Holiday from the holiday

'Go with the flow' - Motto in Ios.

Except that the Google images were promising, I didn't really know anything about it before heading to the neighboring island. The unbeatable price of 50€ for round trip ferry ride and two nights' accommodation at Far Out Village was the main reason for deciding to visit Ios. No other island in the vicinity could compete. So it happened that the Swabian in me led me straight into the pure life for a holiday from the holiday.

In the late afternoon, I hiked 1 1/2 hours from Fira to the port. I arrived a lot earlier than the ferry was scheduled to depart, so I had to wait. During the wait, I met a Swedish couple with Iranian roots and a Lebanese man living in Paris. Our conversations about different countries, their cultures, and their culinary specialties made the time fly by.

Due to the Greek punctuality, we arrived in Ios when it was already dark. On the shuttle ride to the accommodation, I couldn't really see much of the landscape passing by the windows. Only the serpentine roads hinted at the hilly landscape in the darkness.

Upon arrival at Far Out Village, I checked in and settled into my 'tent'. It's actually more like a small hut with two 90cm beds, a small table, and a safe. As there were no towels, I decided to borrow one from the reception the next day and postpone showering until then. After buying and eating an apple from the mini-market, I went to sleep.

I couldn't sleep well. So I woke up shortly before six - currently, that's not my standard. Far Out Village has direct access to the beach Mylopotas. I wanted to take advantage of the morning calm, so I went for an early morning dip in the sea, followed by yoga on the beach, watching the sunrise. It was wonderful. One thing was clear: the day could only be magnificent.

After a great start to the day, I set out to find a scooter rental. According to the receptionist, the local rental place was still closed, so I took the bus to Chora, the capital of the island, to start my search there. However, the rental places there were also closed. So I wandered through the narrow streets of the city. Thanks to the early hour, there weren't many people around, which allowed me to soak up the beauty and charm of the blooming flowers and colorful doors in peace.

The scooter rental shops were still closed. So I bought some yogurt and fruit at the supermarket and had a coffee at the café where only locals were found. I charged my phone there, as the socket in the tent safe didn't work with my charger.

Then it was time to visit the rental shop again. No scooter for me because I mentioned that I had never ridden one before. I tried a third shop, because as they say, all good things come in threes. Another rejection. Reason: my own safety. So I had to come up with an alternative.

I walked to the port. The path led up a staircase, passing by small accommodations covered in flowers, abandoned houses with greenery growing out of them, cats basking in the shade, and magnificent fruit-bearing cacti. The view was on point.

I had seen online that there are boat tours to beaches that are only accessible by sea. So I quickly found the office that offers these tours and decided to take the one that would visit the 'best beaches' within 4 hours. The tour started at 3:30 pm, right in front of Far Out Village. This meant I had plenty of time.

From the port, I saw a chapel on a hill not far away. As elevation is associated with a good view in my mind, I decided to make my way there. It wasn't particularly spectacular, but it was a nice walk. With that, I had explored one side of the harbor and could move on to the other side.

I should climb at least one during my short stay. And so I did. I set off and climbed the hill, overcoming shrubs. At some point, I realized that I would also have to go back downhill, so I didn't go all the way to the top. I was already more than satisfied with the reached point. I took in a breath of the air, felt pure freedom, and enjoyed the view with a light heart. Then I descended, with a sparkling stone in my pocket and scratched legs from the shrubs as a souvenir. It confirmed my suspicion that going downhill could take a little longer, as the slope was steep and the loose stones made it slippery. After half an hour, I was safely back on solid ground. Just as happy as my mom, if she didn't skip the paragraph, was the old man who had been watching me from his terrace from the beginning and was probably just wondering what I was doing.

After only two hours of sleep, I slowly started packing my things and headed to the ferry. I arrived at the port just after eleven, after checking out. When I went to pick up the ticket, the lady at the counter informed me that I missed my ship as it sailed at 12:45 am, not pm as I thought. 'The timing of your life will make sense one day.' That fits well in this context. Even though I couldn't believe it for a moment and was annoyed that I had to pay the 20€ again unnecessarily, I am extremely glad now that I mixed up the times and didn't travel at night. So I had an incredibly beautiful night with great people and experiences. I decided to take the overnight ferry at 1:45 am since it was 40€ cheaper than the day ferries.

In the end, I had another full day on Ios. I was happy about that, even though I was very tired from the two sleepless nights, so I couldn't do much activity. Or so I thought. I had breakfast at thai me up because I liked it there the day before. Unfortunately, it wasn't a highlight this time. The chia pudding was more like chia soup, with almond milk and frozen raspberries that were still frozen. When mixed with the banana and granola, it was edible.

After spending some time walking along the harbor, I went to a beach café where I had fava beans and fries for lunch. It was a hit. The fava beans were topped with capers and olive oil, just the way I like it. The fries were tossed in rosemary and simply divine. And the view of the sea was a dream. While enjoying my meal, I wrote my Ios story.

Although I was very tired, I decided to walk to Chora. And so I did. This time, I didn't stay in the city but walked all the way up the hill where three chapels stood slightly offset from each other on the slope. From there, the view of the harbor and the landscape up to the next mountain was stunning. Then I walked back down and bought myself an ice cream. Fig. Unusual. Sweet. Delicious. I walked around the narrow streets a bit more and then made my way back to the harbor. I spent the hours until the ferry departed in various cafés, drinking coffee, sorting pictures, and enjoying the view of the sea at all times.

At 1:45 am, the ferry departed on time, and I wondered if there would be a bus in Fira. I got confirmation an hour later, after a short nap upon arrival. When I arrived home, I fell asleep happily in my bed after changing, taking a shower, and struggling with my hair.