According to legend we have been following many portions of Homer’s epic, The Odyssey, as we sail through this area of the world.   The Ionian Islands are frequently mentioned in The Odyssey.  Ithaca is generally accepted as the homeland of Odysseus, to which he was returning after the Trojan War.  Other areas sited in the epic are The Straits of Messina, Sicily, and The Aeolian Islands where we currently are. Unfortunately my memory of The Odyssey is limited and I am only now piecing together parts of the stories as we sail through these legendary waters.  Still, it has been quite exciting to follow as closely as we have some of the voyage and see some of the sites described in the epic.  The following are verses from The Odyssey which resonate specifically within me.

Always keep Ithaca in mind
Arriving there is your destiny.
not expecting Ithaca to make you wealthy.
But do not hurry the journey in any way.
Better that it lasts for years,
so you are old when you reach the island,
enriched by all you have gained along the way,

Unfortunately we are here in July-August, the busiest months of the year, with all of the Greeks, Italians and other Europeans who take the entire month of Aug off for holiday. In general we found the Ionian Islands less compelling than the Greek Islands in the Adriatic.  I wonder if part of this impression is drawn from the crowds and that sailing, or motoring as the case often seems to be here in the Med., through its waters likens a Sunday afternoon boat ride on Lake Geneva.  In a different month I might have parted with a different opinion.  We are experiencing the same congestion in the waters and islands around Sicily where we are right now but are finding them to be stunning and inspiring despite the crowds.

The Aeolian Island chain, just north of Sicily, is an archipelago of imposingly rugged black volcanic islands jetting skyward in irregular and severe patterns.  The black-sand beaches surrounded by shiny black obsidian rock makes them very unique.  Two of the islands still have active volcanoes; one island, Stromboli, gives nightly light shows resembling fireworks as the fiery lava spurts high into the black night sky.  Last night we anchored right beneath the firestorm and were blown away by the deep and powerful “whoosh” which sounded, almost even felt, just before she blew.  The other truly amazing thing about these islands is discovering just how long they have been inhabited.  The most ancient human settlements of the islands date back to 5000 BC, mind boggling don’t you think?  The obsidian volcanic glass was greatly sought after and exported all over the western Mediterranean, before the age of metals, in order to make light cutting instruments.  Evidence of the earliest settlers has been unearthed by archeologists within the natural fortress of Castle Rock on the island of Lipari, another Aeolian Island which has been continuously inhabited for 6000 years.

Departing Greece and Turkey means leaving the most delicious yogurt behind.  Our culinary experiences are both important and memorable aspects of our journey.  In Tunisia we ate roots, lots and lots of roots: beets, carrots, potatoes, fennel which was new to both of us, turnips and rutabaga.  In addition we had months and months of sweet mandarins, dates, lamb and couscous.  I developed a true love of olives while in Morocco, especially their ‘not too salty’ mauve olives.  Greece brought heavenly yogurt, Greek salads with vine ripened tomatoes, Kalamata olives and cucumbers, all topped with a slice of goat cheese sprinkled with oregano, stuffed grapevine leaves and cheese and spinach pies.  For Michael there was an abundance of octopus and squid/calamari.  Fish is not plentiful in the Mediterranean and is therefore expensive.  While in Turkey we ate mazes of eggplant, tomato, zucchini, onions and red peppers and potatoes.  Michael would choose roasted goat whenever possible.  We don’t really eat out much because of the cost and the fact that I find cooking both creative and relaxing as well as fact that what I make on board is usually better than what we can find in most restaurants.  However, my options of meals are completely dependent on what is coming out o the garden at the current time.  It is quite unlike being able to go to one of the beautiful Whole Foods stores and choosing whatever vegetable I feel like eating that evening.  Now that we are back in Italy the goat cheeses are replaced by hard pecorino type cheese and soft balls of mozzarella and pasta in every imaginable color type and flavor is available.  Alcohol also changes its flavors from country to county.  Turkey has Raki, Greece has Ouzo and Italy has Grappa, all giving the same quality of headache.

