This is my first post about Greece. I have been planning to start writing about Greece for a while now... I talk a lot about Greece, I think about it even more, but what I do most is constantly dream about it. Somehow, I have always felt that I belong to those Greek lands, similar to a rich past-life experience spent inside Greek borders. I have enjoyed some meaningful travels to Greece, but today I will bring into your attention the superb island of Kos, in the Dodecanese. My mother and I have not had a proper holiday that summer, apart from brief weekend getaways to the Romanian seaside or mountainside. So we made up our minds really fast and decided to travel to Kos Island mid-August. One thing I learned about Greece is that it has so many things to offer that anything else which seems important on a daily basis fades away. While being in Greece, you feel no need of luxury hotels or fancy dinners, elegant clothes or hairdos and make-up; there is no need to impress anyone. What you do feel is a desperate urge to be one with the sea and the sun, to enjoy a good nap in the afternoon and recover from mundane stress, to be with yourself again without being afraid of what you might find inside. These are the soothing powers of Greece. Our hotel was located really close to the Kos Marina, I was very glad about this because I love strolling along the quiet alleys in between boats and admire them while they float and reflect into the peaceful waters underneath; moreover, in the Marinas you usually find the best seafood and everything streams an alluring local flavour. For our first beach day we chose one of the nearby beaches (45 minutes’ walk) – Psalidi Beach. We were the only clients, and we soon found out why: this beach is pebbled, so it is not very cozy to go into the sea; nevertheless, it is healthy! Right across the main street from this beach we found a simple tavern and had a very basic but scrumptious lunch. Then we got back to our books (we brought plenty of them along) and to feeling our inner beings go deep into meditation and relaxation. Each evening, we would walk from our hotel towards the other side of Kos Town, since we wanted to discover everything about this charming island and its main town and also because keeping in shape even on holiday is important. Kos Town is a typical holiday settlement, featuring many restaurants, taverns, ice-cream shops, coffee places, authentic Greek products boutiques, narrow alleys crammed with tourists. I found it to be equally charming during nighttime and daytime. While we were following a hidden alley, a sort of a shortcut, The Plane Tree of Hippocrates disclosed to us unexpectedly, in its full splendor, fluttering its majestic crown of leaves while dancing with the breeze. The proper moment has arrived for me to tell you that Kos was home to and birthplace of Hippocrates, better known as the father of medicine and also a grand philosopher of Greece. We grabbed a cup of coffee, a delicious Greek specialty because they do have plenty of expertise in this field, under the plane tree and felt how the passing of time slowed down second after second after second… In the vicinity of the plane tree, Neratzia Castle (The Castle of the Knights of Saint John) awaits for curious travelers seeking for traces of history. This castle was built between 1436 and 1514 and is one of the most representative examples of Templar Knights architecture in the Dodecanese Islands. This interesting island also bears Turkish influences, since it is so close to the Turkish shoreline, so were not surprised when we came across an impressive Mosque, the Mosque of Gazi Hassan. Remnants of the not yet forgotten past proudly and steadfastly prevail on the magnificent island of Kos in the exact location of Kos Town such as the Roman Odeon of Kos, the Ancient Agora and Harbor. Each evening walk brought other elements into our attention, but the funny thing is that none of them were previously planned as part of a walking itinerary, they just happened to come to our way. So, we stood in admiration glancing at Agia Paraskevi (a local church), then our steps guided us towards the Kos Market Hall, which besides being a fruit, vegetables and seeds provider, is also a popular gathering place; the plaza facing this market hall is filled with terraces, cafeterias and people who enjoy being there spend their nights in this rather noisy environment. We soon discovered the central bus stop which connects Kos Town with other parts of the island. So the following morning we embarked on a bus that would take us to Paradise Beach, about 30 kilometers from Kos Town towards the south-west coast. This extended, sandy beach was among my favourites during this holiday. The water here is crystal clear, no waves at all, and in order for it to become deeper you have to walk for a very long while. The light golden-sand felt like satin caressing my soles and the soothing sea was smooth like velvet wrapped around my body. There are plenty of sunbeds on this beach, but who needs them when you can spend the entire day in the water, enjoying each moment?! For lunch, there is a cafeteria close-by, the menu isn’t very generous but one can handle. We took shelter from the dangerous midday sun rays in this homey cafeteria, started reading while resting our feet up tree trunks shadowing the entire place, listened to some good music and just let go of all our emotional luggage and left it there for the breeze and the Aegean winds to take care of it. On Kos Island we did exactly everything we wanted, we gave in to all of our cravings and desires. So, one day we were thinking that maybe we should visit some neighbouring islands; we just went to the main harbor and booked a one-day trip to Kalymnos and Pserimos islands. The distance is rather short between Kos and these islands, one hour to Kalymnos and another one to Pserimos from Kalymnos. Kalymnos has a long tradition in sponge diving so all across the island many shops offer sponge-related products. Its main town’s alleys are also very narrow, and what I liked was the semi-deserted aspect of buildings, as if they were vestiges of ancient times. We explored the surroundings and took some beautiful pictures, then we stopped for a delicious cup of coffee near the Marina. We enjoyed a nice lunch together with the group at a very local tavern and went on to Pserimos Island, with a short stop in between at Plati Island. The tiny island of Plati is not inhabited, but features the Church Agios Nikolaos