The ferry ride from Athens to Paros usually lasts about four hours, but the day we set off, the sky was gloomy, and the sea was choppy, so it took longer than usual. The rocky ride made our arrival on the island even sweeter, and I couldn’t wait to get to our destination. We got in our little white Fiat Panda—which seems to be the most popular type of car in Paros—and after less than 10 minutes, we arrived at our home for the weekend.
Host Cristi, whose dad built the house himself, welcomed us and showed us around the property before leaving us to enjoy the bliss of the place. She told me she grew up in the house, and I could only imagine how incredible it must have been to have this beautiful corner of Europe as your home. For the next four days, I pretended this was my everyday life, and I couldn’t have been happier.
The house is divided into two levels, creating two separate homes: one with a nice garden, and another with two ample terraces, with plenty of space to wine, dine, and enjoy the sun. I personally much prefer having a terrace and a view, and I’m not particularly fond of gardens, so I was more than happy to stay on the top half of the property.
The property is a traditional Greek building, with whitewashed walls, solid dark wood everywhere from the beams to the handmade furniture, and pressed concrete floors the color of sand. The result is a sun-drenched, tranquil oasis that invites you to leave stress and worries out the door. Which is exactly what I planned to do.
The entrance of the house leads to the different spaces. On the left, the first and smallest bedroom; on the right, the bathroom with a fabulous stone bath, plus a second spacious bedroom with a king-sized bed. Straight ahead, the room I would consider the primary bedroom and the one I would be ready to fight anyone over: a large bedroom with a king-size bed and, most importantly, a private terrace overlooking the spectacular Aegean Sea. Thankfully, I didn’t need to fight anyone this time, so I dropped my bags and immediately headed outside to look at what would be my “good morning” view for the next few days.
