Today was a day for lots of transportation modes. We started the day by heading for a horse back riding excursion. The taxi driver explained to us how the grapes and watermelon and other types of produce can grow her in this arid place of Santorini. It also explains why the grapes are not on arbors but instead they lie on the ground. The pumice from the volcanic eruption act as sponges and allow the vegetation to absorb the water from these rocks in the ground! Amazing balance of nature!
The horseback riding in Epiffos tot he black sand beach was a lot of fun. The horses were beautiful and well behaved. The ride was nice along the sea but it was the owners who made the adventure amazing. Alex, Manos, and Barbara were some of the most Al deed Im people with whom we have interacted. Manos used to be a professional jockey and his older brother Alex was a horse trainer. Barbara is the wife of Manos. They were so warm and welcoming and they went out of their way to make the time interesting and fun. We learned that the sea here only really changes tide level during the winter. Manos also explained the pumice stone helping the plants grow. At the end of the ride, they shared a hybrid cucumber pumpkin with us. It had the flavor of cucumber but the thicker outside skin of a pumpkin which helps it grow here by keeping the water from escaping so quickly. They served it with some vinegar on top. It was very good!
Then it was off to the port to await our ferry to Naxos. What a crazy adventure the ferry boarding was. There was little to no directions despite the hundreds of tourists trying to board, store luggage and find seats. It was the most chaotic thing I’ve seen in a long time. The ferry ride was 2 hours.
Naxos is much cooler than Santorini with an amazing breeze. We found our buggie and loaded all of our luggage into it. We headed to find our Airbnb. It was an interesting ride in that there were all road surfaces and the place was not well marked. We made several u-turns before figuring out we were there. However, it is an amazing find with gorgeous views. There is no need for air conditioning due to the breeze.
After cleaning up and unpacking a little, we headed into the closest town for dinner. Earlier today our one taxi driver told us that Naxos is know for its cheese and potatoes. I had potatoes stuffed with cheese, bacon and chicken. Yum! John had lamb chops. The server gave us dessert and ouzo in the house. It was a good dinner near the beach with great company!
John and I then walked on the beach and ended up at another taverna that had live music and the most amazing drinks ever! Citron is made in Naxos and it is delicious. We even found a drink more refreshing than a mojito—Naxian Spritz. This was also made with local gin. We relaxed here until 1:00am. Great time!
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