Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Milos Greece Adventure

Ships bobbing in the port city of Adamas on the island of Milos


I left Serifos two days ago on a rainy afternoon, attempting to make the best of my remaining days in Greece with some island-by-island adventure.


I jumped on board the ferry for Milos, original home of the Venus de Milo, just in time to depart. The ride was smooth, about an hour and a half long, with a brief stop on the island of Sifnos.


The home I stayed in on Serifos had a great deal of fine pottery from Sifnos including a few beautiful blue bowls.


Upon landing in Adamas, a woman from town wandering the port asked me if I wanted a room. Her name was Nina. When I told her I was from San Francisco, she informed me she had relatives there.


I was led to a handsome small apartment building with rooms nested on three floors. Past flanks of black and white cats, I climbed the stairs.


The room was comfortable and clean with a refrigerator full of peas and bread and a hot pot. A gorgeous hand blown poppy-flower shaped fixture hung above the bed, with drizzles of gold paint in cross-hatch patterns. A matching bamboo loveseat and couch with a geometric patern in browns and greens from the 1960s. Other cozying elements included crocheted cozys and doilies.


It was maybe only the fifth night this year I’ve slept with a pillow that wasn’t meant for a plane. And probably one of the few in the last week where I slept for more than an hour or two.


The water was not potable, however, it was plentiful. It was tepid enough I could take a shower without shivering.


The port in Adamas was brightly lit against the blue water. I walked past bobbing boats to catch the Tripyti Road.


The vegetation here is a little different than in Serifos. Some beautiful red berries plants I could not quickly identify, gave off a sweet apple and rose smell. Sage and eucalyptus I broke off in pieces and inhaled.


Tripyti is a small town, like many others in Greece, with narrow streets and cafes and outdoor shops.


Guidance may vary during the tourist season. I found a single open market just past the main road. It took me close to an hour!


I was pleased to find Orangeade and Smarties, a British candy I enjoyed when I first came to Europe in my teens.


Just past is the Tripyti Theater, a lava rock and marble beauty, facing the Mirtoon Sea.


I imagined what it would be like addressing a group of people on the floor of the ampitheater.


I sat on some of the old marble columns and touched rocks and trees all along the road to leave a bit of my energy with Milos.

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