Cosme partnered with natural Greek skincare brand Korres on its menu of facials, spa rituals and body treatments. With its major Arch Digest vibes, the relaxation area and plunge pool would channel the inner water nymph in anyone. Named after the Greek God of the sun, the hotel brochure describes it as a “sanctuary of the senses,” and I wouldn’t disagree. It was a shame about the rain, but I had an afternoon massage at Elios Spa to look forward to back at Cosme. But due to impending showers, we nixed that and a visit to the ancient marble quarries and opted to head back to Cosme instead. A Byzantine road made with thousand-year-old marble connects Lefkes with nearby village Prodromos and is popular with hikers. The views across the olive grove and pine forest-covered mountainside weren’t bad either. Lunch was at a restaurant called Agnadio - pillowy pita bread, fava (split pea dip) and bougiournti (baked feta), Greek salad, grilled chicken drizzled with lemon, and fries washed down with carafes of local rosé. Doors to the studios of NYC fashion photographer turned ceramicist Todd Marshard (Donna Karan is a fan) and illustrator Angelika Vaxevanidou were open and we popped in to chat with them both about the allure of Lefkes and take a behind-the-scenes look at their work. Next, we drove up to Lefkes, an attractive mountainside village that has become an enclave for artists. A nice lady from the visitor center led our small group on an informative but well-paced look at some key site sites around Parikia, including Panagia Ekatontapiliani, a Byzantine church complex also called the Church of 100 Doors that was built in 326 AD - a mind-blowing 1,697 years ago. While challenging to leave Cosme and its confines, especially during the height of summer, the hotel likes inspiring guests to explore the island, and its concierge team can arrange several guided cultural experiences, one of which is a walking tour with a local historian. It’s the latest luxe addition to the Empiria Group, a Greek-based company run by husband-and-wife founders Antonis Eliopoulos and Kalia Konstantinidou, which has since landed on several coveted “It Lists” for 2023 travel and getting to stay there before crowds descend this summer feels even more special in hindsight. (Greece might be all swimsuits and golden suntans during the summer but come fall, evenings are chilly.) In the darkness, I didn’t get the lay of the land, but it was a quick seven-mile drive to the island’s northeastern corner and dreamy Cosme - the 40-suite beachfront boutique hotel that opened last June as part of Marriott Bonvoy’s upscale Luxury Collection Hotels & Resorts portfolio. Instead, I hustled off the boat onto the quay, where a gentleman holding a Cosme Paros sign took my bag and ushered me into a nice warm car. I had envisaged sitting poolside at my hotel - beverage in hand - watching the sun dip below the Aegean. My original arrival time on Paros would have seen me pull into its tiny port city Parikia while the sun still shone.
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