Our current schedule includes southern Sardinia next, followed by the Spanish Balearic Islands and then Portugal where Brisa came from.  We decided that since we have the time we want to return to her birth place so she can spend some time with her family and we can learn some of the training activities specific to Portuguese Water Dogs, like diving below water level to retrieve things.  She is an incredibly strong swimmer, extending her distances whenever given the chance but has not shown any natural instinct to plunge her head under water.   We are thinking about breeding her when we return to the States so we are going to be investigating that too.  We are awaiting her first period of ‘heat’ right now and will have to reserve that decision until after we discover just how challenging it will be to have a dog in heat on a boat. She is displaying some very challenging changes of behavior which are not at all endearing and I am beginning to wondering if dogs experience PMS.  Any knowledge on this subject???

We arrived 8/17/2008 in southern Sardinia yesterday after a hellacious passage.  It was supposed to be a quick and easy 250 nautical miles, or a day and a half.  Instead we had one of those ugly passages requiring an additional 100 nautical miles of tacking back and forth, where everything got tossed to the floor, we got beat up, ate little and slept less, well, especially Michael because the conditions were so icky that I had to call him to take over one of my shifts.  Both Brisa and I got sick and no one had fun.  But, alas, we are here and the boat is back in order.

Aphrodite is currently in the body of water which separates Mainland Greece and the Northern Peloponnesus and, via the Corinth Canal, now connects the Aegean Sea with the Ionian Sea.  In nautical terms it is the Gulf of Patras, the western portion to the Corinth Canal, and the Gulf of Corinth being the eastern portion.   We approached and transited the Corinth Canal last Sunday, 7/10/08 and have been in a living museum ever since.  The history of these gulfs, the isthmus separating the land masses and the surrounding cities is fascinating.

In antiquity, vessels were transported across the isthmus on rollers via a road called the Diolkos.  Octavian, before becoming Caesar, rolled his vessels over the isthmus this way while he was in pursuit of Mark Anthony and Cleopatra, around 66 B.C.  The city of Corinth controlled this passage and grew fat on the income from the diolkos.  In 522 and 551 A.D. earthquakes destroyed the city and it never regained its former prosperity.  The control of the passage continued to be highly valuable and consequently passed through the hands of many successive invaders.  It finally and permanently became a part of Greece at the beginning of Greece’s War of Independence, after WWI.

Prior to reaching the Corinth Canal we anchored in the tiny port of Epidauros in order to attend a Greek comedy at the Theater at Epidauros located in The Sanctuary of Asklepios.  According to mythology, Epidauros is the birth place of Asclepius, the god of healing and the son of Apollo.  The site became one of the most important centers for healing in the ancient world and by the 4th century BC the sick were traveling from far and wide to seek medical and mystical cures at the sanctuary.  The center offered both scientific healing, in the form of exercise, baths, healing springs, touch and diet as well as mystical healing.  To find just the right cure for their ailments, patients spent a night in the enkomitiria, a big sleeping hall.  In their dreams, Asklepios would appear and advise them as to what they needed to do to regain their health.   The prosperity of the sanctuary allowed the building of the largest surviving open air theater in Greece today.  It was designed and built around 330 BC and can hold 14,000 people.  It is one of the best preserved structures from Classical Greece, having lain hidden and protected beneath layers of earth for centuries.

The theater is most valued for its exceptional acoustics.  The comedy we attended offered us perfect intelligibility, without the aid of amplification.  Apparently the rows of limestone seats filter out low-frequency sounds, such as crowd murmuring, while amplifying high-frequency sounds from the stage.  Whatever, it was truly amazing and memorable.  If only we understood Greek!  We had to go to the internet and find an English translation the next day in order to understand what we had witness the night before.  And even with that it was a bit hard to reconstruct and make sense of.  But, alas, we met some fun people from Athens and had a great night out.

Our first anchorage after transiting the canal was in the quiet harbor town of Galaxidi.  Strong winds prevented us from leaving for several days but the town is so lovely it was a pleasure to be there and be afforded safe harbor.  The city, built 2 centuries before the Trojan War, was originally built 130 meter above sea level near the beautiful church I have pictured.  In the 18TH and early 19th centuries it was a prosperous port, mostly due to the shipbuilding which took place there.   The invention of steamships brought an end to its prosperity, but the gentle harbor town has managed to retain itself and is now classified as a historical monument.   Several original sea captains’ homes with classic masonry are intact while others are undergoing renovation and restoration.

