A Day Exploring Gaios

Today, Jackie (who I met at the port) and I have made plans to spend the day in Gaios. We’ve decided to put our faith in the local bus service again (despite yesterday’s experience) and we waited at the square in anticipation. The timetable was still pinned to the notice board which gave us a certain sense of confidence. The children had to get to school so we waited patiently.

The suggested time of departure came and went. We engaged in conversation with a couple of local ladies who clearly weren’t that familiar with the bus service but they nodded reassuringly that it would come. And it did. It wasn’t the small cronky bus used for the little kids but a larger coach for the high schoolers. There were just enough available seats for Jackie and myself to squeeze on. The bus bounced the shouts and laughter from the boisterous teenager around like an echo chamber. It was very quiet after they disembarked at the school!

Once in Gaios, we headed first to Cafe Faros on the waterfront for breakfast. I slightly underestimated the portion sizes of the waffles but I gave it a good go!

Set a short distance from the waterfront is the Holy Trinity Church (Agia Triada) with its attractive bell tower. The waterfront is lined with cafes and gelaterias set amongst some striking neoclassical buildings. Weaving our way along the back alleys we stumbled across interesting architectural elements set amongst some characterful houses. Jackie as a retired art teacher was as enthusiastic about the quirky little houses and the aged architecture as I was. Jackie had travelled through Italy by train before arriving on Paxos carrying a small sketchbook and a set of gouache paints. She had created a beautiful collection of paintings throughout her travels.

Further along the harbour is the striking bronze statue of Georgios Anemogiannis (1796-1821), a son of Paxos and a national hero of the Greek War of Independence. During a campaign to liberate Greece from the Turks, he was captured whilst trying to set fire to an Ottoman fleet. He was tortured and mercilessly killed but his act of bravery is not forgotten.

Continuing around the coastline we pass the small cove of Bartek Beach. We weren’t sure at first if our eyes were deceiving us but yes, there was a woman on the beach shaving her legs! Here you have a good view of the two small islets that sit just off the coastline of Paxos – Nisidi Agios Nikolaos just 50 metres from the harbour and the smaller islet of Nisida Panagia.

Whilst in Gaios I called in at several tourist agencies to see if there were any boats going to Antipaxos. It seemed that most of the tours had already stopped for the season which was unfortunate. Anyway, perseverance paid off and eventually I came across a small tourist office called Zefi Travel. They told me that their own boat would be going on the Monday. It would depart at 0830 and return at 1600 and the return ticket costs just a couple of euros! This was perfect. The other alternative would have been to catch a tour boat from Corfu which seemed ridiculous to come all the way back. Besides the trips on the tour boats focus on the caves around the island whereas I wanted to see the island itself – or at least some of its landscape.

Before we left Gaios Jackie and I walked down to the marina and then back past the magnificent Old Governor’s House. It was built in the 18th century during the Venetian occupation and served as the residence for the British Governor and also the National Bank of Greece. I’m sure it looked magnificent when it was first built but even more so with its faded grandeur! After a bit more mooching we headed back to the square to see if we would be in luck with the bus.

Unfortunately, no bus showed. Next to the original timetable on the noticeboard was a handwritten note which seemed to indicate a change in the bus service. Thankfully I had the phone number for Agglaya in my phone and we didn’t have to wait too long for the taxi to arrive to take us back to Lakka.

Later that evening Jackie and I met up again for a meal at Alexandros – their final night before closing for the season. It was pretty quiet when we arrived but it certainly livened up later. Not only tourists were here but plenty of locals had also come to give them a good send off before they returned to Ioannina for winter. The food here is fantastic but the mother and her son and daughter (I’m kicking myself for not remembering their names) are such a lovely family who make dining here such a memorable experience.