Gavrio, Andros

May 16, 2018

A coincidence

Over breakfast on the balcony of our hotel overlooking the bay, I spend some time catching up on other journals. I’ve been following the Grampies as the circumnavigate France, particularly enjoying entries when they visit places we know and love ourselves. Currently they’re working their way up the Atlantic coast, following a route similar to one we followed in a month long loop from Bordeaux, 10 years ago to the month. I didn’t keep a journal of that tour and have a pretty poor collection of photos from it because of camera issues, so my memory of it isn’t the best.

Last night the Grampies stayed in Parthenay, a lovely town that we passed through as a lunch stop. I haven’t thought of it for years, but as we were trying to find our way out of the confusing town on our way north, two men leaned out of a second floor window, started to chat, and then walked downstairs to continue the conversation in the middle of the empty street. Then they invited us upstairs to continue our chat over a cup of tea and show us their delightful home. A wonderful encounter I’d all but forgotten.

Today’s entry from the Grampies journal is a stunner. They show photos of their hosts, and it’s the same guys! It’s the same two guys!! I can’t believe it. I recognize them immediately, and the memory comes flooding back. I start the day with a warm glow, just to be reminded that this couple is still out there in the world.

A new worry

Two weeks ago, our suitcases were shipped from Chania to our final destination: our hotel in Ohrid, Macedonia. They’ve been taking their sweet time about it, as we know because we’ve been tracking them on the Fed Ex website. I’d forgotten about them for a few days, but Rachael reminds me this morning to follow up again. I find this troubling update:

Our delivery is being held for a clearance delay. Recommended action: contact the broker. Unknown broker. Now what? It looks like Macedonia is off the grid.

Not sure what to do, so first we send an inquiry to the hotel, hoping perhaps they’ve been delivered. Stay tuned.

Today’s ride

I’ve gotten behind a bit because we had such terrible WiFi in Gavrio, so I’ll keep this brief. With only another half day available for a ride because of our afternoon departure to Andros, we took a short loop into the interior east of Parikia. About the same length as yesterday morning’s short ride, but easier because the high point is significantly lower.

Riding in Paros isn’t the amazing experience we had in Naxos. The countryside is less dramatic, and it’s not as quiet. Still, quiet enough this season, and an enjoyable ride. The highlight was a short loop along the coast south of Naousa. It’s really a spectacular coastline, and a stretc( we’d like to see again at a more leisurely pace.

Climbing away from Parikia, we look back toward the coast just north of the town.

The Páros interior. Páros is quite different from its neighbor Naxos - less rugged, more cultivated, busier.

On the short road to an ancient marble quarry. The road is marble, which sounds pleasant but isn’t. Worse than cobblestones.

It’s been a while since we’ve had a new entry in my gallery ‘Rachael stretches’.

For the last few days I’ve been looking around for a photoworthy olive. Here’s one.

The view toward the northern coast, with what I think is Mykonos across the strait.

Lefkes, the most important of the interior villages on Páros

The church at Lefkes. It’s below the town, and we didn’t see it until we had already left. It looks worth a closer look, someday.

There are a few old windmills scattered around Páros, none with sails.

Another windmill, another stone fenced slope

The spring wheat harvest is baled and ready.

Acanthus mollis, or Bears Ears. (Credit:Andrea Brown)

Looking across the strait at neighboring Naxos

I liked this spiffy little chapel near Ampelas, with its partially exposed stone wall.

The coastline east of Naousa is quite beautiful: rocky, colorful, full of inviting coves. If we come back to Páros, we’ll stay in this area next time.

Part of the coast road here is unpaved. Easy cycling, but it slowed us down on a day when we didn’t have a lot of time to spare.

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Trip stats: today, 26 miles, 2,400’; for the tour, TBD

On the ferry

It’s a long, four hour ferry ride from Paros to Andros, with stopovers at Mykonos and Tinos. We walk on with about forty other passengers as a few cars and trucks come on alongside, and then work our way up to the lower passenger deck. There are four to choose from - this ship, Superferry Andros, is huge!

It’s huge because it’s a heavily used line; but very little of the traffic is to/from Paros, Tinos or Andros. Nearly everyone is on here for the connections to the very popular party island of Mykonos, the megadestination Santorini, and the mainland port of Rafina, a few miles east of Athens.

At Mykonos we walk up to the top deck of the ship (it has six) and watch the hubbub below as a mass of people and vehicles unloads, and a different mass comes aboard. The loading is particularly interesting, because all the vehicles have to back in. The small cars have it the hardest, I think, because they’re one timers and unsure of themselves. The large trucks, guided in by the ground crew, make it all look easy.

Leaving Páros. The large church is Saint Catherine, that we saw photos of yesterday. The small restaurant at the lower right is where we dined last night.

Mykonos, with its famous line of windmills

On the well named Superferry Andros, at Mykonos. It’s huge, with six decks.

The tail end of the passenger/vehicle load at Mykonos. It’s been a complicated show, and has been going on for twenty minutes. Like watching a ballet in some ways.

Tinos, the island we dropped from our itinerary. We could get here today, but not yesterday; and we could leave the day after tomorrow, but not tomorrow. Too difficult.

The Church of Panagia (the Virgin Mary), Tinos. Very important site, a pilgrimage destination.

Arrival in Andros

We reached the port late in the day, about 6:30,after a four hour flight. The ship is still quite full, but the very one is bound for Rafina, the mainland port just east of Athens. As we line up to leave the ship, we’re stunned to realize we almost stand alone. One single vehicle car, three walk-ons, and ourselves. Perfect - a large, green, quiet island.

The crush of visitors deboarding at Andros

In Gavrio. It is much different here than further south in the chain.

I think it’s not too soon to conclude that we’re doing something unusual here. On three ferry rides stopping at seven ports, we have yet to see another bicycle passenger.

Our first impression of Andros is that it is very different from the other Cycladic islands we’ve seen. Greener, untouristy, the harbor filled with fishing boats, nets piled on the docks. It feels more like a small port in the Peloponnese. I’m drawn too it immediately, and glad we’re here for three nights.

When we check the mail tonight, we find some excellent news. Villa Maki, our hotel in Ohrid, has responded to my inquiry this morning about our suitcases. They contacted customs to see what the issue was. They’ve been impounded until an import duty is paid. The hotel has made the payment on our behalf so delivery can proceed, and will notify us when they arrive. Hooray!!

For dinner we went down to a quiet restaurant at the far end of the waterfront, on the recommendation of the host at our lodging. Very quiet. We were the only diners, until a couple of guys showed up twenty minutes later. And not the greatest place. After dinner we walked back to the other end of town, and found a pair of very nice looking diners, both we’ll frequent. We must have eaten at a friend of the family’s.

Today's ride: 26 miles (42 km)
Total: 655 miles (1,054 km)

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