Ellinikon Airport in Athens has two terminals. All international flights except those on Olympic Air arrive at the East Terminal. All domestic flights and Olympic Air international flights arrive at the West terminal.
Due to a limited amount of vacation time, we had planned our trip through Dolphin Hellas Travel, based in Athens, and had a hotel reservation at the Hotel Attalos near Monastiraki Square. The rooms were clean and the staff friendly. The only problem was brought on by myself and that was with the retractable wooden shades which cover the sliding glass door which opens up to the balcony. Unbenownst to me, the shades were operated by pulling on a line of nylon webbing inside the room next to the door. I did not find this out until after I stepped out on the balcony to try to move the shades and was covered with black smudges from head to toe from soot on all outside surfaces courtesy of Athens' notorious smog.
The hotel has a quiet rooftop garden lounge which serves drinks (although no food) and has a scenic 360 degree view of Athens and of the Acropolis. Light sleepers may have a hard time with rooms facing the street. On the return trip from the islands, we learned first hand at 7AM the following morning that the Athenian method of negotiating rush hour traffic is with extensive and continuous use of the horn. Tom who was travelling on a budget was staying at a hotel just down the street, which was upstairs above a store solely identified by the sign in English "Sex Shop."
Dinner in Athens (and the rest of Greece) is an outdoor affair in the warm months. While eating, feral cats continuously came by looking sad and begging for food. One of the cats left his mark on Erin's sandals, while her feet were in them. After dinner in Athens, Tom parted company with Erin and me, agreeing to rendezvous in Santorini, where we were scheduled to arrive a few days later.
Greek ferries are huge, small cities unto themselves. Our first boat was the MV Pegasus run by Ventouris Lines, and after ascending some steep steps to the first lounge, we discovered there were four more levels yet, including two outside decks. After setting our bags down and claiming two seats in the indoor passenger lounge as ours, we saw a familiar face immersed in a paperback behind us. Sure enough it was Tom, who had decided he was too tired to catch the early boat, opting to sleep in and catch the afternoon boat to Santorini, the Pegasus' ultimate destination.
If one is allergic to cigarette smoke, claim a seat outside when on the ferry. Every Greek we saw over the age of 13 smoked (with one exception, one of our taxi drivers, who got an extra large tip because of it). A much higher percentage of Greeks smoke than English or French. Because of this, if the inside of the ferry is not well ventilated, it will rapidly become a smog pit. The accumulation of smoke in the passenger lounge on the Pegasus may have caused a nasty bronchitis with which Erin came down while in Greece. Some of the ferries are better ventilated than others. However, if you find cigarette smoke repulsive stay on the deck and if on a night ferry, bring warm clothes. Besides local buses and trains (where despite ban to passengers, the driver chain-smokes), there are no non-smoking areas in Greece.
When the first islands of the Cyclades appear, the ride becomes interesting and one can view all of the small ports the ferry visits, as well as the smaller, uninhabited islands. We were blessed with a warm sunny day and were treated to a spectacular sunset just off of Sifnos. Before arriving at Folegandros, our boat stopped at Kythnos, Serifos, Sifnos, Milos and Kimilos. I wrote the following notes about each island in my journal.
Kythnos - arid and barren, pretty little port
Serifos - port of Livadi pretty with lots of whitewashed buildings and blue domed churches. Lots of boats in harbor. Construction on concrete blocks in harbor by workers wearing nothing but Speedos.
Sifnos - entrance to harbor very narrow and dramatic. Very barren in appearance, although port very tidy. Port looked more affluent than other islands, with large houses and some even with lawns (!)
Milos - largest port so far. Restaurants very lively at 10 PM (the prime dinner hour in Greece).
Kimolos - not much there. Would believe what I have read that about donkey being the primary mode of transport.
Although Serifos had the most vegetation, for the most part the islands are brown, barren and tree-less. One can't always judge the island by the port however, as the population and commerce centers are often centrally located or built atop hills or cliffs, a remainder of ancient times when it was necessary to repel pirates and other hostile visitors.
