Orperhapssheismusingoverwhythissummer’sferrieslooksodesperatelyempty
OnboardtheBlueStarferryfromAthenstoAmorgosCredit:markstrattonTheBlueStarferrytakesninehoursfromPiraeus(themainportforAthens)toAmorgos.Iscarcelyrecallaloveliervoyage,suckingupsaltyspraywhiskedbytheintensifyingmeltemiwindinseaasroyally-blueasCycladicdomedroofs.
BesidesErato,KondyliaawaitsmeatKatapolotodrivemetoherfamily-runAquaPetraHotel.Amorgoscurrentlyhasfewvisitors,shesays.“It’sworsethantheGreekfinancialcrisis”.
Yetthey’dexperiencedchallengesbefore.OnAmorgos’smountainousspine,whereparchedslopestumbleintotheAegeanlikecrumblingfeta,istheByzantineAgiosGeorgiosValsamitisMonastery,builtoveraoracle-likespringpossessingpredictivepowers.“Myfatherconsultedthe‘talkingwater’foradviceonwhentobuildourhotel,”saysKondylia.“Heignoredtheadvicetodelayitsbuildingbutthenhisgrandfatherfellillandhecouldnotopen.Thewatersneverlie”.
Hydro-divinationwasbannedin1967.“Butthelocalsstilldoit,”shewhispers.Ididn’tdareaskifanybodysawcoronaviruscoming.
Butit’snotthebestmonasteryAmorgoshastooffer.NearChora,themaintown,asidewindinggoattrackwendsdownthemountainsidetothewhitewashed11th-centuryHozoviotissa,suspendedlikealimpetonasea-cliff,Amorgos’sanswertoMeteora.
Hozoviotissa,suspendedlikealimpetonacliffCredit:markstrattonTwogrey-beardedpriestsareunloadingsuppliesbroughtbydonkey.I’mwelcomedintotheinteriorlabyrinthwithaglassofhomemaderakiandwatchtheeldestpriest’shandkissedrepeatedlybyGreekvisitorsnearagildediconostasis.Aretheyconcernedaboutcoronavirus
“TheGraceofPanagiaprotectsus,”I’mtold.
Icanonlyimaginethepiouspriests’opinionofAmorgos’smosticonicbeach,furtheralongthecoast,arockyinletpopularwithFrenchvisitorspayinghomagetoLucBesson’s1988cultmovie,BigBlue,thatwaspartlyshothere.Iplantoswimbutfeeloverdressedamidnudistsredefiningitsblueness.
InsteadIretreattoChora,wherethewhitewashedcubismofCycladicarchitectureweavesitsmagicamongmedievallymazylanes,softcoolingwallsstymyingDanteanheat.Idrinkislandherbaltea,verbena,mallow,andmint,andvisitamuseumoffar-flungmemories,featuringAlexandrianglassandaDionysianheadfashionedfromParianmarble.
“Wefeltisolatedhereforthreemonthsduringlockdown,”saysthemaskedattendant,whoperformsdeftsidestepstoavoidme.SherelaxeswhenImentionmynegativetestperformeduponarrivingatAthensairport.
FolegandrosisthequieteralternativetoSantoriniCredit:markstratton“Greecehadjust3,000cases.Wedidwell.HowdidBritaindo,”asksthebullishlylikeableKonstantinosMakkos,ownerofFolegandrosApartments,19self-containedunitsarrangedaroundaswimmingpoolIthinkheknewtheanswer.“ButgoodtohaveaBritonback,you’remyfirstthisseason”.
Heestimatesa60percentdownturninsummerbusiness.“AugustislookingokaybutnothingmuchinSeptember.Theweather’sgoodthen,whyaren’tyourcountrymenbookingahead”This,Icouldn’tanswer.
CoronavirusmayproveahistoricalhiccupforanislandthatsawMinoan,Venetian,andOttomanconquests.TheMinoanslikelycoinedthenameFolegandros,butIpreferaPhoenicianderivationtranslating‘rockyland’,exemplifiedbyshatteredhills,sometimestoppedbyout-of-the-waychurchesreachedbyzigzaggingclimbswithmorehairpinsthantheroadtoAlped’Huez.
