Naxos

I want to continue my recollections of our first journey exploring the Greek islands just over two years ago. The first island we visited was the island of Naxos.

I stood on the upper deck of the ferry at the stern and watched the port of Piraeus slip slowly into the horizon curiously observing the ship’s engine churning up the waters like an angry storm. I was captivated by the frothy, churning water,  its sight and sound left behind in the wake of the ship. People were sitting out on the decks, soaking in the morning sunshine, drinking coffee, reading books, some huddled together in earnest conversations. The clusters of islands stood like sentinels on either side of our ferry. Their looming presence displaying a unique detail of peaks and craggy mountain tops. Every so often we would spy islands that were fully inhabited, the tiny white buildings in the distance like little specks dotted precariously around the coastline. Each island loomed up briefly before disappearing in the distance as another soon came into view. Each island unique in its own way. Islands such as Milos, Felegandros and Sikinos.

We travelled on Blue Star Ferries, which run the largest vessels compared to the other ferry services in Greece. They serve more than 20 destinations around the Greek islands. Carmel and I went out on deck several times to watch the passing islands and mingle with the other passengers. After 5 hours, our first port of call was Paros, an island adjacent to Naxos to unload its human cargo and take more passengers on board. Forty five minutes later we approached the island of Naxos.

Naxos is the largest island of the Cyclades, the so called “white islands,” from their dazzling white villages forming a strong contrast to the blue Aegean sea. The name Cyclades means “encircling islands,” and they are so named because they form a rough circle around the sacred island of Delos, which was the legendary birthplace of Artemis and her brother Apollo.

 

 The island  has a population of 20,000 inhabitants which increases exponentially during the height of the tourist season. We arrived at the port of Chora which is the island’s capital. Perched magnificently on our left as we entered the harbour was the huge marble gate of the Temple of Apollo. The structure dates back to the end of the 6^th century BC. Building stopped, however, when war broke out between Naxos and Samos. Today there are only the foundations and the imposing marble gate, the Portora as it is known locally.

In the distance we could see a Frankish castle perched on a hill looking down on the busy harbour below, a legacy of the Venetian period of the island’s conquest. The castle walls served as the outer walls of the mansions of the Venetian nobles, descendants of whom continue to live in them to this day.

We made our way down to the gangway, having collected our suitcase whilst descending and patiently awaited with the throngs of people ready to disembark. Slowly the ferry turned to face starboard towards the harbour and with a slight bump, made contact with the dock and with a shuddering sound the ramp slammed down and there before us the town stood magnificently in the afternoon gleaming sunlight. We made our way down the metal ramp to set foot on dry land. There were lots of chaos and noises of shouting and the sound of vehicles scurrying about. There were people holding placards, waiting for clients for assorted hotels and taxis. Our first task was to seek out the taxi rank and get a taxi to our destination.

We had booked an apartment at Agia Anna, a beach resort south of Chora. Within 30 minutes we had arrived at our destination. The apartments were simple but clean and we had a beautiful view overlooking the Aegean Sea. Our host was extremely open and friendly and, a nice touch, welcomed us with a small bottle of kitron, a citron liqueur specific to the island which awaited us in our room. He was a young man, possibly in his thirties who attended to our every need.  He had been running the apartments for six years as a family run business with his brothers and sisters. Downstairs was located the café where we had breakfast every morning. Our waiter there was called Raphael who greeted us with great warmth every morning with a cheerful “Good morning Mr Jim and Mrs Carmel! What do you wish to order today?” Slowly and methodically he would write down our requests and hand them to the kitchen staff. His mannerism provided a calming presence. I nicknamed him our “Zen Buddhist waiter!”

The blue Aegean sea lay sprawling below our balcony. All day long the sound of the waves lapping on to the shore would provide a steady rhythm to the background noises. At night the pulsing sound would lull us to sleep and welcome us into the new morning of a new day for resting and exploring.

The first couple of days was spent getting acclimatised to our new surroundings, exploring the little shops and boutiques that were dotted around our area and sampling the various restaurants that were beginning to open for the new tourist season. Exploring and gently probing, letting our familiarity with the landscape take root and gradually grow, enabling time and circumstance to wash over us like gentle rain.

On our first morning we decided to walk towards a small village which contained a range of shops and restaurants. On the way we passed a taverna which was in the process of opening for the season. Perched on a precarious promontory the owner managed to shoehorn a table and two chairs into a crevice that was almost two feet from disaster overlooking the ominous rocks below. What intrigued us was that the café contained an open air cinema and a forthcoming attraction was non other than “Zorba the Greek.” This was a film made back in the sixties It stars Anthony Quinn as the titular character, an earthy and boisterous peasant in Crete, and Alan Bates as the buttoned-up young intellectual he befriends. We had both seen the film many years previously and thoroughly enjoyed it. What an opportunity to revisit it in the grand surroundings of a Greek island!

We both sat down there for coffee but when I went to pay, I discovered that they didn’t take credit cards and we had forgotten to take cash. When I offered to find the nearest cash machine, the owner, Kristos nonchalantly said,

“ You are time enough to pay me as I won’t grow rich on your debt.”

His gruff mannerism belied a rather sensitive and gentle soul. His ruddy complexion with his wild hair and flowing beard gave the appearance of someone who has known nothing but the outdoor life where the Greek sun has burned his skin into a tallow reddish colour, his wrinkles seeming to make him appear older than he really was.

One evening we called into his taverna for a pre dinner drink. He broke away from his cleaning where he was trying to get his premises back to some sort of normality after the long winter break, and joined us over wine and ouzo. Hesitant at first he began to warm to our company and my gentle probing questions about life on the island.

