Hello from the island of Naxos

Hello from Cathy! I had a one-day head start on Randy for the lovely island of Naxos. Randy arrived today, after I had a chance to spend a pleasant Saturday evening near the town square with lots of shops, restaurants, and locals, including whole families. The island of Naxos is not nearly as tourist-ridden as Mykonos, and seems more authentically Greek. Of course that means that not everyone speaks English, but it is still rather easy to get around using gestures, smiles, and phrase books.

We spent several hours today walking around the town of Naxos. There are other towns on the island, but it seems that on most Greek islands the name of the largest town (the "hora") is also the name of the island. There are parts of the town where the streets are not wide enough for vehicles. One of the guide books described it as a "rabbit warren". It's great to meander these passageways, especially if you're not looking for a particular destination or needing to be somewhere at a particular time. Would hate to get lost looking to catch a ferry.

We ate lunch today at an outdoor cafe overlooking the harbor. The weather so far has been ideal . . . highs in the low 80's and a constant breeze. Randy is vegetarian, and at least half the time I eat vegetarian too. It has been very, very easy to find good, nutritious, inexpensive vegetarian food in Greece. After lunch, Randy found the Cafe Esperanto, where nobody spoke the Esperanto language. Randy was happy anyway.

We spent time on the beach in Mykonos, but haven't made it to the beach here yet. Instead our hotel has a small swimming pool, and I swam a few laps this afternoon. I have promised myself that I WILL swim in the Aegean at least once before I leave, although I understand from Randy that the water is a bit chilly.

Today has been election day in Greece. Have seen lots of campaign literature/litter and advertisements. Plus, some of the stores and all museums were closed for the occasion. We head out tonight for dinner on the town, hoping that there will be something interesting open.