Athens to Paros

Woke up at about 6am and went down for a quick breakfast. We walked out of the hotel at 6.30 and got onto a nice coach and drove through the easy traffic on the wrong side of the road to Piraeus. We walked on board through the lowered cargo door and stowed our luggage just inside the hold and all went up to find seats on the outside deck. The sea was reasonably calm and the journey was smooth and good – I was on the deck the whole time and spoke to Lena and John. I had a long conversation with John about languages (he speaks five) and Peloponnese because that’s where his family are from. What an interesting person.

We arrived at Paros about 1pm and loaded our luggage into the hotel’s minibus, then walked to the Asterias hotel along the shore.

Our bags were waiting for us outside the hotel when we got there – all except mine that is. John got it back for me and we found our rooms – I was sharing with Georgina. A group of us joined John at a taverna a few doors down and I had moussaka and beer. It was a nice place and a fun hour or two. After that I walked up to the supermarket and took some photos, then down to the beach with Gina, Lena and Michael. The water felt a little cold to start with, but felt heavenly very quickly. I stayed in for quite a while, then had a little lie on the beach. We headed back to find most of the rest of them beside the pool.

We all met up for the walking tour at about 7. John took us up the road to show us the cemetery then up past the windmill to the Frankish Castle. It was built from remnants of other buildings. We walked over the top and down through the residential streets to the shopping street. It was the first time Paros felt like a Greek island to me. Parikia is a little fishing village by appearance but here were square, white-washed houses, balconies, flowers, painted paths and locals sitting out the front. It was a magical moment. The shopping street was quaint and beautiful, but classy at the same time.

We kept on to the end and round the corner to see the main series of churches and museums. John was going to a bar up past the Frankish Castle and we all went along. It was up a flight of steps like the Frankish Castle and looked out over the water. I had a Kir Royale and between Steve and John, we had 4 bottles worth of Ursus Roter shots. We girls left to get some pizza on the way back to the hotel. I think John frowned on our choice of food, so someone dobbed Kristie and Kelli in for getting Maccas in Athens which I corroborated hehe. We got our pizza and ate it out the front of the hotel. The rest came back to the hotel soon after. We went to bed at about 1.45 and the Gap Years (Georgina, Loz and Fran) went out with Steve to a club in Naoussa. They made a terrific racket with the front door when they came back, reportedly at 5.30.