Dates |
Port |
Date |
Port |
| 6/4/2002 | Levkas | 3/6/2002 | Ios |
| 8/4/2002 | Nisis Petalas | 4/6/2002 | Naxos |
| 9/4/2002 | Patras |
5/6/2002 | Delos |
| 11/4/2002 | Galaxidhi | 5/6/2002 | Mykonos |
| 13/4/2002 | Corinth Canal | 6/6/2002 | Syros |
| 13/4/2002 | Aigina | 7/6/2002 | Kea |
| 16/4/2002 | Kithnos | 8/6/2002 | Fokaia |
| 17/4/2002 | Siros | 9/6/2002 | Aigina |
| 18/4/2002 | Mykonos | 10/6/2002 | Piraeus |
| 20/4/2002 | Samos | 15/6/2002 | Andikiron |
| 3/5/2002 | Patmos | 16/6/2002 | Trizonia |
| 4/5/2002 | Kalymnos | 17/6/2002 | Missalongia |
| 5/5/2002 | Kos | 18/6/2002 | Kefallonia |
| 7/5/2002 | Symi | ||
| 8/5/2002 | Panormitis | ||
| 9/5/2002 | Symi town | ||
| 10/5/2002 | Rhodes | ||
| 21/5/2002 | Symi town | ||
| 22/5/2002 | Nysiros | ||
| 23/5/2002 | Kos | ||
| 27/5/2002 | Kalymnos | ||
| 28/5/2002 | Lyros | ||
| 29/5/2002 | Levitha | ||
| 30/5/2002 | Amorgos | ||
| 31/5/2002 | Santorini |
The above cruise represents over 2,000 N. Miles.
TRAVELS THROUGH THE GREEK ISLES
Sunday, 12 May 2002. Arrived in Rhodes at 9:30 p.m., an hour late from London via Athens. Mark kindly met us at the Airport and drove us into the marina near the Old Town, where we immediately went to a restaurant, Archipelago, to meet up with Bob & Pat Steinhoff and Carissa. We had a light Greek meal, got updated on our surroundings and returned to Forever Young around midnight.
Monday, 13 May 2002. Got up around 9a.m. and got settled on board the boat. It was great to be back after 7 months. We walked into the Old Town and toured the many streets of shops, restaurants, and old buildings. Rhodes has a colourful history, with Greeks, Turks, Italians and Germans all owning it over the centuries. The Knights of St. John acquired the Island in the late 1400s. and were overthrown in 1522 by Suleiman the Great, ruler of the Ottomans. The prime historical areas in the Old Town are the Street of the Knights and the Palace of the Grand Masters.
The Old Town shops are of a bazaar variety, with many jewellery, leather, carpet, art, and knick-knack shops. We hovered over various carpets, and looked at the gold, and eventually settled on an internet café and spent € 3 for 30 minutes of internet usage. Lunch was in a restaurant on a balcony overlooking the square, and we were persuaded to have a whole fish, which became two, and was far too much food. We returned to the boat, relaxed (napped) and went back to Estatorio, a nice restaurant with a garden setting for dinner. Since we had a large lunch, we settled for “meze” (or a mixture of appetizers) for dinner. This is a very nice way of sampling a lot of Greek dishes. The Greeks eat a variety including squid, octopus, fish, mussels, clams, lamb, pork, eggplant, and a large range of vegetables. “Meze” then introduced us to a large range. Again, Greeks eat late, so we didn’t get back to the boat until around midnight.
Tuesday, 14 May 2002. Bob and Pat took the car and went to Lindos today. Since we had already been there on our last visit to Rhodes, and since my leg was still acting up, we decided to take it easy on the boat, which is not hard to do. Carissa insisted on making lunch, crispy rolls, sliced meats, cheeses, and Greek salad. I’d have settled for a ham sandwich! We had a nap in the afternoon and, after Bob & Pat returned, after “happy hour” went into the Old Town ex-Mark to see the “Sound and Light Show”. This depicted the siege of Rhodes by Suleiman and 100,000 Ottomans in 1522. It was interesting, but not necessarily a repeat performance! We stopped at a sidewalk restaurant on the way back and had an uninspiring meal. I had veal which was as tough as boots!
Wednesday, 15 May 2002. Again it was a late start, but Bob, Pat, Frankie and I went to the Palace of the Grand Masters, and toured the museum. This has been totally restored by the Italians in this century, but the inlaid mosaic floors, and many of the furnishings were original back to the 14-1500s. Some of the ceramics, dating back to 1500 BC were beautifully intact. There was so much to see, and it was very enjoyable. Afterwards we visited antique stores, and Frankie and I bought some silver knick-knacks. We then went to a garden restaurant for a late lunch and ordered from a “picture book” menu! We got back to FY for “happy hour”, and freshened up to go to a fancy restaurant to give a send off to Bob & Pat. We ate at Alexis 2 in their garden. The food was delicious, and Bob gave us all a memento to say thank you for our hospitality. Frankie and I were given a silver Greek ship (with oars) in a clear plastic case. We’ve decided to keep it on the boat, mounted as a memento to their visit.
Thursday, 16 May 2002. Bob & Pat left the boat at 5 a.m. I got up to say farewell, but then went straight back to bed! Slept until 9a.m. as usual! After breakfast, Frankie and I went into the Old Town on a mission. We had obtained exact dimensions of our hallways at Elmwood and wanted to buy carpets. We went to the shop where Bob & Pat had bought carpets and Maria had the pleasure of giving me a hug – after we’d bought 3 carpets. The price was heavily negotiated, so that the store’s margins were reduced, but we were happy with our purchases. We probably were screwed! Again we meandered around the town until returning to the boat for a nap, then “happy hour”. Carissa insisted on cooking on board, which was a most welcome change, and the food was “yummy”. The boat alongside had given Mark some tuna, so we had spicy tuna nori rolls to start, then braised tuna on wasabi mashed potatoes and vegetables for the main course. Boy, was it good! We then watched “Captain Corelli’s Mandolin” about the Italian occupation of Kefallonia, a Greek island. Mark & Carissa had visited this island, so pointed out some of the sights in the movie.
