Dionysus and My Island- NAXOS

Apparently I am not the only one who loves Naxos- over the course of history this island has been home to many, many civilizations- some of which, I am sure, are yet to be discovered. I will try and give you just a brief overview of its known history to give you a sense of the place...

 Legend has it that Zeus was reared in a Naxian mountain cave called Mount Zas . It was there that the mystical eagle gave Zeus the gift of thunder which he used to become the ruler of Olympus- home of the gods. The island was also where Dionysus, the god of wine, was born  (his cult supposedly still

exists on the island). The island's Cycladic civilization dates back to 3000 BC but archeologists are uncovering older settlements all of the time. The Mycenaeans were there from about 1600-1200BC and the Ionians got rich developing the sea trade in 700 BC. The Macedonians, Romans, Egyptians and Rhodesians ruled in some form of succession until 1204 when a Venetian named Marco Sanudo took over the island and build a huge medieval castle in what is now the center of the Chora (which means "the Main City"- all Greek Islands have a "Chora"). The Sanudos rule lasted until 1566 when the Turk, Barbarossa conquered and plundered the island. The Turks were briefly interrupted by the Russians and finally in 1821, through a war of independence, Naxos was united with the rest of Greece. Pshewww....

The Island is large, covering 166 square miles with it's imposing Mount Zas reaching up 3000 feet. It has good fresh water sources that allows the land to be fertile which is unusual for an island in the Cyclades. It is self sufficient and the food that is grown there is delicious. Amazing, perfect, and sometimes uninhabited beaches run all along it's western shore. It's quaint, charming towns have barely changed since antiquity. Donkeys still carry goods from one village to the next, many roads are still sandy tracts, and for the most part the weather is mild and the sea is blue and calm.

We meet good friends from around the globe here every September. The friends all congregate around my cousin, David, who left England years ago and became a barmen and night club manager on the Island. He knows everything there is to know about the place and makes the most fantastic tour guide. While everyone is not lucky enough to have a David, it will help to know that September is the perfect time to go. The summers are hot and crowded with tourists, but September brings milder temperatures and the families have all gone home. Mind you, there are still plenty of folks around, the restaurants will be full but you can  get a seat and the beaches close to town still have plenty of sunbathers on them but you will be able to find a secluded cove made just for you.

It is HARD to get to Naxos- that is why is has remained so untouched. One of the best ways to get there is by ferry. I think that the Greeks have an amazing ferry system. This sentiment is not held by everyone but it has always worked for us. We board the the ferry in Piraeus which is a port in southern Athens. This gives us time to stay a couple of nights in the Plaka ( the Old Town of Athens -which is magical in its own right and deserves more that a quick mention here) where we dine in the shadow of the Acropolis and stroll around the ancient streets haunted by the likes of Aristotle and Plato. From the Plaka you can get to Piraeus by train (subway) in about an hour. You will want to take the "fast" ferry to Naxos which takes 5 hours- but before you gasp- you will be cutting across the bright blue Aegean Sea in a state of the art hydrofoil equipped with restaurants, bars, cushy seats and even private cabins if you so desire- it's pretty fantastic!

Arriving in Naxos is amazing. The chora is a port with a lovely sea front brimming with tavernas and restaurants . Just off the shore there is an islet that houses the iconic skeletal remains of the Temple of Apollo known as the Portara. Built in the 6th century BC the huge gate is comprised of 3 Naxian marble blocks each weighing 20 tons and faces the island of Delos. In fact Naxos is famous for its marble quarry and many of antiquities masterpieces were carved from her stone.

 A "parallia" runs the length of the waterfront. The parallia is a wide plaza filled with outdoor restaurants on the water side and shops on the city side. Sailboats and small fishing craft bob up and down in the small public marina. Above the parallia is the old town which is a labyrinth of tiny, cut stone alley ways leading up to and through  the venetian castle. The roads were built like this to confuse
pirates- once they got in they would find it hard to get out! There is almost no vehicular traffic save one small but busy road that rings the outskirts of the city. The town is stuffed with wonderful shops carrying amazing handmade jewelry, fashionable clothes, artisan wines, liqueurs, cheeses, bread, crepes, art and romantic, bougainvillea covered outdoor cafes.

Staying right in town is a good option for at least part of your trip. You will not need any transport other than your own two feet and the hotel selection is very good. However, my cousin David, can find you the perfect villa for at least part of your trip- he will even rent you his own amazing place (www.homeaway.com property #421180) . At some point in your holiday you should get a rental car or quad bike (in America they are called"four wheelers") and explore the island. There are some amazing places to see that you just won't want to miss. Think twice before you rent a two wheeled scooter though- as many of the roads are still sand and the scooter can easily slip out from under you. There is also a bus that runs from the Chora to some of the popular beaches about every hour or so.

There are also many good walks to be had on the island. One of our favorites is a circular trek outside

of Halki , a town in the interior of the Island that is not to be missed. Here you can take in a vibrant emerging arts scene (check out The Fish and Olive!), have a wonderful meal in the quintessential vine covered greek taverna right in the middle of town then take an amble through ancient olive groves, past venetian towers, byzantine and orthodox churches and explore old vine covered ruins.

