Over and Under

With overwhelming relief to be off the ferry, and, with a few hours to kill before our ride to the hotel arrived, we stored our bags and explored Naxos Town.  We found fresh octopus for sale, lots of fresh fruits and veggies, and trinkets galore.  After a delicious meal of native dishes we sampled Kitpon Naeoy, a lemon liquor made from the fruit and leaves of the citron tree that is produced on the island of Naxos.  

After eating we still had time to kill so we wandered over to the Portara, following a short pathway off the harbor to a sort of point. The Portara was a temple to the god Apollo.  It was begun by the tyrant Lygdamis, who ruled Naxos from 545 to 524 BC, but was never completed.  All that remains today is the platform of the temple, some columns and architectural fragments, and the northwest portal. which was made from three massive blocks of Naxian marble.  The temple served as a quarry in Byzantine times, and its marble blocks, columns, and capitals have been identified in several churches in Naxos Town, as well as in the medieval mansions and fortifications in the Venetian Castro on the Acropolis.

After hanging out here for a little bit, we headed back to rendezvous with our driver and head to Faros Villa.

We enjoyed chatting with our driver, who turned out to be one of the owners of the small hotel we would call home for 5 nights.  He told us theirs was the best hotel around, and that we had chosen well.  As we drove past quaint little villages, and pastureland dotted with goats, we listened to tales of life growing up in a gregarious, Greek family.  We felt like we were living in a movie!

Upon our arrival we checked into our rooms, which were very nicely appointed, and headed down to tour the pool area.  The weather was actually very cool, which we later learned was normal for this shoulder season time of year.  We were told it was supposed to warm up in the next day or so.  As we were working from a limited selection of clothing, we certainly hoped this would to prove to be true.  So, without bathing suits, but with books instead, we settled in to read a little until time for dinner.

The hotel has a restaurant that is opened to all for lunch and dinner, and we heard on good authority that it was the best, so we decided to taste and see.  Boy, were we impressed!  Everything was delicious, from the Rabbit Stew to Pasticcio.  We even photographed our plates, they were so beautiful.  Our waitress was also so kind and took time to explain all the dishes and their ingredients.   

Our stomachs full and our bodies still sleep deprived, we decided to call it an early night, and begin our exploration of the surrounding area fresh tomorrow.