and turquoise enchanting waters bathe its shores. We debarked to visit this secluded church and to say hello to the sea for some moments. After docking the boat in Themis Golf of Pserimos Island, we descended onto the warm sands of this tiny island and I instantly felt at ease, emotions startled and instant joy and gratitude for life overwhelmed me. Such a fantastic feeling, of freedom combined with simplicity and gratitude for divine creation! It is important to mention how small Pserimos is: only 30 inhabitants during wintertime and about 130 in those blissful summer days! I had been looking for a black ankle bracelet (I am a huge fan of ankle bracelets!) and I found it lying on one of the few shops in this charming Themis golf. Few steps further on the beach, I met an old lady (“ya-ya” means grandma in Greek language) who created handmade necklaces of shells and small pearls from the sea. She had me at the first “Kalimera” (“Good morning!” or “Hello” in Greek language)! So many thoughts were flying through my mind in that moment, thoughts regarding my return to a simple way of living, in freedom and happiness, far away from what we call “civilization” nowadays. Of course, I bought the necklaces because they were extremely beautiful and unique, then we hugged and wished all the best to each other in languages we did not understand, but it did not even matter since my heart melted with happiness and I know she felt that. It was so intense, I think I will never forget that awakening moment, on that gorgeous beach of tiny Pserimos. Some other tiny white boats were anchored in the small bay, scattered around, floating on delicious baby blue and turquoise waters; looking to the horizon from the beach, on the left side there was a large rock and on top of it, a Greek flag flaunted ease-fully. The landscape was spectacular! I had heard about some secluded beaches on Kos Island so for just one day we rented a car and went to those hard accessible places (dirt roads). We left the hotel very early in the morning and first stopped at Agios Theologos (owes its name to the deserted church of Agios Ioannis Theologos). We were the only ones there that early so we bathed in silence and enjoyed the exclusiveness of a very private secluded beach. Driving around the island was fun for a day! We reached Limnionas beach, but it was not quite what we were looking for. We then explored the south-western part of Kos – the traditional Kefalos area, where we enjoyed a fast scrumptious lunch and a pleasant conversation with a conational who moved to Kos many years ago. Our search for the perfect beach for the day continued: we went down to Agios Stefanos, where ruins of Paleo-Christian churches rest steps from the sea and where people swim up to the islet of Kastri (a small rock in the sea capped by the amazing church Agios Nikolaos). It was a crowded day at the beach so we found it a bit uncomfortable. I definitely wanted an isolated beach, with few tourists so we went on to Cavo Paradiso Beach. The road down until this beach is super steep, quite dangerous but fun at the same time, and if you were wondering, yes it is a dirt road. But when you reach Cavo Paradiso…you forget about all inconveniences. This bay is isolated and provides its visitors with unforgettable sights, warm waters, of infinite hues of blue, intertwined with foamy delicate waves tumbling upon the all-forgiving satin sand. Words cannot actually describe this piece of heaven, but it truly is a paradisiacal retreat. After leaving Cavo Paradiso with our souls fully-charged, we took the road back to Kos Town and made a short stop at Plaka Forest. This temple of nature hosts magical peacocks which live in total freedom as free spirits of the forest. We fed the peacocks, both the parents and their babies; just before leaving, I was taking photographs of a majestic specimen, when something extraordinary happened: this king of peacocks sat down on the rocky road and then got up, elegantly and slowly walked away but left a beautiful feather behind it for me to pick up. Nature rewarded us for being there with a magnificent souvenir other just dream of having! It was already evening when we stopped for the last time to see New and Old Pyli, villages not that far from Kos Town. Palio Pyli (Old Pyli) is a semi-ruined settlement with a Byzantine castle at the top of a hill; here people usually also visit the church of Ipapanti dating from the 14th century. To reach Palio Pyli, you have to climb many stone stairs, and it feels like some sort of weird atonement. At the end of that full day, we were so tired but so content and grateful, our dreams still wandered in beatitude around Cavo Paradiso and Agios Theologos… We devoted our last beach day in Kos to Mastichari Beach. We first passed by Antimachia, a lovely village whose name has not been changed for over 3000 years. Then we reached the silent beaches of Mastichari, renowned for their exotic appearance with turquoise water and white fine sand and for the good winds and waves encouraging windsurfing fans to visit this amazing part of Kos Island. What I enjoyed most about spending the day here was that during noon, wearing high protection not to get sunburn and also light clothes, I discovered a very long alley, good for both walking and bike riding, from where you could see the beach and the blissful sea while strolling along the paradisiacal shoreline. Our holiday in Kos Island was exactly what we needed – a detox for our stressed minds and bodies. When you visit a 300 kilometers long island like Kos, you may think that you have gone back to basics; when you reach a 140 kilometers long one (such as Kalymnos), you believe that you are not that far from Paradise and its nurturing gardens and angels; but when you walk on a 8 kilometers long island such as Pserimos, and live the experiences I’ve lived there, you definitely reconnect with divinity, and through divinity, with your own true self, the one that has been hiding behind masks, scared of a fundamental simple life and perspective over things. My story may be subjective because I already confessed that I am deeply in love with Greece, but what I felt during my visit to Kos Island and surroundings was a pure call to a simple reality which we sometimes neglect. And I felt this all across the island, I learnt it just by glancing at people, their mindset and activities. Let us go back to the roots to rejoice over simplicity and peace!
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