Friday, 17 May 2002. We decided to take the car today and tour the top end of Rhodes. Mark drove, thank goodness, and we went down the eastern coast past the tourist resorts and beaches. There appears to be a lot of German tourists, and many of the restaurants and signs reflect that. We turned inland through smaller roads, up to the top of a mountain, then down the other side to Petaloúdes, which is the Valley of the Butterflies, only there were none – too early in the season! We walked up the trail alongside waterfalls and a stream, and the environment was beautiful. We stopped at the little restaurant for lunch – nuked pizza and beer, then carried on to Ancient Ialyssós. This site has an extended history however it was the original site of the Knights before they took Rhodes in 1309, and Suleiman used it as his base during the siege in 1522. At the top of the hill is Moní Filerímou which has been a place of worship for over 2000 years. The Italians reconstructed the chapels and buildings on the site, so the entire complex is relatively intact. The views were spectacular and it was a pleasure to spend the time up there.
We took the ladies back to the boat, then changed and Mark and I went to the Airport to pick up Steve and Rosemary. We got back to the boat by about 8:30p.m. and immediately went off to dinner at Romeos. This was a large restaurant, with Greek singing entertainment. Unfortunately there was a large tour group making so much noise that they drowned out the singers. We were jammed in with the group around us, so it was not the best experience, thought the food was good. Again we got back to the boat, and after night caps got to bed around 1 a.m.
Saturday, 18 May 2002. Got up late, and took S&R for a tour of the Old Town, arranging to meet M&C for lunch at 1p.m. We sat at a sidewalk café watching people wandering by, drinking beer, and waiting for M&C when a bird dropped its “load” in my beer. The café waiters were quite willing to replace my beer free of charge. I want to make more bird poop to put in my glass in future when I’m halfway through drinking my beer! After lunch Carissa, S&R, Frankie and I went to the Palace of the Grand Masters to join a walk of the walls at 2:30. We walked about 2 kms. looking over the moats and ramparts of the Town. The views were spectacular.
Unfortunately my legs really started to act up after the walk, so Frankie and I went back to the boat while S&R went to the Palace of the Grand Masters, and the Archaeological Museum. Back at the boat, it was a relief to get my leg up from all of the walking. When everyone returned, we had “happy hour”, then went to Myrovolos for dinner. This was a very old building off the Street of the Knights and the dining room was upstairs. We had a room to ourselves until the end of dinner since Greeks don’t appear to eat before 9:30-10:00 at night! The food kept coming – all of it delicious, but since this was off the beaten track it was a local restaurant, not a tourist restaurant (no picture book menus!). Therefore, the food was typical Greek, and the prices most reasonable. Mark actually towed me on the back of the scooter (up one way streets the wrong way, etc.) to get to and from the restaurant. I could not have walked there under my own steam! Again late night!
Sunday, 19 May 2002. We stayed on the boat through the morning, including lunch. Frankie & Rosemary left for the Old Town after lunch – Rosemary had produced a shopping list from her previous walkabout. I relaxed my leg, but in the middle of the afternoon I took Steve in the car to visit Moní Filerímou. I stayed at the reception area drinking a beer while Steve toured the site, including climbing the 59 foot cross. When we returned, the girls had come back with odds and ends of shopping, and we prepared for dinner. We went to Ippotikon which is an old Knight’s house restored and turned into an upmarket restaurant. We had a great meal, and the bill reflected the “upmarketedness”!!
Monday, 20 May 2002. We set sail for Symi around 10:30a.m. As we left our harbour, we turned to port and passed the main Mandraki Harbour which is far more congested than ours. We saw the two Hind on top of the columns marking the harbour, and then continued following the coast of Rhodes along the seaside resorts and beaches, crowded with lines and line of beach chairs and umbrellas. We gradually left the Rhodes coast and followed the Turkish coast to starboard before going around a point and heading to Symi. Symi town is inside a very sheltered bay which narrows into docks on both sides of a small protected harbour.
Since we got there relatively early, we found a good dock spot stern to, with a street and shops opposite our gangplank. The town is interesting because the houses a tiered up the steep hills on both sides of the harbour, allowing each one to have a commanding view of the bay. We saw one house, over the top of the War Memorial, which must have had at least 100 steep steps up to its front door! At the end of the harbour there is a stone bridge enabling you to cross from one side to the other. We walked around a bit, but then went to a restaurant called Myropetra for dinner. This was a nice courtyard restaurant with lights overhead. The only problem was that the lights attracted flying termites and mozies. The food was good, and we have now settled for a limited supply of wines that we like, so were able to enjoy the wine. Friend Steve is not very good with his eyesight without glasses (or is it the drinks?). During the evening he went to the bathroom. We told him he’d gone to the ladies room, whereas he insisted that he’d gone to the men’s’ because the sign showed a man in long pants. When I went, the long pants turned out to be a skirt, and the lady was wearing a scarf. The men’s’ room sign showed a man in pants, with a moustache!! He was finally persuaded that he’d stunk up the wrong room! Walked back late in the evening again.
Tuesday, 21 May 2002. Left Symi town about 10a.m. and headed into the bay. Turning to port, we approached and entered a narrow cut between Symi and Nimos.
It is amazing how many large residences we see on the coast that appear to have no land access at all, with a cliff face behind them, sitting on the water’s edge. We motored round Symi, stopping in a cove behind Cape Kefála for lunch. There is a Monastery (Agios Aimilianos) in the cove, and some beaches at the end.
