Reporting back (alternative)

[Chas]

We got back from a wonderful couple of weeks in/on Naxos last Friday - last charter flight out of Mykonos for this year.

Stayed at the Antonina in Ag. Anna (Kosmar).

Ag. Anna is in the north end of about 20km of "far end" beach ..... it doesn't get much better than that  

Two weeks of uninterrupted sun with a bit (a biggish bit) of wind in the first week but nothing like the Plakias Meltemi this July  {OK, the sun set each evening - you knew what I meant  :'(  }

The only shortcoming was the absence of Raki ..... we had to resort to Metaxa tria  (Shock, horror!)

Most tavernas and bars had closed but the half-dozen still open were well up to the job and the local wine was always quaffable.

Once I've finally got round to writing a few articles for Plakias ..... I may do something more detailed about Naxos ............ don't hold your breath

[Greecemad]

Ag. Anna is in the north end of about 20km of "far end" beach ..... it doesn't get much better than that

This is slightly exaggerated. It's probably about 5km, but it's a really long beach anyway. When I first went (about 1992) it was true that most of it was 'far end' beach (with people living in bamboo shelters in the dunes), but now it's a lot lot more developed. There are, however, various pockets of CO beach left - one is a few minutes walk from Aghia Anna around a headland (where the road - unsurfaced - deviates from the back of the beach), and there are other pockets a lot further along in front of some sand dunes, either side of a new hotel at the end of the bus route. Since this new hotel was built, their sunbeds are textile, but immediately each side of it is CO.  

When it's windy, though, the sand blows about and there's not much shelter from it.

The only shortcoming was the absence of Raki ..... we had to resort to Metaxa tria  [color="#FF0000"](Shock, horror!)

What absence of Raki? It can be found all over Greece, but they do have a different name for it in the Cyclades. I have forgotten what this is, as they understand the name 'Raki' as well. It is probably not given away in tavernas as much as it is on Crete.

Glad you enjoyed the holiday.

Greecemad

[Chas]

Hi, Greecemad,

As regards the length of the beach ..... estimates vary from 12km to 27km - I plumped for something in the middle ..... no chance of walking end-to-end with my legs  

I've reckoned the beach as starting at Stylidia/Ag.Prokopios in the north and going (almost) uninterrupted south to Mikri Vigla (or Cape M.V.). However, some  folk include the stretch from Cape Mikri Vigla to Kastraki/Aliko as well.

OK, I did over-egg the "Far-end" bit a bit   - I'd guess that 20% of the whole length is commercialised/textile but you don't have to walk more than 1km to escape the "masses".

The first week was very windy (Beaufort 7 to 9{severe gale force}) but we always managed to find a sheltered stretch of dune ... the "little cove under the chapel" between Ag.Anna and Maragas is very sheltered.


Raki - too right about "It is probably not given away in tavernas as much as it is on Crete." - that standard of hospitality is not very evident in Naxos.  However, when the exceptions happened, they were ...... well, exceptional  - tall tumblers of neat ouzo, filled to the brim .... no problem "going home", Sam tied a piece of string to me to stop me floating away  

How about this for a bummer - ever come across an "Ouzo Meze" where the ouzo and water came as "optional extras"?  

[Mike G]

What absence of Raki? It can be found all over Greece, but they do have a different name for it in the Cyclades. I have forgotten what this is, as they understand the name 'Raki' as well. It is probably not given away in tavernas as much as it is on Crete

Greecemad

I have been to many Greek islands (but admittedly not as many as Greecemad) but have only found raki on Crete. It is ouzo everywhere else in my experience and I have never seen this in plastic water bottles (i.e. a "home-made" product).

Lesvos has a product called tsipouro, which according to a Google search ought to be much like raki, but I only saw it in one place (as a commercial product, not made on Lesvos).

As I didn't go to Crete in 2007 I have virtually run out of raki so am drinking Kos gin (€3.99 a litre). In spite of the comments of some others I think raki tastes every bit as good in the UK as Plakias and is a "must" to bring home.

Mike

[Chas]

What absence of Raki? It can be found all over Greece, but they do have a different name for it in the Cyclades. I have forgotten what this is, as they understand the name 'Raki' as well. It is probably not given away in tavernas as much as it is on Crete

Greecemad

I have been to many Greek islands (but admittedly not as many as Greecemad) but have only found raki on Crete. It is ouzo everywhere else in my experience and I have never seen this in plastic water bottles (i.e. a "home-made" product).

