From Naxos we motored in light winds back to our starting point on Paros. We stopped along the way for a nice swim off the boat and to the beach at Naousa Bay, near the lighthouse at the northern end of Paros, and were back in port by early afternoon.
Our merry band enjoyed a final dinner together in Parikia before heading our separate ways the following morning. While all the others flew home, Ellen and I boarded a ferry for Heraklion, on the island of Crete, for the next phase of our trip. We walked about 25 minutes from the ferry terminal to our hotel in the old section, and spent the evening walking around the very lively city.
In the morning we picked up our rental car and headed to the nearby sprawling archaeological site of Knossos. This Minoan religious site dates to around 1900 BCE, but the site was occupied from 7000 BCE. Excavation only began around 1900.
After a couple of hours touring Knossos we continued south to the mountain village of Spili. It's a delightful place, with a large fountain of drinking water in the main plaza, lots of restaurants and shops (tourist buses come for day trips) and steep alleyways. One of those narrow alleys led sharply uphill to the small apartment we'd rented.
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| View from our apartment in Spili |
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| Fresh spring water in the town square |
Next day we drove a short way to hike the Patsos Gorge. This was an awesome hike. It started off fairly mellow to a small sanctuary to Saint Anthony (on a site which has been used for religious ceremonies since 2000 BCE). Judging by all the crutches piled up at the sanctuary, it looks like he's the go to saint for leg injuries. Shortly after, the route descended steeply into the gorge. There were ladders, fixed ropes, and wading in water up to our thighs.
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| Swimming hole |
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