Mark told us that he was here with the Steinhoffs and a boy of about 12 came down with a donkey and fished all day, amusing himself. No such luck this week. The bay was deserted except for a small tour boat at the Monastery with some people walking around the foreshore. Carissa made an excellent lunch, and then we pulled up the anchor and continued to Panormitis where there is another Monastery, Moní Taxiárchi Michaïl Panormíti, which is a place of pilgrimage for Greek sailors worldwide.
It appears that the adjoining residences house elderly people, and we visited the chapel just before a service, and there were many elderly ladies in attendance. I lit a candle, donating €5 to the chapel which was full of silver and gold icons. We ate at a local (the only) taverna, drinking beer, and eating kalamari, moussaka, and bean “meat balls”. The moon is gradually filling now, so the view was magnificent. After dinner we bought ice cream and took it back to the boat for dessert.
Wednesday, 22 May 2002. We took a quick trip back to the Monastery this morning to video the area, and then pulled up anchor to head for Nisyros. The wind was on the bow, so we had to motor for about 4 hours. The wind varied from 4 to 18 knots on the crossing. Carissa made a nice lunch of Greek spinach and cheese pie and salad. We got into Palon harbour on Nisyros at about 3p.m. just before the crowd, so we got a nice spot, stern to the main dock. We established our space, then walked along the dock front to check the tavernas – all 3 of them. Nisyros is an old volcanic site, where the volcano imploded, so there is a significant crater in the middle of the island. We went to Taverna Ellinis for dinner. We sat on the dock looking over the marina and the boat. We had kalamari, then gyros and French fries. Due to our lack of confidence in the wines we drank beer. This ice cream kick is becoming a habit, so we got some and walked back to FY eating it. We then had coffee and Drambuie when we got back before bed.
Thursday, 23 May 2002. We had arranged for Irene Taxi to take us a tour of Nisystros. Of course the first visit was to the volcano. We drove in the rickety taxi – front end wobbling, no muffler, no springs, etc. – up the entire side of the island, then down into the crater. There were lots of stones and rubble in the road, and Irene had to zig and zag around them. It seemed to me that it would be in everyone’s interest to take a couple of hours and throw the stones off the road! Duh!! We walked around the Stéfanos crater. Talk about stinky! You could feel the heat on your face from the surface of the crater which seemed to be about 80 feet below. Steam was coming out of some of the holes and cracks in the surface, and they warn that the heat could melt rubber soled shoes. Once we had toured the bottom, we obviously wanted to go to the very top of the crater to the town of Nikiá which perched on the very rim of the volcano. So up we went in our noisy taxi, and toured the streets and finally had a drink in the main square which had a small chapel and a mosaic pattern in black and white pebbles.
Irene then took us to Emporeiós which is mainly derelict but has about 20 occupants. Again this town had a view of the crater.
We then went to Mandráki, bought the required Greek CD, got back to Páloi where the boat was, had lunch in a Taverna (Afrodite), then left around 2:15p.m. for Kos. We had a good sail with winds up to 25 kts. in places, clocking along at 8-9 kts. As we got to the South of Kos the wind calmed down and we had to resort to motor power. As we motored along the coast, due to the wind coming off the land, the wind ranged from 5 kts. to 40 kts. In fact a boat that came in later reported that they had blown out their mainsail. We got to Kos Marina at 5:30p.m. and found it to be the most modern, well equipped marina that we have experienced. We walked towards town in the evening and stopped at the “Stadium” restaurant for dinner. Of note, Mark ordered Wild Boar, and Carissa had Nisyros Goat! Talk about adventurous! Anyway we settled to bed around 11:30p.m.
Friday, 24 May 2002. We got up relatively early – 8:30a.m., because I had an appointment with a physiotherapist, Dr. Botsa, at 10 a.m. Frankie and I took a taxi and found her office. She “worked” on me for an hour and a half. She first used laser treatment, then ultra-sound, then electric currents, and finally manually. She manipulated both legs to the point that I felt much better afterwards. It certainly put the Bermuda facilities to shame. All for €40! I made an executive decision that we would stay here through Monday morning so that I could return then for a similar treatment. In the meantime Steve and Rosemary walked into the city, and Mark and Carissa started to restore the boat to its showroom condition. When Frankie & I returned to the boat, realizing that we were not allowed to help, and we would otherwise get in the way, we went to the lounge in the marina, seeking internet services. About 1:30p.m. we went out the Marina Café and had plain old ham and cheese in a baguette. Boy, it tasted good! We met up with Steve & Rosemary and got back to the boat after another session on the internet. We relaxed during the afternoon, particularly because of my legs, and Rosemary got some photos processed which we all looked at to remind ourselves of our travels so far. Mark & Carissa stayed home and the rest walked into town and found an Italian Trattoria (turned out to be Greek Italian!) and it was great to switch to pasta and Pinot Grigio for a change.
Saturday, 25 May 2002. Mike Cobb arrived at 7 a.m. this morning, so we were all awake early. He had flown through the night from London, but was sufficiently alert that we decided to take a drive during the morning and then relax in the afternoon. Steve had rented a car the previous night, so we set off around 10 a.m. to go to Asklepieion (dedicated to Asklepios, God of Healing) which is an archaeological site dating back to the 4th. century BC. This is another pile of stones at four distinct levels. There were remains of temples, and 7 columns still standing, or rebuilt. We then drove all the way to the end of the island to Kéfalos, which was a town on high land overlooking a pretty bay with windsurfers racing to & fro. We had a grease omelette (not Greek, but grease – olive oil thank goodness!). We then went to Paradise Beach which was supposed to be the most magnificent beach on the island. It was dirty volcanic sand with beach chaise lounges and umbrellas three deep to the water for about a mile down the beach. Not a very pretty sight!! We then continued our drive back to Mastichári and then back to Kos. I then spent some time on the internet while Mike slept the afternoon away. In the evening Mike entertained us playing his guitar for “happy hour”, then we walked into town to eat at Platanos which was in the square behind the castle next to the plane tree that Hippokrates planted and taught under in 400 BC.
