Silence is interrupted by sizzles from the kitchen and a car alarm, which blares inside our souvlaki oasis from the street. It’s not enough to distract us from the way fresh, warm pita accepts the juicy chicken, tart tzatziki and fresh tomatoes, the half-moons bursting with juice.
It was the first of many pita-and-meat creations we would try over our nine days in Greece.
Bougatsa, a cinnamon sugar-sprinkled pastry that tastes like a delicious cross between a pancake and a pie, is served at a café in Thessaloniki.
Day and night
A briny breeze whips as my New Balance shoes carry me over cobblestone, concrete, gravel, boardwalk, stone and sand.
The exerting peace of this morning run has welcomed all types of terrain, plus ship-speckled views of the boot-shaped bay cutting into the Cycladic island of Paros.
The island’s largest town of Naousa is quiet, calm and empty at this hour.
We pass children dawdling to school and smell the aroma of yeast turning dough into breads — some sweet and soft, others sprinkled with sesame seeds. We spot the men and women who work to painstakingly preserve Paros’ beauty.
Two men power wash a milky white building that, just hours ago, was filled with revelers; some of whom are now making their way to a café named Almond for a restorative juice or nut milk latte.
Paros is known for its white-washed buildings and views of the turquoise Aegean Sea.
Parker Milner/Staff
Others paint the mortar between the stones, ensuring it maintains the glossy shade tourists like us will want to flaunt on Instagram.
Paros is less popular than nearby islands like Mykonos or Santorini, but it’s still a tourism magnet. The city of just 13,000 residents transforms in the summertime, with nearly 500,000 visitors flying or boating here during peak season.
Companies have paid to bring temporary workers to the island by the time May rolls around. They ferry folks to towns and beach clubs and the tiny airport that opens about one hour before early morning flights.
Leading up to the 2025 busy season, residents dealt with earthquakes and flooding that left large swaths of the island underwater. From now until October, though, it might not rain again.