As I have written before Paros has beaches of every description for every taste. This photo is of the largest, Golden Beach, at high season.
I call this a full service beach with wind surfing, kayaking and the like as well as food and drink on offer. The last few years we have also seen a new service: Asians giving low cost massages. I have never had one but they do look like a pleasant way to break up the tedium of sun bathing.
But evidently the bureaucrats don’t agree, on Crete at least. So far this year on the beaches there they have arrested 25 foreign nationals for being unlicensed masseurs. From my own experience I know it is next to impossible for a foreigner to get a business license without even getting into the expense.
This also reminds me of the crack down on street performances in Parikia years ago. It used to be such fun to stroll along the harbour front watching the jugglers, dancers and musicians. Then suddenly they were gone as the police were requiring a license. No longer was there much joy or excitement along restaurant row. Thankfully, however, either the license edict was relaxed or the police found something else to emphasize because the performers are back, though in smaller numbers it seems.
So we will have to wait and see if the licensing foolishness infects Paros beaches or if it is like most regulation in Greece, never enforced.
If you are looking for a quiet beach on Paros go here
If you want to know more about clothing optional beaches go here
When he was mayor of Paros I was impressed with what Yannis Ragoussis was able to accomplish in comparison to the previous mayor. Now I am impressed with what he hopes to accomplish for the long range future of Greece government. Read previous reports here and here
This is from the Athens News Agency report:
He stressed that human resources - the civil servants themselves - will
be the main focus in this drive for a reformed state, which would be
free of pockets of corruption and mismanagement.
Ragoussis said that the effort would require great political will and a
willingness to ignore political cost, given the attitudes that dominate
within the two main parties and high-ranking trade unionists concerning
the civil service and broader public sector.
One of the pillars on which the new, reformed public administration
will be based was the decision announced by the prime minister a few
days earlier to convert the status of civil servants to that of
'employees of state', breaking down the barriers between each ministry
and introducing evaluation mechanism for ministry staff.
Ragoussis noted that the more important change this introduced was not
the power to fire employees but a process of evaluation that would
reveal who was unfit to be in the civil service'. He expressed the
opinion that the simple knowledge that they would be evaluated would
prompt employees to "do their best" so that the majority would not fail
such an evaluation.
"One of the major problems of the Greek state is that there is no such
evaluation system for many years now, therefore no one ensures or has
any incentive to perform better".
It is very unusual to see such blunt language indicating that pockets of corruption and mismanagement still exist as well as resistance within is own party for reform.
Although he is a member of a Socialist government we can only wish Ragoussis well in bringing Greece that much closer to modern governance.
The photo in my first post about him is only a few years old yet he looks much older in the photo above.
Would you want to get married at the same place as you live and work? If that was the village centre of Aliki, I think you would.
Most of the centre with its various restaurants, tavernas and other businesses is owned by different branches of the same three or four families and they were all turned out in their finest clothes for the wedding celebration of one of the restaurant owners.
My night photos did not turn out well so I lifted this one from Facebook. Thank you ΣΤΑΥΡΟΥΛΑ ΤΡΙΧΑ
More about planning a wedding in Greece on this page of our Paros Personalized Travel Guide.
The following is a guest post by Fiona Hilliard who usually advises people about car rental Crete on award-winning blog http://blog.arguscarhire.com. Today though, she has taken some time out to share her top tips for driving in Crete…
Crete is the perfect place to drive as it is home to a wonderfully varied set of scenic routes that are just waiting to be explored. A brief word of warning though - when you drive in Crete, you should always take things SLOWLY and employ caution at all times – driving in a strange place requires alertness, but in Crete this is a MUST!
Danger! Danger! Dry Roads: Seasoned drivers say there is no such thing as good quality roads in Crete. A large improvement was made to surfaced roads in Crete following road projects several years ago, but the level of grit/traction on many of these roads is still way below what many people are accustomed to. Worryingly, some of these road surfaces have mostly become polished by daily wear and tear, especially at dangerous parts such as corners.
