As we walked around the town and couldn’t help noticing that there were three distinctive smells. Proctor and Gamble Tide detergent (no longer popular in the United Kingdom) which clung like velcro to the fresh linen hanging on the washing lines outside the houses, then incense, leaking out under the doors of the churches and finally the divine aroma of fresh moussaka and other Greek specialities being prepared for lunchtime in the tavernas and the bars.
Posted in Arts and Crafts, backpacking, Beaches, Europe, Food, Greece, Greek islands, Greek Taverna, History, Natural Environment, Postcards, Travel, World Heritage
Tagged Culture, Cyclades, Greece UNESCO, Greek Ferries, Holidays, Life, Milos, Photography, Travel
When it comes to taking pictures I like doors, statues, balconies and washing lines, Kim on the other hand likes people pictures so I thought I might share a few of them with you.
This one was taken on the Greek Island of Folegandros…
What a fabulous island Folegandros is and completely relaxing and charming and in my top five list of personal favourites.
We first visited in 2007 and the village squares were colourful, vibrant and bursting with an eclectic energy that spilled into the streets from the balconies and terraces of the bars and restaurants.
It was an enchanting place with picturesque settings plucked straight from the pages of a travel book, pretty squares with restaurants under trees where visitors were struggling to make menu selections next to local people just sitting and talking and passing the evening away.
The streets were alive with friendly people and there was an unspoilt ambience that drew us down twisting side streets and through narrow alleys that led always to even more clusters of inviting tavernas that made choosing a dining venue very difficult indeed. Eventually we selected a table at the side of the main square and we enjoyed excellent food and amused ourselves people watching as there was a constant stream of local people and holiday makers moving continuously through the pretty square.
Posted in back packing, Cyclades, Food, Greece, Greek islands, Greek Taverna, History, island hopping, Travel, World Heritage
Tagged Folegandros, Greek Ferries, Greek Island Hopping, Greek islands, Milos, Photography, Travel
When it comes to taking pictures I like doors, statues, balconies and washing lines, Kim on the other hand likes people pictures so I thought I might share a few of them with you.
Kim it seems has a fascination with Greek Orthodox Priests especially when they are on the telephone. I wonder who they were calling?
Posted in Cathedrals, Greece, Greek islands, Greek Taverna, History, Literature, Postcards, Travel, World Heritage
Tagged Amorgos, Folegandros, Greek islands, Greek Priests, Milos, People Pictures, Talking to God
Welcome to my latest theme. Monday Washing Lines.
I am in the Greek Islands again this week on the island of Milos. I include this picture because of the attention to detail in the peg work…
It is almost a perfect 10 but if you look more closely what lets it down slightly is the unequal distribution of colours – eight red and six green. Seven of each would have been perfection. This has led to a simple error because the red-green red-green red-green sequence is not carried through along the whole length of the washing line. A real pity that.
It is a Challenge. Do feel free to join in…
Posted in Cyclades, Europe, Greece, Greek islands, Greek Taverna, Postcards, Travel, World Heritage
Tagged Cyclades, Greek islands, Milos, Monday Washing, Washing Lines
Narrow cobbled streets, whitewashed houses with paintwork cracked and splintered by the sun. With less than a thousand residents across the entire island there isn’t a great deal of local activity to observe. In the tight, sinuous streets paving stones have been edged in white and decorated with flowers, hearts, sailboats and slogans: “My Kimolos, my paradise”. Lovely.
At the top the tall cathedral seemed somehow too grand and too big and completely out of scale with the tiny streets and boxy houses. The streets are ramshackle and without order or planning as they wound their way to the centre and the sixteenth century Kastro, much of which isdilapidated and in ruins with heaps of rubble from collapsed and mostly abandoned houses.
Inside, some people were clinging on to occupation of houses with only very basic facilities that would certainly be declared unfit in the United Kingdom.
