Almost the end of September. In my part of the world, i.e. Europe, it's early autumn. An increasingly brave autumn in the north of the continent but also an autumn only on paper, i.e. calendar, in the south. In the south autumn is still a summer, but a milder, tired, and friendly summer.
Time for a trip and a holiday in Greece. I've only been to Greece three times, to the island of Thassos, just at the end of September, and it was wonderful!
Each of us has certain expectations from a seaside holiday. Of course, I'm referring to those of us who don't live by the sea, the happy ones who live by the sea...
But the beach is a desire for everyone, even if by beach one means something different in your 20s and something completely different in your 60s.
Below I will show you what it means, what I like, and why I like the beach on the island of Thassos. I believe that all beaches in Greece, especially on the islands offer the same conditions to please everyone!
Beach near Limenaria
Limenaria is the second largest town on the Aegean island of Thassos.
Although Thassos is a mountainous island, with rocky shores that fall steeply into the sea, much of the shore is a continuous beach. You can find a beach practically anywhere. Beaches a few meters long or beaches of tens of meters, even hundreds of meters.
Many of these beaches are not landscaped, it is the seashore, it has sand or gravel and becomes a beach in the tourist sense when someone sits there, sunbathing or swimming in the sea!
Many tourists prefer Greece and especially its islands because there is what is called a wild beach. That is to say, without any furniture, without the specific furniture of the places preferred by those who want a lot of comfort and facilities.
I love small, isolated, wild beaches. When I try to understand why, I think it's the nostalgia of childhood that I didn't have at the seaside. I think that in such places I would have spent summers with other children if I lived on an island!
Walk on the beach
When you say beach, you mean a strip of shoreline, usually covered with sand, wet from the sea waves, and where people used to sunbathe. I belonged to this category of people for a very long time, but now this pastime is over. My, our (I mean my wife's) health doesn't allow us to do that anymore not because we look so bad naked, but mostly because our health doesn't allow it anymore. I would never have thought that the sun, to whom we owe the fact that we exist, could be harmful.... our skin and, by extension, us!
That's why the beach, for us, means walking in the sand, by the sea... covered in shirts, trousers and dresses. What we saw, what we liked, from the beginning to the end of this walk on the beach I will show you below, more in pictures because a picture is worth a thousand words, and I don't think I am able to write so many thousands of words...
I'll use an expression often used by Mr. Bean in Mr. Bean's Holiday... You can see here: "Bean at the Beach" how Mr. Bean enjoys the beach. So am I!
To the beach!
We went on a beach search. I knew they were everywhere. It was a long walk, after leaving the asphalt road we found the dirt road and the old flag torn by wind and sun, this so beautiful flag of Greece.
After that, only the sea and the beach...
The first place is to some extent arranged. Pretty basic, a few reed-covered umbrellas, some sun loungers, and a small terrace. Minimal, but so nice. We resisted the temptation to sit in the shade and have a drink... of something and moved on.
My wife. I must admit that I am always at least two steps behind my wife. Not necessarily out of an exaggerated sense of respect, but mainly so I can take pictures. That makes me her follower, and her the trailblazer and the one who chooses the route of the walk.
Unlike the others we met on this walk, we were always with our clothes on. Not out of shame but because we didn't want the sun's rays to "love" us too much. It would have been bad for our health!
What is a wild beach? That's what it means. A beach that is designed by nature. Wind, rain, rivers, and sea bring all sorts of things that nobody takes. In the end, it's the wind, the rain, or the sea that takes them!
Tourists. What is a tourist? A person who travels, who arrives in a place, far from home, where they spend a few days, in different conditions than at home! Some want to relax, some want to have fun and another category wants to see, touch, and feel something special, which is only there.
Sea people! This is their place, that's why they come to the islands, to Greece. They seek, and find long stretches of beach away from the hustle and bustle of terraces and hotels, away from the noise of overcrowded places. In such places, they are happy to stay from morning till evening on the beach and in the seawater. They can be recognized when you meet them on the street, they are the most tanned, with chocolate skin and wind-cracked lips.
But their eyes look like the sea!
I was like that once, long ago...
The beach walk comes with its surprises. Especially when I walk on the beach I look more down into the sand, longing to find something! I saw a petrified snake, but it wasn't actually a snake, it was just a stick that had been polished by the sea waves.
Instead, my wife found something more interesting. Something written on the beach, with rocks and sand. We are from Romania, we were in Greece, and we found something written in Romanian on a beach on an island. A rather large inscription that I think took some time and work to make. Obviously, you don't understand what it says and I'm forced to explain... The first word is licentious, a vulgar expression that translates into English, I've heard it in a few movies, with: "blowj.." and the next three letters, PSD, is the name of the biggest party in Romania. This happened in 2018 when this party became very much hated by Romanians. In the meantime, the leader of this party went to jail and things changed a bit.
It doesn't take much to enjoy the beach. Somewhere far away, where you can be alone, with sand, water, and sun and... as little clothing as possible to cover your skin. These ladies have found their place. They didn't even notice I walked right past them. I did notice that I walked past them.
I wonder if anyone has seen the beautiful pink sandals? Have you noticed them?
Bonus! We deserve a bonus, don't we?
My eyes aren't what they used to be when I was a kid and saw the star of the archers. I don't know if you know, but this was a vision check. Not everyone can see the star of the archer.
Glasses a camera and a zoom lens help a little, even if you don't own a telephoto lens. And finally, there is a digital zoom and in this case, it helped me to get a closer look, without disturbing, of course.
Try as I might, I couldn't get a better picture of the beautiful pink sandals. Sorry!
People are born artists, or so most of them think. That's why most of them try to demonstrate their talents wherever they can find support for their art.
Thassos is rich in marble. Countless palaces and temples were built from Thassos marble in ancient times. There are still a few small pieces of marble left for us...
A dream! A holiday home on the beach. I'm trying to imagine it being mine. What would it be like to live there? Would I get sick with pleasure? Or maybe it's not so nice to be alone on the beach, especially in the off-season. I wonder what it's like here in winter?
In the distance, you can see Limenaria. A dusty country road next to the long beach where people have found their favorite spot. Some prefer solitude and others prefer to have a parasol over their heads, and so they have gathered in places with such minimal amenities.
Once you get closer to the city, the landscape changes. We've reached, shall we say, the civilized world. That is, modern hotels and places to stay. New buildings are made for tourists who want comfort first. Those who love the sea and sand more are left behind!
It was a long and tiring walk for the legs. Walking on sand and gravel is difficult. We left the long narrow beach to retire to our hotel in Limenaria. There are still a few kilometers to go...
Life is a beach?
Yes, life can be a beach, but sometimes it can also be a bitch. We have to be very careful how we pronounce it.