Lesvos has a product called tsipouro, which according to a Google search ought to be much like raki, but I only saw it in one place (as a commercial product, not made on Lesvos).

As I didn't go to Crete in 2007 I have virtually run out of raki so am drinking Kos gin (€3.99 a litre). In spite of the comments of some others I think raki tastes every bit as good in the UK as Plakias and is a "must" to bring home.

Mike

Strange synchronicity at work here .... the only places outside Crete where I found raki readily available were Kos and Rhodes - the latter was back in 1980 and "up in the hills" (another loooong story).

Lesvos claims to have more ouzo distilleries than anywhere else in Greece - according to our local guide, last year.

Tsipouro is "ouzo without the aniseed" (according to the label on the bottle we bought from our local Lidl) - supposedly, it's the favoured brew around Thessaloniki ...... but I guess it's like Welsh or Japanese "whisky" - never mind the name, how well does it warm your innards?

Cheers

[Mike from Sussex]

What absence of Raki? It can be found all over Greece, but they do have a different name for it in the Cyclades. I have forgotten what this is, as they understand the name 'Raki' as well. It is probably not given away in tavernas as much as it is on Crete

Greecemad

I have been to many Greek islands (but admittedly not as many as Greecemad) but have only found raki on Crete. It is ouzo everywhere else in my experience and I have never seen this in plastic water bottles (i.e. a "home-made" product).

Lesvos has a product called tsipouro, which according to a Google search ought to be much like raki, but I only saw it in one place (as a commercial product, not made on Lesvos).

As I didn't go to Crete in 2007 I have virtually run out of raki so am drinking Kos gin (€3.99 a litre). In spite of the comments of some others I think raki tastes every bit as good in the UK as Plakias and is a "must" to bring home.

Mike

Strange synchronicity at work here .... the only places outside Crete where I found raki readily available were Kos and Rhodes - the latter was back in 1980 and "up in the hills" (another loooong story).

Lesvos claims to have more ouzo distilleries than anywhere else in Greece - according to our local guide, last year.

Tsipouro is "ouzo without the aniseed" (according to the label on the bottle we bought from our local Lidl) - supposedly, it's the favoured brew around Thessaloniki ...... but I guess it's like Welsh or Japanese "whisky" - never mind the name, how well does it warm your innards?

Cheers

Does anybody know the recipe for Raki? I have assumed that it is brewed from the residue after grapes are crushed for winemaking and is similar to French Marc, Italian Grappa etc. If so, I would expect it to be made all over, with various local names - waste not, want not.

In 2005 we holidayed in Cyprus and the local restaurant owner also owned vinyards and sold his wine through there. He also had home made Zivania, which he did not sell, but doled out at the end of the meal to favoured customers, served straight from the freezer. One night he overheard me tell Chris that it was made from the grape residues and he was very vociferous in correcting me that it was distilled from his wine.

Mike

[John R]

Does anybody know the recipe for Raki? I have assumed that it is brewed from the residue after grapes are crushed for winemaking and is similar to French Marc, Italian Grappa etc. If so, I would expect it to be made all over, with various local names - waste not, want not.


Mike

We have seen them making the raki at various villages. No local names - just plastic drums / bottles.

Very simple. A Pickup bringing loads of residue (grape skins, stalks the lot) arrived from the wine makers (wherever) and were dumped on the pavement. All brown wet and smelly. These went straight into an ancient still out of which the distilled raki issued forth drop by drop. We were allowed to put a glass under the outlet and collect it to drink raw and warm. Firewater is an apt description of that experience. Have some photos somewhere - will try to locate them

John R

[George]

I thought the local brew on Rhodes was 'Soumi', that's what we were always given after dinner and late in our local, disguised in a vodka bottle.
Nasty stuff, a local bar owner poured some on his marble floor around the size of a fifty pence piece and set light to it. The flame lept about 18''.

george g...

