Today we docked in Agios Nikolaos.
Alice and I are taking a shore excursion to get out of the city to view the countryside and villages. After a nice drive into the mountains we stopped to visit the Bioaroma factory. This family run business is dedicated to the environmentally friendly growth, harvesting and processing of herbs and flowers. Essential oils, lotions and creams as well as seasonings are the products. We learned about the significant volumes of plant material necessary to extract small volumes of essence. We learned how soaps and lotions are made. The containers have been engineered to be biodegradable or consumed as scrubs and cleaners. No part of the products or containers needs to become trash.
After a truly informative presentation, we were given time to shop in the company store. It was full of inviting things. In the interest of not filling our new suitcase just yet, we limited ourselves to one anti-aging lotion designed to ease facial wrinkles. At checkout I was grateful we limited ourselves. Bio Friendly is not cheap. We were glad to be supportive of this company that employs 20 people and strive to preserve the environment.
Next we stopped at the village of Kritsa. This charming village is small but has all of the essentials. Shops surround the square. Many of them feature local crafts. There is also an Orthodox Church that is currently in use. A visit here was a nice prelude for what was to come.
Restaurants abound and we passed a bakery on the way back to the coach. It featured 4 pastries. We selected 3 of those that seemed most interesting. These were sold by weight. It was just 2 euros for the 3 pieces. In Elk Grove that would not have covered half the cost. We enjoyed these later in our stateroom.
Before returning to the coach we walked the neighborhood and visited the churchyard. Then we were off to what turned out to be the highlight of the tour, the church of Panagia Kera.
This church is small but beautifully preserved. Colorful frescos adorn the walls and ceilings. Our guide was splendid in explaining the history of the church and the process of creating the frescos. These frescos date back to the 14th century. We spent 45 minutes inside before starting our return trip to Journey.
This was a rewarding excursion that exceeded our expectations.
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