Folegrandos
christina
Folegandros is a place of great natural beauty, and one's gaze is immediately drawn to the famous Church of the Panagia (the Virgin Mary) that sits atop a hillside overlooking the small town. Turns out that the church is on an archaeological site that was a sanctuary to the goddess Artemis - the twin sister of Apollo. Throughout the Cyclades there seems to be a trail of sanctuaries that honor these 2 – Apollo, the god of light and Artemis, the goddess of the moon. Makes me wonder and imagine the ancients of these islands and their rituals deeply connected to Nature and her rhythms. It also makes me think of a lost connection we have to the Earth and to the worship of Nature symbolically (as in most ancient cultures and stories). What of the appropriation of those things by the patriarchy, the system, and in this case the Church? Is it the land that holds the energy, the sacred connection?
I had a dream last night about Julio lounging in an ornate building and referring to his “moon women” – how apropos as Artemis was known as “Selasforos” – moon bearer. As I started to dig into her history, I learned that some believe she was a pre-Greek goddess and others believe in the parallels between Apollo & Artemis with the Egyptian gods that preceded them. There is much to uncover here that I didn't learn in Greek school - I imagine it will take awhile to unpack.
In addition to learning about Artemis, we were so blessed to take a boat tour around the island to beautiful, pristine waters and beaches - only accessible by boat. We also got to witness an authentic Greek wedding in the square that brought back memories and gave me some ideas for an anniversary party in the future...
JULIO
Folegandros is an extremely special island but at first it kind of weirded me out a little bit. It was extremely dimly lit and seemed to be haunted or something. I looked into the island's history and learned that it was originally used as a prison for exiles of the Roman Empire. This might explain what I was feeling but soon after a little exploration I was thoroughly charmed and never wanted to leave.
Folegandros has sweeping, dramatic stone cliffs and ancient terracing from the mountains to the ocean. As time went on I really began to ease into the pace and fall in love with this island. It has a very special history and very untouched feeling about it. If you want to experience a gorgeous Mediterranean village and an authentic area, this island is for you. It has a very down-home, simple and un-tethered feeling about it. It's definitely a place worth visiting. The first thing you notice is the dramatic cliff side and the church nestled up top above it. We hiked up to to the top of the hill to watch the sunset and it was really memorable. Great place to take a bottle of wine and some of their legendary cheese to enjoy a romantic picnic.
We stayed in an amazing hotel called the Miramare run by two native Foleganderos that we will never forget: Yiannis and Adonis. They exuded a very Greek, laid-back lust for life that was a welcome vibe from Mykonos and Santorini.
When we boarded the ferry on our way to the isle from Santorini, we were greeted by a boisterous, knackered Australian and British wedding party. They were having a wedding on the island and took over the entire village having their nuptials there and the reception smack dab in the town square. We ended up making friends with some of the attendees and running into various aspects of the wedding throughout our whole stay there. Let's just say it's a small island.
The tavernas in Folegandos were incredible and inexpensive serving authentic Greek cuisine with laid-back and interesting proprietors that made you want to come back for more. My favorite was Panagiotis from Souvlaki House who is pictured below. He showed us a lot of what is grand and confusing about Greece well. Incredible spirit, huge heart but maybe a little stuck in the past.
The ferry on the way!
The view from our hotel of town and the road to the Church of Panagia
Ferry selfie
GOATS!
This taverna was postcard material.
The food was TO DIE FOR. Simple flavors. Epic taste.
The pool view from the Miramare Hotel
Boating around the cragged cliffs of the Island
We stopped for sunset on the edge of a cliff
Sucking down a super strong ice coffee and a pita
happily getting lost in the town
the hillside church of the Panagia
dinner in the town square
walking to town
Katergos Beach
Julio and Adonis from the Miramare
Us and Panagiotis
Dinner and Alpha Beer at Panagiotis place
Obligatory travel pose
Church of Panagia (Virgin Mary) Folegandros
the bus schedule!
Frappes by the beach
More of Katergos beach and yes that person is naked
hiking across the island
A wedding in the town square