We woke up and rented a car to explore the island of Naxos. I am sure I annoyed Samer and Joe, but I insisted we upgrade to the convertible Mini Cooper. Was it needed? Absolutely not. Was it fun? Certainly. It was scorching on Naxos, so we put the roof up in the middle of the day, but it was genuinely fantastic to drive with the sun and breeze when we could.
We made our way to the village of Chalkio. We parked and found a cute bakery, Ma Bakery, selling a red pepper phyllo pastry that was unique in its filling. So far, everything had been greens and cheese, so this was a nice break from those flavors. The red pepper was sweet and tangy, and it was terrific. From there, we walked to the Vallindras Distillery to try the island’s signature liquor, Kitron. Kitron is made from the fruit and leaves of the citron tree. I assumed it was a lemon tree but was told it was different, stronger, and different in taste. Kitron has three varieties: green (sweetest), clear, and yellow (strongest). They were all fine, but there was nothing I needed to have a second time. We bought the clear one and left to explore. This is a fine excursion; you are not missing anything if you do not, but it was nice to go on a road trip.
After the distillery, we walked a pedestrian path to find the historic Byzantine church of St. George from the 11th century. The walk is more interesting than the church because you can be on these shaded paths with walled-off olive orchards on each side. It is famous for frescoes, but we did not see them as the church was not open while we were there. I am told it is typically open in August, but by August 30, it had already closed for the season.
The heat was getting pretty extreme, so we returned to the car and drove to the oldest Christian church I have ever been to. The Holy Paleochristian Church of Panagia Drosiani was built in the 6th century. We saw some very old Christian churches in Cappadocia, but I do not think they are as old as the 6th century. A dutiful nun was posted at the front of the church to remind us to donate if we wanted the paper guide, and there was a local lady selling textiles at the foot of the church. There is not a lot of commerce outside of the main town, so good on these 2 for getting my tourism dollars. Much of the art in the church is newer than the 6th century, but there is at least one fresco of Jesus Christ from that time.
After the church, we decided to take a small hike on Mt. Zas. It was a beautiful drive up the mountain, and we hiked to the Cave of Zas. Legend has it this is where Zeus spent his childhood, hiding from his psychotic father, Cronus. It has been a place to keep animals for as long as people have lived on the mountain. The sun was scorching, so the cave felt like a real oasis. It’s significantly cooler once you are inside. The hike is short, but the last 25% isn’t super easy. There is no obvious path, and rocks aren’t the easiest to get your footing on, but if I can do it, dear reader, you can do it.
We had lunch at the Kalimera Grill in the seaside town of Apollonas. I strongly recommend coming here. It’s a small town with a pebbly beach. When we got to the restaurant, we looked at the menu and asked what was fresh. She took us into the kitchen and showed us a few fish caught that morning. We picked a couple, added a salad, and escaped the heat in their shade, eating delicious fish. Apollonas has no beach amenities. There are no chairs to rent, so throw a towel in the car if you make a road trip. I bought one from the “beach” shop.
We had a great meal and a rest on the beach. I loved this side adventure. The sun was low in the sky when we left Apollonas, so it wasn’t quite as hot when we returned to the main town of Naxos. We put the top down and enjoyed the sea air all the way home.
One of the quirkier things about Naxos is the local cheese. This island makes a gruyére that people love, and it is pretty good. So far, in Greece, when people say cheese, they mean feta cheese. They put it on everything; frankly, I think they go a little overboard with it. I don’t need that much feta! Naxos is a place in Greece where cheese doesn’t necessarily mean feta.
If you like cheese, and I do, make a reservation at Naxos Cheese Koufopoulos for their ten cheese-tasting experience. It’s a cheese shop with a small room in the back. You can make the reservation by sending a WhatsApp message to +306976344159. It’s a fun experience that is an easy meal replacement. The graviera is their most famous cheese, and it is excellent. There was also a spicy version that I loved a lot.
After dinner, we meandered through the city but retired relatively early.
Could you get American cheese there?