CDEN0109

_Theoldlandladyiswavingtovisitorsfromafar. In Lionas Bay, however, no further invitation is neededtoindulgeindolmadesandtsatsiki,followed byaservingofgrilledfish.Duringtheoffseason,the remote beach strip in the northern part of Naxos is onlyinhabitedbyadozenpeople,allmakingtheirliv- ing at the local taverns. The few visitors, who stray from the main roads and wander down the narrow, dustypath,aretreatedtoadeliciousmealandhome- made wine bottled in plastic water bottles—one of the many provisional arrangements you are certain to fall in love with. Upon exploring the Hellenic civilisation, the fa- mous German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe remarked:“Ofallpeoples,theGreekshavedreamtthe dreamoflifebest”;onNaxos,thisdreamisstillmuch alive. According to the myth, Dionysus and Ariadne weremarriedhere.Likethegods,theislandcombines opposites that make it attractive: white sandy beaches cover the southern coast, while sparse mountain ranges and solitary villages dominate the northernregions.RomanCatholicandGreekOrtho- dox churches along massive Venetian castles and Hellenic cult sites tell of the island’s multicultural history. Greeks, Persians, Italians, and Turks long fought for dominance in the Aegean, and only since 1832 has the island been part of Greece. Naxoslureslocals,aswellastourists,withamore peacefulambiencenowadays.Visitorsaregreetedby the iconic Portara, the entrance to an unfinished lifestyle _ travel I Naxos —life, the Greek way Authors & Photographers_ Annemarie Fischer & Daniel Zimmermann, Germany cosmeticdentistry 1_2009 I 41