Folegandros & Milos Islands
After having visited Santorini we sailed on to one of the most remote islands of the Cycladic, Folegandros. We were welcomed at the dock by the cats of the island; they were so many of different colors and sizes, sunbathing and all so friendly…in hope of a pat and some food!
Rocky, rugged, and barren were the hillsides as we drove up to the Chora, the main town of the island. The name of the island meant the iron and hard island, looking at the scenery we understood why it was named this already from the early prehistoric years when first inhabited. The Chora was tucked away inland in order to be protected by the pirate raids that the island suffered for centuries.
Folegandros was a place of exile already from the Roman ages and again in the sixties. It was exactly this isolation of the island that saved it from mass tourism. The first car was brought to the island in 1974 though electricity only came four years earlier! Many islands have the spectacle, but here we have the feeling…Santorini has the sunsets but Folegandros has the magic and is for lovers of photography!
We meandered our way through the narrow whitewashed alleys of the medieval castle and the town houses. We stood in front of these tiny houses with staircases leading up to the first floor, one next to each other, they almost looked like the stage of a theater that was just about ready to come to life narrating stories from the past! We enjoyed a rakomelo…a specialty of the island, raki a very strong drink mixed with honey and served warm! Some of us made our way back down to the tiny harbor on foot just to take in more of the scenery. Lots of swimming…some of us swam early in the morning with Sharon, then after our tour in Folegandros and some even had a third one in the evening at the next island of Milos!
The cats were still there as we sailed away from the island, they whispered that we should return…Pholegandros was one of these places that gave us the dream of another visit, it was one of these places where time and space fades away!
Wonderful sailing followed en route to Milos, what shades of blues can nature give us, what light, phos…photography, the writing of light. We gazed at wonderful rock formations along the coastal areas of Milos, one even had the form of a bear, though suddenly lost in our thoughts two dolphins appeared to lead our way to Milos, they were so beautiful, they were always considered to be omens of good luck!
Milos a few millions years ago was also a volcanic island and for this reason very rich in minerals up to this day. The name of the island reminded us of something…the Venus of Milos; yes this was the place that it was dug up in the field of a local as he cultivating his land in the eighteen hundreds! Today it is one of the highlights of the Louvre museum. After dinner we strolled around the quaint seaside town that was full of life, local taverns and cafes with people relaxing and taking in the peaceful evening.
