So proud of the announcement to hold a referendum on the EU in or out by the Greeks.  It may go either way but I cannot help thinking that this is the cradle of democracy so let them live by thir sword and decide their fate the democratic way. Too bad for this beautiful country that it has to go through so much turmoil.

As a travel destination Naxos, the largest of the Cyclades, provides the opportunity of a balanced experience of both culture and nature. Naxos town (Known as Chora) is a postcard worthy classic Cycladic town with a twist: the Castle on the hill as well as the labyrinth design of its old town, reminiscent of it’s Venetian alleyways, make it feel a bit Italian.
Coming in from the port, the one striking image is that of the Palatia islet, home to the Portara, symbol of Naxos, a lonely freestanding marble door. This 2500 year old structure is the only surviving portion of an attempted Temple of Apollo, ancient structure that never got completed and, over the years, got dismantled so the marble can be used in the building of the town. Impressive in it’s size and precision of the stone cut, the Portara is the favourite place to watch the sunset from, the evening pilgrimage of every good tourist.

As for Chora, the most interesting part, as mentioned, is the old town, clustered atop the hill above the harbor. To understand the town one must first understand the history. After the 1204 sacking of Constantinople, Venetians siezedmany of the Aegean islands. Marco Sanudo captured Naxos in 1207 and united these under the Duchy of Naxos. Eager for independence from the Doge in Venice he eventually broke away from the Republic and allied himself with the Latin Emperor, thus becoming the Duke of the Archipelago. His allies and descendants ruled directly for 300 years.

The old Venetian nobility devised a class system which is still apparent in the layout of the town itself. There are two distinct neighbourhoods: the lower Bouros, with narrow lanes and modest size dwellings, where the native Greeks lived, and the higher up Kastro, more palatial in appearance, as it was once occupied by the Venetian noblemen and their families. The Castle and Catholic Cathedral were founded by Marco Sanudo himself, and Venetian-style houses in the Kastro still bear the old families’ coats-of-arms.

In an old tower of the Castle one finds the Venetian museum, which I visited. It’s filled with antiques and quite well provided for, considering it is a private museum, founded by a direct descendant of the most notable of the old families, Barozzi – della Rocca.

The waterfront is more typically Greek, happy and carefree and filled with cafes and restaurants. The food is fresh and of outstanding flavour….and the Greek salad comes with a sheep worth of feta, so don’t try and loose weight here 🙂

An eventful 48 hours found me crossing Europe North to South in a heartbeat- from Oslo in Norway to beautiful Santorini in Greece. While I admire variety and understand that nature mimics the weather’s been given to deal with… Where would you rather be?

The real highlight of my brief trip to Norway was the fjord boat tour: on an old pirate looking boat, no less. The fjord was charming, probably more so because the weather that day was outstanding.

The nature is raw yet charming, beautiful yet not too pretty. I think this is Scandinavia at its best. Reminded me a bit of British Columbia Canada.

For a while I have been meaning to visit another Scandinavian country. The opportunity finally came and I got to attend a conference in Oslo, last week. It was the best thing ever to have the company foot the bill, as, frankly, Oslo is insanely expensive. Most tourists complain about the high cost of justabout everything but you don’t get to appreciate just how scary are the prices until you land there, and then choke up 150 Euro for a taxi ride into town. Needless to say when I eventually returned to the airport I did so by train….

Oslo, from what I could see, is a rather small city populated by some 600000 inhabitants. The weather is usually of Scandinavian quality (i.e., low, grey, clounds, rain, a bit of sunshine, more rain) and the town is kind of industrial looking. Not too pretty, other than the compact city centre, where the Parliament, National Theatre, University and Royal Palace are scattered along the main street. You could walk this from one end to another in approximately 40 minutes.

A bit to one side, by the harbour, one finds the City Hall, an edifice resembling the Lincoln Centre in New York (though proportionally smaller) which is famous the world over for being the setting of the Nobel Peace Prize, which is given out each December in a much publicised ceremony. The conference offered a reception at the Hall, and I have to say, I was quite proud to be walking up the same stairs as some of the world’s greatest humanitarians.

Finally, in a modernist corner of the waterfront somewhat removed from the centre proper one finds the new Opera House: a large Carrara marble monstrosity that took 12 years to build and cost 120 million Euros so that people can walk up and down the slanted structure. Personally, I dislike this type of architecture, but some people like it…judge fir yourselves.

Oh, ok, so after renewing my annual subscription and realising I pay for silence…I decided it’s time to get back online.

Being on vacation helps. Currently in Spain, land of sunshine, 38 degrees in May, cerveza and tapas, but,  let’s not forget, centuries upon centuries of culture ….

Not too many words on this momentous relaunch … Just a few images from Madrid.