There is a food for every spoonful of which 2000 souls must work, a food which has survived intact in 2000-year-old jars, which heals wounds and sweetens human life through the centuries. The thyme honey of the Cyclades resembles a gold deposit and is a fundamental value of the island nutrition - a sweet remedy in amber colour.
Time did not give me the chance to get to know grandmother Annesa well. Anyway, she was not my real grandmother. I joined her Parian household as a daughter in law, but years after she was gone I cut lemons from her lemon tree, I washed the sky-blue glasses of her dowry and had lunch in her kitchen with her name in my mouth for two reasons: because there was always something to remind us of granny and because nothing-absolutely nothing- was exactly as granny used to make it.
Two bold pioneer producers have placed Paros on the Greek oil producing map. Makis Kostikas and Stavros Tsavalos have created two premium brands of biological extra virgin olive oil, showing respect to the traditional varieties and adding the surplus value of high esthetics and modern know-how.
Authentic experiences, the Cycladic beauty, rambling alleys, small clearings, a modern lifestyle and traditional elements coexist at the most beautiful settlement of Paros with a background of blue and white colours.
Parikia can easily deceive you. The noisy area of the port, the crowds and traffic jam, especially in the summer time, and the dazzling white marble paved square do not prepare you for the atmosphere and the picturesque character of the old town. You have to leave the port behind you and cross the square in order to discover the hidden treasures of Parikia.
“In the province, the window replaces the theatre and the promenades” Gustave Flaubert wrote, circa 1850. In 2017 at Paros seven notable theatre groups have been ready -for a long time now- to prove him wrong. Their activities, the excellent acting level, the very carefully chosen repertory and the enthusiastic response of the public have created small intellectual circles which stimulate the interest one might have as a spectator or as a participant. The small theatre halls participate in a mystagogy, behind the scene of the easy tourist picture, while the 29th Meeting of the Aegean Amateur Dramatics at Paros will undoubtedly be the island’s top cultural event.
Sharp and fair, bold and at the same time fascinating in his speech, Manolis Korres is a man who dedicated his life to the history of architecture. With a renowned work in the Parthenon and the Holy Sepulchre restoration, his career is full of honours such as the title of member of the Athens Academy. In Parola, he talked about everything and especially about the ancient marble quarries of Paros, this open wound at the side of the island.
Following the finding of the first “ritual hestiatorion” at Despotiko, archaeologist Yannos Kourayos tells us about the fascination of bringing together the history’s mosaic pieces, about the dream for an open-air archaeological museum at the uninhabited island and about the information we retrieve from under the sacrificial animals.
This summer, as every summer for the past 10 years, the Swimming Crossing will take place at the island of Antiparos. The participants will have the chance to enjoy a unique experience as they will swim from Punta of Paros to the port of Antiparos, crossing the 1453m long channel which separates the two islands.
Paros in general, if one takes a look at its countryside consists of thousands of terraces with dry stone walls, xerolithies, in most of which vines were cultivated. Hundreds of stone outdoor structures called patitiria, were scattered around the island, since mostly the grape pressing took place on site in the vineyard and then the must was transferred with donkeys and mules in sheepskin bags to the barrels that were in warehouses called magatzedes.
