Karpathos : a dream week in Greece!

Karpathos
For summer 2006, after having viewed all the catalogs of all tour operators that brought Greece and Spain, I (Mery), and my Love Igor we opted for what he has always been my dream since we have known him know that reality that I had discovered through a school trip and that I had entered the heart for its wonderful landscapes, on the way of living of the people that the population but particularly for the white el'azzurro, or Greece.
But we wanted a holiday that we would know the real Greece, that of red earth and barren burned by the sun and sea with the nuances that go dall'azzurro cobalt blue, it was a relaxing holiday, in a semi-secluded and where there was absolutely the sun! All these things, on the advice of our agency of travel, we could find all together in one place: in Karpathos, Dodecanese island, virtually unknown to us!
For travel arrangements we have entrusted to the tour operator Kompas Slovenia and in fact the plane took off from Ljubljana, which is located about 150 km from our house, however, the Kompas offers its customers a bus that, for the modest figure of € 23 per person, you draw in the house and practically takes you to the airport and vice versa (or wishing you could go to Ljubljana by car and park your car for free in the airport parking lot). The Ljubljana airport is new and small but we managed to get lost there, unable to find the door of change Kompas x tickets (it is outside the airport and we are looking for inside, but remember that there were 5 morning and the bus we had taken from home to one and a half at night!), but in the end we did and we left!
The company with which we flew is the Adriatic which, I think, is the national airline of Slovenia: travel in the standard (departure at 7 am with climate almost autumn!) With caramellina, sandwich and coffee or soft drink free on board.
After about 2 hours see the plane from a window-side esplanade, stretching from the Red Sea and ends in the sea: Oh dear ... is our runway landing! But the fun was yet to come ...
Descend the plane (at 10 local and 28 degrees) and we are literally "swept" by the Meltemi, the famous wind, blowing very strong, plus there is the van that comes to you when to take down the plane, but you must get across the track on foot, so it is empty! The airport itself, then, consists of a room divided in half by a wall: on the one hand baggage withdrawals, and videos, and other there are departures. The waiting room is a pergola outside ...! And here we were a mezz'oretta after they withdrew our luggage and having received the initial information assistants from Kompas, before our bus came to take us to bring us to ...
And here starts the real diary of our fantastic holiday ...

 

