Above: VERY comfortable outdoor seating...
After breakfast, we rented a car for our days on the island: a Fiat Panda. If American cars are sleek and modern, this vehicle was loping and slow...not unlike its namesake. It was good enough for our ventures, but only barely made the climb from our hotel driveway. We had to turn off the air to give the engine enough power.
Feel the power.
Our first journey in the Panda was to Agios Ioannis, better known among chick-flick fans everywhere as "the Mama Mia church." The drive there was around blind curves and steep, narrow descents, until we rounded a bend and saw the church atop the rocky outcropping that made it famous. I hadn't seen the movie that put this place on the map, but the sight was beautiful and inspiring.
The ocean surrounding Agios Ioannis was a deep blue, fading lighter as it neared the shallows along the shore. There was a nearby beach that we made plans to enjoy after scaling the steep stairway leading to the church.
Unlike many other similarly-perilous climbs to obscure churches in Greece, this one had newish mortared stairs and steel-&-cable handrails. These newer additions must have been a gift from the Mama Mia film crew, we decided. We tried to imagine making the climb without the benefit of stone steps and guardrails. The monks must be daredevils.
Above: Reaching the summit the easy way.
Atop the rock, there was a fairly large courtyard with great views of the beach below and the coastlines stretching to the northwest and southeast. The church itself was quaint and lovely; inside, the small vestibule was hotter than a sauna in the June heat. We left a donation so we could light candles before the altar, and noticed that several candles had slumped over before their wax had the chance to melt properly--proof the room was muy caliente.
Back outside, we rested beneath the shade of a large tree that had a church bell and streamers hanging from it. On the back end of the courtyard, we found the outhouse. It was primitive by today's standards, but resembled the kind my dad used to speak of from his youth.
Don't ask where the hole leads.
Having had our fill of the heat, we descended the steps and made our way to the Agios Ioannis beach for some swimming and snorkeling. Carolyn and Wayne had some new gear with them, so it took them time to break in the new masks and snorkels.
Not drowning means you're successful.
The four of us scoped out some nearby rocky areas, then meandered over to a farther beach that was empty save for loads of driftwood and flotsam that Annie wanted to collect.
Above: Who's the flotsam, & who's the jetsam?
After figuring out how to swim back with a load of discarded loot, we dried off and headed back uphill to the Mama Mia Café for a beer before hitting the road.
We returned home for showers, with just enough time to crack open a bottle of wine for sunset from the Hales' balcony. We had a glass apiece, watched the sun sink behind the nearby island of Skiathos, then went hunting for Agnánti, a good restaurant recommended by a few travel guides I'd consulted.
Our first attempt finding it was a failure; we ended up at a café called Aranti that I confused for Agnánti--easy mistake, right?--and it didn't serve dinner food. When we found the right place, we were impressed. For appetizers, we ate herb fritters, and feta wrapped in filo with honey-wine & sesame. For dinner, Wayne had a lemon chicken dish he raved about, Carolyn ate satisfactory grilled sardines on pita, Annie had lamb with pita, and I had pork with rice and a candied plum glaze. Our waiter was very kind and charismatic, and the whole experience there was great for our first full night on Skopelos.
After our late dinner we walked through Glossa at midnight, then drove home with full bellies and a great touring day under our belts.
Skopelos June 20 Album:
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| Skopelos: June 20, 2011 |
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:Skopelos Island, Sporades, Greece
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