I have posted often about the many art activities on Paros.  Karin and I missed the Art Appreciation talks this year and the artist in residence at the Apothiki gallery so we made it point to go to the Stella Lubsen photography exhibition at the Monastery of Aghios Ioannis near Monistiri beach.

We were certainly glad we did and if you are on Paros before 30 June we urge you to attend.  The photographs are enlightening and the story of Gisele d’Ailly is inspiring.  Gisele is a well known Dutch artist and personality aged 99.  She is of aristocratic background and has contributed much to Amsterdam we are told.  She came to Paros in the 60’s and arranged with the church to rebuild an abandoned monastery in return for living there.  She hosted many artists and dignitaries including Stella Lubsen who has returned to Paros every year since.

Stella’s photographs show life on Paros before tourism; both the hard labour and the celebrations.  The setting of the display helps envision what life was like then even though it is now situated between a beach bar and a yacht marina.  These two photos are taken from the windows of the exhibition rooms.

Afterwards we went for lunch at the delightful Anemos taverna at Kolimbithres beach which on this day included live music.  The drinks were cold, the food good, the breezes gentle . . . the life good.

Now you can buy a monastery on Paros for half the price of an island.  Today I got an email notice of a 14th Century Greek Monastery for sale.  When I went to the company’s web site I couldn’t find the monastery but I did find an island off Voutakis beach near our village of Aliki.

There is a different Paros monastery that I would guess is available as well.  We walked to it a couple years ago with friends.  Here is Karin’s photo journalism account:  Walk to Aghios Ioannis Klidonas 

So here is your chance to counter those wealthy Greeks who are exporting their cash out of the country.  Buy island property while the market is down.

Cheers,

Thanksgiving is an American holiday and the Americans are thin on the ground in Paros. So Karin and I created our own celebration.

We had a cooked breakfast then rode our scooters to the other side of the island for some shopping and a hike up a hill to an old monastery, Ag. Antonios. After lunch in a gourmet sub shop we headed home and took it easy for the afternoon.

For our celebratory dinner we had beef in Belgian beer at a village restaurant that caters to expats. We then went home for a series of phone calls to family back in the USA. Our 10 P.M. is there Noon. Despite our own consumption we envied their turkey, mashed potatoes, etc. especially our son-in-law's specialty, Raspberry pie.

Enjoy Karin's specialty, a photo-journalism account of our hike, HERE

Yesterday we took a Sunday scooter ride into the nearby hills just to enjoy the sunny day. It culminated at the hilltop Monastery of Ag. Theodhori. It is one of the more populated and therefore well maintained and active establishments.





On the way we noticed this odd building. Is it a large dovecote or a small house? I am guessing it a guest house for a nearby villa.







On another subject: we have heard many times that the Paros tourism industry is relatively young. This is well driven home by a collection of photos from 1978. You can really see old Greece just 30 years ago. Take a look at http://www.sanchristos.com/Europe_78_Paros_Cyclades_Greece/

I decided to create a web page specifically about Amorgos and our journey there, including the ferry stop at Donousa. It includes a lot of photos and a travel guide. We had a great time; hopefully you will enjoy it vicariously if you cannot include it in your island hopping itinerary.

This first photo is of my favourite wife taken at a bench my favourite son sat on several years ago during his visit to Katapola, Amorgos.

Last week Karin had an interesting day with a visitor from Canada. It started with the Agia Anargiri Monastery above Parikia. She writes:

"I have been here before but saw it differently this time because the person I went with had spent time here as a young man in 1965! He and several of his buddies were on a trip to Africa and then came to Paros to relax....the stories he told about what Paros was like and how the Greeks gave them food all the time, and were so kind to them in many ways, kept me interested for hours! The boys rented rooms here and then walked each day down a donkey trail to Parosporos Beach to swim! He said they were really fit...and that Parikia was a small village at that time....and the landscape was NOTHING like now....no houses and road. He said the road out of Parikia to Parosporos was nothing more than a dirt track!!!

Also he was told that this Monastery was originally a house of a rich Parian who did "something bad" to a brother, and then turned his house into a religious place as a penance.




How it looks from the road up.






How it looks from the courtyard down.

For those of you who know Parikia, you can probably spot landmarks such as the church, the marina and the port.

"My friend and his buddies rented a room for 3 drachma a day, which he thinks was about 5 cents or less! That included spring water directly from the mountain (still there but now tapped with faucets), a view, and an outside oven for cooking! Oh, and outside privy!! He slept on a straw mattress on a wooden platform which was what beds were then in remote farms and the like. No electricity. He said that there was electricity in Parikia, but not much, so when you looked down at night you saw very few lights and also they were not bright like now. Usually it was moonlight as they came up the hill "slightly inebriated!" from parties that the Greeks invited them to...dancing, great food, the real Greek experience. "

Please come back tomorrow for Part Two.

Read more about Paros on our full service web site.