The next morning, being out of the city, one realizes how bright the sun truly is on the Mediterranean. Of course, having not seen it (other than periodically during my 4 weeks in London that Spring) since January may have had something to do with it. Arising, the day was already warm (it was going to be a hot one). Looking off the outdoor stairway, there was a field with goats and chickens in it, which combined with all of the whitewashed blue and green-trimmed cubist buildings made it quite clear that we were on foreign turf.
Walking through the town of Chora, we could see why Folegandros was recommended for scenery. Next to the bus stop is a vista point which, looks down 700 feet onto the blue (varying from cobalt blue to aquamarine) waters of the Mediterranean. Chora is literally perched on the edges of these cliffs, which continue of to the top of the mountain on which Panagia Church is built.
In the village of Chora is the Kastro, an enclosed inner village of small, apartment-like residences and a hotel, fortified by walls, to keep pirates out. The Kastro was built in the 13th century. Chora itself consists of not much more than some scattered churches, a couple of cafes, restaurants and grocery stores. This was part of the beauty of the place, that it was small and was not swarming with tourists, although there were a few around, mostly Italian with a sprinkling of Scandinavians. Change money prior to arrival in Folegandros because Chora's single travel agent is the only place to change it once there, and judging from the griping of the Swedes in front of us finishing their transaction, the travel agent charges a hefty commission.
Everywhere along the island are stone terraces, built to keep what little soil there is on the island from washing away. It is hard to imagine how many people and how many hours it took to build these, not to mention quarrying the rock. Looking at them, it appeared they may have been there a long time, perhaps at a time when more rain fell, making agriculture a more realistic possibility.
Our agenda for the day was to go to the beach, our guidebook indicating that Agali Beach was about a two-and-a-half mile walk from Chora. The walk follows the one road that traverses the island, which steeply drops and climbs along the ridge that is the spine of the island. Along the way, the hiker is treated to views of the Mediterranean on both sides and neighboring islands, as well as the cliff upon which Chora is precariously perched. Despite the road being the island's main thoroughfare, there was very little traffic. We were passed by maybe two cars and a couple of mopeds. We were also passed by the other preferred Greek Island transport. After hearing the clomp, clomp of hooves, a small donkey carrying a full load of bulky cargo including 5 gallons of water and a large man slowly trotted by. The man in an effort to speed up the burdened beast was making swish, swish noises and periodically hitting the diminutive animal on the rump with a riding crop.
A side road drops very steeply to Agali Beach. Descending, we met up with a small moped carrying two passengers until the steep hill caused the motor to stall and they both had to dismount and push the contraption up the hill.
Agali beach was the nicest beach we saw on our trip, granted we only had four of Santorini's beaches as a comparison, Santorini being known more for spectacular cliff views than good beaches. The beach was yellow sand and with turquoise water. The extension of the beach around some rocks was the nude beach, nude meaning topless and bottomless. As anyone who has been to European beaches knows, going topless is the norm at all beaches. If a women on the beach is wearing a two piece bikini or a one piece tank suit, she is almost certainly a North American. European women of all ages, shapes and sizes sunbathe topless. Bible thumpers with children, beware.
The beach has a small community of bleached, whitewashed houses and a small taverna, run by a friendly couple and offering very good food. The water was warm enough for swimming, even for Erin, who is much more sensitive to cool temperatures than I. On the way back, we took the other of the two buses of Folegandros' public transport system, which was packed to the point where not another passenger could have fit. Or so we thought before we saw how they pack people into buses on Santorini.
The following day, we were departing to Santorini, although had we not already had reservations there, we would have extended our stay on Folegandros. Because our ferry wasn't leaving until the afternoon, we had time to walk up to Panagia Church from which one has views of everywhere on the island. I continued up to the top of the mountain, the highest point on the island, which drops off to the water off of cliffs, probably about 1500 feet. Somewhere below were the Chrysopilia Caves, closed to the public currently, which can be observed from a boat tour around the island.
After taking the bus to the port, we discovered that the port itself was a pretty community with its own pebbly beach, and several beachside bars and cafes and the requisite Greek Orthodox Church. As it turned out, the ferry was two hours late, so we had a fair amount of time to explore and walk around, leaving our luggage within eyeshot at the end of the cement quay.
