A quick stroll in Kardhiani will take you back in time. We pass the narrow streets watching the sky above as we pass the marble pathway. We land at a small cafe, operated by a woman (dimitra) who cooks and serves her clients by herself.

A quaint place with a terrace on one part of the main street, and the other across the road. We watch her climb the stairs carrying dishes and empty glasses as tourists get on their way. The local cat tries to jump over us and get some food and we know this routine.

we try her béchamel cheese pie, a version of tiropita – a baked layered cheese dish traced back to layered pan-fried breads developed by the Turks of Central Asia before their westward migration to Anatolia. This is all accompanied by some clear raki, a spirit locally distilled in Tinos – it helps digestion.