Sifnos, Greece, Day 1

After saying goodbye to our wonderful hosts at Hotel Rigas, I took a picture of the breakfast buffet and then we were driven to the port to catch our ferry, Aegean Speedlines, Speedrunner 3, on time to the minute. The one hour journey to Sifnos had spectacular views of the surrounding islands. Have I mentioned how much I love the ruggedness and raw beauty of Greece? As we pulled into Sifnos port the landscape blew us away. The pictures will tell the story. Our small but comfortable room at Hotel Stavros on the top floor was all that we needed and with a little balcony overlooking the beach. It was the first hotel in Sifnos and still in the family. After I had a short siesta, we went for a swim. The water was beautifully clear. The sand is taupe in colour with tons of sparkles of silver which was mined here starting in 3,000 BCE. We are staying in the bay of Kamares, the port situated on the western side of the island. The island has a total permanent population of just over 2,600. It was inhabited by humans from at least 4,000 BCE. 

Once we settled in we went grocery shopping since we do not get breakfast at the hotel, but we have cooking facilities. We also bought our first bottle of five star Mataxa, the famous Greek brandy. Bruce, my Greek dancing partner, knows all about it's effects. Dinner was steps from our hotel. A table by the water’s edge with a breeze was ideal. We tried a famous Sifnonian dish, chick pea soup. It was finished with a generous squeeze of lemon and it was delish! We shared a tomato and cucumber salad with olives and capers and then braised rooster in wine sauce. Guess what? It tasted like chicken. The cats also enjoyed some rooster. We finished off the evening by looking into the pottery shops, which are famous for using the island’s clay. Stunningly beautiful pieces as you will see from my pictures. Back to our place for an espresso and a Mataxa on the balcony. Kalinichta.