From the port (the only part of the island to which a paved road to the water on the leeward side of the island could be constructed), we took the bus to Fira, which is the chief town on the island. One of the aggressive room hawkers pointed the way to the Hotel Kavalari, our hotel, after five minutes of trying to say no in 25 different ways. Upon check-in I had a message from Tom, saying to meet him at the benches above the hotel. After descending the 150 steps to our room (our hotel was on the rim of the caldera), we stowed our luggage and found Tom eating olives, drinking a beer and chatting up some Australian women.
Tom had made friends with a waiter at one of the cliff-side bars by the name of Andonis. We had a couple of rounds of drinks upon which we were offered free shots of a sweet liquid that had a taste between triple-sec and kerosene. Drinking these, you take your life into your hands. Our camping out in the bar guaranteed us a prime parcel of real estate from which to take photos of Santorini's world famous sunsets.
One of the things that became apparent immediately is that, although nothing short of impressive in appearance, Santorini is overrun with tourists, reminding me of my hometown of Sausalito, California, on a summer weekend. Due to the crowds in Santorini, Erin actually preferred Folegandros. Even with the tourist onslaught, one cannot help but be impressed with the view from the caldera rim on Santorini and the little cobblestoned alleys that snake through town of Fira.
In the morning, while eating breakfast, we were befriended by the hotel's residence Siamese cat, who would curl up under our chairs at breakfast time and come up asking for attention any other time we were at the hotel. The cat learned that we were staying in one of the rooms at the bottom level and that we kept the windows open at night, necessary because of the heat (the room had no AC). At night, the cat would climb in and sleep with us on the bed. I would pick the cat up, toss it out, only to find that it would come right back in again. After repeating this cycle a few times, I gave up and the cat got to sleep with us for the next four nights.
We visited Kamari Beach the first day. From Kamari, we went up to the ruins of Ancient Thira, accessible by suicidal ride by kamikaze driver in a Suzuki mini-van (1500 GDR roundtrip) from Kamari, or steep hike from Perissa Beach on the opposite side of the headland. Ancient Thira, perched on a 1,000 foot headland above the sea, is the ruins of a city first established in the 9th century BC. The site is only open until 2 PM (as are many other historical sites and museums in Greece), at which time an efficient group of sweeps with whistles shoos you back down the steep path from which you arrived. Not for those afraid of cliffs and heights, the visitor is rewarded with views of Kamari and Perissa Beaches and Mt. Profitas Ilias, the highest point on the island.
Kamari is an upscale community, the beachfront street shaded with tamarisk trees, with a rocky beach that goes on for 5 miles. Because of its eastern exposure, Kamari is more exposed to the meltemi, the wind that screams out of central Asia in the summer months, which can make the water choppy and only marginal swimming conditions. Indeed, the wind was blowing enough that surf was forming on the beach. When visiting beaches in Greece, sandals and a straw beach mat are strongly advised, both serving as a defense against hot sand, particularly on Santorini where the sand on most beaches is black.
The bus to Fira was packed to the point where people were squashed against each other and neither front door nor back door could close. When the conductor came back to collect the fares, an American woman suffering from claustrophobia complained loudly, saying that the bus was dangerous because it was so crowded and she wanted off at the next stop. The conductor told her to take a taxi next time. She didn't get off at the next stop, being unable to move. Although this bus was crowded, this was the norm in Santorini, Erin and I ended up not stopping at a few places we wanted to stop due to the difficulty we would have had squeezing through the crowds to get off the bus.
The following day, we visited Perissa, the nicest beach on the island, in a bay abutted by the headland of Ancient Thira. The water here is much calmer than Kamari, and the beach being composed of black sand rather than stones. If one wishes to visit another beach from Perissa, there are boats going to Kamari, Red Beach and White Beach that call at Perissa. The visitor will have to get his or her feet wet; the boat does not dock at a quay, requiring one to walk through the water to board.