For the past 2 days we have been anchored right outside of the minuscule medieval harbor of Nafpaktos.  I say we anchored outside specifically because Michael tried with all of our combined effort as well as that of 7 or 8 kids and a few adults who happened to be on the quay at the time to tie up inside the tiny harbor, but the seas where rough and winds strong creating too much surge into the harbor. Commonsense and preservation of property finally prevailed and we left the little harbor with Brisa swimming behind us and all of the kids disappointed that they were not going to be coming onboard after all.  After a few hours everything settled down leaving us with a perfectly comfortable anchorage.

This amazing gem is one of best examples of medieval architecture we have seen yet, and it is just sitting there, unobstructed by tourism or decay.  Truly amazing.  It is built on the side of a hill with miles of heavy duty walls surrounding and protecting it.  The old town is situated within the walls and has succeeded in keeping its original style and old face.  We spent the morning meandering through the labrynth of narrow streets and climbing up the steep slopes to the Venetian Castle at the top.  The castle has been converted into a park, but unfortunately and for unknown reasons, it is currently closed so when I reached the top all I could glean were the outstanding views.

The city is best remember for the battle of Lepanto, the first navel victory by the allied European powers over the undefeated Turks in 1571.  During ancient times the city was used to house the ousted the Messenians who were expelled from their home city by Sparta.  From 1407 to 1499 and again from 1687 to 1700 Nafpaktos was a Venetian naval base which along with two other cities controlled the entrance to the Gulf of Corinth.  And, so here we are, back at the beginning with who controls the Corinth Canal region.  And my time is up because we have just arrived at our destination, the Ionian Island of Ithaca, where Homer’s Odessey becomes the main event.

This morning, enroute, we sheered Brisa.  We had to stop the boat so all 3 of us could swim just to get the hair off us.  She looks a bit sheepish, but oh so cool!

“How can we be off course if we don’t have a destination?”

That’s our motto today. We are going where the wind takes us, heading west toward the northern Peloponnesus which is a large target, and easy enough to hit with just about any wind angle. The last few weeks have provided us with some glorious sailing days and stunning islands to visit.

I can’t remember where I left off, but think we were still intending to continue north along the Turkish coast to see Ephesus; we were weaving in and out of the Greek and Turkish waters where as little as a few miles separate them and the early morning muezzin call or the ringing of the church bells to differentiate them . But, the heat became intolerable so we left Turkey without seeing Ephesus, seeking cooler temperatures in the Greek Islands. Alas, the temperatures dropped about 30 degrees and water became crystal clear, liquid sapphire, free of trash and the simplicity of island life reigned. Ahhh,.

The island of Patmos, just northwest of Kos, was our greatest surprise. We ended up there quite by accident, without knowledge or expectations and found it to be such a wonderful place that we stayed for almost a week. We anchored in the natural harbor of Skala, the island’s main town, with the medieval Chora (old town) and enormous monastery towering overhead. The Monastery of St John the Theologian, also known as the Monastery of the Apocalypse, enshrines the hillside cave where, according to The Bible, St John received the Revelation in AD 95. To refresh our memory we bought a copy of the Book of Revelations while visiting the monastery. It reads as poetry, prophesying The Apocalypse.

In AD 95 there were 7 established Christian communities in Asia Minor who were suffering persecution from the sharp conflict between the Christian Church and the Roman State. They began questioning whether there was any point in resisting, whether the power of Christ could really achieve anything against the power of the State. The book of Revelations is St. John’s vision of God’s response. As he lay in the cave he heard “a big voice like from a trumpet” coming from the threefold split in the rock and an earthquake shook the island at the same time. In it God describes what the Christian community should expect and what it can rely upon; Armageddon will be followed by the establishment of the new Kingdom of God. Well, that is a lot……of well, I don’t know, but we were there and we did see what we saw!