It is believed that the present tree is only 560 years old, but originates from the original tree. The dinner was mediocre yet the bill was steep! The atmosphere was very nice however. After dinner we walked into the area of the night life and each had a specialty coffee in a square while people watching. It was late when we walked back, and we were quite a distance from the boat. Half way back my legs started to bind up, and I found it to be most difficult to stagger back to the boat. We sat up and had a night-cap, and the men got to bed very late.
Sunday, 26 May 2002. We got up quite late to a marvellous fry-up of scrambled egg, sausage and bacon with toast. Mark even fixed me a Bloody Mary at 11:30a.m. We lounged about the boat during the morning, and I decided that I would be no good going touring with the gang, so they left me on the boat and left at about 12:30p.m. The next insert is from Frankie: We left Kos and stopped in Platani for lunch at a little taverna. We stopped in a parking lot and a man came out and signalled for us to “come this way”. We followed him into a building, through a kitchen and ended up in his restaurant. We couldn’t say no! We then followed a road that deteriorated into a sandy track meandering around the hillside with deep potholes until we got to Zia, which is on the side of a mountain with views to the west. It is known for its beautiful sunsets. We wandered around and decided to come back that evening for dinner. We went back to the boat for “happy hour” and got freshened up and returned to Zia with the rest of the group, watched the sunset – not so spectacular – and ate dinner at Taverna Olympia. We walked around the little village after dinner while waiting for a taxi for Mike, Mark & Carissa.
Monday, 27 May 2002. I went for my physiotherapy for 9a.m. and received the same wonderful treatment as Friday. I got back to the marina at 10:45a.m. and we cast off at 11:15a.m. for Kalymnos. Unfortunately the wind was on the nose, so we had to motor-sail. It was only a 2 ½ hour crossing before we came into the harbour of Pathia. Though the guidebook showed a completed marina, it still had not been finished, so we had to tie up at the town dock, so it proved the wisdom of leaving (and arriving) early since we got the last spot. We held lunch until after we arrived, and since we were then into the “siesta” hours, Frankie and I went for a siesta. Around 5p.m. we left the boat and walked around Pathia. It is a typical island town, and the island is noted for its sponge diving history, so there were all kinds of shops and booths selling sponges, loofas, etc. There’s even a sponge “factory”. We bought some liquor for the boat, and then returned for “happy hour”. We got motivated around 8p.m. and went to the Olympic Hotel to pay our respects to the owner, Mr. Olympitis, who is the father (82) of Manoli Olympitis, my London friend. Mr. O was an entertaining man and told us of his time in London before the war, then being caught in Kalymnos at the beginning of the war, his working as a translator for the Royal Marine Commandos during their time here, being involved in various battles with the Germans before being extracted, via Turkey, to the UK. He then spent 52 years in London before returning. We asked him if he could recommend a good restaurant. He said “Of course” and went into his office, where we believed he would make a ‘phone call. Instead, he opened the window, yelled out to the Taverna behind to set up a table for seven. It turned out to be a good recommendation, and we had a nice meal, then walked down the front to find an ice cream shop, then came back to FY for a night cap before bed. It makes no sense going to bed early because of the traffic and people passing in the street behind.
Tuesday, 28 May 2002.
Frankie, Mike and I took a walk around in the morning after breakfast. I took it easy, and legs felt fine. Went into a couple of churches, and in the big one I ran into a man all in black with a big beard, so I high-tailed it out of there! Anyway it was good to spend some time ashore before setting off for Lyros. We left around 11:30 a.m. and unfortunately, again, we had to motor into the wind. We got to a little bay in Lyros and set our anchor.
Lyros is known for its crazy people, artists and poets. We went ashore after lunch and Mike, Steve, Carissa and I commissioned a taxi to take us to the British War Cemetery. Apparently there had been a major battle in these islands, with the loss of 1,500 Allied Forces in Kos, Kalymira and Lyros. Some 125 soldiers, sailors and airmen are buried in Lyros. It was amazing to see the many different units represented in the graveyard. It is unbelievable that such military action took place over these barren islands. I understand that most of it was primarily diversionary action to keep the Germans occupied and utilised away from the Russian Front.
Anyhow, we then went to a castle and walked up many steps to the front entrance only to find it closed, but the view was spectacular. On the way to the castle there were five old windmills on the ridgeline that were painted white and trimmed in stone. They were beautiful.
We got back to the boat in time for a sing-a-long with Mike. He has brought his guitar so every night we have to think of all of the words to songs to get him going. There is much “ de…de and la….la” involved. We went to a taverna, Aloni, on the bay for dinner. Mike brought the guitar so we closed the place with a sing-song.
Wednesday, 29 May 2002. We left Lyros for Levitha fairly early and picked up a nice wind which allowed us to sail for most of the way. The wind gradually swung around so that it was on our nose so we finally had to give up and motor the rest of the way. Rosemary is really funny. She insists on sitting on the aft seats (the high side) listening to her cassette player. Each cassette is ½ hour per side, so she takes three cassettes with her since we assure her that we are only going to go for three hours at a time (her limit). She dresses in sweaters, and today she wore full foul weather gear and a big bush hat and sun glasses. The only parts of her that you see are her cheeks! We got to Levitha around 2p.m. and after lunch, Mike, Rosemary and Steve went to take a walk around.
As far as we can tell, only one family of seven live on this island, and they fish and farm. They have put moorings in a very sheltered bay and rent them for €6 for as long as you want. They also run a taverna, but I am sure the menu is “whatever mama’s cooking”. There were lots of goats, so I guess if they have beef, pork and lamb on the menu, it really is goat! They also grow their own vegetables. It appears to be quite a Spartan existence. We actually cooked on board. Mark bought a couple of fish from visiting fishermen and we therefore had “surf and turf” – fish and steak. We ate too much and still had a lot left over. After an extended sing-a-long we went to bed around 11p.m.
