My Travels in Your Hands: Balls

In an unlikely turn of events (this shows how uneventful Greek islands are), the food in Naxos is AMAZING. (Anyone who isn't a foody, you should probably stop reading now, it's about to get foodTASTIC)

Taverna Oniro (pub of dreams) last night was the site of some really amazing balls. Courgette and cheese balls to be precise. Perched on top of the Castro that tops the main town, we watched the sunset over the port, and munched. Slightly sticky but crisp on the outside, gooey and creamy on the inside, if you think of any good innuendos, please post them below. The restaurant also makes its own wine, which had a honeyed, sherry sweetness, perfect with the smokey aubergine salad.

Lunch at the tavern by the beach today was wonderfully fresh mackerel. I now have a fully fledged addiction to Naxian cheese, a sweet, salty curd, the texture of cream cheese. This is of course not ideal given I'm wearing a bikini every day, and breakfast at the hotel isn't helping: 15 or so different tarts and pastries, sweet and savoury, baked by the manager's mum. The one thing better than your mum's home cooking, I reckon, is someone else's mum's home cooking. Nom.

My Travels in Your Hands: QUEST 2

'PING!' and we're off. The fasten seatbelt sign's glow fades, press 'UP' button, joystick left and WHAM, little old man stands up from the aisle in front of me. Can I squeeze round him? Button 'B': a shuffle, an embarassed shoulder shrug, and we're off again on quest 2 of the day 'GET THE FERRY'. Baddies in blue are round the next corner, it's customs. Hit the 'A' key, and throw down my EU status bonus card and in moments I'm through. But even the golden 'under 26' status won't make my backpack round the carousel any faster. Button C: nervous fidgeting.

Taking a hit with an EUR8 train fare, and almost seeing GAME OVER after a missed train, a secret route, a great battle with the semi-broken Athens metro and an altercation with the stunning heat and utter confusion of Piraeus (Athens's port) the victory is MINE. Key A, Key B, joystick left, and Highspeed 4 to Naxos sails off into the sunset, with, Hallelujah, me on it. Credits roll, bad 80s arcade game over.

And now I'm in Naxos. It's a Greek island, replete with sun, sea, sand, and houses that look like sugar cubes chucked across the landscape. I have spent my first 24 hours eating surprisingly good food (food in Greece normally sucks), swimming in turquoise waters and relaxing in the hotel jacuzzi. Life is tough.

 The deserted beach where I spent the day.