Naxos and Mykonos
Everybody loves Naxos. It is the largest and the greenest of the Cycladic Islands, with thriving agriculture that provisions many of the other islands. And while Naxos is very busy with Cycladic ferries that stop at Naxos so they can carry off olive oil, potatoes, citrus and liqueurs, vegetables, stone, marble and more, Naxos Harbor is too small for cruise ships and remains somehow unadulterated and refreshingly independent of tourism dependence.
We docked at 2300, but midnight ferries kept the port alive throughout the night. A few early risers walked to the seductive ”Portara,” which is a huge marble doorway that was built for an unfinished Temple of Apollo. It is now an enigmatic sunrise and sunset mecca, standing alone on a rocky offshore islet that is easily accessible from a wave-weathered walkway.
Naxos is mountainous and agricultural, so it is imperative that one get into the interior to learn the character of the island. We drove through the cane and potato fields up into the olive groves to the tiny village of Damalas for a taste of the true rural Naxian life. Gemma and Effie demonstrated the traditional community olive press, where villagers would bring their olives for pressing and distribution of oil, and then the absolutely charming local potter Manolis gave us a demonstration of traditional pottery. We had to make a return stop to the ship just to drop off all of the treasures we had purchased at unbelievably low prices, including plastic bottles of the local olive oil.
The late morning was devoted to exploring the labyrinthine streets of the Naxian Kastro, built by the Venetians over the ancient acropolis. Naxos has always been a central power of the Cyclades with its quality marble and emery, and its agricultural independence. The great fortifications were a testament to its continuing prosperity, and the world-class ice cream shop and spice stores weren’t bad either.
Cruising north after lunch, Sharon Grainger treated us to a sampling of olives and olive oils of the Balkan Peninsula. What a delight to taste such a variety of flavors from one of the two hybridized plants (with the grape) that have been the economic mainstay of the Mediterranean for millennia.
Every island has its own personality, and our afternoon stop was in the modern party town of Mykonos. Probably the most well known of the Cycladic Islands after it was popularized by Aristotle Onassis in the 1950s and exposed the distinctive Cycladic architecture to the world, Mykonos today can be a chaos of designer shops, night clubs and cruise ship tourists. However, we visit in the tranquility of the late afternoon to explore Mykonos Old Town for the reasons that it first became popular: the beautiful whitewashed cubic houses, the tiny blue-domes churches, the windmills, and the waterfront ambience of the only Cycladic village that was built low down on the coast.
We returned to Panorama to find that the best restaurant and liveliest Greek dancing was right here on board the ship, as the Captain and his officers hosted a Greek buffet feast beginning with the obligatory ouzo and grilled octopus, continuing with feasting and dancing, and ending with a showing of “My Big Fat Greek Wedding.”
