As soon as the boat sailed away from the Athens harbour, it was time for aperitif! As a Frenchman, I had squeezed a bottle of Pastis 51 into my luggage back home- for a special occasions such as this ;). We didn't expect the boat ride to pass by so quickly as it did, and we really had all the ingredients needed for a good time: the gorgeous sea, a little breeze cooling us down, the simple excitement to be there, the drinks and most of all the good friends!
Somewhere along the way, we got to admire a gorgeous sunset over the Aegean Sea. We arrived in Naxos around 11pm and after a short taxi ride we found our flat: a two story apartment with a kitchen and a terrace. Nighty night!
Somewhere along the way, we got to admire a gorgeous sunset over the Aegean Sea. We arrived in Naxos around 11pm and after a short taxi ride we found our flat: a two story apartment with a kitchen and a terrace. Nighty night!
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| Our travel posse |
Naxos was exactly like I always pictured it to be: narrow and twisting roads, white houses with a tint of blue and everywhere you look you could see voluptuous pink flowers framing the white walls. After an early-riser visit to the Apollo temple and the calm harbour, we had a breakfast at the nearby Taverna (conveniently a stone's throw away from our apartment!). Literally on the beach.
Our plan for the day was to conquer the summit of the Cyclades, the Mount Zeus at 1003m. The mountain used to have important historical significance in olden days; the locals believed that the cave on the northwest flanks of the mountain was the birthplace of the god Zeus. Thus, we were going to hit the path of Gods! The road to the starting point was so scenic: Small white villages everywhere and white chapels decorating hill tops.
The hike started off just above a small village of Filoti. The beginning of the path was pretty rocky with greenery as far as the eyes could see. The higher we got, the better views were opening up across the smaller islands around Naxos. On the summit, we could see all the way to Paros (an island 20 km away).
On the way back we pulled over on the beachside - the water was crystal clear and better yet, we were pretty much alone on this long sand beach!
A small aperitif on the beach rocks later that night included some music, suitable dancing and chilling till the sun dropped below horizon, followed by a Greek meal in the harbour: Souvlaki, kebab, Gyros and wine! We finished the night with cocktails in a cool bar nearby; after all, at the midnight it was officially Christian’s birthday!
We started the next morning as the previous one- with a great breakfast on the beach. We then needed to get our bags and say goodbye to our Naxos home. After a small tour in the old town, and filling the bags with party necessities, it was once again time to board on the good old Blue Star Ferry and cruise ~birthday style~ till Santorini!
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