Paros - a paradise

It is highly possible I am more or less the last Swede, at least in my generation, not to have been to Greece before. But now I have! After Athens, which did not impress me much, I found the holiday paradise of islands that most people I know are familiar with. And I do understand why - Paros fulfilled all my expectations of a seaside holiday. It is of course busier and more crowded in the high season, but mid April was not a bad time to come. Actually I found it great with such a peaceful and quiet week after my encounter with the packed and

noisy capital.

I rented a little studio by the Logaras beach on the East side of the island. From my large terrace I had a nice view down to the sea and up the hilly little mountains the other direction. The very old and very active Greek lady who lived in the main house saw to that I got fresh towels and a clean room every day, and she brought me both fresh eggs from her chickens in the garden, home-picked oranges and the remainder of her own Greek Easter cake.

On the other side of the road there were sheep walking around the large field, and I heard birds from morning to sunset. A five minute walk, down on the beach, there were cafés and restaurants, run by Greek families whose friends and relatives came there to hang out and dance, lacking tourists apart from me. When I did not have the energy for cooking in my little kitchenette, I just walked over there and enjoyed the savoury Greek food, like grilled aubergine with feta cheese. Yummy!

Staying for a whole week under those circumstances was a good treat for my travel weariness, that had come into full bloom in Athens. I spent my days working on the terrace in the morning, then going for a walk to nearby village Piso Livadi, sitting on a rock somewhere by the sea and just enjoying life in the sun.

Unluckily, I began my stay on Paros by breaking my pinky toe. This happened on a Sunday, and since I had know idea where to find a doctor (and knowing they do absolutely nothing about a broken pinky toe), I myself pulled the toe back into position and put my foot in the chilly water for an hour. Some sms comfort and advice from medically educated friends also made me feel like there was not too much to worry about.

I did two little excursions - one afternoon spent in the main "town" Paroikia, which before the season has kicked in is a quite empty place, and one full day on foot (which turned out to be a very bad idea with a broken toe) all the way to the old fishing village Naoussa on the island's Northern coast.

For me, who had never in real life seen the simplistic yet elegant architecture of Byzantine Greece, the whole experience was truly breathtaking. I felt so silently happy and at peace around those basic but beautiful buildings, as I did in the varied and exciting landscape, with both rocks and sandy beaches, large wild moors with dry weedy bushes and colorful flowers peeking out.

This is the first place I feel truly sad to leave. I could easily have spent the rest of my time away here, had it not been for the fact that I had already bought a ticket back and a bus ticket from Athens to Albania. But I am convinced I will come back to the Greek archipelago as soon as I get the chance!