In the journey from airport to hotel, we soon realized what it could offer this wonderful island: breathtaking scenery, small coves and crystal rocks of red soil on the sea, little houses, little people, very few cars .... a paradise! Just what I wanted!
In about half an hour we arrived at our hotel: the hotel Votsalakia to Amoopi.
We can only advise strongly: and 'a 3-star Recently built, with spacious rooms all with balconies with a beautiful patio where breakfast, and, last but not least, practically a stone's throw from all the beaches Amoopi (which are 3)! We have chosen the formula of half-board, partly because the agency had recommended that there Votsalakia for its excellent cuisine, and in fact we were well in this respect because, unlike other hotels where the menu was fixed, we here had the opportunity to choose the main course of our dinner (there were two appetizers and a dessert, but those were fixed), a choice between four different every night! And all served strictly at the table by your personal waiter!
But back to our diary ..
Placed immediately after the luggage, we slingshot to discover Amoopi, partly because ... the stomach and claimed we were curious to taste the Greek cuisine! We entrusted our instincts and we direct the Tavern "Calypso", next to restaurant of our hotel, very inviting with its squared blue tablecloths and white under a pergola of bougainvillea in bloom: the choice was never more apt! We rimpinzati with a "Gyros Plate (grilled pork resting on a bed of tomatoes, lettuce, tzatziki sauce and a type of fried bread in addition to the ever-present onions!) And" Grilled Chicken Salad "(as the previous but with chicken).
At this point, now fired a bullet between the bulb and full-sleepless night, the undersigned has abandoned their weapons and was granted a little sleep. Baldo My companion, however, was not given for winning and went to explore the beaches of Amoopi, three in total, including two of pebbles and sand and lots of colorful boats docked a 'anywhere in the various bays ...
After about an hour (maybe she's alone!) Came to take the weight and took me on the beach (the sand): there was the usual "breeze" and it was really good ... but the call of the sea was so strong that we do not have survived even one minute to the shore and we went immediately into the water! The sea was an indescribable blue, never seen until now, a sea so beautiful, clean, quiet, full of fish that swam around us a few steps from the shore, and all around the countryside was wonderful ... we would not have wanted more away! And indeed we were to laze in the most relaxing almost 8, that is, until the curiosity to know what is waiting for dinner become very strong and we're back! Quick shower and down to the restaurant: Here we met our waiter (but not because I never mind the names?) And we sbafati in:
1 - tzatziki sauce, made with yogurt, garlic and cucumbers, to eat with bread +
2 - a typical Greek salad with tomatoes, onions (a quintal!), Cucumber (cut into slices of 4 cm. Thick!) And the savory feta (the typical fresh goat cheese, very good) +
3 - for me, pastitsio (a kind of pasta in the oven) and my love for fried fish, like sardines, very good +
4 - to conclude the whole, a slice of watermelon cooler!
After the dinner, more than satisfied by the lavish meal, we jumped back in our roaring scooter 100 cc. hired a couple of hours before the "2 Brothers" (whose owner came to us as "the man with the beard" ... and so it was!) for the figure of € 15 per day, and we started at a time of Pigadia, capital of the island and away from Amoopi about 6 Km
The way to achieve it is:
? bends at all, strictly no guardrail
? without lamp
? but above all ... more important ... especially VENTOSISSIMA!
Sometimes the gusts were so strong that my knight was hard to keep the route in its steed!
But when, soon after the last turn, would open before us a view of the harbor and the bay which lies Pigadia entire illuminated by the lights of the night, forget all the efforts made to get here and there in front of enchanted at the sight of beautiful ... (I speak in the plural because this scene was repeated almost every night of our stay!)
Pigadia is a very typical small town arranged around a small bay along the streets there are many shops (mostly of typical products such as honey, spices, and olive oil) but also many cafes and restaurants that look right on small harbor. While we were just walking, we heard calling from one of these restaurants and much to our surprise, we gathered in front of a couple of our friends and fellow (hello hello Anna & Dimitri!) With whom we have first drunk a "very good" greek coffee (not order it EVER! It 'a long week and a half cup is filled with money!) and then we rebuilt the typical mouth with ouzo, the famous anise liqueur d'true that the Greeks drink in large quantities as an aperitif and which counts as many as 40 °! (For the tourists with the liver just like mine used to the stretched with drinking water that you bring along!) And then, to finish the evening, the maid of the space (of which unfortunately do not remember the name, but that was just above the amphitheater that is at the end of the walk on the Port of Pigadia!) has offered us a glass of liquor with a dark color that we called then, was called "Red Hursus".
Say that the day could only finish in a better way ....

After a hearty breakfast consisting of: yogurt with honey and muesli + 2 biscuits with butter and jam + 1 sandwich with ham and cheese + coffee + fruit juice (breakfast that is repeated every day!) Program as laid out shortly before leaving, we intended to Apella, considered the most beautiful beach of Europe! The road to get here is almost all paved, except the last stretch and that is what leads to the beach itself, which is dirt with a hole half a meter tall (with the scooter ... A delicious!) But feasible. And then, however, the landscape seen from the road that makes you just think when you can finally put a foot on the beautiful bay of white pebbles and rounded (Do not forget to bring their plastic slippers!) And a beautiful colored caicco docked at the shore the backdrop ... a wonder! When we arrived we had already about 11 ec'era many people, but we still managed to grab a parasol and 2 x lettini the trifling sum of € 5! We have just endured a bank (the right time to make a fifty photo!) and we have been thrown into the water ...
But, you know, the sea is hungry and we are weak in that sense ... so, around 2, we direct the tavern "Apella", which overlooks the bay. Here, as we had warned our friends the night before, there is only one waiter and all around the room to 20 tables were filled (in Greece, I spend just about the service at the table, this is something that we noticed in all Local ...!), so we did not want infierire and we waited patiently to be served: I have taken a "Tuna Salad" (a kind of tuna sauce), a classic Greek salad I + a "Souvlaki" (read skewer) pork and the usual yogurt with honey and nuts while my love has rimpinzato with a "chop Souvlaki", practically a piece of pork ...
In the afternoon we moved on to other ... Apella bathrooms, more photos and then return to base.
Dinner and then would move to where Pigadia at Cafe Centro, Igor has finally tasted the beer Mythos ...

