Express Samina: eleven years have gone by. Has anything changed?

Eleven years have passed since the tragedy of the Express Samina off the coast of Paros in the Aegean. For those who do not remember the distressing images of people trying to get off a sinking ship two nautical miles from the quaint beaches of Paroikia, it was 10:15 in the evening and by 11.02, the clock on the ship’s bridge ceased ticking. Eighty-two passengers would never be seen smiling under the sun.

As a Greek, I will never fathom the injustice – not of life, but of bureaucracy, of disorganization – which

Paros: An island for all tastes

 Cycladic isle’s timeless appeal to every category of traveler is anything but accidental

By Haris Argyropoulos

A typical Cycladic island, Paros has many die-hard fans of all kinds, attracted chiefly by its friendly ambience and hospitable terrain. It can in fact be called “everyone’s island” — a location for the rich and the backpackers, the conservationists and the ravers, the culturally aware and the surfers, Greeks and foreigners — all can be found here in the summer.

 

Paros is “the real thing” in the sense of the typical Greek island stereotype: From traditional island life and farming communities to Internet cafes, Paros has it all — beautiful beaches of varying shapes and sizes, hotels of every category, quaint villages, great restaurants and plenty of souvlaki outlets, great nightlife as well as quiet spots off the beaten track.

 

Historically, Paros was best known for its translucent white marble, known as Parian, used in