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X nearly marks the spot

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I decided on my last long walk to go to Vathy, the place where over two years ago I broke my leg. I reckoned it was about fifteen kilometres, if I walked from Kamares. So I headed out along my usual route to Apollonia. Very often especially on this stretch of road when I see bikes and vehicles I often get a wave or a toot. I saw the guy who has the Indian style tuk tuk, who looks like a captain but he doesn’t have a boat I think. He seems crammed in the cab of the vehicle as he is quite tall. As it was early there were a few clouds kissing the mountains. I went to my favourite pie shop, told the owner where I was going in Greek, also that I was going home Tuesday. I had looked up that tomorrow I was having a day of rest, but the rest word did not work for her, sometimes there are local dialects that stymie google translate! I then walked back down the road and headed on the same road that I went on yesterday. Here is a bit of shameless advertising for the bakers. The bag contained thei...
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Mycenaean Acropolis of Aghios Andreas

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Knowing this place would be open, I decided to take a look at it. The problem with these places, like the Tower, the buildings are largely lost, the materials used to build something else later in history.  I went to the pie shop, tried a bit more Greek and was rewarded. It did say  that while living on Serifos I had a cold coffee, called Fredo Cappuccino every day at my local cafe in Hora. It’s very refreshing on a hot day. I also bought a Spanakopita which is the Spinach pie, that my friends dog loves among other things. I then set off up the road. Although the museum is accessible by way of the track I went on before, that’s vehicle access, before that turn are steps that lead up to the church which was built much later on, from which you can get access to the site. The steps were not bad, but along them were these miniature flows, like a very small narcissus. I carried on up to the church and had my pie. I then inspected the ruins. It would be easy to just write down what ...
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Poulati

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Poulati, is actually Greek for little girl I think. I took the bus to Artemonas which is the next village next door to Apollonia. It’s higher up and has many Italian themed villas from when the Italians ran this island. They called it Sifanto then. Sadly some of these places are in ruins. Like Kastro, the houses are linked with footpaths and only the odd scooter can be found negotiating the bumpy paths. But high up from Artemonas are windmills with sails. So I wanted to go and have a look at them.  From here, I then took a track, that led me to several churches and quite close to Kastro, but before I got there I turned around and walked back. Here is the first church which was down a very steep track, on which I had to return, which was quite hard work. The main event was the second church, closer to Kastro, and in fact there was another church a bit further down too. I was told by my pie lady that people swim in the sea here, but it looked dangerous with rocks, and she agreed. On ...
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Goat farm

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One thing I like to do is go to places that my friends have not seen. Looking at the map I could see an interesting inland track which snaked into the interior of the island, I don’t like paths, they are often rocky and I get worried I might hurt myself again, but a track is usually quite well made up and safer. This time I started off the road to Vathy, where I broke my leg. As I was going to walk a long way along aforementioned track, and uphill from Apollonia to it, I elected to catch the bus from Kamares. Of course over here, everything is running on Greek time. So if it’s says 9:40 you can arrive late and probably not miss the bus. So while we were waiting some tourists were looking at each other, where is the bus? Hardened visitors like myself, know too well, that you have to be patient and wait. One thing I have been doing is going to a bakery in Apollonia which I know makes lovely pies. Her chicken one is so tasty. I try and speak Greek to order what I want, and it’s appreciate...
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To Castro

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Despite his advancing years, my friends dog, will still chase a cat and nearly pull one of my friends off their chair when we are sitting in a Taverna. He also fancies his chances on goats too, which he looks at while lying on their wall that surrounds their balcony. Luckily he just looks but doesn’t jump off to chase them. The goats will eats anything and you can often see their droppings on the path to my friends house. I had toyed with the idea of hiring a car, but I have been put off by the reported charges of sixty euros a day, thirty at this time of the year would be more reasonable. The buses, well the service is winding down and if want to go beyond Apollonia I would have to change, and it gets too complicated. So I decided to walk to Apollonia. When I got there I just carried on and went to Kastro, which means castle. It’s a bit like my village on Serifos, loads of narrows paths linking the houses, no roads, which is nice, unless you want to move something big like a fridge. F...
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Back on Sifnos

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I have not posted on this blog even though I have returned to both Sifnos and Serifos after my leg healed. But this time, the two year anniversary had me travel to Sifnos, and although the first two weeks did not go as planned, I think I more than made up for it on the third week. Here is a photo I took while having a coffee in Apollonia with my friends, when I was able to get out and about again. As walking is good for physical and mental health, I often go with my friends to the next town Apollonia and walk back. It’s easier than walking back from than to, as the road slowly goes uphill on the outward leg. But even sixty five year old legs soon get accustomed to the hills over here. The road is not so busy and you see so much more than when you are in a car. Nature is marching on after the heat of summer, and careful eyes can spot  it coming into bloom again. The main flowering season is in the Spring when the islands are covered in flowers, before they go to seed and summer sets...
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First leg, Second leg, Last leg

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To start with, here is a photo of Sifnos port, while we waited for the ferry. On the evening before our first leg travel day on the Friday,  one of my Sifnos friends drove us all down to our favourite restaurant in Kamares, that is Cameron. After we had settled down, one of the owners came out from the kitchen to say hello and to wish me well. We had a lovely meal, I enjoyed the rice with chicken, nearly ordered correctly in Greek ( having used the Greek word  and instead of with) and then  had an ice cream, I was driven back to the house, where I went to bed. Here is Ronnie doing one of his sideways looks, trying to pretend he is not begging! In the morning, I had a lazy start and  had my breakfast and finished my packing. My friends came and then closed up the house, and we drove to the port, to await the ferry. While we waited, a car came up beside us, with another person with crutches. She had fallen off a motorbike, and broke several toes in her foot. She was ba...
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