Tinos Superlatives

Let's start with Least Supportive Blog Partners, as Dave and WM don't seem to think much of my Superlatives blog post idea. But screw them, here goes!

Best Driver on Tinos: David. Doing an amazing job since he's our only driver of the manual transmission rental. The roads are curvy and loopy and hair pin turn-ish through rocky mountainy windy landscapes--even though his plugged up ears crackle when elevations change, he navigates the roads amazingly, up shifting and down shifting constantly. At night we have to drive goat speed, as the goats wander across the roads on their way up or down the mountains.

Most Exciting Landscape: This will have to go to the dramatic round boulders all scattered around the little village of Volakes. It's only a small part of the island, but it really looks like the Gods and Titans had a battle hurling rocks at each other. This is the local legend. Apparently it's a geologic mystery. We've seen it in both foggy wind and blazing sun. Wild in both.

Most Charming Local: Christos, who took us on a hike between 3 villages. He is a marble sculptor who is working on Acropolis restoration, and lives in a small village in Tinos also. Loves Aliens, Sci fi and comic books. A runner up would be his friend Joseph, who sells herbs and vegetables with magical properties. He told us that the soul never dies and that all things gradually get better. While we were talking to him it rained--only on the roof of the tent we were under. Nowhere else. He claims he has been to the underworld. He gave WM a strawberry from his garden. She said it was the best strawberry she'd ever eaten.

Most Exciting Nature Event: This is a toss up between David's rescuing the poor little hedgehog who had fallen into the small plunge pool in our back yard and couldn't get out, and the gray snake we saw eating a green lizard. That was out on the hike--apparently it's a small Greek python.

Best Things You Are Offered For Free: All kinds of things, at every taverna we go to! Tiny glasses of ouzo and raki, desserts you didn't order, sweet paste served on a spoon in water, little glasses of dessert wine, yogurt with cherries, etc! Pick your favorite!

Best Place for Natural Movement: Our current garden! We left the super cute tiny apartment that's up in a mountain village, and came down to a farmhouse Air BB that's near a small and sweet beach. It has so many surfaces for Dave to be natural on! Grass, stone, marble tables, trees, cats to be careful of, cold little plunge pools to crawl through! Plus some lemon trees and lots of bees.

Most Beautiful Stones to Collect: all over the beach in Agios Romanos where we are currently staying. Sunset colored marble stones.

Best Beastie: There have been many, but this little lovely wins.

Best Meal: Toss up between a restaurant down on the edge of the water in a town called Isternia that has tables outside where the waves splash your feet. Super interesting and delicious weird dishes. Apparently people sometimes sail their private boats over to Tinos just to go to this place. Baked onions with lemon jam. Cucumber and melon salad with nuts. Fruit stewed in wine with local cheese.

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or...

The locally sourced organic taverna up in Aetofolia--the smallest village, high up! Very simple, no one else was there, incredible salad! Local greens and onions, amazing baked eggplant. Both delicious.

People Who Dislike Tattoos Most: Another tie between WM and the Nuns all in black at the monastery where the local Virgin Mary Miracle took place. WM hates it when Dave and I show off our matching jubilee tattoos, or refer to them at all. And the Nuns looked askance at mine when I was looking into all the dark, glittering ornate chapels with marble accents hidden inside the whitewashed buildings. I saw the room where St Pelagia was visited by the Virgin, who told her where to dig for the miraculous icon. I saw her skull which is displayed for veneration in a separate chapel. And in the gift shop there were all kinds of things hand knitted and embroidered by the nuns. They blessed me when I purchased something, despite the tattoo.

Best Flowers: The blazing yellow bushes of wildflowers that line the road, they smell like honey. They might be wild sweet peas? The big bushes of oleander that are white or purple are lovely too, and the dripping Bougenvilla over the white walls--pretty close contest.

Favorite Village on Tinos: this is very difficult. One of the best things about Tinos is the 48 small villages all over the island that each have a different feel and shape, although all with the cube like white Cycladic buildings. We have not nearly explored all of them. But--Kardiani is a favorite, built up high looking over the sea, with lots of trees and a fountain with marble frogs. And Pyrgos is the brightest white and largest, featuring the marble museum and marble carving schools. We loved Dyo-Hora, right down the road from our first place, with huge trees over the little square and a very casual vibe--although they all have that, plus the white medieval arched streets. But favorites are probably Volakes, in the Titan Boulder land, tiny and with poems written in Greek all over the doors, and Arnados, the village we stayed in at first. Tiny, scrappy, deserted seemingly. But with a lovely tiny square and a little Taverna that will make you an omelet and a Greek salad if you ask them.

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This leads to two others...

Best Local Experience + Favorite Taverna: Favorite taverna would have to be the one under the trees in Dyo Hora. Very simple with a nice owner, Vangelis. Pretty good Tinian artichokes. WM says though, that her favorite Taverna was at the little harbor on the other side of the island. On the water, fresh Calimari, nice owner who very slowly peeled and ate a green pear at a back table while we were there.

Best Local Experience of Community was in Andrados when we were sitting in the tiny traditional square, each doing some work, and realized there was a festival in the church. Actually it was the eve of a festival day. There were many black and purple robed priests in the church, leading amplified singing and chanting and praying. The doors were open and people slowly gathered, 30 or 40 people, all who knew each other. Sitting just outside the doors or going in and kissing the icons. We went in to watch for some of it. They were blessing huge wheels of bread in the center of the little church and at one moment in the chanting, a man in street clothes carefully walked around the room and set each chandelier swinging. Under the church is a tiny room with icons from the 1700s on display--it was only open that night. It got darker and families with kids came to play in the square. We were the only travelers in the tiny town. At last the bells rang and rang and everyone came out with chunks of the now cut bread and sat around at all the tables laughing and talking. They pressed cookies and juice on us before we left.

This made me think that your community does not have to be very large--just this small group of people gathered is worth all the pageantry and song and ritual.

Best Moment When David Was Overcome by Emotion: There have been many! but the winner is clearly when he saw a baby goat leapabout and he laughed and then cried and then laughcried until he banged his head down on taverna lunch table.

Best Vegan Things To Order: Greek salad with no feta. Fava bean dip. Baked eggplant. French fries. Spring greens baked in orange juice. Artichokes in oil. Olives.

Hottest Thing: the sun, and I am not kidding. Meema kept saying that the sun in Greece is very hot. And when the wind is still, it is very very intense. Hot, still, bright. And it goes down 5 degrees when a cloud covers the sun.

Coldest Thing: the North Wind which suddenly blasts down from the hills. It's due to the north wind that Tinos figures in mythology as the island where Aeolus, king of the winds, lived. Odysseus stopped here. When the wind kicks up you need to put on two layers or you freeze.

Best Home Cooked Meal: anything Dave makes with beans and olives and cous cous.

Best Dressed: WM, of course.

Best View: anywhere you look.

having a great time. love you all,

-jt