Panormos, Tinos - An Unexpected Delight

Milly, sitting pretty, in Panormos bay

It's always a pleasure when the reality of a destination outshines the guidebook description.  So was the case with Panormos and especially, nearby town, Pyrgos, on the Cyclades island of Tinos.

Panormos was a tiny one-street town lined with tavernas along the water's edge of a narrow but lovely bay providing just enough shelter from a north wind.  We hiked over the hill - again doused with wildflowers - backing the town to quintessentially Greek, almost perfect Pyrgos.  Both towns have apparently not yet been discovered by foreign tourists but the Greek holidaymakers are low key and have allowed it to remain authentically Greek in character.

The rolling hills behind the village were terraced with ancient stone walls.  The stone rubble on the path was marble!

The carpet

How can we not love an anchorage like this!  Only three boats, gorgeous scenery, good eats, and beautifully clear blue water.

A hike out to the point brought us to this incredible wave of sedimentary rock.  The white stripes are marble!

Tinos is famous for it's marble.  The buildings in both villages are decorated with marble accessories - small public water taps, the church window frames, a village well, and "fanlights" over windows and doors of the homes.

And then there was Pyrgos, a hike over the hills away.  It might sound tacky to call it a marble village -  it was anything but.  Really quaint, lovely!  The town was pedestrian only with the centre situated in the valley created by a few steep terraced hills.  The streets were paved in marble stone.

The village square was filled with cafe tables and chairs with the communal water source...in marble.

Just a charming house ...with typical marble fanlights over the windows.

What flower lover could resist this!  Not sure what the sign on the tree said.

Marble, marble everywhere.

The 150-year-old plane tree in the village square.  A bit like a fairy tale.

All the "fanlights" over the doors and windows were different.  Some ornate and some simple suns or flowers - all attractive.

The village church also decorated in...marble.  You really needed your sunglasses in this town.

A sweet church complete with bougainvillaea vine.  A marble craftsman intent on his work carving some script around the water tap.  The village artisans are renowned throughout Greece for skill in marble ornamentation.

Bell tower in...you know what!

Public water depots on street and house corners.

And then there was marble bus stop!

Apart from marble, Tinos is also known for ornate dovecotes.  We only saw one on our hike but the doves seems to like it. They hang around on the second floor, the first is for tools and whatever you need to keep pigeons.