Poor Fotis. I’ve been waking him up every morning despite every attempt at being stealth when leaving the boat for sunrise. The boat creaks no matter where I step and the motor to lower the gangplank is right beside his room. He exits his room groggily and asks if I’m ok. I give the thumbs up and he goes back to bed.
This morning we’re headed to a swim spot in a bay beside the island of Paros and once again, we’re lucky to have calm waters and sunny skies. Alex and Tom try their hand at steering the boat and it’s not as easy as Fotis makes it look. Every minor adjustment makes us turn abruptly and it takes a deft hand to keep us on the correct heading. Alex gets the hang of it and she’s our skipper for the morning while Fotis relaxes in his perch behind her with the gangplank as a back rest.
Our swim spot isn’t deserted like the previous one but it’s beautiful with turquoise waters and golden sand and rock beaches. I spot a small jelly fish as we’re anchoring and I decide that hopping on the air mattress is my best course of action to not get stung.
In the late afternoon we reach Naxos, the oldest populated island in the Cyclades. The alleyways are even more confusing and maze-like than in Syros and Mykonos and even Google maps can’t figure out where I am. I give myself up to exploring without knowing where I’ll end up and I come across several whitewashed churches and derelict buildings. In the afternoon heat, the alleys are deserted and I can enjoy my walk in silence. A couple alley cats follow me for a bit meowing, and then give up when I have nothing to offer them.
The unfinished Temple of Apollo stands majestically on the hillside facing East and even though I arrive over an hour before sunset to get a spot, it’s crammed with tourists. People are jostling each other for the optimal spot holding their iPads, iPhones and some even with actual cameras. I have no interest in joining the melee so I patiently wait for the crowds to thin out before snapping a few shots.
I meet the group for dinner and Fotis orders us a feast of lamb, meatballs, salads and spinach pies. Afterwards, Fotis and I walk to the ice cream shop and he treats me to an Aegean Sea salt chocolate cone. Delicious way to end off the night.