Beaches that are not to be missed are lined up along the western shore- Agio Georgios (Saint George's) is right in town and is, for obvious reasons, the most popular. It is shallow and calm and easily accessed . The next beach south is a windsurfing beach called Flisvos, the Cycladic summer winds called Meltemi blow across Naxos causing ideal conditions for all levels of windsurfing- in fact, further down the coast is a two sided beach called Mikri Vigla that has become known as the worlds best windsurfing and kitesurfing beach! It is separated by an otherworldly mound of boulders so the north side is windy and roaring and the other side is sheltered and calm as glass! Next up is Prokopios Beach- with lots of hotels, shops and tavernas- then the tiny, lovely port of Agia Anna which is my personal favorite and is the perfect location to have a cocktail (Banana Bar) before the sunset. Beyond that is Plaka which has miles of white sand and is dotted with beachside tavernas.

Naxos is the center of the Cycladic group making it easy to take a ferry over to some of the more well known and overrun islands such as Mykonos and Santorini. We usually take a few days and explore some of them- and they are amazing- but we always return to our Naxos and think to ourselves "it doesn't get any better than this"!



If you are visiting the Greek Islands (any of them) from the USA it may be difficult to find a decent flight into Athens. So do what we do and stay a couple of nights in a gateway city, Paris for instance. Then stay in Athens (the Plaka) for a couple of nights on your way home. You will not be sorry!

Norway- a Travelogue

It was the thought of the searing July heat in Memphis that made me do it. It was just early June and already I was finding the weather oppressive. My mind became focused on a gentler clime so I started pondering the possibilities.

Have you read “A Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy”? Do you remember the part where one of the architects who designed planet Earth said he had won a special achievement award for designing “all the fringy bits” of  Norway? Well, that’s when I knew I would have to see them and so, when I saw a cruise through the Fjords offered by Celebrity Cruise Line, I booked it!

Yes, this year, instead of roasting in the inferno of a Memphis summer, I was plying the deep calm waters of Norwegian  Fjords and visiting idyllic, tiny towns with names like Stavanger, Geiranger, Alesund, Flam, Olden and Molde and discovering beautiful northern European capitals like Oslo and Bergen. And I would see all of this while my floating four star hotel deposited me on their doorsteps and patiently awaited my return.

The cruise leaves from Amsterdam so we made arrangements to stay there 2 days before the cruise departed and 3 days after it returned. We had been there before so we knew how lovely Amsterdam is. For those of you who don’t know- KLM offers a direct flight from Memphis to Amsterdam so it’s easy- and boy, is it fun! Walking in Amsterdam is like walking through a living museum. While strolling along the picturesque canals you are likely to pass places like Rembrandt’s art studio or Anne Frank’s house and there are interesting museums on just about any subject you can think of. Amsterdam boasts a little over one million people and there are 600,000 people who ride bikes as their main form of transportation which is fascinating to watch- but we were reluctant to try.

The cruise leaves right after sunset and makes its way along the Amstel River to the North Sea at dusk. You pass through ancient lochs and windmills until you reach the open water- then we settled in and enjoyed the ride while the Captain made his way North to a town called Stavanger.

Fjords are an amazing feat of nature- caused by glaciers from the last ice age some of the steep granite walls rise 6000 feet above you while the fjord itself is only a 1000 feet wide. The crystal clear water in some places is 4000 feet deep. The ship glides slowly past thousands of waterfalls .Blue skies mainly prevailed but many times heavy fog chased us down the fingers of the gorges. Tiny towns, neat and trim , painted red and with grass growing on their roofs occasionally dotted the waters edge.

Each day we explored a different town. The ship would travel through the North Sea at night then begin its trek inland into the fjord at sunrise. By 7 a.m. we would be ready to disembark and begin the day’s adventure. Some of the towns we visited like Olden, Flam and Geiranger quadrupled in size when the ship was in port.

Norway is a place to hike and take in the stunning scenery. Tim and I would do a bit of research for each of the stops, pick a great hike to do and get started as soon as we could disembark the ship. Some days we would climb a mountain, some days we would hike to a glacier, other days we explored lovely towns and took taxis to their highest points and walked back down! Always, we met wonderful people and we still have not stopped marvelling at the dreamlike landscape that surrounded us.

The best hike we did was in the Flam Valley. Flam itself is a miniscule town with a famous scenic railway that took us nine miles almost straight up to the top of the valley. There we got off and walked back down through the most spectacular scenery  I have ever seen. The mountains closed in around us and bright blue glacier water rushed past us on its way to the sea. After a while we walked past a goat herd of about 100 or so, who unattended, were walking single file in the other direction. A little further on we found a tiny farm with a tiny path-side store selling plates of fresh goat cheese and wild raspberry juice. We sat down and partook- waterfalls crashed around us-it was magic.

On other days we visited the lovely busy cities of Oslo and Bergen. Norway has one of the highest standards of livings in the world and no where is it more apparent in these cities that are inhabited by well heeled people and lovely residences. It is said that ALL Norwegians’ own a beach cottage,a city house and a boat and that looked to be quite accurate. Norway hadn’t always fared so well, after World War 2 their economy stagnated but then in 1969 they found oil in the North Sea. Instead of handing over their resources to the likes of Exxon or Shell- the Norwegian government kept the riches for the people. They now have a free University education available to all, universal health care and a social services package for the elderly- they are cared for from the cradle to the grave.

