Of all the countries gifted with beauty, Greece is in the first place, in my opinion.
Continental Greece and island Greece. Of course, the Greek islands, especially for connoisseurs. Now, after only three years since I had the joy of taking a summer vacation in Greece, I cannot call myself a connoisseur, just an admirer! An admirer of this kind of vacation, a mixture of old and new, with relative comfort and no luxurious resorts. Where what it matters are the basic pleasures, the beauty of the landscape and the human relations.
Thassos Island in the Aegean, my favorite island
In a few words, this island is recommended by its beaches, clean water, its villages, pine forests and olive groves.
From the point of view of my needs, Thassos has everything. Small towns and villages, many beaches and a quiet and pleasant lifestyle. Very easy to integrate and I like it the most, ten days to feel like a Greek. The beginning of September is the start of the preparations and the time passes so quickly that not long after I see the ferry. Only then, I'm sure, it's not just a dream.
Limenaria, one of the cities of Thassos
It is a small town, a city where I find everything I want, a city that I hope I can visit every year from now on. Because when I find a place like this and when I find people with whom I become friends, then I don't want anything else. I am convinced that not only the island but especially the whole of Greece has endless more beautiful, strange and exciting places but I don't want to see them because I am satisfied with Limenaria. I'm not a true tourist, I like to go to Thassos and Limenaria like at home ...
Yes, going to Limenaria, but let's see it better as a whole. To the right the beaches then the town, pine forests and the mountains.
I had so many to say about this little town that I got stuck. I don't know what to choose to tell and what to ignore. First of all, it has nothing spectacular but probably because it was the first place in Greece where I lived a few days it remained so important to me.
I have to start somewhere ... from the beach. The beach, the sea and the sun are, after all, the main attraction when we think of Greece. What I find interesting is that almost all the shore of the island is an endless beach, interrupted by the places where the mountain enters steeply into the sea. So, almost anywhere you go down to the sea you meet a beach, bigger or smaller or even incredibly small, where only a few people can fit. Beaches covered with sand or stones (smaller or larger).
Since there are so many beaches people can spread, they are not gathered together. You can go to the beach, take a dip in the clean water and walk, along with your thoughts.
Limenaria also has a small port, a port where those traveling on the sea can come with their own yacht, a port where there are small boats that cruise around the island for tourists, a port where fishermen's boats stand.
A port where the fishermen dry the octopus tentacles, so prepared to be purchased by the tavern owners.
I said taverns. Taverns are characteristic on the Greek islands and are one of the main attractions. In the islands there are not many restaurants, I talk about the less developed tourist islands. Lately, modern tourist complexes have started to be built here. In these places there are also restaurants, of course. But the taverns represent the Greek tradition and for me they are a main reason to come back every year.
The taverns are small family businesses, passed down from generation to generation and where the members of a whole family work: where the head of the family holds the business in his hand and his boys are in charge of supplying and serving the customers and the women in the house prepare the food. In general, the tavern and the house are in the same place. Ground floor tavern and terrace and the owners live upstairs.
In each village there is at least one tavern and here, in Limenaria, there are many, grouped especially in the city center, near the port and the tourist walking area.
My favorite tavern
I don't even know what it's called. It is located on a side street and the food is served at tables on the road side. That doesn't bother anyone! Because the food is very tasty, fresh. For this you have to wait until it is prepared but nobody is upset about the delay.
Five minutes, five Greek minutes
When I first ate at this tavern, three years ago, with the impatience of the unknown, I asked one of the two boys of the employer how long it takes until I get the food.
He responded in a big hurry with food to another table: Five minutes, five Greek minutes.
Then I understood that in Greece the time is running differently, much slower. In the eyes of the Greek I saw the question "why so fast, stay calm, enjoy and socialize with those at the table, with those around you!"
After this answer I understood the Greek lifestyle, the importance of calm and the joy of being with family and friends ... and that the passage of time in those pleasant moments doesn't matter anymore!
The city, actually a slightly larger village.
When you go to the sea, in general you are only interested in the sea. Many of my acquaintances and friends or neighbors in the hotel get used to leaving in the morning and spending all day on the beach and at sea, with a break to eat. Their youth and energy also matter, but in general, they come to the island, at sea.
I did the same in my youth, but now I'm more attracted to walking. Half the holiday I spend walking. In this way I got to know Limenaria and its narrow streets and the slope. I'm not necessarily a tourist attraction but I really like it. I like that people greet each other on the street ... "kalimera" ... "kalispera" ... I feel a little Greek.
I like to see children playing on the street, in the big city where I live. I haven't seen this for a long time. I like that the small hotel I live in, also a family business, is on the outskirts of the city near the pine forest. I really like to meet the hotel owners, Alexandra and Dimitris, now good friends that I can hardly wait to see again every year.
For this and many more ... I can't wait for the coming summer to return to Limenaria.
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Oh my God! There is so much to tell about this little place on the island of Thassos. I think I'll have to write a few more blogs.
Goodbye!
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