A typical day in Paros thus far has begun with a morning walk to the Archaeological Institute to start our work for the day. Today, however, began quite differently. Rolling out of bed admittedly more tired than usual, we gathered as a group outside of the Villa Katerina and began a different kind of adventure. We walked up to the main road running through Parikia to wait for a bus – today, rather than the institute, we were going to explore the ancient marble quarry found towards the heart of the island. We waited patiently for our bus to arrive and boarded swiftly upon its arrival. Our bus ride was short and sweet and rang out the melodic sounds of Greek music. We pulled up to the entrance of a stone road, unbounded, and made our way to the entrance of the quarry.
Albert delivered a short history lesson on the quarry, the marble of Paros, and the sheer size and volume of the marble dragged from the heart of Paros thousands of years before our exploration of its remnants. He explained that the marble of Paros was especially sought after by artists around ancient Greece due to its soft fragility and its transparency. Transparency of stone was a foreign, fascinating concept to me. Albert told us that the marble of Paros had a transparency that was sometimes more than 7cm in depth – meaning light could find its way 7cm or more into the stone before reflecting back. Once we were in the quarry, we quickly put this concept to the test. The photo pictured here is a depiction of the marble found in the quarry, lit up by a classmate’s headlamp. The glow was astonishing, and it was far different than any stone I had seen before!
The journey in and out of the quarry consisted mainly of the long, give or take the 100-meter climb in and out. It was a steep slope littered with loose rocks and rubble leaving many fighting to reach the bottom or make their way out. Fortunately, everyone made it out safely and without complications beyond their tired legs.
Our walking did not end there, as we boarded our bus and headed to Lefkes, a historic village of Paros, located in the hills of the island, set back from the sea to protect themselves from the pirates of the past. Lefkes was perhaps even more picturesque than Parikia, and the winding streets rose and fell adamantly, straining our legs more and more by the step. After stopping for a brief snack at a quaint café on a corner, we ended our journey and returned to our bus to head back to the Villa Katerina to work before heading to a group dinner.
All in all, both the ancient marble quarries, and the historic village of Lefkes provided a plethora of sights, sounds, and experiences. My time in Parikia thus far has brought some of the most interesting and memorable experiences I have ever had. Only a week or two into our trip, I am thrilled to say that I look forward to the next two weeks to finish up our stay in Parikia!
Written by Jarred Brown