66. Marmara & Surroundings I

The Village of Marmara on Paros Island is my winter destination for 2015 and 2016. I will stay there until the end of May 2016. I found it thru a fried of a friend. The owners live in Barcelona and the house is empty in winter. Perfect for me!

Marmara is in a different area related to the place where I stayed in 2014. It’s in the Southeast, right opposite of the Island of Naxos, in a very fertile agricultural area nestled in between two extinct volcanoes – Kefalos and Anti Kefalos. The house I am living in is very old. Apparently it was built some 500 years ago during the times when Paros was a Venetian colony. It’s built like a fortress with thick walls and lots of nooks and recesses which are walled off now. They used to be passageways connecting all the houses of the village in case of the frequent attacks of pirates. It is difficult to take photos of, being locked in between other old houses. The front door is in a narrow lane in the back but I have two terraces facing East with the morning sun and incredible views.

It is newly renovated and simply furnished with some nice old stuff in between. The owners have four kids which seem to like to build little model sailing boats. I really like the painting in the middle.
It has been done, I am told, by a painter friend from Athens, depicting all the different peoples and nationalities populating mainland Greece and the Islands.

It is nice, living in an old village. Having lived myself as a kid in a house, the foundations of which were built in the 12th century, I feel quite at home. I have to walk thru the passage of my neighbors whenever I come or go. There are three generations living in that house and sometimes the old folks are sitting outside smoking their cigarettes. I also love the tree next to the church which I often pass. It’s actually two trees or rather one tree “married” to an old Bougainvillea.

There are some special places in the narrow alleys which are definitely occupied by plant lovers. There are some incredible arrangements. The picture in the middle is a Bonsai water melon. It’s no bigger than 3 cm across and grows from a crack in the wall where a seed must have landed. Quite amazing.

When I look out of my window or sit on the upper terrace, I see my two volcanoes and Naxos. It’s really a kind of television. Every morning a new program! The morning ferry on the way from Naxos harbor en route to Santorin or – when on rare occasions it is really cold – the snowcapped peaks of Naxos.

All my neighbors are farmer. They are very diligent doing most of their work still by hand. Sometimes, however, they do get some donkey power to help them plough there potato patch. It’d nice to watch them doing their different jobs according to the season. And being a Southern country, there is always something to be planted and to watch growing. Right below my terrace – not visible - is the chicken coop. Sometimes I get eggs from next door. What a treat! A quality I have not tasted since my childhood days.

By a walk of 20 minutes I can reach the beach at Volos. It’s a little bay between the two volcanoes, Kefalos and Anti Kefalos. Locals tell me that in the old days Anti Kafalos was called Di Kefalos, meaning twin. There is also some information that the sea has been lower way back, i.e. that there was a land bridge between Paros and Naxos. It must have been a lovely valley between the two islands.

I do like my volcanoes. They feel like two friends keeping watch over the fertile valley in between. They are quite prominent and can be seen as a distinct landmark from far away.

The trail up to Ayios Antonios, the monastery on top of Kefalos is steep but lovely. There is also a road winding around Kefalos but this access is the nicer one. Prior to the monastery there was a Venetian fortress on this place. The spot offers a commanding view over the Eastern half of Paros and the water straight between the islands.

Looking back down from an old chapel at the foot of the monastery, I have a beautiful view of Marpissa on the left and Marmara on the right. The little township is actually a trinity consisting of Marpissa [with the post office and the supermarket], Marmara [with the dentist and the drug store] and Prodromos on the main road.

Below the monastery there are some old trees. They look like eucalyptus and remind me strongly of Australia. A number of branches are cut off [or fell down in a storm] and I like the tumble of colors, so I had to take pictures before the leaves will die off.

Accept on the day of Saint Anthony, the monastery is closed. Like many other monasteries there aren’t any monks left to keep it running. The yard and the outside area is accessible and make for a nice place to have a picnic. Looking down towards the South I can see village and the harbor of Piso Livadi. In summer it is quite touristy and there is a ferry boat running across to Naxos.

On the way down I take the road. It is not as steep as the trail and is less strenuous for my worn out left knee. But there are also treasures to be found and documented. Thistles are amazing plants.

On the way down the view – now to the North - shows the fertility and the agricultural diversity. They valley used to be a swamp before being drained and there is still more moisture in the ground as in other places. Close to the beach the swamp still exists and is a bird and wildlife refuge. Due to the lack of rain [there hasn’t been any the last 6 weeks] they also need artificial irrigation.

Finishing the turn around Kefalos and before I reach the valley bottom again, I enjoy another lovely view of “my” village. And - between the rocks of lava there is an abundance of immortelles.