Thursday, 30 May 2002. We left before 10a.m. because the wind was calm and we want to get as west as we could and head for Amorgos. As per usual, the sky was totally clear, with the sun beating down. We motored most of the way, but once we rounded the northern point of Amorgos we were able to turn off the wind and sail for a short time. We got to the centre of Amorgos by lunchtime and went into a beautiful bay, Kalotiri, and dropped anchor off a sandy beach. Had lunch, but more important Mike decided to have a swim. He finally convinced Steve to go in, and I said that if he would, then I would. Well Steve jumped in so I had to follow. Damn, it was cold!!
Anyway we splashed around for a little while then came back on board – happy for a warm shower on the back deck. The fresh water was probably cold, but it felt warm to me! We pulled up anchor and ended up in Katápolis, which is the main harbour for Amorgos.
Entering the harbour some store keeper kept signalling that we should back down to his space. We decided against that because the chart showed a different location for visiting yachts to moor, and some were already there. Once we got settled Mark & Carissa, Steve, Mike and I decided to rent scooters to tour the island. We left the ladies behind to find a dinner location. We rode through Chora and down to the opposite shore where there is a monastery, Moní Panagías Chozoviótissas, built into the side of a cliff. It is huge, about 8 storeys high. It is a white monument, and only about 15 yards wide. Needless to say, it was up a breath-taking stair way, rising about 1,000 feet up, so I decided to stay at the bottom while the rest went to visit the monastery. Apparently there was a requirement to be fully clothed visiting the monastery so they issued pyjama bottoms for the men, and wraparound skirts for the ladies, which were worn over ones clothing. The maximum width inside the monastery was 45 feet, and the stairs going into the monastery were extremely narrow.
Afterwards, we rode all the way past Kalotiri to the end of the island – about 20kms. before turning round to come back. The sun was setting on our way back (around 7:30p.m.) and it got very cold in the shadows as we rode back. We came round one corner to find about 50 sheep huddled in the middle of the road. We felt like cowboys driving them off the road.
We got back, turned in the bikes, and went back to the boat to change for dinner. The girls had chosen a garden setting, with typical Greek service (an old sea captain who had toured the oceans and visited Bermuda), slow as syrup! The food comprised of chicken or pork souvlaki (skewers) with chips. We later went to another taverna for ice cream before returning to the boat.
Friday, 31 May 2002. Last night an inter-island ferry dropped anchor and came stern down to the dock close by. We discovered to our dismay that she was not due to sail until 7a.m. tomorrow! Our anchor was under his, and he was not about to move! Other yachties had similar problems; in fact a “bumper boater” was contemplating cutting his anchor chain. Mark gave it a lot of thought and decided that he would try to come alongside the ferry with bow close to his anchor chains and try to ease our anchor out. The ferry captain was blown a “raspberry” by Carissa, because he had been so rude to her, once the anchor popped loose. It was wonderful to be free to move on - a real credit to Mark’s seamanship. We are now going to Santorini. The weather is good and we were again able to sail for a while until the wind died and we had to resort to horsepower. Carissa made chicken Caesar salad for lunch because we could eat it off one plate while motoring. We were looking forward to going to Santorini because, apart from the history, Frankie and I had visited some 10-12 years ago. We arrived off the northern tip and entered the crater (caldera) off the town of Oiá.
We motored around the cliff faces passing Oiá then Imervigli, onto Firá, the principal town where all of the cruise ships moor down at the bottom of a 1,200 foot cliff, with a cable car running to the top (or a donkey up a zigzag path). It is amazing how the houses are built virtually on top of each other and in total there must be more than twelve stories of dwellings, roof top gardens and terraces. We followed the cliff around the caldera exiting to the south (about 10 miles) and entered the harbour of Viycháda which is a combination fishing port and visiting yacht port. It has no services, and its first come, first served. We found a little spot where we could back down on anchor to the dock, and were soon established as part of the neighbourhood. There are piles of nets, with fishermen working on them all around the place. We stayed with the boat through “happy hour”, then went to Notos Restaurant in the Southern Cross Hotel, which overlooks the docks (and therefore FY). We had a wonderful meal, though pricey primarily because their cover charge was €4.40 each which included “complimentary” starters and dessert. We met the waitress who was a real livewire, with great personality, and a lot of fun. Her name was Martina Štusáková. She was Czechoslovakian, but had resided in Santorini for the last five years, and was 26. Turned in at the usual time – past midnight.
Saturday, 01 June, 2002. Rented a car from Akrotiri in the morning and took off to find a laundry, in Fira, and to sightsee. We found Fira to be very crowded, so after dropping off the clothes we kept on going to Oiá. We parked the car in the centre, and walked up to the “front” – the edge of the caldera. It was very touristy with lots of shops shelling jewellery, leather goods and all kinds of art and knick-knacks. We browsed, took pictures, and stopped for a beer at a taverna with a balcony over the cliff-face. We continued our meandering until lunch time and then stopped for lunch at another taverna.
We then drove back around the island, planning to go to Akrotiri, but we got there at 2:45p.m. and it closed at 3, so we didn’t go in. We did find a taverna on the beach called Maverna’s Taverna, where we booked dinner. At the door was a complete octopus drying on a rack for dinner. Talk about a turnoff!! We got back to the boat to find Mark and Carissa frantically cleaning the boat, so went back up to Notos for a beer to pass the time. Of course Martina made a big fuss over us – as “regulars”. Went back to the boat to clean up and for mandatory “happy hour”, then drove over to Akrotiri to our beachfront taverna. The food was so-so which was a surprise since it had been featured in Bon Appetit, which had caused us to seek it out in the first place. Anyway it was different. So much for the day, we arrived back at usual time.
