Athens, Hydra & Paros

There was one more guided tour for the remaining 3 of us. The Athens Highlights Mythology Tour. Visiting ancient Athens with a mythological spin including which sites were dedicated to which Gods and for what reasons. Athens is obviously dedicated overall to Athena, but beyond that what about Zeus, Poseidon, or our favorite Dionysius. It gave us another perspective on the historical and mythological connections. While at the acropolis near the cliffside the Guide's hat flew off ...onto Alejandra's head, instead of over the cliff. Maybe the gods were watching out for her.

Columns at Temple of Zeus (one standing, 1 under restoration, 1 fallen); Entering the Acropolis through Temple of Athena Nike; Acropolis viewed from the Agora.

For a change of pace, we decided to spend a day on the island of Hydra, about a 90 minute ferry ride. Hydra is quite chic and convenient to Athens but yet it is one of the lesser known islands. Transportation to the island is by ferry or helicopter. On and around the island it is by donkey / mule, horseback, water taxi or foot.

Hydra, pronounced "EE dra", has lots of shops and restaurants, as well as a picturesque coastline and open space. We arrived before many shops were open. Alejandra's first priority was a swim so we set off on a coastal path to a recommended beach. The hike was tranquil but much longer than we expected. So adjusting plans, we found a cafe with a promising beach. Alejandra made for the water. Pat & Bill made for a table and ordered sparkling wine. The water was so inviting that we wished we had brought our swimwear. A mistake we corrected when we visited Paros later in the trip.

We continued our Athens touring with some shopping in Kolonaki followed by lunch at Yoleni, where we had sampled wines, mezes (appetizers) and "Elixirs" on the Streets and Eats tour. We encountered another Changing of the Guard during our wandering. 

For our final evening in downtown Athens, we made a list of wine bars and agreed to stop at the first one that offered bottle tasting and a suitable accompanying snack. We found it, Wine with Eleni, at our first stop. It was just a block away from our hotel, hidden in a little park. That's right, it took us 5 days to discover this gem, passing it daily! Granted it is on a street that never seemed to be on our route. And, as mentioned, it is hidden in a little park.  

Following up on our conversation re Greek wine, Eleni gave Pat a book she authored, "Mount Athos Wine." While we didn't think of it at the time, it is quite remarkable that a woman author was supported in this effort because the monks do not even allow them on the Mt Athos peninsula. But Eleni has several things going for her. She grew up in the area and many monks are grateful to her family for their support over the years. Eleni is well recognized for her wine expertise. And, numerous larger off-peninsula vineyards in the Halkidiki region were donated to the monks over the the centuries. To this day the monks maintain and produce renowned wines from these vineyards.

Left: At Yoleni's (lunch, Elixirs); Guard; Right: Wines with Eleni.

Our final stop on our nearly countrywide tour was the island of Paros, located between Santorini and Mykonos. Typically visitors stay in Paros Town or Naoussa. Both have a great selection of shops, restaurants and lodging. We chose to stay in Naoussa, it has more beach options. 

Arriving on the island midday, we stopped to have lunch and explore Paros Town. One shopkeeper, a fine ceramicist, recommended we have lunch at Aromas. It was excellent. On our way to lunch we passed a handy shop where we all bought swim gear (masks, sand shoes). After lunch and a little more shopping, we continued on to Naoussa and settled into our bayside villa.

A short walk took us to the center where we found two wine shops and decided Josef's would have the best advice. Our first clue: Their sign advises that "Wine is the Answer, I don't care about the question". They also seemed to have a great selection. 

Many shops and restaurants lined the alleyways between our villa and the center. Pat and Alejandra pretty much checked them all out and gave the economy a boost as well. One of the favorite shops was Haniotis Jewelry. For an idea of their creative designs, see haniotisjewel.com but honestly their site doesn't do the earrings and cuffs justice. Pat chose a pair that wrap behind the ear giving the illusion of being a full loop. She also bought a large scarf and enjoyed the show as the shopkeeper demonstrated many ways to use it. Alejandra also bought a dress, and another dress and another dress... and other stuff.  Admittedly she has an eye for clothes and when she might use them. But we were amused when she would say "OK, that's it. I am done now." Knowing that soon she would find another great piece. 

Dining at Yemeni Wine Restaurant was highly recommended. Approaching it from our villa, it was basically a straight shot. However we were in the center and approached it from the bay which turned out to be much trickier. Thanks to Google maps, we found our way through the maze of alleys. Along the way we found a wealth of great shops! 

The food was amazing and we dined there twice. The wine selection was small but well curated. And the sommelier readily recommended the perfect wines to pair with our orders. 

Top L-R: Orange cake with nuts & chocolate; Paros wine from Thapsana (in the center of the island); Pumpkin Risotto; Bottom L-R: Fish Ceviche, Sea Bass Duo (grilled and fried); Shrimp with squid ink-amazingly delicious!

Interestingly most of the beaches were basically for wading, very few swimmers. The beaches were typically small with rocky shores and a small sandy beach area. Each had its own character and sufficient but limited services (lounges, bathrooms, food and drink). We waded and swam a little at Livadia, Santa Maria, and Kolympethres Beaches. Alejandra swam a lot more around our villa. Every morning. And every other chance she got.

We spent a day at the beach on Anti Paros, a short ferry ride away. Note that you back onto the ferry!! A bit tricky with a rental car... The Soros Beach Resort had facilities typical of larger resorts around the world. As for the beach itself, the bottom drops off more quickly here, and there were more people actually swimming. The amenities were better here as well, including the availability of Veuve Clicquot champagne (and the distance to Reims, the home of Veuve; 2175 km / 1350 miles just in case you were wondering). They also have comfy giant bean bag cushions shaded by palapas that make for an interesting tattoo look. 

We had a 4:55 flight to Athens. After checking out of the villa, we made for Lefkes, a small village in the higher elevations of the island. It is very picturesque with shops, restaurants, churches, and views of the surrounding terraced countryside. From there we returned to Paros Town for a late lunch before heading to the airport.

An unexpected experience on this trip was IST, the Istanbul International Airport. Opened in April 2019, it is a marvel. First, we arrived at 11:30 PM and departed at 2:30AM and the place was hopping. Shops, restaurants, and lounges all open. Plus they provide signs with walking times to the various gates and tricycles to ride, as well as powered wheel chairs (the person assisting also gets to ride). The second floor Turkish Air lounge is massive with numerous areas to pickup drinks and snacks, work, watch the shoppers below, or just relax and listen to music. 

FYI: Per Wikipedia, in terms of total passenger traffic IST is the busiest airport in Europe and 13th-busiest airport in the world. In terms of international passenger traffic, it is the 2nd-busiest airport in the world

We arrived in Mexico city on schedule, around 8:30 am, and we had a quick trip to San Miguel.