Naxos Town

During the week we explored the back streets of Naxos town in search of places to eat. Just back from the main harbour road, it’s another labyrinth with narrow paved and stepped passages twisting round and under a maze of buildings and dominated by the Venetian fort.

Alex and I took a guided tour up to a monastery and around the town. Greeks love Alex’s blond hair and bright smile and our guide was no exception – an hour and a half tour turned into two and a half hours! We started at the monastery with views over Naxos town and a rich history that included thrilling tales of monks hiding in caves and the secret attics to avoid plundering pirates. The attics could house all the monks and included an ornate chapel to ensure that worship was uninterrupted.

Naxos has been inhabited for thousands of years and we visited an excavation that gave us an insight into the burial rituals of the ancients – the guide was charmingly unwilling to talk about it in front of Alex, but we read the panels and Alex was typically unfazed!

Modern Naxos surrounds the Venetian fort and its enclosed town which was built using a combination of stone from the unfinished temple and other local materials: it seemed like our guide knew every stone that had been stolen from the temple and could tell us its story and function. We visited the fort, the town gates, the unique doors with their coats of arms and got completely lost in the twisty passages and steps – fantastic fun.

Pictures: Looking over Naxos from the Monastery, Alex demonstrating the “meter” rule carved in the stone surround of an ancient door to check that traders weren’t cheating people buying fabrics, The Guide holding hands with blond Alex.