Weekend Day One
A weekend of adventure was waiting for my cousin and I as we departed Athens on a Friday afternoon for Galaxidi! Our typical adventures usually have us boarding a ferry to a nearby island, but this year with the rise of tourism came the rise of prices on ferries; so instead I opted to stay on the mainland and discover a part of Greece I had not yet wandered to. So I did a little research and found Galaxidi. The photos of the quaint town, compared to other towns I found and the geographic region was perfect for a slew of adventures. Ok, so the name of the town did play a part in my decision too. ‘Cmon, now I can say I have been to the Galaxy! Let me just say, that staying in that small town on a clear summer night, you can definitely see many galaxies. It was quite an amazing night view of the stars. I could have quite literally slept under the stars.
The drive to this town was about 2-3 hours. Close enough that once we arrived, we had time to change and head to the town for a nice meal and some walking after all that driving. We already had some suggestions from friends, so we opted to try one of them. It was good, but to be honest, I have had better. And the wine was meh! But we were hungry so we enjoyed the meal and were on our way to digest and stretch our legs. Along our walk we came upon this floating mini house in the port. (See photo) Apparently the ducks too need a place to live, so it is quite common to find these throughout the ports of Galaxidi. Talk about lucky ducks!! All in all the first evening was very nice.
Saturday morning, I woke up early and decided to go and take a dip in the sea just a few meters from our hotel room. Afterall I want to have as many opportunities to swim as possible. It was just me and one other swimmer many meters away. The calm, the solitude, just me and the sea around me. Once I was out of the water, I walked about the beach a bit and found several dried sea creature shells. The beach was small, but just perfect to enjoy with solitude. I dried up andheaded back to the room to change and head down to breakfast. From there we were off to the first stop. The beach. A different one, a short drive away, Saint Basil’s Beach! (Agios Basilis is our Santa Claus- see photo for reference) Perfect art for this beach bar!
After a few hours of swim, sunbathe, swim, sunbathe, and some short walks around the beach area, we decided to pack and move on! On to the next beach that is! The Greeks, they have it all! The food, the culture, the history, and the beauty! I am starting to think that I can only live my best life if I am living it in Greece. The beach we came upon is called Monastiraki Beach.
It’s a beach that connects by a small channel to a lake or large pond. No one swims in the pond, maybe just ducks and birds, otherwise it is just a unique beach because of this. This one happens to be more populated by families and small children, but also with food/snacks. We wander onto the fancy beach with fancy chairs, a DJ and a bar that looks like something out of a reality show. Where a souvlaki will cost you 12 euros; if you can stop a bartender to order.
Needless to say we left and decided to try one of the tavernas situated just above the regular folk beaches. Ugh the Greeks really know how to cook skewers of pork souvlaki; that and a bottle of orange Fanta and my belly was good until the evening. From here we drove a little farther away and landed in Nafpaktos.
Our first stop was at the Venetian castle that overlooks the town, and many other towns and the sea below. The large seaside town is situated on the north shore of the Corinthian Gulf, along with a small fortified harbor. It was an important Athenian naval base during the Peloponnesian War due to its proximity to the western entrance of the gulf. The photos from above are unreal, to the point of a friend that I texted a photo, compared it to a magazine/post card and it did not look real. Have you ever had this most amazing view and you wanted a photo of what you were seeing with your own eyes? This here, was the place where I was finally able to take my vision and translate it to photos.
Once we walked about the castle grounds, took some photos, we headed back to the car and down towards the town. Talk about a small port town; once you get to the port, it’s bumper traffic on one way streets, as you go through, so you can find yourself a place to park and head back by foot.
Small shops, restaurants and cafes make up the main port area. Upon arriving we were welcomed by what looked like a tournament of water polo taking place in the port just at the entrance from the gulf. Many onlookers, families on the promenade, friends enjoying a drink or three, and ice cream shops at every corner. We stopped for a rest and a beverage while people-watching all around us! The sun was starting to set, and we realized we had about 1-1.5 hours drive to get back to Galaxidi.
Another evening in the main town near the hotel; this time another restaurant, and what I feel like a much better atmosphere and vibe in comparison to the night before. You haven’t been to a Greek taverna in Greece if there weren’t cats running about and begging for food as they sit by your table and stare at you with those mesmerizing eyes. For us it was a few kittens and their mum. Bellies full, we walked the port once more and headed off to bed. A full day behind us and another full day to follow…..
Weekend Day Two, coming soon! Here's a little sneak peak of how the weekend continues...
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