walking the streets, I came across the Holy Cathedral Church of the Transfiguration of the Saviour Christ. The fifth magnificent church I have seen on Syros.
Arriving on Naxos shortly after midnight, I then made the 20-minute walk to my apartment. The time of my arrival being no deterrent to my host Marios meeting me there. Two clear instructions about my stay… no putting paper in the toilet bowl. That goes without saying all over Greece. The plumbing pipes are too narrow to cope with anything other than human waste. A bin is always provided for the paper. The other instruction surprised me… no drinking the tap water. It is only for washing. Of course, I always buy bottled water for drinking, but normally, I would use the tap water in the kettle. On Naxos, this is a no, no.
I have been to Naxos on countless occasions en route to other islands. However, I can not recall ever staying here until now. Although I only had 36 hours, I had such a fabulous time. Exploring the area of the Venetian Castle, the Portara, the alleyways, the harbour, by day and around sunset. The Chora, Naxos is such a vibrant, bustling town, but at the same time, it feels relaxed and stress free. It’s a really fun place to be and highly recommended.
Tuesday, June 18th 2024 at 9:26 am |
Yes Naxos – have always wanted to go back after visiting briefly in May 79 – was only there long enough to get 1st degree sunburn and sunstroke from swimming at the beach. My very first Greek island adventure with my best friend – then on to Santorini and the tiny town of Thera where we rented a room overlooking the caldera for 200 drachs and I ran into another friend from Montreal who was standing in the centre of town stopping a bus with her foot. The next day I walked through nearby villages of cavedwellers who stared at me from their doorways. Ten years later I went back and practically cried at what tourism had done to this most amazing and special place…
Tuesday, June 18th 2024 at 10:04 am |
Yes, Anna, I hear you. Tourism… a necessary evil for Greece. Somehow, thankfully, Naxos has retained something of its charm. I last went to Santorini in 2004. I don’t wish to think about the changes in the last 20 years.