My visit to Greece was not all stress and drama. I also managed to go to an island for a week.
I went with the friend I keep on ending up going on holiday with lately. The others all either don't have money or else have boyfriends/girlfriends to accommodate.
Our original plan was to go free camping to save money and because my friend likes the ambience of camping and the kind of people you meet. But the last couple of years with all the craziness that is going on in Greece the police have started to chase free campers and raid well known spots they camp in. Last year my friend had to appear in court for a charge of illegally camping and she did not want to go through that again. We tried to find islands that seemed safer, and where there was a boat on convenient days and decided on either Anafi or Amorgos. Amorgos is a well known island that also has an organised camping of worst came to worst. But in the end my friend found a good room in Anafi at a bargain price and we decided to go on a comfortable holiday (you know, with a shower and a toilet, and electricity and beds) and booked it.
Leaving the port of Pireus #pireus #athens #port #boat #ferry #greece #summer
Anafi is one of those islands on what we call the agoni grammi. It means a small island with low population and not much tourism where the boat does not dock every day. There were three boats a week to Pireus and two a week to Crete. (And other islands on the way of course.) Anafi is in between Santorini and Crete if that helps. We could see Santorini in the distance if we looked the right way.
Arriving at Anafi. #anafi #island #aegean #cyclades #agonigrammi #greece #summer
The boat trip takes about eleven hours and we always travel third class deck because we are not made of money to book a cabin! We arrived at four in the morning at the tiny port where the bus took us up to the Hora on the peak of the mountain. The owner of the rented rooms was nice enough to pick us up and let us crash in our room early at no extra charge.
#anafi #cyclades #aegean #island #greece #agonigrammi
#barenland #rockinthesea #anafi #island #aegean #cyclades #greece #summer #agonigrammi
#anafi #port #fishing #boats #aegean #cyclades #agonigrammi #island #greece #summer
#sea #island #anafi #aegean #cyclades #greece #blue #powercables #DEH
#powercables #wires #electricity #DEH #anafi #aegean #cyclades #view #greece #island
The blurred line between sky and sea #dusk #deilino #sky #sea #aegean #sunset #summer #cyclades #anafi #island #greece
#Santorini in the #sunset #aegean #cyclades #anafi #island #greece #summer #seaandsky
Anafi is a really small island with just one village, the Hora, which you can see the whole of in one or two days. There are some trails you can walk, but who is up to walking in the blistering Greek July sun? And there are about five easily accessible (by bus and a bit of walking) beautiful beaches with lovely sea the perfect temperature. And a monastery at the end of the island, and another one accessible only by a hiking trail from the first (but again, who hikes in Greece in July unless they are looking to get sunstroke or heatstroke?)
#megalospotamos #beach #windy #meltemi #anafi #aegean #cyclades #island #sea #sand #waves #summer #greece
Borrowed #umbrella #beach #sea #anafi #aegean #cyclades #island #greece #summer
#blue #bluesea #sea #anafi #aegean #cyclades #island #greece #summer
#roukounas #beach #anafi #seaandsun #sand #aegean #cyclades #island #summer #holidays
#kleisidi #beach #seaandsun #anafi #aegean #island #cyclades #greece #summer #agonigrammi
In other words Anafi is not an island to visit if you want to see sites. It's not an island to visit if you want to have an active nightlife and pick up guys either. There are three bars (we were too lazy to visit any of them) and eight or so tavernas. It's a really laid back place and the people who go there go for a lazy relaxing time. The main tourists were couples, families and laid back campers. Besides greeks there were also french (families), italian (couples) and the handful of ubiquitous americans you find everywhere.
#anafi #aegean #cyclades #hora #island #greece
#geometry #shadows #blueandwhite #anafi #hora #aegean #cyclades #island #greece
#architecture #white #blueandwhite #anafi #hora #aegean #cyclades #island #greece
#geometry #white #blueandwhite #anafi #hora #aegean #cyclades #island #greece
#gate #cross #anafi #hora #blueandwhite #aegean #cyclades #island #greece
#clothespegs #wires #blueandwhite #anafi #aegean #cyclades #island #greece
#anafi #hora #aegean #cyclades #island #greece
#architecture #church #blueandwhite #anafi #hora #aegean #cyclades #island #greece
#bell #belfry #church #dusk #blueandwhite #anafi #hora #aegean #cyclades #island #greece
#window #dusk #blue #blueandwhite #anafi #hora #aegean #cyclades #island #greece
#cactus #stairs #blueandwhite #anafi #hora #aegean #cyclades #island #greece
#blueandwhite #anafi #hora #island #aegean #cyclades #greece #summer #agonigrammi
#blueandwhite #anafi #hora #island #aegean #cyclades #greece #summer #sun #agonigrammi
#reflection #withangela #anafi #hora #island #aegean #cyclades #greece #agonigrammi #summer
All we did was go to the beach, eat and sleep. We walked about a bit. We visited the monastery once. There was this weird arty Biennale going on that we visited. But all in all, we hardly did anything, and it was glorious! For a lazy quiet holiday I would definitely go again, despite the eleven hour trip and the crazy arrival and departure time (the boat back to Pireus left at four in the morning. Basically we were the last stop of the line, it would arrive and then go back the same way.)
I had really missed that. For almost as far back as I can remember I went to a least one island each summer. Often for just a week. It helps give punctuation to my year. Give a break to decompress and be myself away from the city. Recharges me to better deal with the winter to come. Last summer that I didn't go but spent the whole one in London practically drove me nuts.
#waiting for the #bus #busshelter #anafi #aegean #cyclades #white #island #greece #summer
On the trail #walking #path #anafi #aegean #cyclades #island #greece #summer
#monastery #monastiri #anafi #aegean #cyclades #island #greece
#view #monastiri #kalamos #anafi #aegean #cyclades #island #greece
#monastery #monastiri #moni #zoodohoupigis #kalamos #anafi #aegean #cyclades #island #greece
Taking the boat back #bluestarferries #bluestarpatmos #ferry #boat #anafi #agonigrammi #aegean #cyclades #island #greece