Maria's apartment was a gem whose brilliance shown brighter with each day. The initial car ride up, with mom Joanna, to the location is deceptive because the apartment is indeed centrally located connected by a good twenty minute walk through the neighborhood on wonderful staircases. On the stairs down to Syros village, you'll meet local cats, pick a fig from an over-hanging tree, exchange "kalimeras" with a sweet-faced yia-yia. You'll be drawn in by the white steps leading up to the cathedral you've seen from Maria's magical rooftop. Take your toast and coffee up to the roof, sit in Maria's own sustainable designs and watch the light slowly wash over the houses nestled into the hill beneath the cathedral. Then get yourself to the bridge and up the Ano Syros stairs before the sun gets too high. Maybe you'll be lucky and meet a sure-footed donkey carrying a taverna's cargo or 92 year-old Mario who climbs the steps to mass or his garden twice a day! Maria's apartment was a welcome place to have a quiet night with a home-cooked meal and comfy A/C. All of the amenities made me feel like I lived there....and I wanted to. It's a great place to write, take in the Greek art-loving culture and have a fitness-focused weekend. - CMK