Hot and Sweaty 🥵

We’d seen the Triptos Arch from a boat the day before, and now we were setting out to see it by land. In fact, not only were we going to see it, but we would cross over it onto the rocky outpost in the sea.

By boat, it’s an impressive arch, high in the air, and you can drive your way underneath is and look up at the rock above you. It’s one of those places that you feel quite confident driving into when you see it from afar, but when you start going, it seems to have significantly shrunk.

The day was Saturday, Paul, Hannah, Medha and Con’s last day before they travelled home on Sunday. We’d been out on the boat all day Thursday and Friday and it’s remarkably tiring being on holiday having fun, so we’d all agreed we would like a pool day. We’d sit, read our books, drink cups of tea, and occasionally drag ourselves into the pool to cool down a bit before repeating the cycle. That was the plan.

However, before this idyllic day of blissful lounging, we had agreed to take a quick walk down to the arch, which we were certain would be out and back, 45 minutes tops!

First we walked down to our favourite Cove (see previous Paxos post) but turned uphill to the Old Greek Cistern. There’s no natural spring on Paxos so water is a precious commodity. Rebuilt in 1837, the cistern we visited probably has been capturing and storing rainwater since ancient times!

After a quick series of photos on the cistern we set off along the cliffs above Mouzmouli Bay, the stunning Lulworth Cove look alike that our villa overlooks. After an hour and half of sweat, sunburn and scratched legs, we descended a perilous path down the the Arch, and started the final climb up to it. We had long since run out of the warm water that we had brought, and the breathtaking viewpoint came just in time to keep our spirits high.

I ran ahead along the trail, which ascends above the arch, so I could turn back and take a photo of everyone on top of the arch, and what a photo it was! Tiny little people on such a narrow looking bit of rock. It feels so secure to stand on, but when you look from far away it feels like the whole thing is moments from falling into the sea.

The walk back was along the road, slightly further by distance, but significantly easier going, without the constant up and down or the narrow thorny paths of the coastline, and with the welcome addition of some shade from the olive trees. There are around 300,000 olive trees on Paxos, planted in large numbers by Venetians, and completely covering the small island.

The other benefit of returning via the road, was the possibility of passing an ice cream, which we did about 10 minutes from home. We descended on the bemused Greek shop keeper and devoured the goods in record breaking time. They gave us the energy boost needed to finish the journey home and begin that well-earned pool day we’d been looking forward to.