TheagriculturalterracesofFolegandrosCredit:markstrattonItmakesforgreathikingandI’mupwiththeroostersonemorning,crossingawonderoussweepofstone-walledterraceswiththemagnitudeofverdantPhilippinericeterraces–yetIkickdustacrosstheseburnishedsteps,abandonedbaroliveandfigtrees.ThetrailcontinuestoAngali,whereIswimandwatchaholidaymakertakeabeachsideyogaclassfromafemaleinstructor.Heinterruptshisdownwarddogtoanswerhisphone.Shelooksmiffed.IrebalancemyownchakraatabeachsidecaféwithaGreekcoffee,itsgrindsliketar.
Ifanything,Folegandros’sChoraisprettierthanthatofAmorgos.Alittlegentrified,yetthecoolnarrowlanesofitsKastro(castle)quarterfeellivedin.TheKastrooverlooksthreeadjacentsquaresofal-frescorestaurantsandboutiquesofclothingandjewellery,andlittlebarsofferingthedangerouslymoreishsubterfugeofrakomelo,rakiwithhoney.
Andcoronaviruscertainlydidn’tstopLucyandDavidPattisonfromHighWycombe,thefirstBritonsImeetonmyisland-hoppingadventure.“It’ssoquietthismaybethebesttimeinyearstovisittheCyclades,”saysuniversitylecturer,Lucy.“Wefeelsaferherethanwedoathome”.
MilosisexpectingathirdofitsusualvisitorsthisyearCredit:markstratton“Innormaltimesweget120,000visitorsbutmaybe35,000thisyear,”estimatesLeonidasFoteinos,alocaltravelagent,atmyhotelnearAdamantasport.HesaysthedomesticGreekmarketisfillingavacuumleftbyinternationalarrivalsyetit’sanEleusinianmysterytohimwhymoreforeignersaren’tarrivingasMilosremainsvirus-free.
SeeMilosfromthesea,suggestsLeonidas:“IfyouswimatKleftikoitwillbethefirstswimofyourlife”.Iboardcaiquenextmorningtraversingthesoutherncoast;itscapacityisreducedto60percentwhilestaffwearmasksandglovesandcontinuallydisinfectinghandrails.
AndLeonidasisright.Despiteabecalmedmeltemiexposingthevisceralgavelof40Cheat,I’menthralledbylayereddepositsannotatinghowvolcanicMilosrosefromtheseathreemillionyearsagolikeanangryPoseidon(wasn’thealways),cocoa-brownashandcanary-yellowstreakedcliffsbeingwhittledawaybytheAegeanintoseaarchesandstacks.TheycoalesceatKleftiko’sgeologicfantasylandwhereIswimin25Cwaterintocavesbeneathcalamine-colouredarches.
Localguide,MarinosPoutnides,knowsthiscoastwell.Hisfatherwasacoastguardinthe1970sandmetJacquesCousteauhereduringhisfruitlesssearchforthelostcityofAtlantis.
Herdiscoveryinafieldismarkedbyaplaque,some250metresawayfromamarbleRomanamphitheatre.WhatdidhappentohernotoriousmissingarmsMarinosshrugs.“It’ssaidtheywerebrokenoffinafightbetweenrivalcollectorsfromTurkeyandFrance”.
FromMilos’sheights,youcanseeSifnos,wheremyisland-hoppingodysseyends.Ithadn’tbeenatempestuousepiclikeOdysseus’progresstowardsIthacabutaserenepassagethroughoneofthemostbeautifulislandchainsonEarth.
“MymotherknowsthedoctorwhosendscoronavirusteststoAthensandallhavebeennegative,”greetsTheodore,offering,intheseextraordinarytimes,abiggerendorsementtotravelthantheattractionsonoffer.
TheislandisCovid-freeCredit:markstrattonYettheisland’s60milesofhikingtrailsspeakforthemselves.ItakethebusinlandtoApolloniaandArtemonas,bothwhitewashedbeautiescoilingaroundpedestalhills,andIhikealongthecoasttoamedievalKastroandvisitprettyChryssopigimonasterywhereatiredoldlabradorblocksthestonestaircase.
Butwiththemeltemiabated,Sifnossizzles,soI’mcontenttoreturntomyhotelverandaoverlookingtheinky-blueAegean,rousedonoccasionbythehornblastsofferries,thatcomeandgo.ThepossibilitiestoventureonwardswithouttheCycladesusualsummercrowdsfeltendlessandtempting.