Go Greece: Andrew Birbeckrevisits a Greek island with his family and begins making a new set of memories
TWENTY-ONE years ago I was engulfed by the Cyclades, or “encircling isles”, for the entire summer. It was a spell of unbridled freedom. I mostly travelled alone yet don’t remember ever feeling lonely. Memories of that time are some of my most precious.
It was with some trepidation that I decided to return more than two decades later with my wife, Al, and two daughters Anna and Katie. Back then I found Paros and the ancient port of Naoussa by chance. I fell in love with both. It seemed only right to start in a place I remembered so fondly.
Paros and Naoussa ooze history. Parian marble was much prized in ancient times, as it still is today. Huge quantities were used for the reliefs on the Parthenon at the Acropolis, a massive chunk for the Venus de Milo. It is hard to appreciate Naoussa’s rich past on first impressions – even more so now. Since I first visited, the town appears to have doubled in size. Head for the old port to get a true sense of the place and an appreciation of the bay in which it is set.
This was where the Russian fleet of Catherine the Great under Count Alexy Orlov moored during the 18th-Century Russo-Turkish War.
As you look out across the bay it is mind-boggling to imagine the Imperial Armada filling the harbour. The islanders must have been awestruck.
The old town that fringes the harbour is a labyrinth, an exhilaratingly claustrophobic maze of whitewashed houses, shops and tavernas. It owes much to its Venetian inheritance and, like Venice, it is a place in which to get lost and then find yourself again. The crumbling remains of the 15th-century Venetian fortress are easily reached via a breakwater built around 40 years ago and certainly worth a visit. T
he waterfront tavernas with names such as Barbarossa reflect the port’s buccaneering past. (Sadly, now you’ll also find the unfortunately named Casual Meat Bar). Along this stretch, a string of upmarket, exorbitantly priced restaurants and bars have taken over where once was a smattering of traditional tavernas.
Back in 1989, my meagre budget of £10 per day meant I did not frequent even those far more modest establishments. My solution then, as it is now, was to grab a souvlaki and a can of cold beer and enjoy the same view as the restaurant goers. Today’s price for this extravagance is around €3.
With our legs dangling over the harbour wall, the waves lapping gently against the hulls of the fishing boats, and the famous Cycladic breeze offering a welcome respite from the heat of the day - it is as perfect now as it was then.
Whether you’re a prince or a pauper the view is the same and you don’t get charged €10 for bread as happened on our second evening. I argued it of course and following a little good-natured protest the charge was reduced to €2.50.
Naoussa has become a place where the old sits rather uncomfortably beside the new, a resort where the odd billionaire’s gin palace bobs uneasily alongside the fishing caiques, or “Popeye boats” as we used to call them. Beneath the bling, however, the old Naoussa is still there – you just have to look a little harder, walk around the next corner, go down a deserted alleyway and stroll the opposite way from the crowds. Do that and you will discover unexpected gems.
The wonderful Yemeni taverna in the old town, run by the chilled-out Niko, is a case in point. His mother prepares much of the food, using organic ingredients from their own farm.
The dolmades were out of this world, the lamb in vine leaves melted in the mouth, and our two girls went head over heels for the moussaka – which was the best I have ever tasted.
The menu is simple yet has something for everybody. The marinated octopus mezze was incredible, and even the kids ventured a taste. My advice is stick to the excellent house wine by the carafe, either half a litre for €3.50 or a litre for €7.
You can’t go wrong. We ate here several times, could never clear our plates, and our bill always came in under €70 for four.
A late discovery was the terrific Mitsis taverna on the waterfront at the furthermost point of the old town. The setting is idyllic, waves almost lapping your feet as you eat.
The food is glorious, especially the fresh fish. Theodor takes you into the kitchen to choose which fish you would like and introduces you to the chef.
It’s sold by weight so you order according to levels of hunger – or pure greed. We ate their twice and both times we ordered dorada, caught that day and cooked whole.
Again, the kids loved it. Alongside we had a variety of smaller dishes such as mussels, small shrimps, beans and salads. Once more ordering house wine by the carafe is the way to go. You won’t be disappointed.
Nearly everywhere we ate we were treated to complimentary after dinner drinks and often a free desert. Bread, too, is more often than not free of charge. We came across no ridiculous kids’ menus either: the Greeks appear to believe, as the French do, that young people are entitled to the same food as adults – Irish restaurateurs take note.
The welcome given to Anna and Katie was quite overwhelming. The Greeks love kids – it’s that simple. When the girls uttered the occasional “Efhareesto” or “Yassu”, they were greeted with shrieks of delight. No ridiculous 9.30pm curfew exists and families are embraced as opposed to being treated as pariahs.