Norwegians are a beautiful race of people, tall and strong and they are known for their work ethic. They keep their country neat and tidy and love the natural world. They live in an orderly, gorgeous world- and one day I shall return.

Prague- A Travelogue

“We have been lied to”-that was my first thought as I looked around this amazing, thriving city for the first time. You see, I am of an age when I remember the “Iron Curtain” and we learned in school that anything behind that “curtain” was poor and ramshackle. Those pathetic souls existed in hovels, stood in bread lines and wore thin scarves over their heads to ward away the driving snow. Maybe that is not what they told you but that is what my mind had conjured up.

So, imagine my surprise when I found this gorgeous city, just barely 22 years out of communism, full of life. Stores and restaurants are packed. Mercedes and BMWs ply the streets and well heeled business people and tourists alike are shuttled from one part of the beautiful, spotless city to another via clean trams, a metro subway, buses, commuter trains and even a funicular.

I have to confess that I had suspected it. My passion for exploring this world has put me in many situations where I have met many fellow travellers and I often pose to them this question: “what is the best place you what ever seen”? Prague is a hands down favorite of many folks and that was true even back in the early 90’s.

It is no wonder why! The city’s’ fairytale spires reach up over your head like magic wands. Cobblestone lanes meander in labyrinth fashion taking you from one stunning vista to another. Towers, that you suspect Rapunzel may still be captive in, stand on every corner. Huge stone plazas that have served as market places for centuries bustle with commerce. A romantic castle stands sentinel over it, the astronomical clock still chimes, apostles dance…and yes, a river runs through it.

 Prague has been standing since before the 9^th century, with the “old” town growing up around the Vysehrad Castle and the “new” town, meanwhile, growing up during the middle ages. From our hotels’ location, right by

Wenceslaus Square

and situated on the dividing line of “old” and “new”, it was an easy walk or ride to anywhere. The city’s  past is fascinating, from the myth of its founding princess to the Velvet Revolution, so before you go do some research because every step you take in this remarkable city is steeped in history. Here, I will just hit what I found to be the highlights:

The Astronomical Clock- located in the

Old Town City Square

, it was made, at the latest, in 1410, while the tower dates back to 1380. It stands testament to the knowledge of our ancestors and charts the course, not only of time, but all of the heavens, seasons and zodiac. Be sure to watch this clock twice: once in the daylight as the clock is striking the hour when the twelve apostles dance around and death, avarice and vanity make an appearance. Watch carefully! There are all sorts of things going on! Then, watch it again at night, when a cleverly orchestrated light show is projected on it and tells the story of history of Prague. Open air restaurants and taverns surround the tower, so get there early and grab a front row seat.

The Charles Bridge- Spanning the River Vltava and built in 1355- this amazing bridge connects the old town with the castle. Dotted all along it are 30 mostly baroque statues. Now open only to foot traffic, the place is alive with vendors and street performers. Take a stroll over it and walk towards the castle at sunset- just as the sun goes down musicians dressed in medieval costume stand on the top of the castle walls and play. I stood there stunned as they did a haunting rendition of John Lennon’s “Imagine”. Unbelievable! I still get goose bumps thinking about it. It will be one of those things I carry with me till the end.

The Vysehrad Castle- The stroll up or down the hill to the castle affords great views of the city and the self guided tour at the top is a must. There you will see the great halls of the palace where they would throw unpopular politicians out of the window

 ( an action called defenestration- what an interesting idea!), the “Golden Alley”  where the common people lived and the intricately built St. Vitus Cathedral.

TRAVEL TIPS- You will need a GOOD map! Buy one as soon as you get there- try to find the” city map-guide” PRAGUE 1:15000 with photos and texts. You can find them in the currency exchange shops around town.

Wear comfortable, low or heeled shoes- you are going to be walking a lot and the streets and sidewalks are cobblestone. Leave the cute designer heels at home.

Get up early and plan to stay out late! Some of the prettiest parts of the city are best seen before and after the crowds leave.

Bring a good camera! This place is a photographers dream!

We visited on the first week of September 2011- the weather was warm- pack shorts, sundresses, sandals and a light jacket.

How we got there, where we stayed and what we ate:

 Upon arrival at the Prague Airport we were whisked away in a limousine sent by the Sheraton Hotel (for an additional $80 roundtrip-if we had hired our own taxi it would have been $100).

Our hotel was The Sheraton at

Charles Square

, a lovely 4 star establishment in the heart of it all.

We had dinner at a wonderful, romantic restaurant located on the river front called The Hergetova Gihelna at Kampa Park-go at sundown- have reservations!

Karen Soro is “The Downtown Realtor” in Memphis, Tennessee. She and her husband, Tim, travel extensively. Her articles and/or photography has been published by Frommers Online, The Commercial Appeal, The National Sierra Club among others. You may reprint this article with permission- just send me an email.