If I recall Frank Zappa, was there one of his songs “Cruising for Burgers” on the “Burnt Weeny Sandwiches” Album? So we are cruising Spetses on a souped-up golf cart or should we call it a buggy? Perhaps I make the reference to Frank Zappa as on this buggy I feel like the damn tourist I am but try not to be. Jean-Paul Sartre moment!
T has rented a buggy for the day to surprise I as this trip is her birthday present!
We have a great five star buffet a la carte breakfast. And finally a good latte!
Off we hit the road on a perimeter tour of the coast in our buggy seating 4 comfortably. The route is approximately 30 kilometers and is fascinating. The east coast is lush and green with omnipresent pine trees, brownish scrub and a beautiful multicolored ocean below with a few villas here and there including one with a heliport but basically wild. The north and eastern coastline is far more rugged. Mountainous may be an exaggeration but close to it.
The pine forest here has a light green tinge to it. Unique topography. Flora and fauna here! At some points it is almost Caribbean!
There are so many beautiful vantage points on the coast one can’t but stop and reflect on their beauty.
Why so many pine trees? I suppose we must thank Sotirios Anargyros, the builder of the Poseidonion Hotel, for planting over 100,000 pine trees very symbolic because in antiquity Spetses was known as Pityoussa, “the pine covered one”. At one point Sotirios owned 45% of the island.
I would not have rented a buggy as I would muse, “So touristy” but in this case I am glad we went on the buggy ride with T as chauffeur par excellence! It was the only way to see much of the island which is far different than what you would see if you remained in the port town Spetses!
We stopped at Paradise Beach Club for a lunch of grilled octopus with seaweed and taramasalata on the side. Excellent!
It is a bit chilly all so strange for me on a Greek island but yes they do have fall and winter even on the islands!
After lunch we scoured the town of Spetses on our buggy, up and down, down narrow streets and reversing as that street was too narrow for the buggy. We visited the “Old Harbour” and environs a bit rougher than the immediate area of our hotel. Many “decommissioned” boats and a few piles of garbage and machinery lying about. The Old Harbour was once a great shipbuilding centre. There was a yacht a la “gin palace”. A beautiful park too!
Photos: R. Kennedy Stephen
