Category: Naxos (page 3 of 12)

The snowcapped ‘Naxian Alps’ on New Year’s Day

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Snow on Naxos mountains photo by ΜΑΝΩΛΗΣ ΡΟΥΣΣΟΣ

Snow-covered mountains on Naxos are seen from Marpissa village on nearby Paros island today, in this photo posted on Facebook by  ΜΑΝΩΛΗΣ ΡΟΥΣΣΟΣ. The picture has been shared in numerous New Year’s greetings on social media by people on both islands, many of whom describe it as a view of the “Naxian Alps.” Naxos, Paros and several other Greek islands  experienced snowflurries as storms swept across Greece on New Year’s Eve (see my post Snowfalls & cold temps bring Greece’s 2015 to a turbulent close for photos of winter scenes in Greece yesterday.) 

 

Amorgos view of snow on Naxos

Here’s another view of the snowy Naxos mountains, this time seen in a telephoto image shot from Amorgos island.  It’s one of several photos that the Amorgos News website published of the Naxos mountains dressed in white. Click here to see the other images. 

Snowfalls & cold temps bring Greece’s turbulent 2015 to a wintry close

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Snow on Paros photo shared on Facebook by ΠΑΡΟΣ like

Snow blankets the ground beside a chapel in Lefkes village on Paros following light flurries on December 31 2015. Μαρία Ραγκούση shared this image on the Lefkes Paros public group page on Facebook.

 

Snowflurries in Halki village on Naxos photo shared on Facebook by Petros Anamateros

Petros Anamateros shared on Facebook this image he captured showing New Year’s Eve snowflurries at Halki village on Naxos  

 

From green to white: Every day this month, I’ve been feeling green with envy seeing social media posts showing sunny skies and gorgeous summer-like scenery in Greece.  Only three days ago, in fact, I was jealously admiring beach and seashore photos from the Athens Riviera that a friend had taken during balmy 18 degree Celsius temperatures. 

But when I logged onto my blog’s Facebook newsfeed first thing this morning, I was stunned to see pictures and read reports about light snow falling at various places on the Greek mainland, in Athens, and on such islands as Amorgos, Crete, Mykonos, Naxos, Paros, Santorini and Skiathos.  

On Rhodes and other islands in the Dodecanese, people had posted comments about chilly temperatures and strong, cold winds. The We Love Rhodes page, for instance, reported that temperatures of only 3 degrees and winds reaching level 5 on the Beaufort scale had brought the “first day of winter for Rhodes at the last day of 2015.”

And in an article entitled White New Year’s Eve in Greece, the news website Protothema described snowfalls in northern and central Greece and Attica, and reported on weather-related disruptions to ferry service to the Saronic Gulf islands and other places. (Click on the article title link to see photos and videos that Protothema included with its story.)

 

Snow isn’t unusual in Greece

Snowflurries aren’t unheard-of either on the mainland, in Athens, or on many of the Greek islands. Severe winter weather conditions including snow and sleet can and do strike virtually all parts of the country from time to time.  

But it is perhaps fitting that what has been an extremely turbulent year for Greece seems to be ending just the way it began — with dark, brooding stormclouds bringing cold temperatures and light snow to many parts of the nation.

As I reported in my posts Wild winter weather wallops Greece and Snow scenes from the Cyclades, Greece got this year off to a stormy start with severe winter weather that started just before New Year’s Eve 2014 and carried into early January.  There were More weather woes during the second week of February. After that, the country experienced a roller coaster ride of ups and downs, with national elections, financial bailout negotiations, the ongoing refugee/migrant crisis and record tourist visits, to name just a few of the many events that put Greece in the international media spotlight throughout the year.

Now, as 2015 comes to a stormy close, I’m anxious to see if the new year will bring better times. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that 2016 will indeed be a Happy New Year for Greece.

Please click here or on the link at the bottom of this post to see more New Year’s Eve snow scenes from Greece on page 2 of this report.

