The Great Show and Tell

---

We’re on the move again today; this time it’s a two or so hour ferry ride south-east to the island of Astypalea.

But first it’s “show and tell” time for the Rembrandts and their small band of supporters. I could feel the tension building at dinner last night. The main question on everyone’s lips seemed to be how their masterpieces were going to be judged. No one seemed overly impressed with my idea that we hold up cards with scores out of ten, and the bottom ranked two then have a paint-off to see who gets kicked off the tour. Issy was so nervous about the prospect of the ordeal that she tossed and turned all night, slept through the alarm and missed the whole thing. It all turned out to be quite tame. The Rembrandts showed off their works, and everyone clapped politely. They all looked like masterpieces to me, but what would I know. I was half tempted to test the waters by whipping up a few stick figures and seeing what reaction they got. And I might have done it too if only I had any idea how to draw stick figures.

I thought Amorgos was barren but Astypalea makes that look like the African jungle. It’s surrounded by cliffs, and whilst it doesn’t look nearly as high as Amorgos, it makes up for that with its sheer starkness. If there are any trees here they’re a bit hard to spot from the ferry. The southern part of the main village, which is called Chora (what else), looks like it’s hanging from the clifftop Santorini style, and above that’s the imposing looking Castle of Astypalea … and windmills. There always seem to be windmills. The island’s in two parts separated by a narrow isthmus that looks like it’s only a hundred or so metres wide. It all looks stunningly beautiful.

A bus takes us a couple of kilometres up over a hill past the Castle and the windmills and down the other side to the small village of Livadi. Issy and I go for a quick wander along the beach. It’s part pebbles and part grey sand, and there are plenty of shady trees to lie under … and sunlounges and beach umbrellas for rent. It seems that that’s a hot topic for Greeks at the moment. Earlier in the day a few of us were discussing an article we’d all read about the locals in Paros being up in arms about the issue. In some parts of that island the sunlounge/beach umbrella rental fee is now an eye-watering hundred and twenty dollars a day, and areas of free beach, somewhere you can just turn up and plonk a towel down on the sand without having to pay, are becoming increasingly scarce. The locals have had enough and took to the beaches recently to protest. I know I’m probably too Aussie, and I’ve said it many times before, but I just can’t get my head around the concept of having to pay to lie on a beach. That’s probably enough ranting for today.

Anyway, Livadi, its beach and our small beachfront hotel are all idyllic. Most of our group adjourn to a restaurant on the sand where we enjoy an excellent meal as we watch the full moon rise over the bay.

---

Comments

[D MJ Binkley]

Ferries
The Greeks run a great ferry system.

[DaveandIssy]

Greek ferries
Indeed, although definitely seemed to be two classes, with the small ones servicing the less populated islands feeling very cute and olde-time.