Mama Mia

Wednesday, October 12

Here we go again on yet another ferry ride. This time it’s the high speed sea jet from Naxos back to Athens. The tour portion of the trip is coming to an end, and I’m not quite sure how I feel about that. It’s been an amazing time with wonderful people (possibly even some new travel buddies). We saw so many things, learned a bunch about Greece and the history and culture, ate some absolutely delicious things, laughed more than I have in a long time, and just all around enjoyed life and our time together. It will be very strange to be on my own in Athens tomorrow, but I am glad I chose to stay longer. Jennifer and Chris will be on my flight to Zurich in a few days, so I’ll see some familiar faces then at least. For now it’s time to continue with the recaps of my time on Paros.

Ahhhh…the sweet sound of peace and quiet at this gorgeous hotel was a very welcome change from Athens. It doesn’t mean I necessarily slept all that much more, but I definitely slept better. And when I threw open the patio door that morning, it was a scene straight out of Greek travel fantasies. Someone on a FB post of mine commented they fully expect the cast of Mama Mia to pop up in my photos; and I completely agree. It really would’ve been nice to have longer here to be able to spend a day enjoying this hotel. Instead it was time to get ready for the day’s boat excursion.

First up was checking out the wonderful breakfast spread - and it did not disappoint! So many tasty delights from savory to sweet. There was even an entire Greek yogurt and honey section. Who knew honey was supposed to taste this good?! 🤷🏽‍♀️🤣

Eleven of us, plus Pascale, were off to the Punta Marina to catch our boat for the day. Unfortunately the catamaran stopped running the end of September, so we were on just a regular looking, possibly refurbished former fishing boat, for the excursion. There were about 20 or so other people on the boat as well.

The weather cooperated and we had sunny skies, although I would’ve loved about another 10 degrees on the temp. The trip out was a bit chilly since I was stuck in the shade. Plus the not so sweet smell of exhaust left more than a little to be desired. I was across from the little galley kitchen spot, so at least I could take mental notes watching the girl dress the greens with oil and vinegar and get just the right amount of feta massaged into there. Before too long they were walking around handing out the oh so tasty baguettes of spinach and tomatoes I had just watched being prepared.

Snacks over, it was about time to drop anchor and get off the boat. It wasn’t really a snorkel trip as there were no flippers and not much of anything to be seen. But when in Greece, regardless how chilly the water may be, one must jump off the boat and get into the Aegean Sea! They had noodles to float around with and you got used to it after a bit (or else hypothermia was starting to set in and I was losing feeling 🤷🏽‍♀️🤣). I wasn’t in too long, but at least I can say I have swam in the Aegean now! I think at the first stop, everyone from our group got into the water. Pascale played photographer for her bathing beauties in our swimming costumes so we all have proof we were in the sea. She was oh so very proud of us.

We pulled up anchor and were on the move to our second swim stop. Along the way, we came in close to shore a few times to see some interesting rock formations and cliffs. There was one spot where people from another boat were jumping off the cliffs. Ashley totally would’ve done it, but Pascale said oh no…not possible!!

Swim number two was similar to the first stop, with I think even less people getting into the water. Although I did see a few colorful fish here. And well the crystal clear water alone with its vibrant blues and greens was a draw all its own. From there it was time to head for the beach and our bbq picnic (how very Below Deck of us as Angela and I remarked). There was a whole setup with chairs and tables and a little area where the crew could grill up our kebabs. There was also wine to be had as we waited to eat and a lovely stretch of beach to walk along. They started pulling out giant bowls of a beautiful looking Greek salad and in no time we were ready to eat. Grilled pita and tzatziki was definitely the perfect little addition. I had a view of the sea with Pascale to chat with and it was a highlight meal for me.

After having mainly dried off and warmed up,I was not about to get back in the water at stop three. By that point, the number of swimmers had dwindled significantly. From there we just had the ride back to the port. We spotted a bunch of kite surfers off in the distance and that was pretty fascinating to watch. It was a lovely afternoon and I am oh so glad I signed up. The only drawback being no time to hang out on my gorgeous patio or partake in all the hotel and surrounding beach amenities.

Once we returned to the hotel, Pascale arranged with the desk for 10 of us to get a transfer into town a few hours later. So after getting cleaned up and enjoying my room a bit,it was time for some more browsing, shopping, and a little dinner and dessert with my fabulous travel companions. I bought a few things, snapped some more photos (how could I not?!) and then we were off to find dinner.

After going the opposite direction from where the majority of the restaurants are located along the beach, we did find a nice little spot to eat. It was a tad chilly to be outside, but we had the inside practically to ourselves. Well aside from the occasional stray cats who opted to come on in and make themselves at home. I blame Ashley, aka Snow White, the Cats of Greece Whisperer, for magical drawing them all to us 🤣 The best was watching the adorable waiter carry one such kitty out like it was a bomb about to explode (gripped under the front paw pits with his arms extended).

What better way to begin dinner than with a new found favorite: aperol spritz?! I finally decided I wanted to try the stuffed tomatoes and peppers, only to find out they did not have them. So instead I ended up with the meatballs and rice - which I was not at all mad about as they were delicious. It’s just we had meatballs yesterday, and I was hoping to try something new. During (or maybe even before) dinner the talk turned to gelato for dessert. Someone said they didn’t think they had any room for that. Mariane (the lone Canadian) had the perfect response, which I foresee myself using for years to come: there is always room for gelato as it does not go into your stomach but into your heart 🥰

Who can argue with that logic, so back into the old town we went to find a gelateria. I was trying to order speedy like and messed it up. My favorite is almost always banana and I must have at least one every trip. I didn’t see it, so ordered pistachio, which was fine but which in my opinion didn’t have all that much flavor. Then Elfie or someone walked out with banana caramel and I couldn’t believe it. They let me try a little taste and I regretted my mistake immediately. But alas, I survived and will find banana gelato another day!!

And just like that, it was almost 10pm and time to get to the hotel pickup spot. I never imagined being in town that long a second night in a row, but it was a fun time for sure. Now to sleep and get ready for yet another busy day ahead.