Day 18 to 20 - 20 to 22nd June 2013 - Milos Part 2

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THURSDAY

IT IS AN EXPLORING DAY TODAY I DON'T THINK MY HAT WILL GET MUCH OF AN OUTING AS IT IS SO WINDY IT WONT STAY ON MY HEAD. TIM WONT BE PARTED WITH HIS THOUGH HOWEVER NERDY HE LOOKS WITH HIS CHIN STRAP ON. Tourist chic I call it.

WE HEAD FOR PAPAFRAGIOS TO SEE ONE OF THE WONDERS OF MILOS WHICH IS A CANAL CUT INTO THE ROCK BY THE SEA, AND THEN IT IS ON TO FLAKOPI THE SITE OF THE ANCIENT CAPITAL OF MILOS A BRONZE AGE CITY. WE DISCOVER THAT THEY ARE LITERALLY NEXT TO ONE ANOTHER. WE GO AND VIEW THE SEA CANAL FIRST. I DON'T KNOW WHAT I WAS EXPECTING BUT IT WAS A BIG NARROW HOLE OR SPLIT IN THE ROCK WITH HUGE WAVES OF WATER LASHING UP IT. NOT UP TO MY EXPECTATIONS REALLY BUT THEN THIS MAY BE BECAUSE THE CANAL WAS SO DEEP AND I COULDN'T BRING MYSELF TO GO TO THE EDGE SO I COULDN'T SEE THE BOTTOM. Not cured at Plaka after all. TIM WAS DISPATCHED WITH THE CAMERA TO TAKE THE NECESSARY PHOTOS. I am obviously expendable, as long as I throw the camera back on the way down.

THE ANCIENT CITY OF FLAKOPI FARES BETTER IN MY OPINION. THERE WERE LOADS OF PILES OF OLD STONES ALL OVER THE PLACE AND YOU COULD MAKE OUT PATHWAYS AND BUILDINGS. A LOT OF THE CITY HAS TUMBLED INTO THE SEA OVER A CLIFF. THE WAVES ARE HUGE HERE AND THRASH AGAINST THE ROCKY SHORE LINE, THERE IS A BLACK BOULDER BEACH AND I WONDER WHY THE BRONZE AGE SETTLERS CHOSE TO LIVE SOMEWHERE WITH SUCH A POOR BEACH. TIM SUGGESTS "THAT'S THE WHOLE POINT AS IT IS EASY TO DEFEND WHEN UNDER ATTACK."

NEXT STOP POLLONIA WHICH IS FAR MORE TOURISTIFIED, LOADS OF HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION, TAVERNAS ON THE SEA FRONT AND A SMALL PORT AND FERRY SERVICE. WE WHILE AWAY A COUPLE OF HOURS ON THE BEACH WATCHING THE FERRY TRAVEL BACK AND FORTH FROM KALIMNOS WHICH TAKES ABOUT 20 MINUTES.

LATE AFTERNOON WE SPENT ON PALEOCHORA BEACH I GO SNORKELING AND FIND LOADS OF FISH ABOUT 200 YARDS FURTHER UP THE BEACH THAN WHERE WE WERE. I RUSH BACK TO TELL TIM AND HE POINTS OUT THAT IS WHERE THE NUDIST BEACH IS. I AM GLAD I DIDN'T COME ACROSS ANY SURPRISES IN THE WATER WHILE SNORKELING. WHY IS IT THAT ALL THE BEST SNORKELING AREAS ARE WHERE THE NUDIST BEACHES TEND TO BE?

Friday

WE START OFF PLANNING A TRIP TO AGIOS MARINAS BEFORE HEADING FOR THE BEACH. THERE IS A VERY NEW EU SUBSIDISED ROAD LEADING TO AGIOS MARINAS UNTIL THE GRANT RAN OUT. YOU ARE DRIVING ALONG QUITE HAPPILY AT ABOUT 40MPH CAROL GUIDING TIM AS TO HOW CLOSE TO THE EDGE OF THE ROAD AND MOUNTAINSIDE HE IS DRIVING AND THEN YOU COME TO A Y JUNCTION NOT SIGNED IN ANY WAY AND THEN THE TARMAC STOPS AND IT IS RUTTED, POTHOLED AND BASICALLY IMPASSABLE.

We are in beach mode now and spend the morning on Firiplaka beach surrounded by stunning cliffs. ON OUR WAY TO THE BEACH WE CLIMB A MOUNTAINSIDE WITH POSSIBLY A CHALK QUARRY. THERE IS QUITE A GALE BLOWING SO WE THINK OF A CUNNING PLAN THAT IF WE DRIVE UP AND DOWN THIS ROAD ENOUGH THE CAR WILL GET SO DIRTY THAT THE BUMP TIM HAD WILL NOT SHOW SO MUCH. The afternoon is spent on the beach at Paleochori near our accommodation. I have perfected a couple of beach tactics now that I feel are worth sharing.

