Blogs from Naxos, South Aegean, Greece, Europe - page 5

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

Napoli was a dirty crazy city. Totally run by the Mafia. Its dirty coz no one picks up the rubbish. Word is the Mafia used to run it, but they got kicked out. So now no one wants to do it, because that would be stepping on the mafia's turf, and that's not conducive to living a long life. The EU contributed about 20 million euros to helping the city's rubbish problem... which promptly disappeared. So now the garbage from the markets that overtake the main street (north africans selling fake Gucci which is mafia produced) out the front of where we were staying just flies around the plaza all day in the hot breeze. Some big street sweeper drives around at about midnight, and by morning 2/3 of it is gone. Then it all starts ... read more

NAXOS I’ve put in the last view from the hotel in Kalambaka looking up from the hotel at Meteora and St Stephens in the afternoon light. The girls had been drinking and said they saw in the shadows of the stone forest an African elephant head looking down on the town. Athens: After getting our gear and returning to the Jason Inn, we went upstairs for drinks on the top deck which had a fantastic clear view of the Parthenon about 1 km away. Later that evening after we had dinner, Di returned when the lights were turned on and got a good shot of the floodlit Pathenon. Up at 5.00am and we waiting to get into the restaurant hopeful that we could get an early breakfast so we could get away by 6.10, but the ... read more

Hi all, so the big day has arrived, i have found a very nice sports bar, which apparantly is also the popular bar for ladies of the night to ply their trade, but most importantly, is showing the leeds match tonight!! im buzzing, im currently teaching "marching on together" to our canadian pals, so there'l be a good crowd in tonight! so, to update u with the events of the last few days. On the evening of our first full day here, we went for a wander round the old town, which, sadly, had an old market bit, full of little shops selling silk scarves and girl stuff like that, so the girls messed around looking at that while me and eric pined for some seafood. we had tea at a nice restaurant run by a ... read more

I am going heavy on the pictures, light on the content this time, folks. Here is the Reader's Digest update: Spent a few days in Santorini, Greece, rented a 4-wheeler and didn't kill ourselves even with Chris at the wheel (or handlebars). It was only a 50 cc and I'm pretty sure my parent's neighbor's 6 year old son has one that powerful. We were CRUSIN' uphill. Came to Naxos and almost didn't get off the ferry. We are talking a BIG ferry and they almost couldn't put the ramp down on the pier due to winds and turbulent seas... Seriously almost didn't let us off. Once they did I think my 40 ound bag was the only thing that kept me from flying off into the harbor. The next day was nice and we sat ... read more