Summer 09 @ Naxos

21-06-09
Finally, finally! I get around to updating this blog for you guys, it's always hard to get back into blogging when you are weeks behind.




First off I guess I should let you know that this blog is not all Bulgarian.








I spent almost a couple of weeks in Greece. first stop was the island of Naxos & for me the
highlight was not the usual tourist site but an abandoned emery mine up in the mountains.



































I hired a scooter for a few days, price was 11 euro / day & although you can hire cars for that sort of money in Bulgaria it's still good value in my opinion as walking is pretty slow, not to mention sweaty!












& I would have never found such an interesting place as this!







I like to leave the standard tourist trap to the masses, give me an old mine any day!







Armed with my $20.00 Farrand & Mason LED light I ventured into the un chartered (well for me) shaft I had found high up in the islands mountains.....









& then it became really interesting, or should I say spooky, because some way off in the darkness the shaft I was following became a cave with a number of shafts heading off in different directions....



Quite creepy down there thinking that if my light should fail.... I'd be a very worried man.
Also the loss of sense of direction, even though I had taken very careful note of where I had come from I still found myself lost, fortunately only for a minute or so.


Places like this fascinate me, I like to think about the men that worked here, what did they looked like? What were their dreams? Were they happy? Where are they now?
For some reason I find it easier to imagine their lives then the lives of those in the really ancient ruins.
These guys weren't so far from me in history...

The emery mines were a main source of industry on Naxos in the early 19oo's.
No more now because synthetic materials are used for emery production, so all is left abandoned.


It was a bit of a relief to see light at the end of the tunnel again although inside the shafts it's so nice & cool!
The photos don't do justice to the atmosphere in there, sort of a magical feel because the stone glistens with flecks of silver & gold, of course not the real stuff sadly for me but the rocks on these islands all have that metallic glint. If you look carefully in the upper left picture you can see it.
I spent most of a day up there exploring. Awesome is all I can say!

Remember to click on the picture to get the full size image, then press the "back" button to go back to the blog.
Out in the sunlight it is scorching hot, though the day before I was up here & the wind got up & I was freezing on the scooter! So cold in fact that I could hardly ride the thing!










Have a look at these...


Clouds were low on the mountains & what started out as a 30C day ended up a 13C cold windy ride home!

Certainly a majestic view, the Greek Isles are enchanting & the folk in the mountains a especially friendly!




Also mined on this island is marble.
This photo on the left doesn't look much until you notice the truck & digger at the base of the cutting...


This is where the stone came from for all those Greek & Roman buildings... well one of the sources anyway.










Also dotted over the island were these old windmills in various states of repair / decay






















It's a real shame to see these falling apart, abandoned!




Just a home for the doves now....















And plenty more ruins around every corner





Almost too hard to believe these are left to fall down.








































And here's a video compilation of the mines with some theme music



There are heaps more photos but I'll leave you with this for now.
Take care!