The island of Patmos is so picturesque and charming, unspoiled by tourism. The stout, crisp white-washed houses, blue doors and window frames are draped in vibrant bougainvillea. Tiny Byzantine churches dot the hilly countryside, some built right out of the rock wall behind it and rocks are stacked 5 feet high and lined up for miles to designate property lines and fence the goats and sheep in. We rented motor scooters and saw most of the island in one day. It was the most fun we have had in a long time. The scooters were new and in good condition, unlike the ones we rented while in Mykonos, and the traffic was minimal so we had a blast scooting round visiting the monastery, the cave and all of the outlying villages. The countryside is beautiful, enough greenery to help break up the massive amount of rock found on all the Greek Islands. From here we sailed to Mykonos, our first stop in The Northern Cyclades.

The Cyclades are the islands most often pictured in people’s minds when they think of the Greek Islands. They are stunning from afar as well as a near; crisp-white cubical houses, brightly colored blue windows and doors awash in every imaginable color of flower: climbing, spilling, exploding and tumbling all over. The uniformity of architecture and colors give the look of ‘simple elegance’ and it’s no wonder why so many people travel to see The Cyclades; Mykonos being the crown jewel! If it weren’t for all of the tourist related congestion I could imagine living there myself. Mykonos is similar to Fira, the main town on Santorini in that most of the town has been given over to tourism, stripping it of its authenticity, in my opinion. No matter how unique or charming it was, now it looks like all of the other fabulous tourist towns visited by thousands of cruise liners shuttling millions of people. Once again we rented scooters, poor Brisa had to stay in her kennel, but this experience was much less enjoyable which is reflected in the lack of pictures I was able to capture. In the end, I have to say that I would not have missed seeing Jackie O’s favorite stomping grounds. It is everything everyone says that it is.

Right off the coast of Mykonos is the tiny barren island of Delos. During ancient times it was Greece’s most sacred place because Apollo and his twin sister Artemis were born there.

Zeus fell in love with gentle Leto, the Titaness, who became pregnant. When Hera, Zeus’ wife, discovered the infidelity she forbad Mother Earth to give Leto refuge and ordered the Python to pursue her. Finally Poseidon, taking pity on her, anchored the floating island of Delos with four diamond columns to give her place to rest. She gave birth first to the virgin huntress Artemis on the adjacent island of Rhenea and then, clasping a sacred palm on a slope of Delos Mt. Kynthos (the highest peak) gave birth to Apollo.

As we approached the island I was struck with confusion and awe, ‘how can this small rock protrusion without a tree or natural resource have become the center of the Greek world?’ The answer lays in its location, which is in the heart of the Aegean, the center of The Cyclades, which form a dance circle around it. Delos is the last and most secure anchorage between Europe and Asia and right in the center of the trade routes. It is shielded by Mykonos to the east, Tinos to the north and Rheneia to the west.

First the island flourished as a sacred place where Hellenes from all over the Greek world gathered to worship Apollo, the god of light, harmony and balance, and his sister Artemis, the moon-goddess. Commerce soon followed, creating a powerful and prosperous trade center. By the 1st century BC there were reportedly 30,000 people living on this island that is no more than a dot on the map. Unfortunately little remains in this archaeological jewel; imagination, knowledge and a steep climb up well worn ancient rock steps to the highest point of the island are necessary to grasp the enormity of Delos’ ancient history.

BRISA UPDATE: Until yesterday I was singing her praise. Today she is in the dog house! She loves anything which can flutter in the wind or be put into her mouth to chew on. About a week ago she discovered that tape, electrician or duct, can unwrap when she loosens one end and pulls with her teeth. We spend a lot of time supervising her because sailboats are full of strings, ropes, and stick like things and fluttering stuff. Today she woke up full of “piss and vinegar” and chewed through several layers of tightly wound duct tape and got to the bundle of electrical wires going up the inside of the mast which connect to all of the lights and wind instruments. We have been guarding that area carefully because of its vulnerability and value. We were beside ourselves when we discovered the damage. It took Michael all morning to solder ,repair and retape the delicate hair thin wires. Now the area is wrapped in rope until we come up with a more foolproof protection. We are considering wrapping it in barbed wired with the pokies sticking outward. If you know of any noxious material I can apply to discourage her, short of killing her of course, will you let me know?

