Jet lag finally caught up with us. The sail from Santorini to Paros was smooth as glass, and FT and I managed to oversleep to the point that we almost missed the excursion that we had planned for the day. (The truth is that FT did miss the excursion.) I woke up when I heard Amy, the CAD announcing that the excursion would leave in 10 minutes. I quickly dressed and hurried up to the gangway. I had just enough time to grab something to drink and I was off. (Thank goodness I rarely eat breakfast so it was not a problem to miss a meal.)
My first site of Naousa, Paros was stunning. We were anchored in a quiet harbor on the north side of the island. The town, the islands second largest, has bright white buildings and the harbor is dotted with colorful fishing boats. The breakwater includes the half submerged ruins of a Venetian castle.
A view of Naoussa
Paros is a small island with three main “towns”. These include Naousa, where we anchored, Parikia, and Lefkes. Approximately 15 of us from the ship boarded a very comfortable air condition motor coach for our tour of the island. We took a scenic drive of about 20 minutes that covered about 10 miles and went to the town of Parikia, which is the capital and the main port. Among some of the claims to fame of Paros is that the marble quarries on the island provided the marble for some classical statues including the Venus de Milo and the Winged Victory of Samothraki. The marble from these quarries is semi-transparent.
When you arrive in town you notice the windmill and the church on the harbor’s edge. The main street in this location is very commercial, and not too inviting, but as we learned later, step back a street and you step back in time to a quaint and wonderful village.
Parikia town
When we arrived in town we went to EKATONTAPILIANI – the Church of the 100 Doors, which is known as the great church of Paros. In fact, only 99 doors have been found, and legend says that the 100th door will appear when Constantinople is restored as the capital of Christendom.
Outside views of Ekatontapiliani
There are many stories about the construction of the church. It was commissioned by Sts. Constantine and Helen, in approximately 325 A.D. When Helen was on her way to Jerusalem to find the true Cross, she stopped and prayed on Paros at a small church dedicated to the Virgin Mary. She made a vow to the Virgin that if she found the Cross she would build a temple in her honor. In fact the church honors, or is dedicated to the Dormition of the Theotokos. Over the centuries the building has undergone many transformations and restorations as a result of wars and natural disasters.
Outside views of Ekatontapiliani
Today the site is very large and is surrounded by a wall, which contains cells that were used by monks. There is a large courtyard in front of the building. Upon in the church proper you are in the narthex, which is a covered porch outside the main church. There are a number of tombs located in the Narthex. Inside the Nave or sanctuary to the right you will find an ornate wooden stand that holds candles that the faithful purchase to light. The church has a massive dome and numerous other vaults. The beauty of this structure cannot be described and is best left to the accompanying photos. There are numerous other chapels on the site, but all of them are contained within the main structure itself.
Interior views of Ekatontapiliani - Notice that the dome is unadorned and that the icon screen is made of marble
After visiting the church we were given approximately 30 minutes to walk around and explore the rest of the town. The streets are all winding and the stones are carefully edged with a whitewash outline making the town appear magical.
Around Parikia town
When we finished exploring town we reboarded our bus for a trip to the charming village of Lefkes.
Views on the way to Lefkes
Lefkes is about 6 miles from town, and is reached by a mountain road. It is the highest village on the island. The road from town passes many abandoned marble quarries, including one that was last worked to obtain the marble for Napoleon’s tomb. Lefkes is a charming unspoiled village with a labyrinth of alley ways that lead to beautiful squares. The views from Lefkes are stunning.
Sites in Lefkes town, and a view toward Naoussa
When we finished exploring Lefkes we headed back to the ship, and had an opportunity to explore Naousa on our own. A wonderful lunch was served on the ship, and then the water sports platform came out for the first of many days of this fun activity. We spent the afternoon lounging on the ship and enjoying the beautiful weather and vistas. Dinner tonight was served al fresco and we had a table on the port side aft of deck 5 where we had an opportunity to witness a gorgeous sunset.
Noussa at sunset
Tonight was the club member reception in the library. I had a chance to speak with the captain, not that it is hard to speak with him, since he is always available, and learned that he was on a Fred Olsen line that had outrun Somalia pirates about 18 months ago. This guy can drive the ship any time for me.
Tonight’s menu included:
Starters
Marinated Crab Meat Salad with Avocado- Cucumber Crème
Spicy Thai Beef Salad with fresh Mango
Homemade Vegetable Spring Rolls
Soups
French Style Onion Soup
Chilled Raspberry
Salads
Greek Style Caesar salad
New Potato Salad with bacon
Chef’s Main Dishes
Marinated Norwegian Salmon with Potato Crust
Whole Roast Prime Rib-Eye Beef
Turkey Breast Roulade
Desserts
Chocolate Silk cake
Crispy Apple Tarte
Ginger Pudding with vanilla and Honey Sauce
After dinner we headed back to the cabin as both FT and myself had to work. Our gift from Sea Dream tonight was a CD entitled “Dream” with music from artists such as Marc Broussard, Samantha James, and Bossa Nostra. We enjoyed another wonderfully smooth sail to our next port of call Mykonos, a distance of 89 nautical miles.
More pictures are available on my flickr page by clicking HERE
The author of this blog is not compensated by Sea Dream Yacht Club in any manner.
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