Milos Day 4

We awoke to a beautiful day and headed over to the abandoned sulfur mines at Paliorema. Milos was an important supplier for mining minerals throughout its history and this abandoned mine is a testament to that. The drive there was paved then turned to dirt. We parked the car at the top of a hill and walked 30 minutes down to the mine.

the rocky road to the sulphur mine





looking over the edge of the cliff




no one here but us!

The smell of sulfur was faint in the air. The volcanic past showed its geological colors here in yellows reds and whites. There was housing still standing where the miners lived and dilapidated machinery exposed to the elements.

living quarters

in operation until the 1950s

carts still on their tracks

After some time exploring, we went to a nice long sandy beach called Kyriaki. We found lounge chairs and got comfortable. There was one other couple, all the way at the other end of the beach.

idyllic

pebbly at the shoreline

a place to eat our packed lunch

While we were eating, a young man riding bareback and shoeless on a horse, galloped down a hill toward us, said "Yassou!" (Hello), rode around our empty lounge chairs and then away the same way he came. That was awesome. It was too fast to get a photo but I did get one of the horse's tracks in the sand.

Yassou!

After reading Greek myths aloud and a few swims, we left for Papafragas. From the photos I had seen of this place it looked incredible. There are sea caves and inlets with small sandy beaches. It was difficult to find and we drove past it the first time because there is only a small sign at the side of the road in Greek.

don't blink or you may miss the sign

Unfortunately, it was partially closed off with ropes so we couldn't see the whole area but we were able to walk around the perimeter. It is a dangerous climb down to a tiny beach in a natural lagoon and a rock bridge over it. We could see it if we leaned over the side of the cliff.

disappointed because of areas restricted

Ken looking somewhere

Before heading home we walked the back streets of our village, Adamas. We stopped at our regular bakery for a sweet. Next to it was the supermarket we frequented.

bakery and supermarket




sweet cookie before bite




sweet cookie after bite

We wanted to see if there were any bars or restaurants for tonight that were off the beaten path but it was residential. There were cats everywhere.

cats looking healthy

well groomed

and well fed

We went for one last swim at our beach because tomorrow we were leaving for Thessaloniki. It was so shallow and calm, like a pool. It will be a long time until we will be in the ocean again! We started packing tonight because we have to drop off the car before getting on an early ferry.

view of Adamas from the other side of the bay

Ken went out to get a couple of beers for us and just as I went to the window to check for him, Julian and Ester saw me and pulled up on their scooter. Ken arrived just at the same time. We talked to them for a few minutes. They took our suggestion and were heading over to Sifnos tomorrow. We got a nice picture of them.

Julian and Ester

Our big plan for this evening was to watch the sunset from the Kastro, the highest point on the island with 360 panoramic views. We went yesterday during the day so we knew exactly how to get there. We drove to Plaka, the village at the base of the Kastro, and walked up through backstreets and quiet alleys. The light was turning golden just as we were walking up and the views along the way were spectacular.

walking to Kastro

golden moments






no better place to be

loving every minute of being there

At the top, there was a small group of German tourists. We took tons of pictures and watched nature's amazing show. We stayed till the very last bit of light and had the place to ourselves. It was serene.

bookending a visit Milos with spectacular sunsets




just a few more moments and then the show is over




one of us together

For dinner we went to a nice family run taverna in the Plaka called APXONTOYA. While we were eating the owners' kids were hanging around in soccer uniforms and running in and out. When we arrived there was one other table of people and when we left it was almost full.

quiet when we arrived

What was great about this taverna is they gave us a printed list of the available dishes for the day. What has been frustrating when ordering in Greece is the dishes you want may not be available but on the menu. Menus are more like a price list. We got fried baccala with skordalia, horta, and a baked potato with cheese and sour cream.

not very Greek but good




healthy boiled greens




fried salt cod and garlic dip, skordalia

The skordalia was very garlicky and powerful. Horta we have been trying to get since Athens to no avail so we were excited about that. It is nothing extravagant, just boiled leafy greens. The baked potato was translated as potatoes with cheese and we thought it would be some kind of local dish but it was more a dish for tourists. After dinner we drove back to Adamas and packed.