[Mike G]

Very simple. A Pickup bringing loads of residue (grape skins, stalks the lot) arrived from the wine makers (wherever) and were dumped on the pavement. All brown wet and smelly. These went straight into an ancient still out of which the distilled raki issued forth drop by drop. We were allowed to put a glass under the outlet and collect it to drink raw and warm. Firewater is an apt description of that experience. Have some photos somewhere - will try to locate them

John R

From what you say John the basic ingredient is alcohol infused grape pulp which has been removed from the wine making process, from which the alcohol is distilled out in the stills. The condensate that you tasted could be anything from 60-95% ethanol so you are a brave man tasting it. Most spirits are diluted to whatever the manufacturer wants, normally around 40% ABV.

Raki does have a distinctive but rather mild taste, considerably enlived by the high alcohol content. I have also often heard it described as ouzo without the aniseed but I doubt that commercial ouzo is made in the way you describe.

Mike

[harribobs]

here's an interesting link for you on Erno's Sfakia site

Sfakia Crete site, raki page

including some great pics of stills

[Mike G]

here's an interesting link for you on Erno's Sfakia site

Sfakia Crete site, raki page

including some great pics of stills

Fascinating info in this link Chris. It is wonderful what is produced from what in many countries would just be a waste product destined for the compost heap.

Are most of the supermarkets (or what passes for such in Plakias) selling it in 1.5 litre plastic bottles? I bought a smaller bottle in Plakias last year and bought the 1.5L. size in Paleohora. A 25L. jerrycan might be excessive!

I don't see this sort of product going down well in Eldoradoland as others have christened the new "development". Poncy liquers would be more like it.

Mike

[George]

I don't see this sort of product going down well in Eldoradoland as others have christened the new "development". Poncy liquers would be more like it.

Mike

'Pimms' immediately came to mind, with a brolly of course!  

george g...

[Greecemad]

As regards the length of the beach ..... estimates vary from 12km to 27km - I plumped for something in the middle ..... no chance of walking end-to-end with my legs  

I've reckoned the beach as starting at Stylidia/Ag.Prokopios in the north and going (almost) uninterrupted south to Mikri Vigla (or Cape M.V.). However, some  folk include the stretch from Cape Mikri Vigla to Kastraki/Aliko as well.

OK, I did over-egg the "Far-end" bit a bit   - I'd guess that 20% of the whole length is commercialised/textile but you don't have to walk more than 1km to escape the "masses".

Chas,

Ok, I've got the map out now. I was only counting the stretch from the "cove below the church" (this is Cape Aghios Nikolaos according to the map) past Marargas and the dunes at Plaka as one beach - it doesn't even stretch all the way to Cape Mikri Vigli. This is about 3 or 4 km. I didn't include Aghios Prokopios or anything past Mikri Vigli as they are separate beaches separated by rocky headlands. If you count all the lot, its like saying that Damnoni, Mikro Ammoudhi, Ammmoudhi and Skinaria are all one beach.

Most of that beyond Cape Mikri Vigli is not worth going to if you want a beach. There are busy bits (at Mikri Vigli itself) and scruffy parts. There is one bit that is nudist - it is a nice stretch of sand below some cliffs. I can't remember what it's called, and I'm not sure which bit it is on the map.

Greecemad

[Greecemad]

All,

This reply is about Raki.

The most colourful description of how to make Raki that I heard was listening to Lito in the Lysseos. I only drink Raki when I am given it, so I don't go seeking it. So I'm not really sure where I have come across Raki itself. What I am sure about is that I have drunk Rakomelo on the islands of Anafi, Folegandros, Donoussa and Koufonissi (all in the Cyclades around Naxos) and also in the Raki Bar in Sougia (and in Paleochora when I surprised a waitress by asking for it). Rakomelo is a cocktail of Raki and honey (meli is honey in Greek, hence the name 'Rakomelo'). If they make Rakomelo then they must have the raki to make it. Rakomelo usually has cinammon in it and sometimes other spices as well. One guy on Koufonissi sells what he calls is 'the best Rakomelo'. He says it contain 49 different ingredients and he was given the recipe by his family, who he says come from 'Minor Asia' (i.e. Turkey). This ties up with what I have read about Raki on Wikipedia - apparently it originates from Turkey and is also called Tsipouro and Tsikoudia.

Greecemad

[beachcombers]

[ http://www.tvcrete.com/video.html


See RAKI maken

My sunglasses??