Serifos – Serenity and Charm
By Helen Grubner. Filed in Uncategorized |
Monday – a new Greek government is sworn in which I believe to be a good thing. Another heat wave has been forecast for Greece and we should expect temperatures to rise to as much as 42°C in some places! With this in mind, I allowed myself plenty of time to get to the bus station. On arrival in Adamas, picked up my ferry tickets then settled in at the cafe nearest the port departure, to eat, drink and wait. It was oppressively hot and about half an hour before my ferry was scheduled to leave, I succumbed to the intense heat… thought I was going to be sick and/or pass out. Fortunately, a drink of exceptionally cold water bought me around enough to get on the ferry and make it to the island of Serifos.
Last Tuesday an American biologist went missing from where she was attending a conference on Crete. It was thought she had most likely gone for a late afternoon run and either become unwell or perhaps fallen down a ravine. Today her body was found in a cave. Devastating news for her family and friends and emphasizes the importance of taking care.
I have a very nice room at Naias in the port of Livadi for E30.50 per night which is an excellent price for anywhere in Greece in July. On arriving my host offered me a glass of orange, filled with ice… what a lifesaver! I then spent the remainder of the afternoon resting in my room before venturing out in the evening to check out the surroundings.
Livadi is the most charming and atmospheric seaside town with everything one might need including many fine restaurants and cafes along the waterfront, as well as shops and supermarkets. It was 2110 hours when I sat down at a table at Navtikos Omilos (the Yacht Club). The menu stated Ouzo with Meze 3.50 Euro until 2100 hours. When the waiter came along, I remarked on the time and asked if I wasn’t too late for this deal and he obliged. I would have been happy to sit there forever, listening to the music and looking out over the water. However, I left, stopping at Tootsie for a Gyros and another ouzo on my way home.
Interestingly, I returned to Navtikos Omilos tonight… the waiters appeared to be wearing blinkers! I was totally ignored and after 10 minutes, got up and left, finding Karnagio a little further along the road, where the service and the music were second to none!
After the previous day’s close shave with the heat, I am very much aware that I must take extra care. This morning I caught the first bus of the day to Chora, another amazing mountain village where many of the houses appear to be almost growing out of the rocks. I walked the alleyways and up to the Kastro before finding a cafe for breakfast. Serifos offers several walks along the Monopatia too, however, I think I will return another time when it is cooler to check out their paths.
Serifos also offers many beautiful beaches. Tomorrow I will spend the day at Livadakia beach which from Naias is just a short walk uphill and down the other side.
The following day I leave the Cyclades… I’m off to Northern Greece!
