Blogs from Naxos, South Aegean, Greece, Europe - page 4

I was told that pictures are not always better than words recently so I think I will provide a succinct narrative this time. So after Istanbul I made my way down to the Turkish coast to the touristy but awesome city of Bodrum. One reason I was stoked to visit Bodrum is because it is the birthplace of the first Greek historian, Herodotus. Bodrum also has a nice medieval castle that is in the middle of the city. The bus ride took 14 hours and none of the staff spoke English, they would give me the thumbs up and say Obama. Anyway the hostel I stayed at Bodrum backpackers was awesome- over the three days I stayed there I had a great time with about 12 other travelers (most were traveling alone too). I was able ... read more

That I am uploading this travelblog entry almost a year after the event, is perhaps evidence enough that I have been working too much and travelling too little. My recollections of the trip aren't the best. I have been a fond visitor of the Greek islands for many years, and the trip to Naxos only served to augment my fondness. However, the all too common 'falling sick when allowing oneself to rest' fell upon me, the very week I planned to go to Greece with the girls. And so it was that for seven full days I was unwell (rest assured my health was restored in time for my return to work)... We began the trip in Athens, meeting my friend at the airport, despite the fuel protests that were prevalent in Athens at the time, ... read more

Scroll down towards the end to jump directly to the story of the Missing Goat-Milk Man. Naxos is a lesser visited Greek Island, but is still deep within the well-trudged tourist trail. Its the largest of the South Aegean islands sporting high mountains and swathes of greenery. The nice thing about Naxos is it feels more 'real' than the more popular Santorini. That is - no droves of tourist-sporting quadbikes and tiny rental cars and no annoying hawkers encouraging you to check out their magical rejuvenating olive-oil cosmetics. One gets the feeling that tourists are a mere distraction rather than an industry here. The Greeks go about their own business, which on this pastoral island, includes herding goats in the mountains, fishing from the white-sanded beaches, and nibbling on local cheeses at the local restaurant. Disclaimer ... read more

As Erica described in her blog, this area is amazing! We love the scenery, history, people and of course the delicious food! We take an afternoon ferry to Santorini, our next Greek island and then on to Crete. We loved Paros and loved Naxos so let's see the sights of Santorini!... read more

Day 34 When you have heard high praise about certain places all your life it is difficult to describe your first response. You actually feel ashamed to have to resort to cliches and superlatives as though you are the first person to have ever been there. The Greek islands are just like that. Amazing! I asked the owner of the delightful restaurant where we dined this evening about the holidaying Greeks who are everywhere, and he explained that most of them are Athenians . He realised that we are from Australia- assumed Melbourne, as it is the second largest Greek population in the world after Athens. He has cousins from Canada who are here at present. And his charming wife is actually from Germany- has been here for 11 years. They have a three year old ... read more