(wonder) :
Hey, what's goin' on with all these fully-dark tanned chicks and dudes? Do they suffer from TANorexia? Please check yourselves in for treatment or something.
trail map
Story:
"Can't you scoot over dammit? Look how much space you have." i said to a stinky-armpit man with the wifebeater who set himself right next to me when all the ship deck was almost empty. He left. Good for him cause i had a bunch of bitchy comments ready to spit. I hate when they do that.
Well, i was on the deck of the ship watching the tiny little islands drifted by as the ship headed to Sifnos island. I knew that ship well. Not only me but everyone who used to go to Cyclades islands over the last 30 years. "Saint George" Yes it uses steam to move its body. It's the one with the unlimited layers of oil-based paint. You've got to dig deep just to find the very first color. Every year a layer, every layer a part of history. It's like a growing metal tree. By cutting the trunk you can see the tree rings which shows one year's growth. The tree rings are now the paint layers. Between them you can find 30 years old air, flies and insects that used to live many years ago, etc. It's a moving museum. Perfect place for archeologists. I felt like Indiana Jones on that ship. And you know something...i think it's too slow because of these layers.
I took a deep breath, some pictures and the stairs to where we seated ourselves , me-nick and peter. I've been in Sifnos 2 years ago with my girlfriend and we had great time.(i wish she was down to earth again :( ...)Anyways.
After 4 to 5 hours we reached the island. I called Aristidis (Aegean Eye), booked a room for 3 and we went to Vathi to eat something. We sat right next to the sea we ordered seafood we ate well even if the portions was the smallest i have ever seen. It was a meal for kids not for 3 hungry adults. If you wanna take a picture of a platter you have to put your camera to the 'macro' mode. WTF. "These tapas are great" i said to the owner but she didn't understand my black humor. But i'm pretty sure she understood the little tiny small-like-her portion tip. Then we left. Next stop was our room. Not much to say about it. Descent. The room master, Aristidis, was a very cool person and that made us happy. We had no beer at all so Nick went to the Tavern Leonidas next door to bought some but the owner said to Nick "No, i don't wanna give you beers" "Why? I'm gonna pay for bottles also" Nick said "Because" she reply. Wow what an asshole, she was so rude, so we put that tavern in our big black list.
Our room was at a place called Kastro (castle). It was an old castle at the top of a rocky hill surrounded by houses. We were in Kastro and suddenly we found the Fidel. Yes, we were face to face with Fidel Kastro the leader of Cuba. Not the real one but the greatest fan of Fidel Kastro in Greece or...all over the world. Mr Kostas, the owner of the Cafe Kavos. The best place in Sifnos, with an amazing view and with the best,friendly and relaxing atmosphere. Mr Kostas was crazy about Fidel and Cuba. He was late 60, dressed in a khaki T-shirt with Fidel's face on it and blue jean shorts. The same set everyday. He was the DJ or better the CD-changer. He was playing only mambo music and only from Cuban musicians that never crossed the sea to go to US and Miami. If a musician abandoned Cuba automatically took place at his black list. You'll never gonna listen to Tito Puente in cafe Kavos. He did the same with the drinks. Only Havana-Club rum not Bacardi or stuff like this. He was a weirdo but in a good way. I like him. He is so authentic. We were drinking at Mr Kostas-Fidel every single night. I was drinking Caipirinha. It's a Brazilian drink but Mr Fidel was all right with that.
I don't know why but i like figs and Sifnos is full of fig trees, so i was always picking figs and believe me were really yummy, a bless for my taste buds.Like the food at Troulaki restaurant.Wooow great super tasty food straight from the wooden oven. Meat that melts in your mouth, extra fresh herbs, giant portions the way that you would invited all your friends just to help you finish the food and...an exotic goat cheese. It wasn't a cheese it was a poem to flavor. Handmade goat cheese that had taken a 'nap' and rest for many months into the lees at the bottom of wine barrels.If your destination is Sifnos you should go and eat at Troulaki and you'll enjoy food better than mom would make if she was getting paid for. You'd better go around 8 o'clock just to see the sunset while you are eating. We did that way and it was awesome guys!
Couple of hours before troulaki we had been at a small rocky beach where only 4 girls was lying on the sunbeds. Topless, full-tanned and lonely. What a combination huh? All of a sudden, a 6 member Norwegian family popped up from the trees around.The moment they arrived the girls found their top and lost their happy mood.So did we.They turned over...we turned the car around and hit the road.