The Kastro is an important historical monument and there are plans to restore the buildings and some early work has begun but it is likely to take a very long time because current funding from the Greek Government and the European Union is totally inadequate which leaves the project financially beyond restorative reach.
As surely as a sunflower drops its head and dies if anyone wants to see these old doors they had better go soon because they will soon be replaced with plastic and will have gone the way of the old Greek ferries, the unreliable bus services and the dusty corner shops that sell things people no longer need.
Posted in Arts and Crafts, Cathedrals, Europe, Greece, Greek islands, History, Literature, Postcards, Travel, World Heritage
Tagged Culture, Cyclades, Cyclades. Greek Door, Greek Ferries, Kimolos, Life, Milos, Photography, Travel
I had what I called my gladiator sandals since 1999 when I went to Rhodes and they accompanied me abroad on every single subsequent holiday. By 2006 they were showing signs of wear and were not expected to see through a Greek island hopping adventure. I made it my mission to see how long I could keep make them last.
The Gladiators made it through the island travels and surprisingly lasted another two years when an important part of the shoe infrastructure failed (one of the straps snapped).
After Rhodes, they had been to the Greek islands of Skiathos, Cephalonia (twice), Santorini (twice), Crete, Thassos, Mykonos, Naxos, Paros, Ios (twice), Sikinos, Amorgos, Milos and Sifnos. I finally had to accept that they were irreparable whilst on the island of Folegandros so I thought that this was a suitable place to say goodbye and I left them there to become part of the Greek earth in whatever landfill site they ended up in.
I really loved those sandals!
Posted in Beaches, Europe, Food, Greece, Greek islands, Greek Taverna, History, island hopping, Literature, Natural Environment, Travel, World Heritage
Tagged Amorgos, Cephalonia, Crete, Ios (twice), Milos, Mykonos, Naxos, Paros, Santorini (twice), Sifnos, Sikinos, Skiathos, Thassos
Like all island towns Plaka on Milos was predominantly white with blue doors, external staircases, playful kittens and discreet little shops, most of which were closed on account of this being siesta time. There must have been some sort of priest’s convention in town today because there were dozens of black robed ministers everywhere, in the bakery having morning coffee and later in the taverna having lunch and what we thought was really strange was that they were almost constantly on their mobile phones.
Posted in backpacking, Cyclades, Europe, Greece, Greek islands, Greek Taverna, island hopping, Travel
Tagged Bad Habits, Greek Island Hopping, Life, Lord Elgin, Milos, Photography, postaday, Travel, Venus de Milo, Weekly Photo Challenge
We had a simple white room with cornflower blue doors and windows and a balcony with a stunning view over a wild and restless sea on the exposed side of the village. It was a perfect setting and we sat for a while and watched huge waves crashing in and breaking over black rocky outcrops in the sea as the waves clawed at the beach below our balcony.
Posted in back packing, Beaches, Cyclades, Europe, Greece, Greek islands, island hopping, Natural Environment, Travel
Tagged Cyclades, Greek Island Hopping, Greek Taverna, Life, Milos, Photography, Travel
Two Bad Habits!
Like all island towns Plaka on Milos was predominantly white with blue doors, external staircases, playful kittens and discreet little shops, most of which were closed on account of this being siesta time. There must have been some sort of priest’s convention in town today because there were dozens of black robed ministers everywhere, in the bakery having morning coffee and later in the taverna having lunch and what we thought was really strange was that they were almost constantly on their mobile phones.
Posted in Athens, back packing, Europe, Greece, History, Literature, Travel, World Heritage
Tagged Bad Habits, Greek Island Hopping, Life, Lord Elgin, Milos, Photography, postaday, Travel, Venus de Milo
Greek Monk Wearing his Habit!
Posted in Athens, Europe, Food, Greece, History, Travel
Tagged Culture, Greek Monk, Greek Priest, Milos, People, Photography, postaday
Have Bag, Will Travel 