Sunday, 02 June, 2002. Steve and I took Mike to the airport at 6a.m. When we returned, Steve stayed up, but I went back to bed and slept until about 9. Decided to get breakfast out, so Mark scouted out “Panorama” on his scooter, and we went there around 10a.m. We had a Greek version of a western breakfast. Omelettes are “deep fried” in olive oil over here. “Marmalade” is any fruit spread available, and coffee is GROSS. “Panorama” is on a cliff-face cantilevered over the caldera, about 500 feet up. The wrap-around view was great, sitting at the pointy end was scary. After breakfast, we went to Akrotiri which is an archaeological dig, started in the late 1950s. It is a Minoan city dating back to 2500 BC. Most of the wall frescos and pottery finds have been removed and put into museums, so you are left with lots of walls and explanations of the buildings and streets that you are looking at. There is a roped off trail that you have to follow, and there were several bus loads of tourists blocking progress with there tour guide giving extensive verbal explanations of the site.
It was interesting, however when we drove into Fira later we found the Archaeological Museum which was free admission and gave all of the Akrotiri information that the site lacked, and showed the frescos and pottery recovered. This made Akrotiri a lot more interesting. After this, we walked around the top promenade of Fira and had a drink on a rooftop bar overlooking the town.
Frankie met Nick the Greek, who persistently showed her jewellery until she bought a very nice diamond ring. This guy owns different jewellery shops, a fancy restaurant and a café/bar. He reminded me of Greek mafia! We returned to the boat in mid-afternoon and didn’t feel like going out again, so we went back to Notos again to be entertained by Martina. Tried to eat light, but pigged out anyway due to free starter and dessert! Got to bed a little earlier tonight.
Monday, 03 June, 2002. One last look around the marina and it was up anchor for crossing to Ios. Wind was on the nose down the south side of Santorini, but as we turned north for our run to Ios, we got about 12 knots of wind, and had a nice sail for a while. Carissa did a selection of pizzas for lunch, and we pulled into a small cove outside of the main port of Ios for a lunch stop. Afterwards, we got into Gialós which is the port of Ios. The main town is up on top of the hill, where there are many discos and bars for the backpackers. The island is known for its nude beaches, in some cases “clothes prohibited”, and all night parties of young backpackers. We rented a car and drove around a bit. Unfortunately, it was fairly late in the day, and all nudity had stopped! We passed Mylopótas beach and followed a winding dusty dirt road way up into the mountains, thinking that we would connect with a road marked on the map as “under construction”. Indeed it was, and was blocked to traffic, so we had to retrace our steps all the way to the beach again. It is interesting that the tour map show paved road in red – not much of it, dirt road in yellow, under construction in red and green, to be paved in red and yellow, and “bad dirt roads” in white. We followed the road (paved) to Agia Theodótis, I don’t know why because we found a dirty, scruffy beach and not much else. We did have to drive up and down very steep roads, and going down one side of the mountain we came across a pack of goats lying in the road. Even though we drove into them, one old billy refused to move, and we had to drive around him, going down and going back up! We returned to the main town, Chora (which I think just means “Top”) and walked around the narrow alleyways between the buildings. This is the night spot, and there were many shooter bars, and music bars, mostly closed because they probably don’t open until much later. We decided that we would become a little more docile and eat at the port, leaving the car for Mark & Carissa to use to get up to the town. We had, yet again, Greek food in a taverna, and probably did well getting to bed around 11p.m.
Tuesday, 04 June 2002. Frankie went and got pastries for breakfast, after which Mark and I went to check e-mail. The internet services in the Greek island vary from excellent to poor. The office this morning was excellent, with high speed access. Costs about €1 for 15 minutes. We pulled up anchor around 10a.m. for Naxos, which is the largest island in the Cyclades group. Got to Náxos around 2p.m. and had the fortune of mooring alongside the dock facing the front street of the town. We had lunch on board after arrival and had decided that since we had been touring the other islands, and this island was so big, we would just walk around the town. We walked up to the Kastro (Castle) which was dated from the Venetian occupation of the 1400s. Many of the homes in this hilltop town were occupied by the Venetians for centuries, and their doorway had a crest chiselled into the stone, depicting their family. This island is known for its citrus liqueur at three different grades, translated to white, yellow, green. We bought a cruet of yellow & green for the boat, and must try it, if not drink it during the rest of the cruise.
Frankie and I went back to the boat around 5p.m., napped, and got going again around 8p.m. We went to an Italian Restaurant just to get a change from Greek and the food was greatly appreciated. I had Veal Scaloppini which was very tasty. Afterwards we walked down the front and found Haagen Daas ice cream and pigged out! We got back to the boat around 11:30p.m.
Wednesday, 05 June 2002. Cranked up engine and left Náxos around 8:30a.m. – I was still getting up! We had breakfast on deck, under way, as we headed for Delos. We got there around 10:30a.m. and anchored, taking the dinghy to the dock. We paid for a guide to take us around this site because there was so much to see and it was of such historical importance. Delos is mythically the birthplace of Apollo, and there are remains of huge temples and statues of Apollo in the main religious area. Since many other pilgrims came to Delos and stayed, many other temples were built over time. We’re talking about 700BC onwards. The city is only partially excavated and many artefacts are still coming to light. There were several teams of archaeologists working on the site. We feel that the whole area will take many generations to discover the many complexities of the Delos lifestyle. Delos is particularly known for its colonnade of lions – originally somewhere between 17-19. There are five preserved in the museum, and there are replicas on site. Apparently the Apollo culture did not allow for bleeding, so anyone who was injured, dying, or about to give birth were sent to an island across the bay to medical facilities and graveyards across the water. It is interesting that this island has not yet been excavated and researched. Unfortunately, over the centuries, these site have been scavenged for stone and artefacts for the building and decoration of more current homes, so the archaeologists have to do much research to understand the history, and the nature of the ruins on the site.