Next day found us in Heronissos at the top-north of the island, a traditional fishing village, where we ate fishes (don't remember what kind of) next to the sea using our hands and gave the left-overs to the stray cats. Before that fresh fish food party i had checked out the sea bed around and found that was full of fish-soles trying hide themselves into the sand.I wish i had an underwater camera. But hey, i've just seen a cool gadget in a magazine insert.It's a scuba diving mask with a built-in high definition micro camera.This is what i want for the next summer.That would be hilarious but i think it can be used for sky-diving also.
Maybe i'm one of hmm.. 3 people out of millions who really like to raising my hands up against the sun, watching my fingers glows red.Sifnos has great strong pure light,like any other island in Cyclades complex. And when there is a good light....you'll get nice photos.(i'd like to believe)So i hung my Nikon FM2n on my shoulder and went to the edge of the Kastro.There's a tiny church on a rocky hill surrounded by the sea.The light wasn't so straight and that made shadows look great.I wanna see the results but i have to wait till i develop that b&w film.
Well, the last day came. "Where are we going to eat now?" was the question. I did palms-up. "Is there anywhere left?" Yes there was. One of these little restaurants at the center square of Artemonas...and we went there and we picked one. It look like the sort of place where a person would eat well but ...no. The last meal was totally awful.A couple next to us complained because they found bags into their bread and hit the road, but we had already finished our food.As we 'run away' from the restaurant i saw a happy couple ready to go there. I look them in the eyes and made a sticking-my finger-down my throat gagging motion. I hope they got my point.Then we chugged some beers while we are waiting the boat to took us home.
As a conclusion. Sifnos is a great island, with great light, great food (except that in Artemonas -the first on the left hand when you entering the square), very friendly and smiling people, good at heart.
Lot of figs to picking at. But the most important is Kastro and Kavos bar with Mr Kostas.
Already start missing those great drinks that amazing view that relaxing atmosphere
and Mr Kostas motto. "Asta siempre"
Asta siempre guys. See you later. Follow me in Barcelona Spain where the first part of the Preparation Course with the "MSF" would take place.
Check this slideshow out
Friday, August 20, 2010
Sunday, August 15, 2010
...Thassos Island (12-14 of August)
Trail map
My sister Angie and George my brother in law had already planned a trip to Thassos island about two months ago. I had been invited as well to join them for a couple of days and i said 'yes' without hesitation.
Wednesday 12 of August. I was on the ferry to Thassos. Feeding seagulls can be a lot of fun. That's why kids was feeding them all the time. They swooped down to the stretched hands and grabbed the snacks. By the way, it is illegal to feed seagulls in some US states but not in Greece like money-feeding or bribery as well.
So i was enjoying the feeding and taking pictures of it. It took about half an hour to get from Keramoti to Limenas, the main port of Thassos and the capital of the island.
The guys were waiting for me at the port. Their hotel was fully booked so they spend some time to found for me a room in a hotel nearby.It was a descent two bed room with A/C a shower bathroom, a sea view and it stank like an ashtray.That stinky odor came from the 'never been cleaned' made in Japan A/C. So i had to choose between stinky and sweaty nights.
I took the stinky nights and felt again like a real smoker.
I dressed in my 4 years old boardshorts swimsuit, we climbed into the car and all headed to the Alykes beach at the opposite side of the island.
