Yesterday was such a good day that I have to write all about it, even if it means having to pay for more time. I woke up around 8:30 because I had gone to bed early the night before. I think I left my room around 9:30, with the determination to find the Venetian castle that sits on top of the town. It's a freaking castle and I hadn't been able to find it the day before. So I just kept climbing up, up, up lots of stairs and hills until I found it. I visited the Venetian house, which belongs (still) to the Della Rocca family, and it was a really cool museum. Then I went to the Byzantine museum which was a disappointment, and then on to the Catholic church. I walked some more until I stumbled across a Venetian antique shop and...wow. I mean, they were real antiques! Then I basically just wandered around the old town, with all its narrow streets and alleys...oh, it was wonderful. There was also this cat with her two quite big but still cute kittens. So basically I walked around the castle for 3 or so hours. Then as I was coming out, I stopped at a taverna and had octopus for lunch. There was another cat there which was looking at me with such a sad expression its face and it meowed at me, so I gave it the pieces of food that I didn't want. And it was very grateful, but sometimes it tried to hop up onto my table. Bad kitty.
Anyway, then I started walking across town back to my hotel, and I as I was walking past the restuarant where I had made a friend the day before, and he called out my name. He was with another friend so I went over to say hello and he told me to sit down. So I did. And the friend...WOW. He looked like a Greek, tanned, scruffier-but-in-a-sexy-way, Orlando Bloom. I don't normally think Orlando Bloom is attractive but I suppose when a look-a-like is in the flesh in front of you, you change your opinion. He was super nice too and we all talked for a while, with him chastising Antonis for not inviting me out to a club. Antonis argued that it wasn't appropriate and that he would feel embarrassed to do that, but the friend said that since I had no friends in Naxos yet it would be fine. And then I told them that I was going to stay very wary of Greek men. But the truth is they were really nice and not skeezy at all (unlike others from whom I get lots and lots of looks).
Anyway, so I stayed there for a couple of hours. Unfortunately Orlando bloom look a like left rather early. Antonis even gave me a lemonade for free, so that was nice. Anyway, then I went back to my hotel, changed, and decided to go to the beach. Annnnddd...I got lost. So I ended up taking this long roundabout way, during which I got lots of honks and catcalls. Fun. But eventually I got to the beach and it was absolutely heavenly. I stayed there for a couple of hours and had a milkshake at a cafe. Then I got lost looking for my hotel again, but eventually found it. Took a shower, and as I was putting out my towel and bikini to dry, I saw some people below me speaking English. I introduced myself and said, "This sounds odd, but I'm travelling alone so I was wondering if I could come down and talk with you all?" One of the girls, from Australia, was also travelling alone. The other two people were a couple from Canada. We sat around talking and drinking wine, and it felt really good to be making friends.
Then, after a while, the Australian girl and I headed into town to have dinner. We ended up eating at the same place I had eaten the night before, but it was infinitely more better since I had company. It was about 10 PM and all the tavernas were packed. Then, just as we were finishing, they had a short public classical concert, with a string quintet and a clarinetist (is that the word?). It was absolutely lovely to see soooooooo many people enjoying the music. After that was over, we headed over to a "music bar" (a cafe with a dj) in order to have a cocktail. I had a mojito for the first time, which was rather strong in rum and lime and lacking in mint. We had been talking for a long while when this man at a table next to us, in his fifties, asked to sit with us. Great. We couldn't decline politely so he joined us. So, I was forced to finish my drink rather quickly so that we could leave. My friend helped me, so that was good, though I ended up drinking most of it myself. Since it has been quite a while since I've had anything to drink, I actually got pretty tipsy. I was also tired.
But even with the icky old man trying to...well, who knows what...cocktails was really nice. There was a lovely view of the town on the harbor. I mean, it was midnight, and it was jam-packed with people.
And that was my good day. Tonight the girl and I are going out again for dinner. I think now I'll go find bus info in order to go visit some other nice beaches.
Life is so, so good.
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