After the tour we visited the museum and saw many statues, clay pots, bronzes, and arts and artefacts, and then went back to the boat around 2p.m. We pulled up anchor and headed for Mýkonos, which was around an hour away. We got into the Mýkonos marina mid-afternoon. We decided to go into the town around 5:30p.m. so Frankie and I took a nap, while Steve rented a bike for an hour, and Mark went into town early. We got cabs into town and Mark had arranged for us to meet in the Little Venice area of the town. The cabs dropped us close to the five windmills which are the Mýkonos trademark and we walked down to Little Venice.
Enroute we passed a barbers where Frankie said I should get my haircut, right next door was an art shop with a large portrait of a naked man, so I said I could either get my haircut or my portrait painted! We had a pricey drink at Little Venice, then found a highly acclaimed restaurant “Chez Katrina” and made reservations for dinner. After we walked down to the harbourfront and wandered around the meandering narrow alleys that are Mýkonos. We priced some paintings, but they ranged from $4,500 to $17,000, so we left them behind. We got back to the restaurant and found that they had reserved a nice little room for us – tight, but nice – and we had the absolutely best meal that we have had in Greece so far. Greek food, with a French twist. We were then flattered when Mark told us that he and Carissa had picked up the tab. Anyway, I can highly recommend Chez Katrina. Got back to the boat at usual time – late!
Thursday, 06 June 2002. We left Mykonos around 10a.m. for Sýros – only 2 hours away. The water was as flat as a mill pond so we had to motor across. Sýros is an upmarket island, and its port, Ermoúpolis has marble street and old mansions that were owned by Greek ship owners. We had lunch on the dock close to the boat, and then went for a walk around town. It was during siesta, so most of the shops were closed, but it was clear that the town was a mixture of restored classical elegance, and decaying ruins. The town centre, Plateía Miaoúli, has an impressive Town Hall and Government buildings, was most impressive. The entire square was tiled with marble, with many monuments, bandstand and marble walls, etc.
We had a nice walkabout, but it was blisteringly hot, so we got back to the boat and relaxed for a while. We had identified a nice restaurant for dinner, written up in all the guide books, called “To Arhantoriki”. We got there around 8:30p.m. and had a nice Greek dinner, and we were the only ones in the restaurant. People started to come in for dinner around 10p.m. when we were about to leave!
Friday, 07 June 2002. We left Sýros quite early, heading for Kéa. We wanted to get in early because the port of Vourkári is very popular for weekend trippers in their boats, so we wanted to get a decent berth at the dock. Carissa made wonderful hamburgers and Fries on the crossing which was a pleasant alternative to Greek food. The water was still dead flat, so we had to motor-sail. Got into Vourkári around 3:30p.m. and with the help of Tavern owners, got into the dock in a nice spot. There was one big “stinkpot” in the dock alongside. The port only seems to have about 5 taverns, a small market and an art and collectible shop. Mark had told us that many boats come in from Athens on Friday night, and they all started to show up around 5 o’ clock. Huge “stinkies” were the name of the game, with each one being bigger than the previous. Some seemed to have up to ten crew members, and as they came in the forced their way between boats already berthed until the whole dock area was teeming with a multitude of people, all looking to eat at the taverns. Many of the larger boats had their own tables set for cocktails and dinner, with white shirted/coated staff catering to the owners’ every need. It was unbelievable, and a lot of “oneupmanship” was definitely evident. Boats that came too late for the dock anchored in the bay until there was no more room for them. We went to “Taberna di Nico” for dinner, again around 8:30p.m. so that we could easily get a table. After dinner we walked next door to get an ice cream. This is becoming a habit!! Got to bed around midnight after people watching from the cockpit.
Saturday, 08 June 2002. We took a taxi in the morning to Ioulís, the capital on top of a hill. It is typical, with narrow streets, though we encountered several cars and trucks. We walked up the streets to the town square and town hall. Going up further, we climbed to an old chapel and graveyard and beyond we visited the “Lion of Kéa” which was carved out of the rock during the 6th. century BC. We then walked back down and got a beer at a local café, then got the taxi back to the boat at noon. The driver was quite a cavalier, juggling a frappe, cell ‘phone, cigarette, and steering wheel around hairpin bends at a significant rate of knots. On the way back, he saw someone he recognised and decided to give her a ride, putting 4 people in the back seat of the cab. Kendell was not amused, and consequently withheld his tip! We left Kéa and headed to the mainland to the east of Athens. Mark and Carissa have proposed that we anchor in a bay, Chapel Bay in Fokaia. We dropped anchor around 4p.m. and celebrated our landfall with an early “happy hour”. A bumper boat “Scorpio” came into the bay later and dropped anchor close by. They worked hard to launch their little dinghy, which was only half inflated. Two men got in it, and it was obvious they had no knowledge or skill in rowing. They kept doing “donuts” with each one taking one oar. The dinghy was creased in the middle, and the guy in the front had the bow no more than two inches out of the water. After some time, they finally got the dinghy close to us – part by drift, part by luck and part by rowing in ever expanding circles. When they came close, they asked in French whether we had a light. We gave them a lighter, and they then struggled back to their boat. It was hilarious. When they got back, it was obvious that they needed the light for their cigarettes! Anyway it provided good entertainment. Mark and Carissa prepared a meal on board tonight, with kalamari to start and penne pasta with chicken to follow, with a wonderful cream pie for dessert. We sat up watching the night and listening to music until we gradually drifted off to bed. It was flat calm.