At 7 and 45 after, aime, a small breakfast (we were woken up at the last minute!), We left by bus for the one trip that we decided to buy from Kompas. We are direct to the port of Pigadia and from there, with caicco (from which we could see all the beautiful beaches of the eastern part of the island) after about an hour and a half of navigation, we arrived in diaphanous, the port further north of Karpathos.
From here, with another bus (driven by a moustached woman scaltrissima!) After about 25 minutes of hairpin turns without crash, we arrived at Olympos.
This charming village, nestled in the mountains on one side and the sea on the other, we really fascinated ... I do not think it ever forget its narrow winding streets where no cars never pass away but only donkeys, and their thousand steps white ...
Tutto il paese, poi, era in festa per la “Dormizione di Maria” e tutte le donne indossavano il costume tipico: bianco per le nubili, che indossavano anche delle collane fatte di monete d'oro (che rappresentano un po' la “dote "of those who wear since most currencies there are, the more the girl in question is a good party!) and black for married women with colored banding on the edges, and all the typical scarf on the head, and I am I have a knot in the typical merchant (read furbone!) greek that making a mockery of my sweat dripping and flooding a profusion of compliments, it is well managed to wrest € 5! All doors of the houses were open to everyone, tourists and villagers, they could celebrate together ... beautiful!
Around 11 and 30 we have direct x lunch (yes, I know, it was a little 'early, but the place was small and we feared that we fill!), Advised by Kompas assistants, in the windmill yet functioning of the country, which has now been transformed into the tavern, in fact, "The Milos. All dishes are served to customers in large casserole cooked in a wood oven at the local, so it seems to really be friends! It 'also a family: the mother-grandmother is the officer in the oven while the children and grandchildren to serve at the tables (not all though: most came dressed in their Sunday best after the end of the Mass!). The tables were all filled, and tourists that villagers relatives of villagers who have come to the feast, and so only after a long wait, I finally managed to enjoy the famous "Makarunes" pride of the tavern, which consist of pulp-a kind of very strozzapreti-cooked and seasoned with onion imbiondita butter and grated feta and my Love has finally tasted the "Moussaka", the famous mess of eggplant, meat sauce and vegetables.
In the early afternoon, then, we visited the church, a riot of dark wood and gold icons in the Orthodox style!
At about 2, then we went to a bercé tasty frappe '(which for the Greeks is: Nescafe, milk and sugar shaken!) In the bar "from Sofia, just at the village, managed by a small lady smiling very kind and very picturesque: it had a head scarf in black from which sprout long locks of gray hair!
At 2 and a half we returned to diaphanous, where we had about 2 ½ hours of freedom: we have spent a po'a make photos in lap (diaphanous and a real jewel of architecture karpaziana, white and blue with a church that seems to marzipan!) and, before returning, we have a swim in the sea!
At 5 o'clock the captain has turned on the caicco engines and we have reported a Pigadia and here at the hotel.
Cena then Pigadia: evening spent at the "Coffee Sergiani", always on the banks of the port of Pigadia, where I have enjoyed an excellent waffel with yogurt, honey and nuts, and my Igor has drunk a granita (we have not yet understood that taste it, though!)

Today, with a scooter from "well" 150 cc. Since we had left there in the early morning (the change of power has not changed, however, the daily rate!) We decided to tackle the western part of the island.
We went to Menetes, Arkasi, Finiki (all roads in good condition) and then, in late morning, after a moment to be stopped on the beach of Sikelao, we decided to put roots on the beach of Proni: waves were very high and we were completely alone! All the beaches of the west are less popular, perhaps because the sea here is much more motivated and just a few meters from the shore is very deep!
We were to enjoy the show for a long time ', until, that is, not the other two tourists have arrived and we decided to go for lunch to let them enjoy a little' of the peace in solitude ... A ' only negative note in this wild paradise (I mean the beaches of the west) is the filth and garbage that are somewhat 'everywhere ...
We then returned to Finiki where, again by chance, we re-met our friends the first night and we went to lunch with them and their other 2 friends to the tavern "Dimitri's" that overlooks the bay and where, with 13 € a head, we have just eaten the good fish caught all the owners of restaurants Finiki, in fact, have their boat, anchored in the harbor of this beautiful village, which come in every day to fish for sea fish then cooked for their clients! At the end of lunch, after making friends with the cute boys of the local owners who have given us the watermelon and a lighter head with the name of the restaurant (and the gift of local T-shirt with the inscription "Dimitri's" to our friend who is its called Dimitri!) we were greeted and divided: our next goal was Lefkosa, we have seen only from above, however, because we have the wrong road and we stopped at Potala (Lefkosa believing it!). Here, first, we were refreshed with a good milkshakes in the picturesque beach bar (very "hawaiian style", with its straw umbrellas!) And then we sling on bagnasciuga: the sea was very rough and there were Mounting throat ... so much we decided to address them! The waves were very strong and gave us what they wanted and when we left we were full of a cask strength of falling on cobblestones! But that beautiful, just redo it!
After we made a shower (strangely here was, unlike all the other beaches), we relaxed for a moment and, again inforcato our scooterone, we continued our tour with Mesochori destination, a village perched on a slope with steep and narrow streets that reminded Olympos. The pause, however, is not much time now because they were already 6 and forty km. we waited for the return to the hotel in need of his time. We then retraced in reverse the beautiful coastal road, enjoying breathtaking views of the bays below, with the mountains that plunge into the sea peak, where the white foam of Mounting contrasted with cobalt blue, of course, the sea ... The western part of ' island is much greener than the East, were it not that a fire, about 3 years ago, has destroyed much of the woods and still feel the smell of ash and you can see the trees blackened by the fire ... what desolation!
We then returned to hotel, dinner and then early to bed, because the day had been intense ...