If one wishes to take advantage of the umbrellas and lawn chairs on the beach, one will pay 1,000 GDR per person for rental. Fortunately, there is no charge for laying your straw mat down on the beach and lying on it.
That evening, we got back in time to take the bus to Oia (pronounced ee'a) to see the sunset. Although, Oia didn't appear far away on the map, the bus ride took about forty minutes due to the road being windy and hilly. Every other visitor to the island also goes to Oia for the sunset, which will make for a crowded bus ride and crowded streets in Oia immediately before and after the sunset. The town itself is more a caricature of the cliff-hanging Greek Island town than Fira. The majority of postcard photos in Santorini come from Oia. If one wishes to avoid the onslaught, one may wish to plan a daytime excursion to Oia, rather than go at sunset.
The next day, we went to the Minoan ruins at Akrotiri. The ruins are under a corrugated metal roof and comprise of a couple of acres in area. The village is from the 15th century BC, predating the volcanic eruption. When excavated, no human bones were found, suggesting that there were warnings of the upcoming eruption sufficient to encourage people to evacuate. Among other things, the Minoans had indoor plumbing, drains and toilets, not found elsewhere in Europe for 1500 years.
Near Akrotiri are two beaches, Red Beach and White Beach, named for the respective colors of their sand. We took a boat to White Beach, the further of the two, but when we arrived, the beach was windy and rocky, and the water choppy. It was also a nude beach, judging from the lack of clothes of the people already there. The pilot of the boat, through halting English, was willing to drop us off at Red Beach, which is set against a backdrop of red lava cliffs. Calm water made for good swimming. Along with the ubiquitous beach chairs and umbrellas for hire was a wood awning covering the entrance to a cave from which a snack bar was manned. In addition to the snack bar, an old man carrying a large knife and a fishnet bag of melons was chopping off a piece of melon to anyone who wished to buy a slice.
The next morning, we left Fira to take the 9-hour ferry ride back to Piraeus. The ride was windy and the water choppy. Had the following impressions of our stops on the way back. Ios - golden sand beaches and calm port which belies island's reputation as main party isle. Naxos - windy, sketchy docking of ferry due to wind and tricky breakwater. Paros - largest of bunch and most mountainous, easily had the most passengers getting off and on of any stop in either direction.
We had an extra day in Athens, so we visited the Acropolis. Viewing the remains of buildings from 2500 years ago, one develops a deep respect for the Ancient Greek civilization. After all, the Greeks gave us drama, democracy, philosophy, art and medicine, among other things. The first thing one notices is the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, the Roman era amphitheater still in use today, made famous by Yanni's concert there (famous for Yanni fans anyway - I think he plays like his name) . After one walks through the Beule Gate, the most obvious site on the Acropolis is the Parthenon, quite possibly the most famous ancient ruin in the World. The Parthenon is much larger than it appears in the photos, the columns alone being 34 feet tall.
In addition to the Parthenon, there are a number of smaller temples. The Erechtheion captures the visitor's attention, with its porch supported by columns which are actually not columns at all, but sculptures of Karyatids or young maidens. If one walks around the Erechtheion, one sees a different perspective from each side. It has the appearance of a building which underwent several additions during its history. From the South Wall of the Acropolis, one sees the Amphitheater of Dionysus below, which has a separate entrance and admission charge. When finished admiring the ruins, one can look out upon Athens and see why the ancients chose this site on the steep hill above the city to build their temples. After seeing the Parthenon, we were hoping to visit the Agora, below the Acropolis, but alas, it was Monday and it was closed. Even if the entrance is closed, one can still walk back to Monastiraki Square via a path which bisects the Agora.
After the Acropolis, we walked down Athinias Street to Athens' open-air food market which is actually several markets. The customer can buy chickens, olives, today's catch, a side of lamb and any number of other things. We bought several kilos of olives to take back with us to the States.
For more information on travel to Greece, visit Matt Barrett's Greek Travel page. Matt provides a wealth of information and insight that could only be gained through extensive travel and research. In addition, he has links to pages about Lesbos, Serifos, Athens as well as tips on planning a wedding in Greece.