Kythnos

Dhropidha on Kythnos

On 27^th May we upped anchor and set off for the 50 mile sail (or, as it turned out motor sail) from Poros to Kythnos, one of the islands in the Northern Cyclades. These islands sit in the middle of the Aegean sea between Greece and Turkey and are known for the strong summer wind (the Meltimi) which regularly blows at gale force. We chose a quiet day  our crossing, but the following night gale force winds screamed through the harbour and we were very grateful that we were safely tucked inside. 

The port of Loutra

Our destination was the small village of Loutra, which is typically Cycladean,   with white ‘cubist’ houses standing out against the bare hills and a wonderfully blue sea.  It’s known for its thermal springs, and you can either pay to bathe in the healing waters in a rather forbidding spa building, or do as we did, follow the rusty red, hot water running through the village down to the sea and have an ‘outdoor’ spa experience sitting in a hot rock pool.

With more strong winds forecast we decided to hire a car for a day and explore. The island has very few good beaches and so has remained relatively undeveloped, reminding us of how the Cyclades used to be when we visited them as backpackers in the 70s. The older generation still use donkeys as their preferred method of transport and the side roads quickly peter out into unmade tracks.  

Hora...not a butcher in sight

Hora, the capital of the island, is an attractive maze of whitewashed buildings built on tiny winding streets and alleyways. I spent an entertaining half hour trying to find a butcher there. Nobody spoke English and I couldn’t remember the word for butcher, so it was down to mime and animal impressions to explain what I wanted.  I was directed further down the main street but still couldn’t see anywhere selling meat, perhaps they hadn’t understood? I tried my cow impression on a second woman who took me by the arm and marched me into a tiny grocery store.  The owner signalled for me to follow him through to the back where he opened a big metal door and there was the meat, sensibly kept in cold storage.  

Where did the other half go?

After this we drove over hills carpeted with spring flowers to Dhryopidha, the biggest town on the island and its former  capital. The contrast with Hora was striking, here  red-roofed houses cling to the side of a pine-covered ravine and it looks more Spanish than Greek.

The rooftops of Dhryopidha

Exploring Dhryophida

Further down the island we found the pretty beach resort of Kanala where we stopped for lunch. We spotted a taverna on the headland with wonderful views across the bay, but when we got there the place was empty and we wondered whether they were serving food. The owner welcomed us and invited us inside, and explained he had a limited menu, but could make caper rissoles. Caper rissoles? Our only experience of eating capers was as a topping on pizza but we decided to give it a go, and, amazingly, they were delicious!

Caper rissoles (the chips were good too)