The First Morning on Paros

After the overnight crossing from Piraeus to Paros, a first sunny day began in the heart of the Cyclades. Despite arriving late after midnight, I woke up before sunrise and was too curious for my first impression of the island. “When rosy-fingered Dawn appeared in the early morning”*, I sat on the terrace of the holiday home and let the scents of sage, mint, and thyme from the surrounding bushes, the mild and clear air, and the pure colours wash over me. Not even the knocking and hammering from the nearby construction site bothered me – the off-season on the islands is building season.

After everyone else in our travel group had also woken up, we started the day with a hearty breakfast in one of the inviting cafes and restaurants in the old town of Parikia. One of the most beautiful spots for this is Café Symposium. There, you sit in the heart of the old town on a terrace, picturesquely beneath a now very sprawling, shade-giving, and brightly red-flowering bougainvillea. As this is one of the Instagram selfie hotspots, seats are rarely available.

Parikia is both an authentic and typically white Cycladic village. Parikia is the ferry port and commercial centre of the island. Several thousand people live there year-round, so there is a corresponding infrastructure, e.g., with schools, healthcare, a sewage treatment plant, and shops for daily needs. On the Periferiaki ring road, the main thoroughfare, the island’s only longer traffic jam forms, especially at ferry arrival times. We were far from the hustle and bustle of traffic in the narrow alleys, the photogenic cobblestones with white grout, the white houses with colourful doors and shutters, churches with blue domes, blooming bougainvillea, or the wide harbour promenade with inviting restaurants and bars.

The end of the summer season, however, was clearly noticeable. Fewer passers-by, and some bars, restaurants, and shops were already closed by the end of September or announced closures for mid or late October. On the upside, there were often clearance sales on jewellery, clothing, or souvenirs with high discounts.

Scattered throughout the old town are numerous historical sights, including Orthodox chapels and churches. One of the most famous is the Byzantine church complex of Panagia Ekatontapyliani (“Our Lady of the Hundred Doors”) from the 6th century. The current building, with its massive dome, is reminiscent of the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. According to legend, one of its architects is said to have also built this church on Paros.

Above the harbour promenade, in the district of the former fortress (“Kastro”), stands the Church of St. Constantine and Helen on the remains of an ancient Roman temple of Athena. Up there is also a popular meeting point for sunset.

Meanwhile, it was afternoon and time for a break at a cafe with a view. There, we struck up a conversation with a young man at the next table. He was a physiotherapist on the cruise ship MS Europa 2 and was currently on shore leave in his free time. He told us interesting details about his current daily work and experiences on board, as well as the destinations on the individual sections of the journey across the world’s oceans over a season. After so many descriptions, impressions, and experiences, we returned fulfilled to our holiday home in Krotiri.

Nevertheless, I had enough drive for another short excursion. A path behind the house led me in a few minutes to the hills and a wide view of the entire bay of Parikia. A few metres further and I stood above the cliffs. The Cave of Archilochos is also located here. According to tradition, the lyric poet Archilochos is said to have retreated to this cave to write his poems.

In the blue Aegean Sea, the islands of Sifnos and Serifos were clearly discernible. This heightened my anticipation for the coming day, when a visit to the sister island of Antiparos was planned, offering new and unusual impressions.

*Quote from Homer’s Odyssey