Cyclades

: Santorini

Tue. 2^nd, 14^th day

I got up at 5:30 to be in Rafina at 7:00, but I got lost and arrived there at 10:00. The next ferry would go in more than seven hours, I decided to spend the time on the shore. It felt good that I managed to built myself a sun protection and I used my gas-cooker to prepare some warm food. The rest of the time I was swimming and catching crabs ;)
The passage to Mykonos was pleasing, but the island was not. The campsite was like a H&M store, friendly and correct, but skin-deep. To me it seemed as if the spirit of this island had been broken. Too many tourists.

Now I had been two weeks on the road and at this moment I had enough. I just wanted to leave this island as fast as possible.

Wed. 3^rd, 15^th day

I was happy that I had fled from Mykonos. Even though Mykonos had been the first place where I saw the typical white Greek cubic-houses with blue doors and windows. That was beautiful, but the atmosphere of the whole island had scared me away. Here on Paros it was different. I checked in a campsite near Naoussa and it was fine. Since it was late season there was hardly anybody, a Mercedes Benz stood there near the entrance with a door wide open the whole day - it seemed that you wouldn't have to be afraid that someone would steal anything. There also was a free *washing machine* and a fridge.

I was eating quite often, because it seemed to be the best entertainment at that moment. I was wondering if I burned the candle at both ends with this trip. I felt somewhat lonely, but I was looking forward to exploring the island on the next day.

: Mykonos

: Fira on Santorini

Thur. 4^th, 16^th day

When I woke up this morning wind was blowing on the campsite, partly strong. Sitting on the good Honda brought me to the village of Marpissa. Right next to this village is a hill carrying the monastery St. Antonius at the top. On my way up I saw a derelict building, the ceiling was collapsed, somehow it seemed like a little chapel to me. I found a prominent rock with a marvellous view at the top of the hill. Wind was blowing constantly at this spot, and I was sitting there for a long time, gazing at the landscape and enjoying the romantic feeling the wind had triggered in me. Next I visited the "mountain" village Lefkes. All the kids were playing cheerful in a little park, I liked that a lot!! I was also seriously eying the cemetary, its style was quite different to the Austrian ones. The graves consisted of marble, mostly white. Most of them had photographes that had been transfered on stone and a little shrine at the head-end containing flowers, pictures and petroleum. Also books made of stone were common.

Near the village of Marathi was on old marble-mine. I went in as deep as my courage let me. It must have been terrible to work in here, but just getting a shiver beeing a visitor to this cold, damp, dark place was great. I was also happy to be out of there safe.
The wind is blowing sand into the tent, if you don't take care!

Fri. 5th, 17th day

I saw a meadow today, which slowly descended to the sea. I just stopped and ran down the whole slope. It was wonderful but I also felt lonley.

In the evening I found a strange place where the island was so narrow, that two shores were really close to each other. I watched the sun go down on the western one, wind was blowing constantly. For some reason it made me think of Abe.

Visiting the village of Naussa I got myself a copy of The Odyssey by Homer, not knowing that it actally is a sequel to the Iliad. Nevertheless it had been a good travel-companion, telling me about Odysseus' long journey back home to Ithaca.

: map of Paros

: the place were I styed on Paros

: when I was there the place was dark...

Sa. 6^th, 18^th day
Today I made it to the southernmost member of the Cyclades, I'm on Santorini.
The island has a giant central lagoon, surrounded by 300m high sheer cliffs on three sides. The place gives a really peaceful impression and the landscape is machless, shaped by a immense volcanic eruption 3500 years ago. It is very popular among tourists, but in contrast to Mykonos my sensation was that people here are more relaxed and know how to enjoy in a more pleasant way... I can hear the music from the dancing-bar near the campsite quite loud, but I like it.
The motorcycle has startup problems.

So. 7^th, 19^th day
I've been to the black and the red beach, weow!!
..and to the main village Fira, they sell a lot of jewellery, much of it silver with traditional patterns.

Mo. 8th, 20th dayI would have liked to go to Crete tomorrow, but there is no ferry going...Today I was riding around on the island. There was a kind of a landfill, people had just thrown away things. For example a radiator grill from a car which was dented on the front side. The pushed in area clearly looked like an imprint of a hand. In this moment I wished to have a camera.

Hey, the FAZ (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung) is a good newspaper, and here, some 2000km from Frankfurt, they sell it to tourists ;)

Tue. 9^th, 21^st day
So this is the three week boundary! Feels quite "regulare" ;) ! I switched from the campsite in Perissa to a hostel in Fira, it had a relaxed atmosphere and nice people. I rode to the highest point of the island today (and released a paper plane there ;) In the village of Oia an Italian film team was making a movie.

"Are you making a film?"

"No, we are making a movie!!"

The thing was called "What will happen to us" and I guess it rather was some romantic sobstuff.

: Volcanic craters on Santorini

: Oia at night

: Houses

: beach of Perissa black sand

: red beach

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