Naxos

Naxos is one of the largest and most fertile of the Greek isles, settled since the Stone Age, now with a permanent population of about 18000. A welcome sight after crowded Athens!

We stayed at the yellow, family run, hotel just a short distance from town. The wife in particular was so friendly, and proud of her home baking with the first of our many great Greek breakfasts.

Using local buses, and a rental car for a day, we explored the island. One of us(?) was in photo heaven. There are 400 churches on Naxos, after 390 had been photographed the rental car driver refused to stop!! If Mr Kodak could somehow ban digital cameras Bill Gates would be a distant 2nd on the rich list. Luckily for the navigator most road signs are in Greek & English.

One of our favourite activities was walking the narrow back streets & climbing the many steps of the town & villages, not knowing what we would find around the corner.

One of the rural chapels on Naxos, often built & cared for by farmers. Many are now closed.

The old & the new

Marble quarrying

The road was impassable here due to the crowd watching the annual feat of lowering the donkey from its overnight spot on the roof, bringing a year's good fortune to the village.







One of many photogenic villages tucked in the hills. Note the isolated wee chapels.

Donkeys are still useful.

If you are asked to turn around so another photo can be taken - DON'T. The roads are narrow & the culverts are deep. But the natives are friendly and used to helping these strange tourists.

One of several Byzantine churches found among ancient olives trees, built during the early spread of Christianity.





Goats (and sheep) have 2 legs tied loosely together to stop them standing on their hind legs to eat tree branches. No SPCA here!

Our last evening, spent with a Canadian couple we had met, enjoying the sunset from a foreshore cafe.

Farewell to lovely Naxos.