The Meltemi is the name for the seasonal winds that blow across the Cyclades, howling down from the Balkans in the north. In July and August they can provide a welcome relief from the sweltering summer heat. While that’s the peak time for the Meltemi, they can sometimes kick up in June or September for days at a time. Or, even in mid-October, when we happened to be visiting. When they blast the islands it can create rough seas which can disrupt the ferries that ply the waters between islands. That’s just what happened last week when our plan to leave Milos to visit Sifnos, the last stop on our island-hopping tour, was scuttled. We were forced to spend another two days on Milos (do I hear the sound of tiny violins?) and then head directly to Athens when the seas calmed enough for the boats to start running again. Hmmm . . . how could we fill a couple extra days on a Greek island . . .

We had based ourselves in the village of Pollonia, on Milos’ northeast coast, for our stay. With a rental car we would be able to explore the island and visit beaches (Sarakiniko in the north and Fyriplaka on the south coast); the unique village of Klima, with it’s colorfully-painted ‘boat houses’; the remote seaside village of Mandrakia and the main town of Adamantas, which hosts the ferry port, a marina for sail boats and a string of tavernas along the water. In Pollonia itself, we only had to walk a short distance for excellent seafood at places like Enolian (steamed mussels and grilled sea bream), Yialos (grilled calamari and pasta with shrimp) or Alkis (fried calamari). As a bonus, just on the edge of town we found the Kostantakis Cave Winery, which offered tastings of its line of white, rose and red wines as well as a couple distilled spirits in a comfortable outdoor setting at the mouth of its cave storage cellar.

Someone’s celebrating a special birthday!!

A car won’t get you to the best scenery on Milos, however. To see the beautiful limestone cliffs and rock formations at Kleftiko, the collapsed sea cave at Sikia and the wild and rugged west coast you have to get on a boat. We signed on for one of the full-day boat tours that leave from the marina at Adamantas and, along with a group of international visitors and the two-man crew set out on a gorgeous sunny day. Our first stop was the cave at Sikia, which could only be entered via the boats dinghy through a small arched opening. The roof of the cave had collapsed about twenty years ago, leaving it open to the sky. We had a chance to swim outside the cave and everyone took advantage of the opportunity to jump into the sea. A short time later we motored into the cove at Kleftiko – a former haunt of pirates who used the area for a safe anchorage protected from the northern winds. The crew took us around by dinghy to view the limestone formations before serving us lunch. After another swim, the anchor was raised and it was time to return to port.

After leaving Milos we traveled via ferry to Athens and spent some time wandering around the Acropolis, the National Gardens and the Plaka neighborhood. Plaka is THE tourist district – just below the Acropolis, pedestrian streets lined with souvenir shops, jewelry stores, gelato stands and tavernas, it’s wall-to-wall people. The crowds reach their apex right at the intersection of Adianou and Kidathineon streets, the center of Plaka. A few steps away from the intersection you can step up into Brettos bar, though, and you’re transported away from the crowds and into old Athens. The first thing you’ll notice is the back bar, which is a floor-to-ceiling display of hundreds of back-lit colored bottles. To the right of the door is the original, hand-made distiller that the owner first used, while another wall is lined by the wooden casks containing their house-made ouzo and brandy. The bar dispenses thirty-five other house-made liquers, as well as over 100 wines by the glass. Brettos is the perfect spot for people-watching – seats inside provided a quiet respite from the crowded streets, yet offered a window to view the meandering masses, whose numbers were surprising to us having just come from the islands where visitors seemed to be heading home and businesses were shuttering for the season. Athens was a place where we could relax on familiar ground after three weeks of island-hopping and regroup before embarking on our next leg – another three weeks road-tripping through southern Italy.

The back bar at Brettos

Ouzo – straight from the cask, right where it’s made – Brettos