We saw the beach from upstairs. It was a great place with turquoise water and fine white sand about 200 meters length from side to side. We passed through a tavern to reached the seashore, we snag a free set of sunbeds and an umbrella then we were ready for a seasplash. I was about 100 meter away from the seashore, wearing my goggles and watching the sea bed. It was like a private swimming pool not with tiles but with blond sand instead. I took my head out of the water staring at the beach. Then i realized that all along the 200 meters seashore there were 7 taverns in a row. Not even a meter of empty space, just taverns. This is insane! We have to give a new name at the beach something like "The 7 taverns beach" or "Snow white beach and the 7 taverns" "The Magnificent 7 tavern beach" etc. Anyway, we choose just one to drink a beer and then we drove away up to the mountain to Theologos village, famous for its yummy goat-kid and lamb meat. The small center of the village was full of taverns. Exactly like Alykes beach but 500 meters higher and without the beach.It was the beachless version of Alykes.If i had visited only those two
places i could easily named Thassos "The tavern island". When i stopped counting taverns i realized that we were in the middle of a smoky cloud. Smoke came over every single tavern.That smell reminded me of something but i couldn't say exactly what it was.I found it out when we stepped inside the tavern. It was smoke from a burning coffee powder. They put some coffee in a dish, put it on fire and ..voila.They did that to whisk away the wasps the way we smoke bees. The place was full of smoking aluminum dishes. For every dish with food was an extra smoking dish. Smoking dishes was like "side-dishes" for everything you ordered. We took 3 main dishes and 2 salads and they brought us 5 extra smoking dishes. I double checked the Menu for that special dish with no luck. "Hope we don't have to pay for these" i thought. Firstly, in that table we were just the 3 of us. After the dishes arrived 3 dozen of wasps popped out from nowhere and took place around the meat.They started eating in the first place.They didn't even waiting for us. My sister has a DNA-wise fear of wasps so we moved into the tavern to get rid of them. Then the sweat came. Totally butt-sweated we got up, passed through the coffee smoke cloud and some flocks of wasps took the way all around the island to go to our rooms.
Day 2. To avoid wasps we decided not to eat when the sun is up. Wasps never do night flights.
So, we found a nice beach to relaxed. Paradise beach. East side. Perfect sea, perfect sand, perfect sea bed, too many kids dammit.So we started playing frisbee. We hit a couple of persons around. When parents saw that we were playing deadly frisbee one after the other removed their children from us.A-ha...We defined our triangle territory. Later my sister split...then we stopped playing...then kids came back.
We stopped at Potos to drink a coffee or have a snack and see the sunset. Then we went to a fish tavern named "kleisma" .
In Greek , if you just heard the name "kleisma" without see it written it sounds like "enema" , cool huh? Besides the cool double-meaning name, the food was excellent. Still got that great taste of the calamari in my mouth.After that fantastic meal we went to Limenas just to drink a Bacardi breezer right next to the sea, gazing at the shooting stars. I saw 4 in a row, George only one, my sister none.
Day 3. I got a "mpougatsa" for breakfast and a chocolate milk and then drove by to picked my sister and George up from their hotel. We just passed from a place name "Skala Maries". I used to go there 18 years ago with some very special friends eating octopus and calamaris.The place has changed a lot and i couldn't found that little tavern we used to eat at. Anyway, we went to "Rosogkremos beach, climbed on our sunbeds collecting sun-rays. Then back to Limenas for a quick shower and again back to Limenaria for lobster-pasta with my classmate Stelios and his family. We ate well, finished the meal with some 'loukoumades" (deep fried-dough-pastry with honey on top) and having great time.Then again back to Limenas to my smokey-smelling room.
We spend the next day to "Pefkospilia" (pine tree cave) till the time i took the ferry to Keramoti.
Last time i was in Thassos was 1992-93. I guess not many thing has changed since. I found Thassos much smokey and full of wasps. I couldn't found that little fish tavern in Skala Maries and that made me sad.At least tavern "kleisma" is still there offering great food. So...don't be afraid because in greek sounds like "enema" , try it out and you're gonna like it.
And remember. In Thassos , you don't have to drink coffee, you can also smoke some instead.
c.u.later
My sister Angie and George my brother in law had already planned a trip to Thassos island about two months ago. I had been invited as well to join them for a couple of days and i said 'yes' without hesitation.
Wednesday 12 of August. I was on the ferry to Thassos. Feeding seagulls can be a lot of fun. That's why kids was feeding them all the time. They swooped down to the stretched hands and grabbed the snacks. By the way, it is illegal to feed seagulls in some US states but not in Greece like money-feeding or bribery as well.So i was enjoying the feeding and taking pictures of it. It took about half an hour to get from Keramoti to Limenas, the main port of Thassos and the capital of the island.
The guys were waiting for me at the port. Their hotel was fully booked so they spend some time to found for me a room in a hotel nearby.It was a descent two bed room with A/C a shower bathroom, a sea view and it stank like an ashtray.That stinky odor came from the 'never been cleaned' made in Japan A/C. So i had to choose between stinky and sweaty nights.
