Greece Post 3 - Around the Island of Paros – Compact But Very Scenic!

Paros is small but it is a gem. You can drive all the way around in 45 minutes and see lovely views almost everywhere you turn. There are mountains in the middle of the island and small towns with traditional white-washed houses.

There are long sandy beaches, mostly empty, and blue ocean views.

While I was outside the car photographing on the day we rented a car, I left John alone with the map a little too long. When we started driving again, he announced that we were taking a scenic route through the mountains in the middle of the island. Soon we were looking straight up on one side of the road

and straight down on the other.

Turned out this was a single track winding road – meaning it would be a problem meeting someone coming the other way. There were hairpin turns like this one. This was actually a good section of the road. Later on, it got all gravelly and rough – at the same time the rented car started giving us a little trouble.

The steep drop offs made for beautiful scenery. It was hard to do them justice with the camera. There is no substitute for being there with stark views 360º around you.

However, we did make it safely to the other side of the mountains where we went to a gorgeous village called Lefkes. Like many places here, it’s built into steep hillsides. Here’s a big picture view –

But in the streets is where the magic happens. This is where I would love to have a second home, I think!

There are narrow alleyways. No cars here, only foot traffic and motorbikes.

and some special entrances.

This short video clip gives a feel of what it’s like to walk in Lefkes’ streets. 




In this village, as in others, we saw the dominant colors of Greece: dazzling whites

and pure, brilliant blues.

These colors resonate so deeply in Greece that, as noted before, it is small wonder they are the colors of the Greek flag.