6/13: Beach Bumming on Milos

My plan for an 8am run was easily snooze-buttoned to 9:30, but at least I got one in! I went for a 48 minute out-&-back run along the inner coastal rim of the island. I noticed a few differences from Santorini, all of them good:

1) It was flat! Running along the harbor made for little elevation change. My quadriceps were grateful.
2) Few tourists! I saw no canned tour boats in the harbor, no distracted drivers on the road, and I wasn't even concerned about being flattened by a tour bus!
3) Little traffic! Less tourists=less traffic, I know, but I cannot emphasize enough how relieving this was. Here were lovely waterside views, and the landscape was mostly dotted by homes, the occasional rental agency, and then farms or industry. I ran past an amazingly verdant sunflower patch at one guy's farm, then made my turnaround at somebody's waterside chicken coop.

Above: I ran somewhere over there. There were chickens.

On my return, I found Annie reading James Patterson on the balcony. She's already completed one of his novels! I'm proud to see her reading, even if it is beach lit.

We had to brew our own coffee today; sadly, no more spoiling breakfasts from Rumi. We then sunscreened ourselves, and left to explore Adamas by day. We purchased a spinakopita for lunch(2.5€), and walked around the main square...

...then up past the Ecclesiastical Museum (closed Monday), to a church at the top of the hill with a commanding view of the harbor. We noted how telling it is about a culture that gives its church the best view in town.

After buying Annie a tube of SPF 25 chap stick for $12 because the cheaper stuff wasn't sealed (she's germaphobic), we headed back towards the harbor. Passing the Milos Mining Museum (also closed Mondays), we walked along the stretch of shaded beach called Papikinou. Peaceful waters, families at rest and play.

Papikinou Beach in shaded splendor

We meandered back towards town and past our lodging to a smaller, quieter beach called Lagada where Annie waded, I swam and helped a fisherman tie his boat, and we both sunbathed and watched a Greek teen strike out hard with a topless girl several yards away.

ABOVE: Lagada Beach

After a brief hike that surprised us with a cemetery and monument dedicated to French soldiers that died of plague during the Crimean War (1897), we moseyed home to shower before dinner.

Awaiting us was a small package of baklava and other tasty treats, a honeymoon gift from our wonderful hosts Beatrix and her husband Georgias(George). When I thanked her, she said they just wanted to make our honeymoon "sweet." You wouldn't be able to see us blushing right now because of the sun we've gotten, but trust us, we are.

ABOVE: Moon over Adamas

We hit the waterfront again and found a restaurant that looked appealing. We ordered our trusty Feta Fournou appetizer, then decided to try two new dishes. Annie ordered a cod baked with tomatoes, onions, and potatoes that turned out delicious. I wasn't so lucky, unfortunately, but it was my own fault. I ordered the "gauros," a dish described as "a plate of small fried fishes". I guess I was expecting 4-5 fried fish in the 6" range, but I basically received a plate full of fried minnows. I ate a few, then Annie decided to share her tasty dish with me so we took turns sneaking my minnows to the gathering crowd of hungry cats at our feet. It is my opinion that "gauros" translates to "cat food" in English. Oh well! We've had great luck with our food selection thus far, so one disappointing dish isn't going to set us back!

Milos Day 1 (June 13) Album:

Milos: June 13, 2011

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Location:Milos Island, Cyclades, Greece