On a better note, she has become quite a swimmer. She can definitely swim faster and further than I can. I am sure she could join the “across the Lake and back” club. We have started teaching her rescue swimming. She can tow me quite a way with me just holding on to her tail. But she is not interested in diving yet. I am sure it is because we haven’t spent any time doing it. She loves the “find it” game but relies on her memory not her nose to find the hidden toy. She is still very interested in birds and will come to alert, ears perked attention if she sees a patch of birds floating on the water surface while we are sailing along. She leaps off the boat when she wants to; sometimes neither one of us even knows she is in the water. We have to find a way for her to get herself back onboard. Peter and Tina use a rubber door mat hanging off the stern which may work for her too as soon as we find one.

To enjoy our pictures double click on the photo below. The Greek Islands have a powerful allure. It is not the terrain since they are predominantly rock. It is the water, so blue, so clean and refreshing. We are back in the mainland now, the Northern Peloponnese, where it is hot; even the water temperature is hot. We have returned to our favorite ensembles, which are “as little as possible”, and are lamenting the island waters. From here we will transit the Corinth Canal, just 2-3 miles stretch across the isthmus separating mainland Greece and The Peloponnese, and head to the Greek Islands on the western side of Greece: Ithaca, Levkas and Corfu.

Tonight we have a special treat. We have seats at the Theater at Epidaurus to see one of the ancient Greek plays, THE FROGS, a comedy by Aristophanes. This is the best-preserved Greek theater in the world because it was covered up sometime in antiquity and had to be dug out. It was built in the 4th century BC with 14,000 seats and is in its original condition. Apparently the acoustics of this theater are so perfect that even from the last of the 55 tiers every word can be heard. Michael attended one of the plays many years ago and attests to the quality of the acoustics. Should be a fun night out.

PS: We bought a heavier anchor (Bugle 101 lbs.) while in Turkey. No more midnight anchor dragging drama for us!

We have been leaving this island for 5 days now, and yet here we sit, still anchored in this tiny harbor on the tiny Greek island of Kastellorizo, just a hop skip and a swim off the Turkish coast.  We stopped here only by accident really, it was late in the day and we did not want to go through the hassles of checking into a non-EU country.  In that context we found a jewel of a place.  There is not that much here to see and yet every day we discover something new and enticing.  Yesterday we found the Blue Cave, reportedly the largest and most beautiful in the Mediterranean, surpassing the Blue Grotto on the Italian island of Capri.

The country of Greece is putting a lot of money into reclaiming this beautiful island.  During the Italian occupation of WW II many residents emigrated to mainland Greece and Australia.  The history is somewhat contradictory as to the cause of the island’s decline, it was either bombed out in an air raid or a fire spread to an ammunition dump causing a huge explosion and burning over half of the island.  At any rate, Greek pride is strongly displayed here, and with the combined interests and finances of the Australian emigrants, many people are returning to their ancestral homes, ones they never even lived in, and reconstructing them in authentic fashion. 

I think what is so alluring for me is the sense of discovery.  The history is ancient and everywhere you look there are glimpses of what has gone before, but since it has not yet been laid out, spiffed up and overstated, as perhaps in that glorious harbor of Pethi on the island of Symi, the sense of discovery persists.

For the last year we have been planning a rendezvous with our former Moraga neighbors, Donna and Angelo, to meet in Santorini and sail to Rhodes. Despite the fact that meeting guests at a specific time and location with plans to deliver them to another place and time is a challenge most cruisers avoid, the weather gods were with us and we succeeded; they got a little taste of our life while seeing 7 different, off-the-beaten-track, Greek Islands. The weather was perfect and the winds favorable for sampling every kind of sailing, starting with a cold blustery rough water docking necessitating them to leap onto the boat, duffel bags slung over shoulders, finishing six days later with a gentle spinnaker run.

We started in Santorini, the picture-perfect cauldron-rimed island that everyone thinks of when the “Greek Islands” come to mind. We arrived a day early to secure an anchorage. Being a steep volcanic island, there is little to no beach on which to drop the anchor. We were delighted and relieved to find a half dozen mooring balls available and free (yeah for off season traveling!) on the north end of the island, giving us a little peace of mind while leaving Aphrodite unattended during the days. Donna and Angelo spent two nights perched high on the hillside in a tiny pristine blue and white hotel with a spectacular cauldron view. Each morning Michael, Brisa and I hiked that steep switchback to meet them, spent the day exploring the island and then returned to Aphrodite via the steep path.

