An Appetite for Adventure

*brrrrng, brrrng* “Hello?” “Hi, Colleen. It’s the beach calling!”

Time to get our sun on. We hit the rode early and made for Karfas, the closest beach to our hotel and Chios Town. Karfas was a bit disappointing. While soft sand and umbrellas welcomed our lotion-soaked bodies, the town seemed a bit more run down than the others we visited in Chios, with too much of that generic beachtown vibe radiating from the tourist shops and beachfront cafes. Perhaps Karfas was just awakening from its slumber, but unenthused by the locale, we quickly packed up and moved on.

Destination: Emporios and Mavros Volia — the postcard perfect beaches in the South known for their seclusion and shallow, crystal waters. After a quick side trip to another small beach whose name I no longer recall, we arrived at Emporio and in heaven. as we pulled up, a fisherman was wrestling an octopus into a styrofoam container and a few tavernas relaxed in the sunshine like languid sunbathers. We headed over to Mavros Volia because it was more of a beach, a short drive away.

The black pebbles tumbled underfoot as we walked up and down a small set of stairs on the relatively secluded beach. Juxtaposed with the busy beaches of Positano, Mavros Volia was practically our private paradise. We sat in the sun and listened to the waves lap in and out and in and out. I couldn’t help but bring up something my dad said before I left. “You know, you might find that some of these places aren’t as great as you think they’ll be.” I love you dad, but you are sooooo wrong.

We escaped the sun by heading back to Emporios for some lunch, a feast of grilled octopus, Greek salad, pan-fried Greek cheese called halloumi and frappés. The stray cats were winding in and out of our feet, hoping for a dropped nibble. Luckily, the strays in Chios are well cared for, and while we didn’t encourage them, they actually enhanced rather than detracted from our meal.

Back to the beach after lunch, where we stayed until the shadows grew long.

After freshening up and eating a snack at home, we headed into Chios Town to catch some of the nightlife. I took care of booking a room for the night I would stay alone and we arrange drop off of our car in the morning. We wandered the back streets and into the Kastro, the old Byzantine quarter. We topped off the evening with a waterfront beer, saluting the happy accident that brought us to this wonderful island.

[08.06.04] Chios Day 2