Weekdays in Kea

So after five nights and four days on Kea we are on the ferry Marmaris Express heading towards Lavrion in rough seas. Well not so rough that I can't type or drink my double espresso with hot milk on the side, but let me call it pleasantly rough. So here's the plan. We are going to Athens for the weekend because Amarandi was going stir-crazy on our quiet island since none of her friends had arrived for the summer yet. She also got invited to a party on Friday night and before that she is meeting some girlfriends at TGI Fridays. (Yes, that TGI Fridays). So we looked at the calendar and realized that if we go to Lesvos on Sunday night we will have ten days there before all our friends start showing up on Kea. So taking pity on Amarandi and at the same time being practical we are leaving windy and cool Kea fot the hot streets (and air-conditioned Kypseli apartment) of Athens.

Today was the first day we woke up before noon. Yesterday I must have slept half the day after waking at noon, until finally I got the energy to drive to the beach at Pisses (yes that is the name of the beach) and swim for an hour. The beach had all of three people on it and even though outside the bay in the open sea the waves were pretty big it was calm. Compared to the day before when we went to the beach at Orchos and not only was it too rough to go swimming but a winter storm had completely transformed it from a rocky beach that some of our friends avoided, to a beautiful sandy beach that looks like the Carribean.

Apart from that there is not much to report from my first island stay of 2011 except maybe what I had for dinner every night which would probably bore you. But I can report that Andrea's nephew Stephanos' restaurant in Korissia is excellent, as good as anything on Sifnos and reasonably priced. Rumour has it that famed chef Aglia Kremezi assisted with the menu. Actually it is more than a rumour because the first thing I saw on the menu and ordered was the regga salata (herring salad) that she has served several times at her house and which I have even made myself. Besides the usual fresh fish and local meat there are half a dozen amazing salads and the smoked salmon rolls which only lack bagels to be a meal you would find in NY or LA. So if you make it to Kea ever be sure to eat at Magazes in the port.

On the down side Thalia has taken her candy shop and her ouzeri and moved back to Athens and is supposedly opening there, maybe in Psiri.

So tonight it is Athens once again. This is actually a really good system. We spend the weekends in Athens and the weekdays in Kea, the opposite of everyone else. Today it took half an hour to unload all the cars from Lavrion in Kea and about three minutes to load the cars from Kea going to Lavrion. Rolando will be busy tonight after having not more than thirty tables all week and that will make him happy. And we will see all our Athens friends tonight and tomorrow and then take the 6pm ferry to Lesvos. This is fun. How did I survive a year in the USA?

You can click on the photos to see them full size.