Landlubber here.  I wanted to share this additional experience with our readers.  As our trip began, I quickly became interested in the large number of flags we were seeing on display on many, if not most, of the other boats we saw.  Our own boat, the Constantina, displayed the Greek flag, because that's where we rented it; but on each ship it is possible to raise a flag to represent the nation of the people on board, or any other flag they'd like to fly. 

I began to keep track of flags that we saw and would look them up when I had time and an internet connection. In the whole time we were sailing, we saw only one other American flag displayed and that was on a very large and expensive yacht in Spetses. I could speculate about why that might be, but I don't really know.  

Next time, we will have a flag of our own to proudly display.  Here is a list of the nations represented by flags that we saw displayed on other boats:  Austria, Finland, Croatia, Germany, Hungary, Australia (probably more of these than any other), the British Union Jack, St. Vincent and Grenadines, France, Sweden, Norway, South Africa, Romania, Wales, Poland, Switzerland, Italy, Holland.

I guess this is the sailing equivalent of tracking license plates by state 
 
 
Dear Friends,
As you can see from the title of this post, as well as from the date, we are back in NY.  We left Poros on Friday morning a little later than we wanted, because there were 3 other boats tied up along side of each other, with our boat being closest to the quay.  While we had the advantage of getting on and off of our boat directly from the quay, we had the disadvantage of having crews from the three other boats traipsing across ours all night.  The morning was still, without much wind, so we power-sailed our way back to Athens.  At one point we spotted dolphins, so Captain Mark steered our boat closer so we could follow them for a while.  Very cool!  We got back to the marina in mid-afternoon in 98 degree heat.  We truly missed being out on the water!  We started to pack up, got the boat checked out, and then washed up to explore Athens.  We had a lovely evening seeing some sites (the Acropolis) and walking around the Plaka area of Athens.  While it was still hot when we returned to the boat, we managed to get some sleep as it started to cool down.  On Saturday morning we were up and about early.  We met up with our friends from Holland for one last good-bye then caught a taxi to the airport.  The 11 hour flight was uneventful and a lot better than the flight going from NY to Athens (where the staff were horrific and the entertainment system didn't work).  Leaving the plane at JFK, we were faced with a really, really long line to get through Border Patrol, then we needed to wait to get our bags before finally going through customs.  It turns out that out of our 4 bags, 2 made it back and 2 were lost.  There were about 25 passengers with missing bags, so they think they were brought to the wrong part of the airport.  After waiting in another line to fill out a form for baggage claim, we finally made it out of the airport 2 1/2 hours after we landed -- way too long!!  
Now that we have unlimited Internet access and a real computer/laptop (not a netbook or ipad), we have the opportunity to fix some things in the blog.  For example, the pictures are now showing correctly and the map of the area now shows our route (not actual because obviously we didn't sail in a straight line and sail through land, but you get the idea),  Also, more pictures will probably be added.  (We may have a link to a photo gallery.)
Thank you for following us on this blog and sharing in our experiences.  We had a fabulous time and are glad you were able to share it with us.
 
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It is 750am and Sue and I just got back from an early walk up to the church overlooking Poros town. Last night was our second night here. We decided to enjoy exploring yesterday and therefore to keep the boat put, tied up "alongside" (as opposed to "stern-to" which we have been doing most of the trip) the quay in front of Caravella Restaurant, where our friend Anastasio welcomed us two days ago with the plate of watermelon.

For Sue and I, our exploration yesterday included renting a two-person scooter and driving around Poros island. This is a beautiful island, and it was nice to get away from the areas where all the tourists are hanging out. We first drove up the mountain roads in the center of the island, to the ruins of Poseidon's temple. The ruins were pretty completely ruined, and various excavations have tried to determine the ancient uses and various phases of construction for the area. One interesting piece we noticed was that some of the olive trees growing around the ruins are present in photos from the mid 1800s and are still there today. Apparently olive trees grow slowly and live long! Sue and I had lunch at Paradisos taverna up in the mountains, overlooking the Mediterranean. Then drove down to a small beach cove on the far side of the island and went swimming, afterward, completing our drive around the island.

Photo above: view of Caravella Taverna through our porthole.