 

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Christmas greetings with a special touch of Greece

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Hellenic Seaways Christmas greeting 2015

The Hellenic Seaways ferry company extended holiday greetings on social media with this shiny red Christmas tree ornament decorated with a golden satellite view-image of Greece

 

Scenes of the season: My social media news feeds have been filled with hundreds of holiday greetings this week, but the ones that inspire me the most are Christmas wishes that include a photo or image of a place in Greece that I’ve either been to or hope to see someday. 

Just for fun, I have collected some of my favourites to share here on the blog.

Please click on the link below to turn to page 2 and see some of the Christmas greetings that have been spreading joy to me and many other Greece fans this festive season.

 

 

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A music video tour of Naxos island

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“On an island in the center of the world” is a 3-minute music video in which Kostas Doxas and Maria Makri tour top attractions on Naxos

 

If you haven’t been to Naxos yet, here’s a fun way to see some of the island’s beautiful beaches, fascinating towns and villages, hiking trails, mountain biking routes, restaurants and nightclubs. “Naxos: A World to Experience” is a 3-minute promotional video for Naxos that features a catchy pop song — “On an Island in the Center of the World” — with English subtitles for those who don’t understand Greek.

Even if you have been to Naxos before, you’ll still enjoy watching the music video to see how many of the sights and attractions are familiar to you.

The video stars Kostas Doxas and Maria Makri, while the song features original music by dj Rico – Vaggelis Serifis and lyrics by Yiannis Papadakos. The direction, script and photography also were the work of Papadakos.

 

No sandy beach? No worries at these seaside swimming spots on four Greek Islands!

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sunbeds on the coast of Rhodes

Colourful umbrellas and lounge chairs brighten a rocky stretch of coastline near Kallithea Bay on Rhodes

 

Whenever I tell people we’re going to Greece, almost everyone says the same thing: “A beach vacation! Nice!”

Truth be told, we visit Greece for many more things besides sunbathing, swimming and water sports activities. Still, I’m not surprised that so many people associate the country with bountiful, beautiful beaches. With its thousands of islands and its mainland combined, Greece boasts nearly 16,000 kilometers of coastline and many of Europe’s best beaches.

But the Greek seashores aren’t long, continuous strips of stunning sand and pebble strands. While those number in the thousands, much of the country’s seafront is rugged and rocky, with no sandy shores in sight. But that doesn’t stop people from enjoying the seemingly endless waterfronts in Greece. In fact, it’s along craggy coastlines that you tend to find uncrowded swimming locations that are favourites for local residents and for in-the-know tourists, too.

There must be countless seaside swimming “holes” throughout the country, but in this post I will profile four that we have seen during our Greek Island travels over the past 11 years. The photo at top shows one we discovered on Rhodes back in 2004, while the three pictures below showing swimming spots on Naxos, Santorini and Syros, respectively:

 

swimming area below the Temple of Apollo on Naxos

Several stone staircases descend to the water’s edge at a swimming spot below the Temple of Apollo monument (also known as the Portara) near the ferry port and harbour at Naxos Town.

  Photo by Rocio Lluch if the swimming area near Amoudi Bay Santorini

A short walk from Amoudi Bay brings visitors to a narrow channel separating Santorini from little Agios Nikolaos island, seen in this photo by Flickr member Rocio Lluch. Tourists enjoy taking a dip in the channel and swimming to the islet, where they can dive from cliffs into the sea.

  Vaporia swimming spot

This is one of several jetties in the Vaporia district of Ermoupoli, on Syros, where locals and visitors alike can take a quick dip and soak up some sunshine

 

Click on the link below to continue reading and view more photos.

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Delightful moments on Naxos

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NAXOS from Kassiani Koufaki // on Vimeo

 

It’s no secret that we love Naxos. We picked it as our Destination of the Year in 2013, and I have been happy to see Our Top 15 reasons to visit Naxos has been one of the most-read posts I have published to date.

As you can probably imagine, I’m always keen to view photos and videos of Naxos, particularly to see how other travellers have enjoyed and experienced this remarkable island. This short video called Naxos, by Kassiani Koufaki, is one of my all-time favourites.

