Folegandros
Today we sailed to one of the most remote and unspoiled lands of the Cycladic group –Folegandros. Its name means “hard, iron” and this is the first feeling that it gives the visitor when approached from the sea. Its main town is hidden on the other side of the port and is built on the top of a very abrupt rocky hill overlooking the blue of the Aegean.
We drove up to the town and some of us started climbing up a steep hill that leads to the Church of Our Lady Panagia. The views were breathtaking; such colors, blue, white, all shades of greens from the plants and stone walls everywhere. This church had such an amazing structure, it was as if it was composed of small white cubes and circles put together to create the most striking architectural style we had seen in a church!
We meandered our way through the chora of Pholegandros. But what is a chora? Well, this is the main town of the island. Its main square was filled with plane trees and small cafes that were serving rakomelo, raki – an alcoholic drink mixed with honey and served warm…delicious!
This was not the oldest part of the town; opposite laid a sign saying kastro, meaning castle. But where was the castle? We could not see it….well, this was composed from the houses themselves. The outside walls of the houses formed the outside walls of this medieval castle. This way the Folegandriots could be protected from the danger of the pirates who would raid the Aegean. On the inside of it, the houses face each other with steps up to them, almost looking like a scene of a theater ready to perform! A main of narrow streets, flowers, and wonderful houses filled our eyes with lovely images.
Folegandros had captured us with its unspoiled and authentic style; we relaxed and took it all in! This was the Greece we were looking for and we found it!
