Sifnos Day 2

We awoke to the rattle of sheep bells and crowing roosters. I was so excited to see the view that was shrouded by the billowing lace curtains. It was a gorgeous day and our room looked onto a valley of houses and grazing animals and in the distance, the Aegean.

outside the house

I read there were breakfast "supplies" included with the room. Unsure of what that meant, we looked in the fridge and saw 3 individual servings of jellies and one rusk toast near the coffee maker. There was no coffee but sugar. Hmm...maybe we're missing something? I called "reception" to no answer so we walked to the travel agent to see if they could contact the owner and inquire about the breakfast.

the room was only a 3 minute walk to the center of Kamares




our local beach with view onto Kamares and port

Phone calls were made, but the answer was that there were breakfast foods in the room. Now we know Europeans don't eat much for breakfast but this was ridiculous. Disappointed and still a bit confused, we went to the market for basics and when we returned to the room there were 2 juice boxes, 8 more rusk, and jams. Soon after the owner, Maria, stopped by and told us that only a supplement is provided and is not meant as a full meal. If our room was stocked properly, all this could have been avoided but regardless, it still wasn't enough food.

Back at the travel agent, we asked about getting around the island. We were given a bus schedule and map. The next town and capital, Apollonia, looked not far on the map and we asked about walking there. The agent looked at us like we were crazy but said it was doable and she had actually done it herself. We were quoted at 45 minutes...it turned out to be 90. It was hot, there was no shade, and an insignificant shoulder to walk along. Halfway, we found shelter and a place to rest.

refuge from the hot sun at the Monastery of Agioi Anargiri

cool shade



taking a load off

We kept thinking we would see the Apollonia after passing every turn but it was not in sight. It seemed like we would never make it and have to hitch when the road curved and there it was!

Apollonia at last

there's comfort knowing where is the nearest pharmacy

Ravenous and thirsty, we went to a market and bought a snack, ate on a bench, and recharged. We read there is a scenic footpath from this village to the next one, Artemonas. We asked someone where it was because there was no sign post. We happened to be sitting right across from it. It was a picturesque, steep walk through a neighborhood of Cycladic architecture.

the upwards journey

bell towers of Agia Yannis

laundry day

a small beautiful church

passing through Pano Petali

our first Greek donkey sighting




Cycladic architecture is simplistic and beautiful




new construction conforming to Cycladic cubism

The map of the island had pictures of the major sights and there was one of a church on a cliff at the sea that Ken especially wanted to see called the Panagia Poulati. We could not find it as we walked in the hot sun without seeing another soul. The landscape was dotted with houses few and far between, and then the occasional chapel far in the distance.

how do people get there?

windmill turned room-to-rent




entrance to a small cemetery

We were about to give up and turn around when I heard the mews of a kitten. I looked behind us to see this teeny gray kitten with its tail straight up running after us in the middle of the road. I stopped and went to it and picked it up which was a mistake because I wanted to keep it.

really tough to go against all my instincts and put it back

It was so affectionate and it killed me to put it back down but I did and urged it to find its mother. In the middle of nowhere, we then turned a corner and saw the Kastro. It was a beautiful gleaming white village perched atop a pointed hill.

beautiful Kastro - but how do we get there?

We thought we'd stop to rest there then take a taxi home because walking back was totally out of the question. We could see the Kastro but didn't know which road to take. We took a chance turn and then saw the Panagia Poulati church! It was in a stunning location.

Panagia Poulati




unfortunately, closed

The walk down was rocky and uneven, a bit dangerous, and we thought how do people make it down here till we saw the adjacent parking lot. There was one other couple further along than us with full on professional walking gear. Just past the church we saw a sign for Kastro.

the clearly marked sign for Kastro

The path wasn't marked and there were forks in the road at points. Usually the wrong turn just ended in a field. Ken would go ahead and investigate because I was always lagging behind taking pictures, sometimes of him.

is it this way?

The dirt path took us along the sea. We saw a couple of farmers in the fields and lots of goats grazing on terraced land that dropped off into the sea.

Sifnian goat




another one




and another

along the way to Kastro

The dirt path gave way to paved closer to Kastro. It is a beautiful village with narrow passages, archways, and stone streets.

hey, I know you!

Something moving on the ground caught my eye and at first I thought it was a huge bizarre bug until I looked more closely...

teamwork in Kastro




Church of Eftamartyres accessible by a long windy staircase




photo op #1 taken with a compact camera




photo op #2 taken with a digital SLR

Kastro was very quiet. It was hard to imagine what it is like during peak season. We saw one woman hanging out laundry and two cafes open. We stopped for drinks and took a taxi home.

deserved refreshments after hours of walking

The taxi dropped us off on the main street of Kamares and we walked to to see if there were any restaurants or cafes beyond the port. The discovery was that the road just ends. When we turned around, we saw the cab driver open his trunk, take out a spool of fishing line and proceed to fish off the pier!

the cabbie is fishing, not wizzing

sunset back at the house

the view while reading aloud stories from Greek mythology

I found a great book to bring along the trip called Greek Myths to Read Aloud. I was going to bring the plays of Sophocles or the Iliad but when I leafed through them at the store, I realized they were not suitable to read aloud and then I came across "Classic Myths to Read Aloud: The Great Stories of Greek and Roman Mythology" with the subtitle "Specially Arranged for Children Five and Up by an Educational Expert". The bottom line is if you read aloud the academic versions of these stories, well, the entertainment value plummets. The 5+ age category was perfectly suited for these circumstances.

excellent choice

After a siesta we had a scrumptious meal at a taverna in town. There is a strip of 4 tavernas in a row and we chose one randomly. The Dutch couple from last night were there, too.

typical paper table cover with map of the island
for education and easy cleanup!



the restaurant

We had a Sifnian specialty of chickpea fritters which were almost indistinguishable from falafel, fried small fishes, and grilled octopus which unfortunately was a bit tough. Here's some bad food photography:

one of our favorite, small fried fish (marides) prepared with
sardines or anchovies and grilled octopus

chickpea fritters (revithokeftedes) and mashed favas
beans beans beans!