 
Tuesday evening in Spetses after a fabulous seaside dinner of "Fish Spetses" we all took a walk through the town by the light of the full moon. Up to the plaza of the St. Nicholas church, a plaza that is made of a series of Greek sea-themed mosaics made from rounded stones (we saw these everywhere; they are traditional to the island), around and about through little alleys (the streets of the residential areas) over-hung by bouganvilla and other tropical plants, back down to the waterfront near the fancy part of town (Dapia)--no flashlight needed though it was 11 pm. We investigated a small church that was wide open and all lit up at that hour. An old man was taking his little granddaughter around to the icons showing her where each was displayed and what to do. Old ladies were sitting outside under the trees as if it were totally normal for the whole family--all ages--to be out at that hour. We walked along the waterfront back to the poor side of town ("Old Harbor") avoiding being run down by the horse-drawn carriages that are one of the major ways to get around town.  They ring a bell telling you before they run over you.  So comforting.We were happy to note that the horses in Spetses seem much better cared for than the donkeys of Aegina.

We considered doing a night sail that night.  It was appealing to think of sailing these wine-dark seas under that full moon. We arrived at our boat to find another boat had tied up in front of ours, so that made it virtually impossible for us to leave. Our decision was made for us.  As we get closer to Athens, there are more and more boats tied up in the harbors.

We ended up leaving Spetses about 10 am on Wed. morning and--happily--managed not to hang up our anchor on any other lines that were still down.  Another safe escape without incident! We are becoming really great sailors under Captain Mark's tutelage. The landlubber among us now knows how to tie two knots--a double half hitch (to tie the "fenders" alongside the boat) and how to cleat a line to tie up to a pier or another boat. And, later in the day, that landlubber, Becky, was allowed to helm the boat for about 15 minutes. We all escaped that without incident as well. The sail from Spetses to Poros was beautiful (we were looking at the south end of the Peloponnese most of the way, as well as a number of islands) but quite challenging. We reached up to 8.1 knots (that's fast, btw) but the winds were very gusty and changed directions constantly. This means a lot of fiddling with the sails. Constant adjustments were necessary. Laboriously, lines were coiled up only to be uncoiled and let out in a hurry ten minutes later.

Despite having Becky at the helm for awhile, we arrived in scenic Poros Town at a reasonable time in late afternoon. We tied up alongside the quay which is across the street from numerous tavernas and shops.  AND to our delight we were met by Anastasios from one of the tavernas, Caravella. He helped us tie up and made sure our fenders were down far enough so the boat wouldn't rock directly against the quay and then a few minutes later he showed up with a plateful of the best watermelon EVER to officially welcome us to his island!  Sure, it's self-interest and marketing, but this is just one of many, many examples of the generosity and friendliness were have found among the people of Greece. (We asked the man in a small grocery about a bottle of liquor up by the register and he told us to take it.  We couldn't believe our ears, but he meant, "Help yourself," so we did). And it worked, because we ate at Caravella last night and really enjoyed our meal, which included roses on the table, the most fabulous grilled octopus of the whole trip, more watermelon for a (free) dessert and an after-dinner digestive drink (also free), "Mastica."  

Later in the meal, we had a very interesting conversation with another employee, Cristos, who expressed the antipathy toward Germany that we have been hearing from Greeks everywhere. He says, "Germany during the war occupied Greece and took all of the gold from our banks.  They they re-built with the help of America.  Now Germany is taking our gold again and hoarding it." Of course, we heard a very different argument from our friends, the Dutch, who felt that the Greeks were not sufficiently grateful for all that's being done for them.  The Greeks,one said, when they have any money at all, are experts at evading taxes by doing things such as registering their boats in the Dominican Republic to avoid the luxury tax here.  They don't even want to help their own country." Cristos expressed the idea that the Arab Spring that spread through North Africa and through other countries in the region could well spread to Greece if tempers and pride become further inflamed. The discussion with him left us all very thoughtful. I don't think that we had realized before that the Greek memory of German oppression is still so fresh and colors their response to the EU-enforced austerity measures currently underway here.

We only had to walk about 50 feet to the boat, so there was no drinking and driving.  The only thing that could've gone wrong is someone might have fallen off the plank, but this was a wonderful day from beginning to end and we all made it safely to bed.  Did I mention it was 96 degrees here on Wednesday? But it's a dry heat....


 
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Good morning from Spetses! We arrive on this island of Spetses yesterday afternoon, having left Astrous around 10am. Astrous had turned out to be a sort of reunion for us with our Dutch friends from the previous couple of nights!  Sue and I were just about to walk into town to dispose of garbage and go for a swim (two separate tasks entirely) when we heard a cheering from a boat out on the water, and turned around to see them sailing in. They had seen us there and were waving at us. We helped them tie up and had our neighbors from Kiparissi back for a third night.