When we arrived at our rented house the locals quite literally hugged us. Throughout our stay we were inundated with gifts of homegrown tomatoes, cucumbers, and freshly laid eggs. It must be said too that we saw no evidence of a meltdown in tourism on the islands we visited. By Irish standards it looked like a boom, though those we spoke to said numbers had been lower than usual. Having said that, they did not seem unduly concerned. The people of these islands have survived far worse over the centuries after all and have a uniquely Greek pragmatism about such things.
Of course, Naoussa has changed, as I have, and is now a more outwardly confident, worldly, 21st-century sort of place. The locals are more affluent now, yet the older generation appears to long for days gone by, perhaps for a simpler more easy-going pace of life.
When I mentioned in my smattering of Greek to our marvellously eccentric neighbour Grammatiki that I had been in Naoussa 21 years ago, she cried for the old days.
So curious was she as to where I had stayed I set out to find it and was overwhelmed when I did.
The old, single-storey house was derelict yet instantly recognisable. There is a distinctive, stone washing area built into the ground at the front of the building. I knew I was at the right place as 1973 was carved into the base of the font.
My fellow lodgers and I would use this spot to rinse off our flip-flops and occasionally attempt to remove the grime from shorts, T-shirts and jeans. I remembered sitting cross-legged there for what seemed like hours one evening trying to restore my beloved 501s to something approaching respectability.
The room I rented had a concrete floor, a cot bed, and mesh instead of glass in the window. Perfect for keeping mosquitos out, and letting air in, except it did neither. I suffocated at night and was fresh fodder for the evil insects. I think my board was around £2 per day.
Even back then, you couldn’t expect much for that price. Now I was staying in an air-conditioned, delightfully decorated, two-bedroomed village house with all mod cons. Sometimes progress is no bad thing.
So what did my gang make of our trip? The answer is they loved it, unanimously voting it our best holiday ever, all three begging to go back next year. We have had an adventure together and created our own memories as a family.
No amount of youthful freedom can match the joy of collecting hermit crabs with my daughters on near-deserted Gliffa or Molos beaches, or creating a rock pool in a bucket and watching tiny sea-creatures through snorkel-masks and goggles.
No quantity of solitary cans of Amstel compare to the sheer thrill of seeing the awe etched into the faces of my family as we sailed into the heart of the caldera in Santorini and they saw for the first time the tiny white-washed houses balancing precariously more than a thousand feet above us.
Later that evening, we sat silently on the terrace of our very own cave-house teetering on the cliffs of Oia and watched the sunset and moonrise across the bottomless chasm.
It’s not everyday you get to see Atlantis. Memories are infinitely better when they are made together.
We hope to be back on the “encircling isles” next year to continue our odyssey.
Where to stay
Pension Anna, Naoussa, annastudios-paros.com Anna is a Naoussa institution, there for 40 years. The Pension is spotless and with prices from €30 per night per room, a bargain. All rooms are two-bed. Perfect for a short stay if island hopping.
Lena's House, Oia, Santorini, 0ia-santorini.gr/lenas-house Our cave house for a night. Maria is very helpful and arranged a taxi to collect us from the ferry and drop us back the next day. Oia is pricy but a real experience and worth every penny. The two-bed house cost €120 for the night, but would be more in high season. The view was priceless. If you cant book Lenas there are plenty of others to choose from.
Hotel Mantalena, Antiparos, hotelmantalena.gr Beautiful, spotless, friendly family-run hotel offering rooms and two-bed apartments in a picturesque port. This was the first hotel on Antiparos, built in 1963. An apartment starts at an astonishing €50 per night and the maximum youll pay in high season is €80. Perfect location, terrific people, excellent restaurant - a real find.
Hotel Attalos, Athens. attaloshotel.com A bargain in the Monastiraki area of Athens, a stone's throw from the lovely area of Plaka with its excellent restaurants and shops. It's family friendly: we booked a room for four, but were given two doubles at the same price of €120 per night. A perfect location for exploring the Acropolis area and the New Acropolis museum. The view from the roof bar is breathtaking, the staff are terrific.
parosweb.comThe website has a wide selection of houses, rooms and hotels dotted all around the island; enquire direct by email. We found Fisherman's Lodge in Naoussa on the site; it has everything you need, is compact and ideal for two adults, two kids. Email the incredibly helpful Christine Flouton; she's always happy is willing to strike a deal.
Go thereAer Lingus flies direct from Dublin to Athens. aerlingus.com For ferries from Piraeus to all the main Cycladic islands, take either Hellenic Seaways, for a high-speed trip (hellenicseaways.gr), or for more leisurely and less expensive options, Blue Star Lines (bluestarline.org)