I had been to Santorini 25 years ago when the main town of Fira was still a living, working village filled with local residents and donkeys, and ‘letting a room’ meant taking a room in the house where the proprietor and family lived. Now, sadly, the village has been given over to tourism; all of the residences have been converted to gift shops, cafes, restaurants and bars, giving the island an entirely different feel. Luckily, the stunning views are still there and other villages offer glimpses of authentic Greek living, with donkeys still hauling people and packs up the steep cliff switchbacks.

We departed Santorini on the 14th, as I mentioned, in rough sea conditions which probably  overwhelmed Donna and Angelo, leaving them wondering what the heck they were getting themselves into, sailed to the tiny island of Anafi where we dropped anchor and enjoyed our first night on the boat. Next, a charming butterfly shaped island, Astypalaia, and then Niseros, where we were able to tie up to the ferry dock, get off the boat and take a cab to see the smoldering volcanic crater and an old hilltop village. The next morning we had to leave the dock before the arrival of the 6:30 AM ferry, providing an early arrival at our next and perhaps favorite island, Tilos. The simple charm and warmth of the people made this island most memorable.

Michael sailed to Tilos 18 years ago and was excited to show us a Gothic monastery with its vaulted chambers, original fish-mosaic floor, and rampant bougainvillea perched high on a cliff overlooking the sea. We squeezed four of us and Brisa into a cab again and took a delightful tour of the island and the small monastery. Our cab driver was fluent in English which made the trip most interesting. We learned that a wedding was scheduled the next morning and she invited us to attend. Apparently everyone on the island is invited to weddings. Donna and I would have loved to see that, our own Big Fat Greek Wedding, but we had a schedule to keep and the island of Simi was our next port of call.

Simi attracts many tourists, for reasons which became immediately clear once we saw the freshly painted and renovated harbor. Thankfully we did not anchor in Pethi, the main harbor, but dinghied to it from a peaceful anchorage on the other side of the cliff. Pethi is a visual delight with muted blue, amber, cream and rose-colored houses built one on top of each other up the steep slopes, all surrounded or draped with flowering plants. But the crowds were enough to drive us back to our secluded anchorage, grateful to be there.

Rhodes was next. The island of Rhodes is the 4th largest Greek island and along with Crete and Sicily is one of the great islands of the Mediterranean. The history of Rhodes can be condensed into two periods: the story-book times of ancient Greece and the violent period of the Crusades and the Knights of St. John. As we approached our anchorage in Lindos, the first capital of Rhodes, the castle and the town were conspicuous. The acropolis within the medieval castle affords an all-around view of the town and ancient harbor. The old houses in the town, with black and white pebble mosaic courtyards and staircases, are a legacy from the prosperous middle ages. We rented a car and circumnavigated the island finding many castles strategically placed around the island, built to maximize the natural fortification provided by the steep impenetrable cliffs. When I think of castles, I think of a residence, an impressively large and perhaps opulent residence, but here a castle is a fortification, a place where all the residents can flee to for protection in times of attack or peril. All of the castles were built in the early 12th century by the Knights of St. John, an order of Hospitalers who organized to protect and care for Christian pilgrims. The Knights of St. John inherited immense wealth from the Knights of Templar, when that religious military order was outlawed by the pope, and used the money lavishly to fortify Rhodes. Rhodes City became the new capital. The medieval walled city of Rhodes City, with its ramparts, 11 surviving gates and narrow cobbled streets is so well preserved we half expected to round a corner and bump into a Crusader.

All in all, the week was spent doing simple things, finding entertainment and amusement in odd places at odd times, like listening to the tinkle of goat bells while gazing at the rocky hillsides trying to locate them, or hearing the humerous heehaw of the donkeys. One afternoon we spent several hours just watching boaters trying to complete the sometimes complicated Med-moor rafting style of securing a boat to a dock. Mind you, we offered some pretty good entertainment for others as we went through our own hupla. One inexperienced skipper backed his boat right across two other anchor chains which then fouled his boat, chain caught between the rudder and the keel. That required help from Michael and our dinghy to sort out. But the all time favorite occurred during the second day as we crossed those rough seas with cold wind in our faces; a school of dolphins were spotted. They must have spotted us at the same moment because within seconds they came careering alongside us and then to the bows to ride our wake. No matter how often we see them they are still amazing, leaping out of the water, plunging and spiraling, vanishing just to reappear ready for another leap, pure delight, freedom and ecstasy, swimming just for the fun of it. For the next hour no one noticed the rough sea conditions!