I took the stinky nights and felt again like a real smoker.I dressed in my 4 years old boardshorts swimsuit, we climbed into the car and all headed to the Alykes beach at the opposite side of the island.
We saw the beach from upstairs. It was a great place with turquoise water and fine white sand about 200 meters length from side to side. We passed through a tavern to reached the seashore, we snag a free set of sunbeds and an umbrella then we were ready for a seasplash. I was about 100 meter away from the seashore, wearing my goggles and watching the sea bed. It was like a private swimming pool not with tiles but with blond sand instead. I took my head out of the water staring at the beach. Then i realized that all along the 200 meters seashore there were 7 taverns in a row. Not even a meter of empty space, just taverns. This is insane! We have to give a new name at the beach something like "The 7 taverns beach" or "Snow white beach and the 7 taverns" "The Magnificent 7 tavern beach" etc. Anyway, we choose just one to drink a beer and then we drove away up to the mountain to Theologos village, famous for its yummy goat-kid and lamb meat. The small center of the village was full of taverns. Exactly like Alykes beach but 500 meters higher and without the beach.It was the beachless version of Alykes.If i had visited only those two
places i could easily named Thassos "The tavern island". When i stopped counting taverns i realized that we were in the middle of a smoky cloud. Smoke came over every single tavern.That smell reminded me of something but i couldn't say exactly what it was.I found it out when we stepped inside the tavern. It was smoke from a burning coffee powder. They put some coffee in a dish, put it on fire and ..voila.They did that to whisk away the wasps the way we smoke bees. The place was full of smoking aluminum dishes. For every dish with food was an extra smoking dish. Smoking dishes was like "side-dishes" for everything you ordered. We took 3 main dishes and 2 salads and they brought us 5 extra smoking dishes. I double checked the Menu for that special dish with no luck. "Hope we don't have to pay for these" i thought. Firstly, in that table we were just the 3 of us. After the dishes arrived 3 dozen of wasps popped out from nowhere and took place around the meat.They started eating in the first place.They didn't even waiting for us. My sister has a DNA-wise fear of wasps so we moved into the tavern to get rid of them. Then the sweat came. Totally butt-sweated we got up, passed through the coffee smoke cloud and some flocks of wasps took the way all around the island to go to our rooms.
Day 2. To avoid wasps we decided not to eat when the sun is up. Wasps never do night flights.
So, we found a nice beach to relaxed. Paradise beach. East side. Perfect sea, perfect sand, perfect sea bed, too many kids dammit.So we started playing frisbee. We hit a couple of persons around. When parents saw that we were playing deadly frisbee one after the other removed their children from us.A-ha...We defined our triangle territory. Later my sister split...then we stopped playing...then kids came back.
We stopped at Potos to drink a coffee or have a snack and see the sunset. Then we went to a fish tavern named "kleisma" .
In Greek , if you just heard the name "kleisma" without see it written it sounds like "enema" , cool huh? Besides the cool double-meaning name, the food was excellent. Still got that great taste of the calamari in my mouth.After that fantastic meal we went to Limenas just to drink a Bacardi breezer right next to the sea, gazing at the shooting stars. I saw 4 in a row, George only one, my sister none.Day 3. I got a "mpougatsa" for breakfast and a chocolate milk and then drove by to picked my sister and George up from their hotel. We just passed from a place name "Skala Maries". I used to go there 18 years ago with some very special friends eating octopus and calamaris.The place has changed a lot and i couldn't found that little tavern we used to eat at. Anyway, we went to "Rosogkremos beach, climbed on our sunbeds collecting sun-rays. Then back to Limenas for a quick shower and again back to Limenaria for lobster-pasta with my classmate Stelios and his family. We ate well, finished the meal with some 'loukoumades" (deep fried-dough-pastry with honey on top) and having great time.Then again back to Limenas to my smokey-smelling room.
We spend the next day to "Pefkospilia" (pine tree cave) till the time i took the ferry to Keramoti.
Last time i was in Thassos was 1992-93. I guess not many thing has changed since. I found Thassos much smokey and full of wasps. I couldn't found that little fish tavern in Skala Maries and that made me sad.At least tavern "kleisma" is still there offering great food. So...don't be afraid because in greek sounds like "enema" , try it out and you're gonna like it.
And remember. In Thassos , you don't have to drink coffee, you can also smoke some instead.
c.u.later
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