Itisallgreek2me

After 4 amazing weeks on Syros, Friday came along and it was time for me to move on to Sikinos… the ferry stopping first at Paros, then Naxos and Ios.

Much to my delight, Thanasis from Pirgari Rooms was waiting for me at the port of Allopronia… a welcome lift to my accommodation. It was already late afternoon and knowing that I planned to be up early the following day to catch the first bus to the village of Chora, I settled for dinner at a Taverna in the harbour and tried for an early night.

By 8.00am the next day I began exploring Kastro and Chora, two mountain top settlements side by side and above Kastro, the Zoodochos Pigi Monastery. Early morning it was a little chilly, however, the skies cleared to a gloriously sunny day, albeit unbelievably windy. As I was checking out a notice board detailing the six Monopati walks on the island, Albert – a lovely gentleman from Brittany in France spoke to me. He was also intending to walk to the Ancient site of Episcope… originally a Roman Mausoleum, later converted into a Byzantine Monastery. Albert was starting out on the road then via the path further along the way and he invited me to join him. However, I declined as I still had more sightseeing to do in Chora and planned to take the Monopati from there along the ridge.

The views of both coasts from up above are nothing short of incredulous and the landscape is dotted with small white churches. Except when you come across a cluster of trees where the Cicadas congregate, the sound of silence prevails. From the ridge the path goes back down and you pick it up again on the other side of the road just a few meters away. It is one of the most beautiful walks I have ever undertaken in Greece and I believe that Albert and I were possibly the only people to take up the challenge on Saturday. I met up with Albert again at Episcope and he insisted on sharing his lunch with me… bread with sardines and sweet crunchy red onion. We spoke with a group of people from Florida, another group from Chania on Crete… all having travelled to Episcope by car. Currently undergoing restoration with a budget of 750,000 Euro, interestingly, a woman’s unplundered remains were found, the rich jewels worn by her showing she was a prominent figure in Sikinos society.

Albert left to return via the same route by which he had arrived… I wanted to return via the road in order to visit the Manalis Winery. The only traffic sharing the road with me… a shepherd with his goat herd.

Back in Chora I returned to Anemalo where I had enjoyed my morning coffee, this time for a plate of yoghurt served with a variety of fruits, walnuts and honey! Waiting for the bus later on and who should turn up? – Albert.

The intensity of the wind was beginning to concern me as I worried about the ferry operating the following day, so back in Allopronia I went to see if the ticket office was open. It wasn’t, however, this led to a chance meeting with Anja and Gijs, a Dutch couple who had also been at the Taverna the previous night. They invited me to join them for a drink at Marconi Cafe… I am not sure but I think it must have been at least 5 hours and many beers and ouzos later when we parted company for the night. Until now, I don’t believe I have met anyone else who has been to as many places in Greece as me. Anja is also an avid photographer and we share much in common.

I had very little sleep that night as the wind gusted and howled but the following day the ferry duly arrived… rather late! When we reached Folegandros, I farewelled Anja and Gijs… they were travelling on to Sifnos.

This entry was posted on Monday, July 1st, 2019 at 7:51 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.