All around the islands we go

In keeping with tradition, Greek weather only remained crappy through the evening of Easter, presumably mourning Jesus. On the day after Easter, we got bright blue skies and gorgeous sunshine. Go Greece!

We rented a car yesterday to take us all around Paros - which, if driving slow, takes a couple of hoursto completely circumnavigate. It was only minorly hairy at times, thanks in part to the weeeeee little car we had (which was like 4 sized UP, and the "smallest" they had that day (!) but which was also an awesomely ugly bright green and therefore nicknamed Kia the Grouch); partially due to the mostly-paved, mostly-marked nature of the Paros roads, and partially due to the fact that my dad is not as familiar driving stick shift anymore. I, sadly, cannot drive, as I am a poor unlicensed driver, as it expired on my birthday. Sigh.

But there were no casualties! And we got to see such a pretty island - we found beaches that were tiny and cold, but with gorgeous clear blue water and littered with spectacular marble pebbles; we went to the third-largest town on the island, a non-tourist spot that we were told was what Greece was like 50 years ago; we got lost several times in the windy cobblestone streets of Parikia, the port town (but found ourselves in time for an awesome lunch at a local souvlakeria). I really like paros, and I can easily see why it is such a popular spot for people from all over Euope to come and rent an apartment or a bungalow and just get lost for a month or two every summer.

The today, we went to a whole other island. The original plan was to see Mykonos, but ferry schedules being what they are this week (they are notoriously changeable in Greece, apparently) a day trip was impossible. Instead, we went to Naxos, the island next door. It's mostly agricultural, but the main town is pretty big. They have their own ruins there - an unfinished temple to Apollo that greets you as you come up on the ferry, how is that for spectacular? - as well as a really well-preserved old town, complete with Venetian castle. But the most amazing thing was in the oldest part, the Mitropolis, where the excavated ruins of the town are underground, really, and date back, no joke, to the 13th century BC. That is OLD, when it makes the Acropolis look like nouveau construction.

We walked about some and tried for Mexican food - it's been too long! - but it was sadly closed. It was hardly a bustling day, but it did make me realize that I like Greek islands a lot in general, but I do like Paros more than Naxos. Tomorrow, we head to Santorini, and we will see how it stacks up. I am already guessing gorgeous.