...From Paros, sun-kissed and honest...

I left Mykonos with the sense of 'mission accomplished'. While on Mykonos I accomplished my goal of viewing Delos, ate some good food (more about that) and met some nice folks. I was happy to leave, however for there is nothing really there for me. Paros, on the other hand is something completely different.

I left on a high speed catamaran, which cruised down to Paros at a brisk 45 mph. I was glad to see little Paros, which is still, in many ways, the island that Mykonos once was. This is not to say that there is no tourism on Paros, but the clientele is more sedate, family-oriented, and less apt to fall into the party scene. 'Laid back' is a good way to describe Paros. It is also a good deal less expensive, and for those same reasons. The population is about 20,000 year round, with a viable fishing and merchant community. There are not the plethora of gold and leather shops like Mykonos and the locals seem much more in line with Greece as a whole.

I arrived around noon and the temperature was a lovely 80*. The sun, on the other hand, was typically mediterranean and blistering hot. Thankfully my #45 sunscreen held out for a time, but by 3PM I had to go inside for little 'ipnos'. My room is clean, comfortable, with a lovely little balcony overlooking the central plaza of the main town of Parika. At 25 Euro a night, quite a bargain. Like most of the country, this town is preparing for the summer which means construction and refurbishing. So what if the plaza was full of workmen with jack-hammers? After a few seconds I was snoozing away, competeing with the racket. After my rest, a shower and a chat with the hotel owner about the big football game (Athens vs. Piraeus), I set out for the evening.

I am only here for the night and my boat for Santorini (Thira) leaves at the main quay around noon. I'll arrive in Santorini around 3PM, and spend the next hour or so finding a hotel for my 2 nights there. I'll certainly update when I can before I leave for Crete (Kriti), but for now I think I'll enjoy another espresso and search out a suitable restaurant for my supper. With the money I saved on lodging, I think I'll splurge. There is a restaurant named 'Dafni' that is supposed to serve very good fish and traditional Greek dishes. I'll try to find it, but if I can't, there are plenty of other options to choose from.

Oh yes...The food on Mykonos is actually very good, not mediocre like P'town. It is, however, extremely pricey. After all, a captive audience must dine...

Kalispera!

Johnnyboy