The first is that I am now at an age where the one legged beach dance involving a towel, a wet pair of trunks and some underpants is out of the question. I have developed instead the nonchalant bum wobble, where you sit on your towel and then suddenly wobble your bum and hey presto, you are out of your trunks and in your nice dry undies. Whilst I haven't quite had a round of applause yet I can tell that people are impressed. Carol is trying to say she thought of this first. (HMMM I CAN GET AWAY WITH IT SORT OF, TIM? WELL SO LONG AS YOU ARE LOOKING THE OTHER WAY ITS FINE.)

The second is the stony beach pirouette. As we mentioned somewhere earlier us Brits are pathetic when dealing with a stony beach. Everybody else doesn't seem to notice the pain, particularly when getting out of the sea up a stony bank. What I now do is work with the waves to bum shuffle backwards until I am on top of the bank then turn and pirouette, much in the style of a ballerina onto the beach. I do this with such grace and style that no one notices what a whimp I am. (HMM AGAIN I DO BELIEVE I HAVE A PHOTO OF THIS TECHNIQUE SEE WHAT YOU THINK.)

WE ARE NOW NEARLY AT THE END OF OUR THIRD WEEK. AS A RESULT TIM HAS GOT A LOVELY BROWN FACE AND FOREARMS, BRONZED SHOULDERS, TWO PINK BLOBS ON HIS ANKLES AND THE REST WHITE. HIS HAIR AND BEARD ARE MUCH LIGHTER TOO MAYBE YOU COULD CALL IT GREY. FOR ME WELL I HAVE GONE BROWN NOT ALL OVER I HASTEN TO ADD, MY ARMS HAVE GONE ALL WRINKLY LIKE ELEPHANT SKIN AND MY HAIR IS RATHER OUT OF CONTROL.

At the taverna tonight we are invited again (Anna at our accommodation has already invited us) to party to celebrate Pentecost tomorrow night. Sounds like fun. We ask when it starts. 9pm. And finish? About 6am. Oh dear, we have to be up at 7am to catch our ferry. It's a worry.

Saturday

Another beachy day at Agios Kyriaki and Paleochori. We have neighbours now in the accommodation. It turns out they are brothers from Italy who are looking around Milos with a view to setting up a Taverna. They have been dismayed by the state of the economy and the empty tavernas and are thinking again.

It's party night tonight and Anna and her daughter Maria are busy getting ready. Anna gives us some piping hot pies from the pile she has prepared. Anna and her family leave and we promise we'll be along shortly.

It was a fantastic night. Souvlaki and wine from water bottles, live Greek music and dancing. This was a real community night and all ages were there. When a group of local dancers were putting on a display it was really sweet to watch the children practicing the steps waiting for their turn. Then the floor was open and young and old joined in. The songs went on forever. I think if the live band saw people were enjoying dancing they just kept on jamming. Either that or the songs have about 100 verses.

We stayed out of it most of the night until a slightly barking Italian woman came over because her partner refused to dance and begged us to dance with her. So there we were, 20 or so very proficient Greek dancers of all ages, doing the intricate steps and kicks, a very energetic Italian woman, Carol and I. I'd like to think the looks they were giving us were of admiration, but maybe not. At least we kept time (I think.) (EVEN THOUGH I SAY IT MYSELF I THOUGHT I WAS BRILLIANT BETTER THAN THE GREEKS THEMSELVES ALTHOUGH I HAVE TO ADMIT I NEARLY FELL OFF THE STAGE TWICE. IN MY DEFENCE THE STAGE WAS VERY SMALL AND WE WERE RATHER CROWDED. (Yes that's right - stage.)

We make our excuses about 1am and try and to got to sleep. A bit difficult with the bouzouki and fireworks. We really felt like we had been involved in a bit of Greek life though. Thank you Paleochori, it was a privilage. (WE WILL MISS THE SOUND OF THE BELL RINGING GOATS THAT WANDER AROUND THE MOUNTAIN SIDE HERE THEY ARE A PLEASURE TO SEE AND THEIR GOATHERD A LOVELY GUY WHO WAVES AS YOU PASS.)

A few hours later and we will be up and off to Santorini.

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Photos

Party Night Paleochori, Milos
Just before an Italian and 2 Brits tried to join in.

Comments

[Sam]

Ballerina
Yep..... I can see the grace and elegance straight away ;-)

[Potty]

It seems ages since you went started your holiday. I am glad you are enjoying yourself. It will be interesting to see what you make of Santorini. Potty