This morning our program included the discovery of Kira Panagia, the famous beach with the red church dome. What can we say except ... magnificent! We arrived relatively early (around 10 and a half) and we managed to grab the umbrella with beds (which in the end we have not even paid!) In the sea, we had one thousand splendid baths in the sea of which we have always taken one thousand pictures ... then we relaxed a little to dry 'in the sun and we decided to make more pictures to and from church.
Around lunchtime we were directed to Ahata, where there was only one taverna on the beach where we rimpinzati with shrimp "Saganaki" (cooked with tomatoes and feta) and sardine "Karpathos" (that is marinated in salt and seasoned with oil and vinegar).
The beach is really beautiful, maybe a little 'more intimate because of the other smaller: the only negative note is perhaps the road to get here which consists of a dirt road about 4 km with the highest hole! However the game worth the candle because, particularly unusual for karpaziane beaches, the beach has Ahata shower (if you can define so ...!) And bathrooms (let's leave, however ...).
Later we decided to make a jump to APER, however, for a change, we have the wrong street and so we saw Volada and Othos and only on the way back from a distance and also Apero, all clinging to the mountains!
We then returned to the base and, after the Lauta dinner, we were directed to a 'shopping pro-family and friends to Pigadia ...

This morning we decided to head back to the west and more specifically to Arkasi, the beach of Agios Nicholaos: an expanse of golden sand with a sea full of Mounting, postcard. Here too we arrived relatively early and so we were able to choose the best umbrella. After writing the cards (we were not really sure that arrived, but in the end everyone had his!) And having a swim, we returned in the picturesque Finiki, where we enjoyed the excellent grilled fish (€ 30 in two) to the tavern "Finiki view" in the company of two cute kittens red ...
In the afternoon we devoted to more intensive in a couple of beaches that had not yet seen in the west coast: the first was Karamachia Beach, while the other, which is a little 'after Arkasi and is the most westerly point of 'island called Agios Theodoros, from where they could see well the small island of Kassos. We then returned to the hotel, thinking of having to meet the assistants Kompas for instructions for return: instead they were already past and we were left a card with instructions to the reception! We then ended the afternoon in one of the beaches Amoopi, relax a little 'after the many km. pathways in the day.
Then dinner at the hotel and after dinner Pigadia purchases for the last ...

The last day of this splendid reality

Since we were without a scooter, returned early in the morning to the "man with the beard," we decided to spend the day in our beach house or beach sand Amoopi.
For lunch, instead, we went to the tavern "Hesperides", where we ate divinely under a pergola of bunches of grapes!
In the afternoon, then, we returned to the beach below the house, but because of the strong wind we had to escape immediately broke a lance in favor of this strong wind, however, because, although sometimes (often!) May seem really annoying, in reality is the real secret to survive Karpathos! And yes, because when you're on the beach and there are 36 degrees, thanks to the wind, it seems that there are at least 10 less and you can get hours and hours without suffering (and I suffer much from the heat!) While at night, if only there's the wind you can sleep because at least the wind sends away the mosquitoes (which are really fastidiosissime here!) We, the only night that there was no wind, we were unable to close eye, so blessed be ... Meltemi!
However, returning to us, we passed the last evening while walking along the seafront and finally we went to the last milkshakes bercé of our holiday coffee "Avra" on the beach.

20.08.2006
At 9 and 05 in the morning arrived the bus to the airport and .... At 4 in the afternoon we were at home ...
An advice that we give you is to return immediately to Karpathos, if you want to enjoy some 'of Greece "postcard" because when people will realize the potential of their beautiful land (something which, in our view, not yet realize!), and you will go through, that there are yet, you have lost something magical ...
Buon viaggio!
Mery & Igor