Sunday, 09 June 2002. Though flat calm, we had a fairly rolly night. Mark thinks it was swell from the cargo ships passing in the channel outside the bay. It settled down around 6a.m. and I had the pleasure of getting a sound sleep from then until 8a.m. Our “French” friends provided early morning entertainment. First, they couldn’t figure out what to do with their dinghy, so they finally strapped it on its side to the starboard side of their boat. We then saw them trying to figure out how to pull up their anchor. Eventually they grabbed the chain and pulled it up manually! It’s going to be a long week for them! We left our bay around ten, and as the wind gradually came up we had a nice short sail to Aigina (pronounced Aeena) and anchored in a little bay on an island on the southwest corner called Moni. We had lunch in the bay, and Mark and Carissa left the boat to go over to a boat in the bay that had been advertised on the internet for sale. We sat on FY watching a whole group of weekend sailors go through crazy antics with their vessels. Later we left for Aigina Town where we hoped that the weekenders would be leaving and opening up dock space. When we got there we noticed a small opening between two boats, dropped anchor and backed down between them. We squeezed in between, and got our lines ashore. As we were getting set up, the guy to starboard started giving us a hard time because “we had dropped our anchor over his” and he was about to leave. Mark kept his cool and said if necessary we would go out again to help free his anchor. When he left, his anchor was no more than 20 feet ahead of his boat. Another bumper boater! The guys to port, middle aged “British bankers”, were stretched out in their cockpit, with their transom hitting the dock. We finally got their attention and they started fending off and pulling up their anchor. It appeared that their anchor was directly under their boat. It wasn’t until Carissa started to talk to them in a most polite manner that they told us that their anchor was way out, so she told them to take up on it. They finally did just that and pulled themselves away from the dock. More bumper boaters! Mark, Steve and I left the boat to find a restaurant for dinner, had a drink there, and came back and suggested we go to a nice garden café. We went back later and had salad and pizza, including 2 bottles of wine, for six. All for less than €50! We then went onto the front street looking at all the yachts and had ice cream sundaes, etc. for a further €40. The front street is very active with decorated horse drawn carriages, scooters, cars, trucks, cement carriers, and pedestrians swarming all over the place. The boats are tied up across the street, and so it is a very busy town. We sat in the cockpit watching the people walking back and forth.
Monday, 10 June 2002. With all of the activity on the street, we had a surprisingly good night’s sleep. The weather blew up early in the morning but cleared during the morning. Still we got up around 8:30a.m., and after breakfast Steve and Rosemary took a tour of Aigina. Frankie and I stayed on the boat since my legs had started bothering me over night (and we were also getting Greeked out!). When they came back, we went on the dock for lunch, then pulled up anchor at 1:30p.m. for Piraeus (Athens). We got to our marina, Zea Marina, around 4:00p.m. We were shown to a spot between a big stinky, and a big sailboat. We seem to be in a poorer part of Piraeus, with a basket ball court right behind the boat. We had “happy hour” on board while Mark & Carissa went to check in with the marina office, and with our agent. They came back with all kinds of information, including taxis, shops and restaurants. They mentioned a Chinese restaurant, Zhang Xing, which sounded very attractive. We went there, which was an easy walk from the boat, and the food was great and a nice change from Greek food.
Tuesday, 11 June 2002. We got up early this morning because we had a varnisher arrive on board at 7a.m. I am starting to have problems with my legs again, so I stayed on the boat while Frankie, Steve and Rosie went into Athens to the Acropolis and Parthenon. I had quite a restful morning, compiling this text, and inserting pictures. I am sure that when Frankie gets back, she will have stories to tell. NOT!! She went to the Acropolis, took lots of video of the ground she was walking on, and came back! Apparently there were lots of steps and rough roads, so it was appropriate that I didn’t go. This evening we went to a restaurant recommended by Mike Brewer, our Athens agent. When we got there, we found we needed reservations, but the maitre d’ checked, he found that he could fit us in on a table that was reserved for 11p.m. It was great, right on the front, overlooking the marina. We were made to feel like kings and queens. The “chef” told us that they had been awarded the Michelin * award, and if we didn’t like it at the end of the evening we could complain, they would give us money to go to another restaurant. He then proceeded to organise our entire meal. With the bread we got olive oil with a clove of garlic floating and laurel leaves in it, and a separate dish of black olives with garlic. We had some nice Greek wine – Santorini – and then we were given smoked swordfish with seaweed salad. Then we got clams in a white wine, garlic & parsley sauce. Great for dipping bread! We then had the most interesting kalamari – very finely sliced, flash fried in hot sauce, then mixed with a pesto sauce, served on crispy, finely grated fried potatoes (could have been done on shredded arugula according to the Chef). We then had fillet of grouper in pureed egg plant mixed with stewed tomatoes. He then insisted on us sharing three different desserts. All in all, it was a most memorable send off.
When we got back to the boat, Steve & Rosie gave us an interesting brass compass in a box with a built in sundial and level. Not sure what it does, but it was nice to get their appreciation for the last month.
This record is now at an end. We will be packing in the morning. Overall impressions: Greece is a very diverse country, with many islands that each have very interesting, exciting different histories, ownerships, and cultures, including food specialities. Overall, my impression is that the Greeks only do as much as necessary to get by. We were surprised with the amount of trash and abuse of their land. View sites carved out of the side of the roads have been used as dumps by their careless citizens, and their cultural heritage which is so rich is generally poorly displayed. EU advanced development funds to establish a chain of marinas that in most cases are half finished, and have been so for several years, or where finished have been colonized by the local fishermen, so that all of the visiting yacht facilities are wasted because the fishermen don’t use the electricity and water facilities. In all cases, except Kos Marina, they are suffering from total lack of maintenance – the lighting has burned out and the services are sparse. From a positive perspective, the views are spectacular, the antiquity is profound, the people are friendly – especially Nick the Greek! The clear Mediterranean waters, the weather, much of the food, were exceptional. It is time to move on.
The above is a Greek mythology map, so the names are different in most cases to the text.
