From Santorini we went on to Paros, the "marble island". Paros has been known for centuries as a source of the finest marble, "Parian marble", which has been exported all over the world since about 600 BC. It was prized by sculptors and was used in famous buildings across Europe, for example Napoleon's Tomb in Les Invalides in Paris. Today that top quality stone has been exhausted but they still export the (less perfect) marble available.
In Paros we encountered the Agean islands ferries up close. There are many of these, generally bigger and faster than our Cook Strait ferries, competing for the inter-island business. Many tourists organising their own travel around the islands would use these ferries, and they are also the main commercial link between the islands and mainland Greece.
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| Loading freight onto Superferry II, while the Minoan ferry docks beyond. |
These ferries work with minimal infrastructure - just a bare concrete wharf in this case, in complete contrast to the complicated wharves and ramps in Wellington and Picton for our ferries. All people and goods come and go through the stern door. They also dock, unload and load with their engines running to hold them in position, and then depart all in a very short time. It all seems highly efficient.
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| The ferries are on their way again in no time, leaving behind these new cars for Paros. |
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| The mountain village of Marpissa. |
In Paros we bussed up to a little mountain village, all pristine white buildings and stone paved streets. It is very quiet, an example of the many villages where the young people have left to go to Athens or beyond for work. We visited a small "museum" which locals have set up in a traditional house, furnished in the traditional way to show how people lived here.
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| A thousand year old olive tree, on Paros (through the bus window, sorry). |
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| The old port at Paros. |
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| Octopus drying in the sun. |
In the main town of Paros there is a very old church, the "church of 100 doors" - although it does not have 100 doors, just the usual number. It dates from the year 300 AD, and is one of the oldest continuously-used churches in Greece. There was a wedding starting today, so we had to hurry through.
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| In the church of 100 doors. |
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| A tree outside the church serves as a natural bell tower! |
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| Fish therapy - I think I got some of that in Crete! |
Like the old town on Folegandros, Parakia also has a fort comprised of a block of houses. Our guide showed us where some of the wall was constructed using huge stones "borrowed" from nearby ancient sites.
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| Recycling marble columns and lintels! |
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| Our ship in Paros. |
Santorini marked the most southern point of our cruise, and with Paros we are working our way north again, and eventually back toward Athens. The motors started early in the morning again as we left Paros for Mikonos.
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| Our route from Athens to Mikonos. |
