Andros, an island for writers?

 By Diana Farr Louis

 Actually, I don’t know if I should tell you how beautiful Andros is. You’ll be coming to dedicate yourself to writing. You should be planning long hours glued to your computer with a few breaks for sustenance when not actually working or submitting your work to sage analysis. If I mention a special beach, the possibilities for shopping therapy or viewing great art, your resolve might waver. Wouldn’t that be a shame!

             You might not want to leave the hotel. It’s quiet and open to the sea. It has good vibes (from a very kind and friendly staff) that are conducive to creativity wonderful food, a large pool, and the workshops foster that kind of group energy that gets your mind into top gear.

 But let’s suppose you succumb to writer’s block or decide to reward yourself after a particularly productive session with your muse. First, you should know that it’s the easiest thing in the world to sneak a swim. The Andros Holiday Hotel has its own small beach, framed by tumbled rocks which are fun to snorkel around. The island’s water is clean and clear but not tropically warm, so you won’t be tempted to spend hours soaking when you should be finetuning your masterpiece. But (and pardon the pun) if that dip whets your appetite for bigger beaches, there are several more within walking distance. Or you could rent a motorbike and venture to the stunning strands – Zorkos, Vitali, Ahla – on the north coast. Maybe a car would be better. Many of the roads are unpaved.

             Your nearest village is Gavrion, the port where you arrive. This collection of cafés, ticket agents and foodshops strung out along the waterfront will not dazzle you. There are no quaint alleys or poster perfect Cycladic buildings. The good news is that it’s a real village with shops that sell things you might need (rather than tacky souvenirs, gold and furs). There’s a newstand with the foreign press, an English-speaking pharmacy, supermarkets (well, smaller than what you’re used to), hardware stores, a couple of clothes shops, many cafés, tavernas and Katerina’s ouzeri which has fresh flowers on the tables. There are also a couple of pastry shops you may get addicted to. They specialize in local sweets made with crushed almonds, walnuts or         sesame, macaroons plus the whole range of Oriental baklava-type pastries and dipped chocolates – all designed to get the creative juices flowing. If sweets don’t do it for you, then try some Andros cheeses, apricots or tomatoes. The farmers sell them from the backs of their trucks. They taste like they’re meant to.

             If you feel like being a tourist for a while, Batsi is the place to go. Only 10 minutes drive from the hotel, it is built on a hillside overlooking a crescent-shaped bay. The original fishing village still clusters on the east side of the harbor, its two-story, tile-roofed houses connected only by steps. Tavernas and tiny shops squeeze onto the verandah-like strips between flights of stairs. Eating here can be quite romantic in the evening. In Batsi you can find gold, boutiques, souvenirs and nightlife.  

             Andros is a big island and a high one. In addition to dozens of beaches, it has mountains which most of the time rise almost straight up from the coast. When you forsake your muse to visit the main town and Amalia’s parents, you’ll be driven along the dramatic corniche that winds way above the sea, past villages spilling down slopes that are carved into centuries-old terraces. Some are as lush as you’ll ever find on a Greek island. As you go the architecture keeps changing, from flat roofs and white walls to elaborate stonework to Venetian-era mansions practically hidden in greenery as you get closer to Hora. More water flows, runs, falls around this part of Andros than any other corner of the Aegean.

             I’ve written about Hora elsewhere on this site, but after you visit the archaeological and contemporary art museums, make a point of venturing into the oldest quarter, as far as the very ruined castle at its tip. Tucked back here are some interesting shops, houses with Venetian or Byzantine bas reliefs and places to sit and stare at the views or at the boys and girls diving from the rocks.

             One day’s outing will give you just a tiny taste of Andros. It’s not impossible to write here – I’ve managed two books and many, many articles. But on the other hand, I’ve had a house on Andros since 1989 so I’ve had lots of opportunities to give in to exploration, hours on the beach and sheer sloth. And there are still villages I’ve never entered, walks I haven’t managed, not to mention places I go back to again and again. Take my advice: write your chapters, scripts, poems and memoirs at the workshop and then spend as much extra time as you can spare (and afford) getting to know fascinating, beautiful Andros.

             For more insights into Andros past and present, look at the guidebook and article excerpts on this site or the two pieces you can read on the Athens News website (www.athensnews.gr /search Diana Farr Louis/Andros) or in my book, Athens and Beyond, 30 Day Trips and Weekends, published by the Athens News in 2003 and available from them, www.amazon.co.uk or www.greeceinprint.com (which is based in New Jersey).