“When my tavern is closed over the autumn and winter I go into the hills and tend to my crops. We are all friends and neighbours here and if I catch some fish I share with those who live beside me and they in turn share whatever they have with me.”

He informed us that his wife is an internationally acclaimed violinist and performs all over the world. We could tell that he had a certain pride in his eyes as he recounted tales of her performances at concert halls and stadiums in various countries, sometimes with other renowned fellow musicians such as Venessa Mae.

Kristos was one of many people we got to know during our visit to the Greek islands. Their hospitality and warmth and subtle sense of humour was on a similar vein to that of many Irish people back home. It was in the shops and restaurants that we would often come across this propensity for self-deprecation and wit.

There was a small market shop near our apartment. The proprietor was an extremely friendly woman whom I suspect had a steely disposition in her personality and would not suffer fools gladly. I also suspect she loved her family dearly but would be the Matriarch with an iron rule over her family unit. She once said to us,

“Every house has a mad person. In my house they are all mad!”

On a visit to a restaurant in Naxos town. When visiting the rest room, I was confronted with the notice,

“Please don’t put toilet paper down the toilet. Our plumbing system is as ancient as our country!”

In order to get to know the island better, we booked a conducted bus tour around the island. Our host, Dimitri, was a fountain of knowledge and his love of the island manifested itself through his passionate accounts of the history of Naxos and its various attractions. Our first stop was to visit the Temple of Sangri which was built around 530 BC and is reputed to be one of the earliest Ionic temples. It was built completely from Naxian marble. The Olympian god Apollo and goddess Demeter were worshipped here. Demeter was the goddess of harvest, grain and fertility, so it seemed perfectly appropriate to find her temple among these rich fields of Naxos.

We then continued on to Damalas, a beautiful little village in the heart of Tragea Valley where we witnessed a demonstration at the only remaining traditional pottery workshop. The village has a strong tradition in pottery due to the clayey soil in the area. The pottery workshop of Manolis Lybertas, which we visited, continues a centuries-old tradition. There the proprietor put on a display, moulding the clay and throwing it at the pottery wheel. He seemed to carry out the task effortlessly and within no time had the first stage of a small bowl shaped and moulded. He then took out a strange looking cup where started filling it up with water. When suddenly it got to a certain point a siphoning effect caused the cup to drain its entire contents through the base. He proceeded to explain that according to legend, the Greek philosopher Pythagoras was supervising workers on the island of Samos. To ensure the workers didn’t drink too much wine, he invented the Pythagoras Cup. If the workers filled the cup to a certain level they could drink the wine. If they wanted to fill it up more, the wine miraculously disappeared! It is considered the first practical joke in history!

Our next port of call was the village of Halki (Chalki). It used to be the capital of the island as well as its main administrative and trade centre. It is located in the centre of Naxos, 16 km from Naxos Town. It is speculated that Halki’s name is derived from a family of bronze smiths who were settled in the region by the Venetians (Greek - Chalkos = Bronze). It is a small village full of artisan shops where many of the owners actually weave their own scarves and head dresses. Halki itself is located up a mountain road and its winding streets go up and down hilly inclines. There are mountain walks which leave the village and which are well signposted providing many choices of terrain to choose from. We made a promise to ourselves that we would come back to this picturesque village before our stay in Naxos was ended.

And sure enough, a week later we got a bus from Chora and made our way up steep winding roads to revisit that quaint little village and explore one of the mountain walks on offer. The path led us to a little church called the Church of Taxiarches at Monoitsia. The structure had been carefully restored including the wall paintings within the building. The church stood out nobly and proudly against the backdrop of the mountain terrain that practically swallows it up leaving it sitting like a bright jewel shining magnificently in the morning sun.

Our bus tour continued to a village called Apiranthos which our tour guide considered the crown jewel of Naxos. He based this on the belief that over the centuries it has managed to retain its unique authenticity.  Built along the slopes of Mount Fanari, it offers magnificent views of the Naxian mountain ranges.

Also at Apiranthos there are 5 museums: the Apiranthos Archaeological Museum, the Geological Museum, the Museum of Natural History, the Visual Arts Museum and the Folklore Museum.

One of the most striking features of the village is its architecture. Stone built towers, old houses and churches, marble paved alleys, traditional small souvenir and local craftsmanship shops.

Then on to lunch where we stopped at the village of Apollonas which is situated on Naxos’s north eastern coast. It is a beautiful fishing village which has been inhabited since ancient times, possibly on account of the marble quarry. It was also the port from which Naxian marble was exported. In fact Naxos’ Marbles were used in the construction of the Acropolis and the manufacturing of statues.

The village consists of picturesque whitewashed houses situated behind an attractive small sandy beach which stretches on into a larger beach. The beach is lined with taverns, tourist shops and a mini-market and cafes.

It was a lovely drive to Apollonas as the road snakes the entire north-west coast offering magnificent views.

Our final stop was at the Olive Press Museum in Egares. The olive tree is an inextricable part of Greek culture, gastronomy, and history. In Naxos, the production of olive oil and its by-products have been a major part of the economy and everyday life.

The Olive Press Museum is housed in a renovated olive press building. The original building dates back to the mid-19th century and was operating until 1960, and more recently it has been restored. Through learning about the history of the olive tree, olive press techniques, soap making, and other uses of olive oil and its by-products, we were transported back in time.

One of the most famous inhabitants of Egares was the writer Nikos Kazantzakis.  During his teens at the end of the 19th century, the author of Zorba the Greek and possibly one of the greatest writers to emerge from Greece, spent time at the village which seems to have left him with memorable impressions. How ironic that a couple of days later we would be watching the film adaptation of Zorba the Greek at the little tavern belonging to Kristos!

Naxos provided a useful jumping off point to visit other islands which I will write about in my next blog.