Angelo called this A Trip of a Lifeime for him.  I think it was for all of us.

We are currently in Kastellorizon, a quaint Greek island within eyesight of Turkey.  The town and quiet harbor is so charming we plan to spend several days before crossing the bay to Kas, Turkey.

We made landfall in the Peloponnese at sunrise Tuesday May 6th. It was the realization of a long-time dream for Michael, that he would sail his own boat to Greece. To picture the Peloponnese, imagine a large island resembling an extracted tooth with its roots pointing south.

The 387 NM sail from Syracuse Italy to the south-western shore of the Peloponnese took us just a little over 48 hours. That, when added to the 225 miles since Tunisia, makes the total sea miles which Brisa has completed. The first two legs were harder on her than the last one, mainly because we are getting smarter and more accurate with motion sickness medication dosage and eliminating food. Up until today’s crossing, she has tossed her cookies every time, including short dinghy rides and rental car outings. Who would have expected a water dog, originally bred for days at sea helping the fisherman coral wayward fish back into the nets, would suffer seasickness.

Another funny Brisa story…..Birds often hitch a ride with us while on ocean passages. I guess they enjoy the rest. Sometimes the birds even join us on the inside of the boat, which I hate because they scare me, or at least the idea of throwing a towel over them to get them out scares me. We had several birds join us as we sailed from Italy to Greece, and true to form, one join us inside. Interesting enough, birds really seem to pique Brisa’s interest and she started getting very excited about our little travelers. After Michael got the inside bird out, we let Brisa out to scare the birds off, but instead of scaring them off she pounced, caught 3, killing them and started to manga them! Now you tell me, is she a water dog or a bird dog????

Alas, we absolutely love her in spite of her idiosyncrasies. She is becoming a terrific boat dog. The boat is her domain, knowing every surface inch of it and always under foot in an effort to help. She is comfortable on her leash in crowds and sits quietly under tables in restaurants. She provides fun, entertainment, and lots of love and comfort for us.

Our plans, as usual, were loose as we approached the southern Peloponnese, with no specific destination in mind. We approached the town of Kalamata, of Kalamata olive fame, but thought it looked too large and rambling, lacking charm and interest, so we carried on to Kardamyli, a castellated hamlet on the edge of the sea. I fell in love with it immediately. The houses resemble small castles built of golden stone with gardens and wild flowers exploding out of every possible surface, and simple wood trellises draped in vines of grape leaves.

We met Maria, the proprietor of a small seaside hotel and restaurant where we secured the dinghy and were welcomed with open arms to her restaurant and her country. I wonder if this kind of welcome is typical of the Greeks. So far I love this little village. The narrow stone paved streets wind in, around and up hills giving visual surprises at every turn. We stumbled upon the ruins of the old city, a medieval fortress and church on the hillside, just this way. Having never been to the Peloponnese I had no idea they were so rugged and beautiful. We rented a car to see Mistra, a medieval Byzantine hillside fortress. On the map the distance looked quite reasonable, only100 km, but in reality it took much longer than expected and we arrived 2 hours after closing time. Imagine our disappointment as we came upon the locked entrance gate. Undeterred, I looked for someone, anyone who could help us get inside. Around the back of a work space I found Kosta, a groundskeeper who was willing to hear my pleas. He didn’t speak much English so our actual communication was limited but after going back and forth with him telling me “closed, come back tomorrow”, and me saying” but I can’t, isn’t there anyway we can just pop inside for a few minutes” he started climbing his fingers up a nearby tree indicating that we could climb the ancient stone wall and gain entry. He joined us, and with his limited English showed us some of the immense walled city. He made our day, and I guess we made his because he gave me two Greek kisses as we left.