| Hora
is a fine place for shopping, both for value and variety. Toward the north
end of the paralia, near the bus station, you'll find O Kouros (tel. 0285/25-565),
which has copies of Cycladic figurines in Naxian marble, other reproductions,
and interesting modern ceramics. To the right and up from the entrance
to the Old Market is * Techni (tel. 0285/24-767), which has two shops within
20 meters of each other. The first shop contains a good array of silver
jewelry at fair prices; above it the second and more interesting of the
two has textiles, many handwoven, and some by local women. Many are from
earlier in the century, when the traditions of weaving and embroidery were
still flourishing. There are also hand-painted copies of icons made at
Mount Athos.
On
the paralia next to Grotta Tours is tiny Galini (tel. 0285/24-785), with
a collection of local ceramics. Continue south along the paralia to the
OTE, turn left on the main inland street, Odos Papavasiliou, and continue
up the left side of the street until your nose leads you into the Tirokomika
Pro?onda Naxou (tel. 0285/22-230). This delightful old store is filled
with excellent local cheeses (kephalotiri, a superb sharp one, and milder
graviera), barrels of olives, local wines, honey, spices, and other dried
comestibles. It's also a good place to pick up a bottle of kitron, the
island's famous sweet citron liqueur.
In
the interior of Naxos, on the stretch of road between Sangri and Halki,
you'll see a sign pointing toward the Damalas Pottery Workshop (tel. 0285/32-890);
200 meters along this one-lane road brings you to the small workshop, operated
by a father-and-son team. The father learned his trade on Sifnos, an island
renowned for its pottery, and now father and son produce a variety of forms,
some of them specific to Naxos. No English is spoken.
In
Apiranthos, some local weaving and needlework is sold by the village women.
Stiasto (tel. 0285/61-392) has a good selection of popular art, including
good ceramics. |
