Day 14 Amorgos to Naxos

September 12, 2023

We started our last day in Amorgos with coffee. I had a double Greek coffee, sweet and Jill an Americana, black. The coffee in Greece is absolutely delicious. Greek coffee is boiled with very finely ground coffee at the bottom. It is served several ways - black, semi-sweet and sweet. Boiling causes it to develop a rich crema on the top, which adds to the deliciousness. 

We walked south away from the port and took some beautiful pictures of the Katapola area of Amorgos. The rocks on the island are unusual and beautiful - I love rocks, they are a wonderment to me.

We’ve seen lots of wild goats in Amorgos along the steep cliffs and some standing on the bushes eating the green tops. The island has 25,000 goats. Not surprising to see goat on many menus. And of course, lots of cats, obviously not on the menu lol. Cats are well fed by the locals however, it doesn’t stop them from coming around when you’re eating. However, they can be picky eaters.

We checked out of our room at 11 and walked up to the church and around the many paths until lunch time. We settled on a taverna with cushions. The wicker seats on traditional Greek chairs are hard on one’s bottom and not comfortable. We were ready for some comfort since our fast ferry was due at 3. We started our lunch with two Alpha beers, 500 ml for €3.50, a bargain compared to back home. I once again had calamari, probably my favourite seafood and Jill, Saganaki cheese, her favourite. We had to get our fill before going home. We asked if we could stay longer at the restaurant and they said, “as long as you want”, so we pulled out our scrabble board, epic game and Jill won again, by a hair. 

Our Aussie built, Highspeed 4 ferry was half an hour late. It is a catamaran, so it nicely cut through the four to six foot swells, which were the biggest we have seen on this trip. We got some good news from our host in Naxos, he credited our visa with one night accommodation because the cancelled ferry yesterday was not our fault. He didn’t have to do that since our room was non refundable. 

The ferry stopped to pickup many passengers in Koufonissi that were stranded because of the cancellations yesterday and also those trying to make it back to Athens before the strike tomorrow. It was nice to look out at our favourite island one more time. 

Our host in Naxos met us at the port. Our plan was to buy a whole fish for dinner but we were too late. We found a grocery store amidst the chaos of Naxos. It has changed a lot since we were here eight years ago. We still had garlic, a small onion, a little bit of parsley and thought maybe we should make peasant pasta again. The walk through the grocery store inspired us. We bought cherry tomatoes, heavy cream, and smoked salmon to complete our spaghetti dinner. It was delicious. Tomorrow we fly to Athens for a one night stay in Rafina, a suburb of Athens, by the seaside and then home.

Day 13 Amorgos

September 11, 2023

We were supposed to go by ferry to Naxos today but all ferries were cancelled due to the wind. We took the bus from our north location, Aegiali, to the south port, Katapola. We had to rent a room for one night (even though we had already paid for a room in Naxos) and booked a ferry for tomorrow afternoon to take us to Naxos. There was just one room left at the port side hotel, which was the closest to where we depart tomorrow, fingers crossed. 

We found a taverna at the end of the port. It was empty but we took a chance and lucked out. I had the best calamari so far on this trip and equal to the best I’ve had in Greece. Jill had meatballs with a tomato sauce. She loved them.

We took a long walk around to the other side of the port. We were happy that we chose Aegiali  for our four day stay, as its crescent beach was so much better.

After Jill beat me to regain her title at scrabble, we had our usual evening snack. Jill checked the ferry schedule and although we purchased new tickets for €115.50 on a different ferry leaving tomorrow, our free ferry (because of passes) was back in the schedule. We went to the Blue Star counter to try to get a refund. After a lot of Greek intervention by a helpful man in line, we got half back. Better than nothing. Hopefully all goes well tomorrow and we’ll be in Naxos tomorrow night.

Day 12 Amorgos

September 10, 2023

Seeing the many islands in the Cyclades, I couldn’t help but wonder how the islands were formed. I found out that 6 to 5.3 million years ago, tectonic movements caused fragmentation of the land forming the islands. 

Today was the last beach day of our Greek Odyssey. We took a walk around town for one last time and past the many tavernas and coffee shops with great views of the sea. Being the frugal ones, we picked up some fresh eggs to cook for breakfast before we hit the beach. With sunscreen packed, we found our place on the sand. This was the first day with absolutely no clouds. The temperature was perfect. It started off at 24 and climbed to 26 by late afternoon. We had lunch at a taverna at 1 o’clock. I had grilled octopus and Jill had saganaki cheese. The octopus was tough, even the cat turned it down. The large tomato and cucumber salad saved the day. Then back for our last swim and a snooze on the beach. What is nice about Greece is that tavernas do not mind you using their washrooms even if you are not a customer.

It is interesting that many old cars are treated as utility vehicles. They look like they were never washed from the day they were bought. The outside is covered with dust as is the ragged inside. I took a picture of one as we walked to the beach. 

We headed back to our place to shower at 4 o’clock. Relax time as we contemplate the final legs of our journey and snack on Kalamata olives, Naxos cheese and salami, our go-to evening snack. I also had to finish the baklava, which I cut in half last night so I could have a taste tonight. Tomorrow we take the Fast Ferry to Naxos.

Day 11 Amorgos

September 9, 2023

Up early again and off for a walk on the beach boardwalk. The grocery store is along the way, so we picked up some water and wine for the fridge. We took the bus, €2.50 each to Chora, the C is silent (hora) the capital of Amorgos, which is one of the highest elevations. The wind gusts were very strong when we got off the bus but turned to breezes as we navigated through the narrow alleyways. One picture after another, I was like a kid in a candy store. We waited until one o’clock to eat lunch, which was when the restaurant recommended by Tripadvisor opened. We started with a delicious tomato and cucumber salad with oil and vinegar. I had smoked mackerel with pickled red onion and fennel cream which was beyond delicious. Jill loved her chicken in honey mustard sauce (Paul ;) and so did the young cat that stole our hearts.

The terraced stone work we saw as we approached Chora was called dry stone masonry. They were built to retain soil and water. I can’t image the tireless work that went in to constructing them. Within Chora, the outer edge of the walls were perfectly flush, a testament to the craftsmanship of the builders.

After lunch we had time before the afternoon bus. We stopped in a shop for a tasting of Greek raki, once distilled, and tsikoudia, twice distilled. I preferred the raki and bought a small bottle. I  developed a taste for raki in Crete where it was always served complimentary at the end of a meal. 

We decided to stop in at a coffee shop we passed earlier that was playing reggae music.  Yesterday when we were lying on the beach I said to Jill, the only thing missing is reggae music. Our coffee shop was playing Michael Jackson’s Thriller. Cool! I had a Greek coffee, sweet and Jill had a wine. I enjoy Greek boiled coffee, it’s strong with a thick layer of fine coffee grounds on the bottom, like mud. It is meant to be sipped and is a Greek tradition to serve when guests arrive. There is a reason you get a glass of water with it. The foam on top was delicious. 

It was a 10 minute windy walk to the bus stop… one last picture.

Jill made dinner with leftover bread from lunch drizzled with olive oil, Naxos cheese, salami, tomatoes, and olives, yum!  The sunset from our balcony was stunning. To top off the day, we took a stroll along the beach boardwalk and took some pictures of the activity and the lights of the night. I did have to stop at the bakery for my baklava fix.