Saved on Sifnos
Part 2: Can we do it all in two hours?
I remember
standing on the quay at Kamares, port of Sifnos, watching
a beautiful cruise boat tie up. I was quite surprised to see
it, for not many tours of that nature bother with Sifnos -
it is too boringly unspoiled. It disgorged about 20 retirement-aged
Americans complete with state of the art cameras, the ladies
hung with gold necklaces and natty handbags. They gathered
together in a clump and stood uncertainly, taking in the picturesque
harbour, sandy beach and surrounding craggy barren hills.
It was a calm,
warm, balmy autumn day. The tamarisk trees along the paralia
were pale pink with flowers, it was siesta time and the village
was asleep. The only people in sight were young Kalypso in
her kiosk reading a book, the Kalogirou brothers serving caffe
frappes to two tourists at their taverna, a fisherman sorting
his nets - and me.
"Waddaya
do in this town?" said a bejewelled lady, as I stared
at the magnificent boat and it's beautiful people.
I tried to
tell them how to catch the bus up through the hills and terraces
to Apollonia, where the ancient narrow streets of the village
meandered across the hillside, and of the beautiful views
one could achieve by climbing the flagstone steps up to Katavati...
but my new acquaintance said,
"We gotta
be back by five. Can we do it all in two hours?"
Fat chance!
They wandered off and sat down in the taverna instead. Later
that evening I watched the cruise boat depart. It sailed off
into a towering thunderstorm, and do you know, I hoped they
would get seasick! No doubt they all went home to the States
with suitable photos of their island-hopping!
Part 3: On
the frontiers of tourism
this
travelogue is part of the subside
travelzine
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