Honeymoon Crashers

September 16, 2015

The true purpose of our trip to Greece was to join up with our friends, John and Luisa.  They were on a month-long honeymoon in Greece (where John’s family is from), and we decided it was the perfect time to crash their holiday!  We met up on the island of Paros, where we rented a beautiful house near Piso Livadi, directly across from postcard perfect Logaras Beach, for five nights.  As soon as we disembarked from our ferry, we were welcomed with the sight of John and Luisa waving their arms to us from beneath a windmill.  They had been gifted a car rental for the duration of our stay, giving us the freedom to repeatedly exclaim “we can go anywhere!”.

Life was pretty wonderful on Paros.  We were staying in our own mini-marble palace with views of the royal blue sea from our doorstep and shuttered patios, surrounded by a grove of olive and fig trees, grape and caper bushes, and a garden full of watermelon and cantaloupes for the taking. Greek speaking John eased all our transactions and was able to translate the tales of the many natives we met. Each morning brought treats of coffee and greek pastry (bougatsa!).  We were in the wonderful water of the Cyclades Islands every day, and it was the perfect refreshing temperature to combat the heat of our final days of summer.  Each perfect beach we visited had it’s own merits, whether it be golden sands, sculptural rocks to climb, mini tide-pools, or privacy.  I cannot express enough how crystal clear and clean the water was, with great visibility, and no waves, so it was very easy to float in the salty sea.  Stella and Gabriel spent their days with goggles on leaving raccoon impressions on their faces, as they searched for fish, shells, and sea urchins.  Gabriel was obsessed with fishing and tried his luck with line and hook, his interest never waning despite his lack of success.

When we could motivate ourselves to leave our comfy corner, we explored fishing villages (Naoussa,  Piso Livadi, Paros and Antiparos town), strolling the waterfront and ancient fortifications to see the boats, sunset, and people watch.  Other evenings were spent further inland, dining in hidden tavernas (Marmisa), or walking the old windy Byzantine way to churches, passing multiple cats and the resting elderly, through the mountain village of Lefkes.  We slowed down over cocktails of ouzo, white wine and meals of calamari, octopus and various cheese spreads, sopping up olive oil and savory juices with fresh bread.

 

When our time was up, we all bemoaned the fact that we did not have longer – more time to nap, to sunbathe, to float, to stroll, to eat a leisurely meal, to meditate over both sunrises and sunsets, and most importantly – to be thankful.

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13 Comments

  • Reply todd September 16, 2015 at 7:44 am

    Great pics and writing! You brought me right back to my time in the islands. I can almost taste the feta! I remember eating feta, salad, and octopus every day, washed down with cheap local white wine served by the liter out of huge wooden barrels that kept it ice cold, even in the heat of summer.

    Ella loved the pics of Stella and is looking forward to seeing the islands herself next summer. Keep up the great writing!

    • Reply Sarah September 18, 2015 at 8:35 am

      Amy had actually told me about Naoussa and Golden Beach – both incredible spots. It sounds like your plans for a fantastic trip are already full-steam ahead. I don’t need to tell you that there will be no regrets.

  • Reply Susan September 16, 2015 at 8:45 am

    We are having so much fun following your travels. Amazing photographs!! Hugs to you all from the Eichmans.

    • Reply Sarah September 18, 2015 at 8:32 am

      Thank you. We send hugs right back!

  • Reply Mark Fahey September 16, 2015 at 10:07 am

    Great updates. Really enjoying the journey and especially the valuable information I’m taking down for future travel! Have fun and remember mantra verde! Oh… And the Timbers are flailing… Sorry

    • Reply Sarah September 18, 2015 at 8:32 am

      Hello Mark, I really appreciate the positive feedback. The trip has been amazing, and there is still so much more to share. Bummer about the Timbers…

  • Reply Lisa September 16, 2015 at 8:38 pm

    I love your writing. I love these photos.

    • Reply Sarah September 18, 2015 at 8:30 am

      Thank you! I really wish I had more time to write, as I have an ongoing dialogue in my head which needs an outlet.

  • Reply Kristina September 17, 2015 at 9:37 pm

    I want to go to there, as Liz Lemon said.

    • Reply Sarah September 28, 2015 at 12:23 am

      You should!

  • Reply Rose Marie Starke September 22, 2015 at 5:54 pm

    You have taken some absolutely BEAUTIFUL photographs. I especially like image 2957 of looking through an arch of rocks at the tied up boat and the island homes in the background. Would you mind if I did a personal painting of this photo for myself?

    • Reply Daniel September 23, 2015 at 1:47 pm

      Hello Rose Marie, Thank you for asking. You are welcome to make a painting out of that particular photo. We’d love to see the finished artwork!

  • Reply mike gamber December 1, 2015 at 4:47 pm

    Dan .. you captured the light and beauty of Greece so well in your photos.

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