Ios to Paros, September 27, 2025

We were up early as we were apprehensive about the winds. Once packed up, we walked to the port and saw that many of the boats have moved out overnight when the winds weren’t as strong. I took a picture of a round stone mosaic by the port. I can’t imagine how painstaking the process was to create this beautiful piece. We emptied the fridge as our final task then checked out. We settled in at Kriki by the ferry dock where we shared French fries, a beer, and I had a Greek coffee. Until the seventies, it was called a Turkish coffee but due to bad blood, it was renamed. Much like ordering a black coffee, an Americano. I order a Canadiano for the same reasons.

Our ferry was late due to rough seas with 4 to 7 foot swells. Our trip was rerouted to go to Naxos before Paros which got us in at 4:30 rather than 1:15. We both took Gravol and had no issues. We settled in at the lowest deck, mid-ship and were even able to have a snooze.

Once we arrived in Paros, it was cold. The wind was blustery. We humped our bags to our hotel, 15 minutes from the port. Our host upgraded us to room with a queen and a single, great for opening up our bags. We were tired of eating out and wanted to do some home cooking. The market was ten minutes away and we were able to find what we wanted to make a tomato, red pepper, cucumber and oil and vinegar salad. We also bought smoked salmon so we could make a cream tagliatelle pasta. Jill brought capers and chilli peppers from home, so we were all set. It was delicious. We moved the outside table and chairs in, Jill adjusted the lighting and we dined like a Pharaoh with his Queen. 🥸🥸🥸🥸🥸

We watched The Block as we dined, just like we would at home. We are happy to be winding down. Tomorrow is going to be cool and windy so it may be a day of scrabble. It is the end.

Ios, Greece, September 26, 2025

Today was windy and it is forecast to get windier. We are leaving tomorrow for Paros and keeping our fingers crossed that ferries are not cancelled. The trip is a little over an hour in a 748 person/65 car capacity ferry. 

We took an early morning walk along the beach road then up to the church past the marina. At every turn was a picture opportunity. It was only eleven thirty but we were ready for lunch. We stopped at Kaiki, a Greek Taverna. The owner, Yiorgos (George), was wonderful to talk to. His brother spent six years in Winnipeg and he studied for two years in London, England. He said Greece is the land of sun with 360 days of sunshine. Greeks belong in the sun, it’s who they are and it’s in their heart. He couldn’t take the bleakness of London with cloudy days and rain and had to return home. He shuts down at the end of September when the island becomes a ghost town with just one supermarket open and one bar open up in Chora. 

Jill had  a pork souvlaki pita. I had baby calamari with fries and salad. My portion was huge and Jill almost finished her pita. Both delicious. We went back to our place and had a snooze until housekeeping knocked.  We lounged at the pool but the wind was a bit much. Off to Chora by bus where we hoped to play some pool but the Fun Bar was closed, also winding down for the season. We walked back down after stopping at a bakery to buy a piece of baklava to go with coffee and Metaxa. We set up the scrabble on our desk and kept our door open enjoying the breeze. Surprisingly, I was well in the lead for a good part of the game but you know Jill, she whipped her horse and the rest is history.

We were still pretty full from lunch so we snacked on salami, olives, crackers and cheese. We ended the day watching The Block, an Australian building renovation team completion which we’ve been watching for twenty seasons. This year is season 21. 

The weather is changing. Tomorrow, Paros or bust. 

Ios, Greece, September 25, 2025

After Jill made us a coffee and we caught up on the news, we caught the bus outside of our hotel to Mylopotas beach. Jill snapped some pictures along the way. We were let off at the start of the beach and walked the road to the end to look at the menu at the best restaurant on the beach, Drakos. One man was cleaning shrimp while octopus were drying on a line. It was incredibly expensive. We were early as it opened at one. We walked almost all the way back to Sandz where the beach loungers were free as long as you ordered drinks or food. After a swim, which required us to wear our thongs to get into the water because of the rocks, we ordered chicken wraps and a beer. It was cool to have lunch delivered to us as we lounged. 

We caught the bus back to Chora to get some wine and walked back down to Kritikakis. Off to the pool for a refreshing swim, a bit of sun, then a change at our room to get our scrabble stuff. We set up in the shade by the pool. For the first time, I was ahead after about nine words then Jill whipped her horse and left me in the dust. 

We caught the bus up to Chora and were enticed to a small hole in the wall restaurant for an authentic Greek dish he called kleftiko, the best on the island. It was called SisGreece. Kleftiko is actually a roast leg of lamb with potatoes, marinated overnight then wrapped in baking paper and slow-roasted until tender with rich sauce. What we got was an over-boiled pork hoc on a small bed of rice swimming in tasteless liquid, some roasted vegetables, no sauce, deep fried frozen fries and some pita triangles also sitting in the watery rice. The house wine he said was made by his father was the worst white wine we have ever had. It actually came from a box (I learned when I went inside to pay/complain). I couldn’t finish it. At the end of the meal, I went to him and told him our disappointment. He knocked €5 from the bill. A €40 disappointment. The worst meal in our forty years of travelling to Greece. I didn’t want to press him for a more reasonable price. I made my point.

The wait for our bus was 20 minutes so we walked back to our hotel. We saw lots of cats along the way. The twilight sky was brilliant. Jill made us coffees to go with some Metaxa as she created a quick 5 minute AI version of today’s events suggested by our son Jordan. We will post the AI version separately. It’s pretty remarkable, you be the judge.