Though it’s only a minute and a half long, it captures dozens of delightful sights and enchanting travel moments on the island.  It brings back many warm memories for me personally, since I’ve seen many of the scenes in person. But I think people who haven’t yet been to Naxos will also enjoy its brief glimpses of beautiful scenery and simple details that make it such a pleasure to visit.

The postcard conundrum

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postcard racks on Santorini

Browsing postcard racks at a souvenir shop in Oia village on Santorini

 

Travel tradition: Call me old-fashioned, but I still send postcards to family and friends when we’re vacationing in Greece. I’m talking paper postcards with handwritten messages, stamped and posted at letter collection boxes in Athens or villages on whatever island we happen to visit.  The real deal that recipients can actually hold in their hands, not a fleeting e-card or email greeting that will momentarily flash on their smartphones or computer screens!

For me, sending postcards is a fun part of our Greece travel experience — especially since I write the messages and address the cards while enjoying a glass of wine on our hotel room balcony or at a taverna with a wonderful view.

postcards pay here sign But picking the right card for each particular person on my list can be a bit daunting since the array of postcard choices is so extensive. At some souvenir stands in Athens and on a few of the islands we have visited, the selection has been simply staggering — rack after rack after rack, all packed with dozens if not even hundreds of appealing postcards.

What to choose? Scenes of beaches, mountains, landscapes, churches or villages? Images of monuments, ruins, antiquities or museum artefacts? Photos of cute cats, dogs or donkeys? Pictures of old folks in traditional garb or physically well-endowed young adults clad in skimpy bikinis or Speedos … or wearing nothing at all? (There’s usually even a few “naughty” cards with pictures of ancient pottery bearing images of two or more adults engaged in explicit sex acts.) I usually wind up purchasing more cards than I need, and bring the leftovers home as personal souvenirs.

Santorini postcardsWhat I particularly like about postcard shopping in Greece is the careful way most of the souvenir shop staff handle the cards I’ve decided to buy. They always insert the cards (and any stamps I purchase) inside either a small paper bag or a clear plastic sleeve, so the cards won’t get scuffed or bent before I have a chance to write and post them. It’s touching how some of the shopkeepers appear so grateful and proud that a visitor will be sending postcard pictures of Greece to people around the world.

The only downside to picking postcards is that I inevitably find pictures of spectacular places that I didn’t know about, or didn’t have time to see. But that just means there will always be new sites and attractions to explore on a return visit.

Kokkari postcard shop

This postcard shop in Kokkari village on Samos had the best selection I’ve seen anywhere. Besides the cards displayed outside, the shop had hundreds more to choose from inside!

 

Kokkari postcard shop

Some of the cards displayed outside the Kokkari souvenir shop.

 

Archetype souvenir shop Mykonos

A cat snoozes beneath a postcard display at the Archetype souvenir shop near the Paraportiani church in Mykonos Town

 Archetype Souvenir Shop

Night view of the Archetype souvenir shop in Mykonos Town

 

postcard racks in Mykonos Town

Postcard racks in a narrow lane in Mykonos Town

  Naxos postcards

Postcard display outside a shop on the Naxos Town waterfront

 

postcards in Oia

Postcard racks outside a souvenir shop in Oia village on Santorini

 

Mykonos postcards

Postcards on display in Mykonos Town

 

Mykonos postcards

Postcards at a Mykonos souvenir stand

 

Naxos postcards

A postcard and bookmark display at a shop in Naxos Town

A splendid Naxos sunset

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Naxos sunset

Naxos resident Manolis Lykouropoulos captured this mesmerizing image of drama in the sky during sunset on March 5. If Manolis’s name seems familiar, that’s because I recently posted his terrific shot of the Temple of Apollo on Naxos during a vicious winter wind storm. You can see that photo in my February 14 report More weather woes as wind & waves thrash the Greek Islands. It’s the second picture from the top of the post.

 

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