After flying in to Athens and then taking a Sea Jet to Mykonos, our next stop on our two week Greek adventure, was Paros. We once again hopped on a Sea Jet and spent an almost two hours scooting across the Agean Sea to our next island. I was particularly excited about Paros because it’s not a major tourist destination such as Mykonos or Santorini; my hope was to get some breathing room while we explored the Greek towns on the island. Paros did not disappoint. While it certainly still had tourists throughout the island, it was not so crowded that you felt like you were in a Greek Disneyland. I was even able to grab photos of the beautiful streets and buildings unobstructed by other people!

The port was relatively small and, after figuring out where our rental car was (it had moved but was showing up in a different location on Google and Apple Maps), we hopped in to get to our hotel.

We stayed at Parian Boutique Hotel in Naousa which was absolutely lovely. The hotel staff was inviting and we could easily walk into the town of Naousa to shop, eat, and explore. It was a short walk to the beach where a separate hotel was available to get food and drink. The wind on this island was intense, but it was warm and the water was so inviting, it made it very difficult to do anything but get in the water.

That evening we elected to eat in town and found a small Gyro shop (Kapros) to get French fries and a hamburger gyro that I still think about four months later. We then spent most of the afternoon exploring the town and taking all the photos. The town fully embraced it’s ABBA connection. As the tavernas started to open for the evening you could hear live bands singing/playing songs from Mama Mia! and there was a bar called Voulez Vous. That evening, I think all the traveling caught up with me so I called it an early night, while the rest of our group ate an Italian Restaurant near our hotel. Jason brought be back some pizza, which was an excellent morning snack!

lefkes

The next morning we drove approximately 1/2 hour inland to the town of Lefkes. So. Many. Cats. I think this is the town where I started taking more photos of cats than anything else Greece.

Lefkes was full of small alleys and shops and we spent the good chunk of the morning weaving our way through the town in search of The Church of Agia Triada. We had to park outside of the town and walk in, which was such a fun way to explore the town.

Driving in Lefkes was intense, especially since I was in the far back of the largest van we could get for our 6 passengers. Jason was our designated driver the entire trip and Paros was the first example of just how stressful driving in a foreign country can be. Small roads, different rules and customs, and the issue of just not really knowing where you are all come into play.

Kolybithres Beach

We next drove to Kolybithres Beach as the internet had told us it was one of the top beaches in Greece. The beach was in a remote location, but there was no shortage of beach chairs for purchase and overpriced hamburgers. We opted to eat at, Marrema, a restaurant a short walk away from the beach after dipping in the water for a bit. The unique rock formations of this beach reminded me of Lake Tahoe, but the water was much warmer!

25th Anniversary dinner

That evening Jason and I branched off from our group. They were off to go experience a cooking tour and we were off to celebrate our 25th Wedding Anniversary. Jason made reservations at Notos Aegean Restaurant, which was truly a family affair. Mom and Uncle worked the kitchen, our waiter was the son, and dad worked daily to go catch some of the seafood cooked on a daily basis. The setting was literally waterside, with boats parked right next to our table. The food was spectacular, the sunset amazing, and the atmosphere was exactly what we our expectations had been for the Greek Islands.

As a nightcap (and perhaps after too much wine with dinner), Jason and I ended up walking through the maze of streets looking for souvenirs. We were particularly enamored with the ceramic pottery and wanted to get evil eyes for our kids. Naousa lit up at night. The town buzzed with excitement and people ate, drank, and danced. We ended up in a small pottery shop where we picked out bowls and other items to have shipped back to the U.S. The shop owner wrote our information down on a sheet of paper, gave us his business card all in Greek, and we crossed our fingers that the items would arrive. They did! Two months later our treasures from Paros arrived in a giant box, with a wonderful note from the owner and some dish towels as an added thank you for our purchase.

Perhaps the most telling sign we saw while in Paros was this reminder to stay off our phones and pay attention to what was going on around us. I’m sure it was a safety thing, given the precarious driving we had observed, but it was also on this island that I felt myself truly starting to let the worries of our life back home melt away. I started looking up and around me and let myself experience Greece as only Paros can show you.