Sifnos is known mostly for its gastronomy. I decided to visit my old friend Marko who lives here. He was gracious enough to allow me to stay in his villa here. It’s nice to have some wealthy friends who live in nice places. I arrived here via ferry from Milos. The little harbor is known as Kamares. Although the island is home to only 2,250 residents, it boasts more than 300 churches. That’s like one church for every 7.5 people. Who needs that many churches? Highly recommend a visit if you are ever in the area. Not just amazing food here, but great beaches and nightlife.
Kamares harbor as I arrive by ferry. It’s a fairly quiet harbor as far as harbors go. There are some nice harbor- side bars and restaurants. After a 25 minute drive from the harbor I arrive. Driveway view of Marko’s villa, my home while on Sifnos. Not much to look at from this perspective. Very unassuming property from the gravel road.However, the rear of the his villa more than compensates for the ordinary view from the road. This place is killer. It has very comfortable accommodations for 16 people with 8 bedrooms and bathrooms. The little town of Ka’stro below the villa. This is where I found the mojito bar which is featured in some pictures below. In the distance are the islands of Paros and Antiparos.One of the many churches which dot the island. This one is known as the Church of the Seven Martyrs. With so many churches any new ones must make sure the prospective name isn’t already taken. Like the old Simon and Garfunkel song “Bookends.” The Papapoulos Brothers are enjoying an evening smoke while people watching. Their hats were a promotional gift at the nearby Gyros bar.Farms in the area. These crops are cultivated with little if any irrigation. Here are watermelons growing. Doesn’t look as though it will be a bumper crop this season. Above are the ancient walls which are evidence of the terrace farming that took place here centuries ago.I visited this farm during my stay. The family Narlis lives almost entirely from the land. The cooking lesson and food were Meditarranean and amazing. After searching my entire life I finally found my long lost Greek brother Georgios. He is the patriarch and chief farmer of the family Narlis Farm. Quite an impressive chef as well. It’s a simple but fulfilling lifestyle. Their perspective is local and not global. Must be nice.This place struck me. It’s a bar that sells only mojitos and beer. It was odd that almost all of the bar’s decor consisted of their empty rum bottles. They must be proud of these. Here you can see them piled on the shelves.More bottles adorn the wheelbarrow. They definately saved on decorating this place. Just spray paint everything white, pile the empty rum bottles in whatever will hold them, and done.Why discard even the boxes the rum comes in. As you can see here, they might be fashioned into decorations as well. This could possibly be the centerpiece attraction, it certainly wasn’t the mojitos this place serves. Those sucked.Don’t these cushions look comfy? And don’t miss the empties in the rocks just behind those awesome cushions. And again more white spray paint on everything.Accidentally woke up early enough to catch this.A very old local enjoying a morning smoke. Some people are built to smoke. Smoking seems to be a very popular pastime here. These folks make it look so relaxing. Almost made me want to engage in an after dinner smoke myself.Side street in Apollonia.Street flowers are found almost everywhere. It just speaks volumes about these awesome people. They understand beauty and are friendly, generous, and warm, not to mention really good looking too.Turkish style. Guess who isn’t Turkish. These two, apparently happy tourists seem to not fit in at all.I was able to snorkel in these beautiful waters which were also the perfect temperature. One more glimpse of these beautiful temperate waters. One doesn’t even need any recreational drugs to enjoy these amazing colors.
Soon I am off to Paros and Antiparos. I hope to make another entry then. Thanks for taking some time to look at these. Hope you enjoyed.
This island is part of the island group know as the Cyclades. The Cyclades are dry islands with only small vegetation. Milos is about a 4+ hour ferry from Athens. I choose to ferry, rather than fly. The ferries are usually very reliable for inter-island transportation and way more chill than planes. Weather can affect how punctual they run. However, during the month or so that I will be here traveling around the Greek Isles (September-October) it is reliably quiet. The days are sunny and the temperatures are great (70-86 F, or 21-30 C). Milos is known for its beaches. It has quiet little villages, both seaside and in its more mountainous areas. It is home to only 5,000+ people.
Map of the Cyclades. I plan to visit Sifnos, Paros, Antiparos as well as Milos. This is where I plan to stay during my time on Milos. The small hotel has only 18 rooms/suites. Highly enjoyable and a very close walk to the village for dinners.The Aphrodite of Milos, better known as Venus de Milo. This is a perfect replica which was made to replace the original which had been discovered here, and then “stolen” or “purchased” by the French by paying a nominal amount in 1820 for the priceless artifact. The original now resides in the Louvre in Paris.Oeatpo Theatre, almost adjacent to the Venus. It was constructed by the Romans in the 1st-4th century AD.View from the Venus and the stadium. The little shipping village of Klima is below at waters’ edge, and only accessible by land on a 4 wheel drive. Village of Plaka in the mountainous region. This waiter is just another example of how physically appealing these Greeks are, both the women and the men. And this guy is only average.One of the beautiful beaches along the southern coast of Milos. While sandy beaches are easier to walk on, these pebble beaches are a quicker clean-up.Another rocky beach with crystalline water. While the beckoning siren pictured here may bear some resemblance to my Sicilian housekeeper in my 2016 post, it’s not. I have no idea who she is. But her allure is quite strong.Octopus drying in the hot Greek sun. I would later have one of these tender morsels grilled for lunch.The bees like them too, as evidenced in this close upThe volcanic history of this island is juxtaposed against its limestone character.Klima, an old fishing village. I rented a boat (zodiac) to explore the coastline. The village was first established in about 1000 BC. Obviously the colorful dwellings pictured here are quite a bit more recent.Cave entry on my zodiac. I was told by a fellow spelunker that it was okay to enter, just don’t scrape the zodiac too hard against any sharp rocks.After 5 minutes I came to the cave exit. This was the only time on this trip that I did not make any wrong turns. The cave wasn’t very wide, so good thing there was no on-coming traffic. Not sure how that would even work.Rock jumping. Always a small adrenaline rush. Grab your “boys” and go. I met the group atop the cliff just before a leapt off. They invited me to party later on their sailboat, pictured below.My new friends’ boat as I zodiac toward them. Tethered to the other boats we enjoyed a couple of hours together listening to 80s music and drinking. “Sister Christian, oh, the time has come.”View from my dinner table on the dock in Pollonia.This couple is enjoying some cocktails near the water.Evening street scene in Pollonia.Last evening on Milos. View from the hotel over looking the coastline.
Soon I will head to Sifnos. Hope to file a log entry then. For now Kalo’ apo’gevma.