Tip: Plan longer stopping times and lower your speed on corners.
Rockslides: If driving in hilly or mountainous terrain, be careful of rocks which have fallen down onto the road. These roads are especially dangerous after rain or when goats play in the hills. Drivers should always be alert and check the road surfaces ahead.
Drive on the Hard Shoulder: On roads where there is a paved lane, you should make like a local and drive on this part of the road to let other drivers pass or overtake you, whether you are driving behind or if other drivers are in the opposite lane, overtaking another car that is approaching you – just watch for the other drivers doing the same. You won’t find this information in the rules of the road, but it seems to come natural to locals, so go with the flow!
Double Check Red Traffic Lights: Just because your traffic light turns green, it doesn’t mean you should be the first to get away from the lights. Instead, ensure that the oncoming traffic has stopped at their red light, once you know it’s safe, by all means take off.
Stick to the Speed Limit: Locals seem to have a hard time sticking to official speed limits, but this doesn’t mean you can’t he a good, law abiding citizen. In Crete, the official speed limit is 90kmph on highways, 70km/h outside built up areas and 50 km/h inside built up areas such as towns and city centres.
Slippery roads: Standing water on old road surfaces means you have to allow much more time to slow down for stopping. You may also have to drive at slower speeds than you would usually use for corners/winding roads.
One Way Streets: Look out for people driving or riding motorbikes the wrong direction on one way streets. This happens mostly in towns and villages but is a danger nonetheless.
Wild Animals: Giddy goats, pigs, piglets and sheep are a common site on country roads.
Tip: Lower your speed and they will usually move aside. If they are accompanied by a shepherd, he/she will normally try to move their animals out of the way for you, patience is a virtue – you might as well sit tight and enjoy the scenery while the animals cross the road.
In case you didn’t know, the first Friday in May each year is International Female Ride Day—motorcycles and scooters, that is. Karin and her friend Ardy rode to Piso Livadi for coffee and sent their photo to the sponsoring web site. Now they are internationally famous as their photo is part of the slide show at the top of the site. Go to http://motoress.com/ and wait for it!
Enjoy the journey as well as the destination was never more true than for the Greek island of Sifnos. This small island in the Cyclades group is a string of delightful villages separated by interludes of gorgeous mountain and sea vistas. The closest thing to a main town is the sprawling village of Apollonia in the hills near the center. Since the whole island is only about five km wide and 15 long, reaching each of the other villages is an easy, enjoyable journey to a beautiful and relaxing destination.
Later we rode our motor scooters up to Kastro. It is difficult to convey the sense of this cliff top village on the opposite side of the island. It is ancient and overflowing with antiquities sitting everywhere. There are no vehicles because it is all stairs. Even the locals must carry their groceries from a parking lot on the edge of town.
Another unique attribute of Sifnos is its cleanliness. We were very impressed that there is no litter, the houses are kept up, even the farms were tidy! Not overdone, just well kept. Sifnos is relatively small so the tourism volume is low. This helps keep the island more pure and more traditional Greek. We were we first directed to Sifnos by some friends who are great walkers. While we are not, we did see some scenic trails that look intriguing. Buy a quality local map and you will find them.
Sifnos is most noted as a potters’ island. It is not known when pottery began on the island though it is mentioned in the third century B.C.. By the eighteenth century potters from Sifnos were traveling and relocating all over Greece to spread their industry. But at the main ferry port of Kamares you have your choice of several ceramic factories still owned and operated by local families.
As I mentioned Sifnos is not on the major ferry routes but can still be easily reached from Athens/Piraeus along with neighbors Milos, Serifos, and Kimilos. You can also get there from the other Cyclades by way of Paros and Mykonos and perhaps other islands as the schedules vary each year. We recommend this collection of jewel like villages for any island hopper's itinerary. It is the perfect size for finding new discoveries around each corner and did I mention that it is beautiful and relaxing.
You can view our collection of photos starting with Day Four of our Picasa album.
Or read about all of our Cyclades island adventures on our web site.