Sue and I also made friends with a German couple on the catamaran next to us. Carl and Brigette Koch have sailed the last several summers in the Mediterranean, after Carl retired as an engineer from Siemans. The had a beautiful dog sailing with them, a lab/Doberman mix, who guarded the boat (the dog's name was Elka if I remember right). We asked for and were given a tour of their catamaran, a 42 foot Lagoon (owners model as opposed to charter model, which is waaaay nicer than the charter model). Solar panels on their roof provide all the power they need; they had their boat beautifully set up and so comfortable. The extra space of a cat makes a big difference for being comfortable cruising. We shared views and stories that evening and had a nice time with them. 

We said goodbye to all our friends and sailed to Spetses, leaving about 10am under strong wind which got progressively lighter through the day. We motored about the last hour into Spetses, arriving about 2:30pm. Spetses is a beautiful town and a pretty harbor, but is very popular among sailors and power boaters alike and is close to major centers, so is crowded. Much more money here than the Peloponnese coast we just left behind, evidenced by the large mansions on the hillside with swimming pools and well-tended gardens (clearly caretakers are full time). The guidebooks say at there are no cars allowed on Spetses, however we have discovered that is baloney, as every one of these mansions has a car in the driveway. Not much car traffic though on the streets, just plenty of moped/scooter traffic, and horse-drawn carriages which careen along the streets ringing their bells as a warning to pedestrians.

Last night we tried "Fish Spetses", a local style fish with a tomato sauce spread on the top. We have come to enjoy the appetizers as much as the meals. Eating out here is relatively affordable. A full meal for two, with appetizers, entrees, house wine, and usually a watermelon dessert is about $25-50 depending on how tourists the location is. Favorite appetizers include Tsatziki (a yoghurt, cucumber, onion mix spread on bread), stuffed vine leaves (which we just tried last night for the first time but were absolutely outstanding), Greek salad (cucumbers, onions, green peppers, olives, tomatoes, and a big slab of feta cheese generously covered with fresh oregano, with olive oil and a touch of red wine vinegar - note: no lettuce in Greek salad), and fresh Kalamari ("squids"). We have tried octopus twice and both times liked it as an appetizer, but seems to be harder to find fresh.  The house wines have proven to be pretty good. They are actually made "by the house", usually. Owners of tavernas have described mashing the grapes with their feet and making the wine with their families. Wines are tapped off large casks in the restaurant. They are nothing that you would bottle and sell, but for an evening table wine with dinner are nice. Most are light and fruity.

Now we are preparing to leave Spetses for Poros. We have about 28 miles of sailing, except that we are going into the wind so that can double our distance. I suspect that for certain parts of the trip we may end up motoring since if we sail the whole way we will drive after dark (not preferred in strange unlit harbors). Sue is out for her morning walk, and Bernice is up cooking up a lunch "for the road". Becky still catching some zzzzzzzz's in her bunk (audibly). "The sun is bright this morning", says Bernice. I can feel the wind picking up and I am ready to be on the water. The wind forecast says it will stay strong all day. On our sail we will pass Hydra by (correctly pronounced "Ee-dra" we have learned). Retracing our steps so that we will be in Athens sometime Friday afternoon. I wish we did not have to think about getting back on a plane, although as we discussed last night, it will be somewhat strange to flush a toilet by pushing a button, when we are so used to pumping (Becky says the biceps of her right arm have gotten a regular workout here and we joked about how her arms are no longer the same size, and how exactly does one explain that?)

Hmmm. What are the chances Bernice will cook me an egg right now?

 
 
Up, Up With People!


Remember that worldwide choral group/movement from the late 70’s and early 80’s called “Up, Up With People?” Their jingle went something like this: “Up, up with people...you meet them wherever you go; up, up with people, they’re the best kind of folks you know! If more people were FOR people everywhere...there’d be a lot less people to worry about and a lot more people who care...”  (I’m sure I totally mangled the words, but you get the drift!) This trip so far has reinforced my belief that people truly make all the difference in turning a good experience an amazing one!  Some examples (not in any order or attached to any specific place since I can’t seem to keep track of where we’ve been or where we’re going!):  


There was Costos, the restauant owner, who, when asked how he made his wine (which most retauranteers we’ve encountered seem to do!) excitedly drew a picture of the entire process on his paper table cloth and then, when we were about to leave, came running out to give us a complimentary plastic bottle filled with his wine. (Yes, oftentimes in Greece, wine seems to be stored in plastic bottles!!)  


Then there was the kind, shirtless man in a wheelchair who owned an adorable pistachio shack, who, when he thought Bernice had brought Mark and me there after having bought some pistachios earlier in the day, insisted on giving her a box of Greek sweets.


Then there was Dimitris and his lovely wife, both Athenians, who befriended Mark and me on the beach and shared several delightfully entertaining mornings and evenings with us, during which we learned all about their (well, mainly Dimistris’) views on politics, religion, world affairs, and perspectives on life, his favorite one being: “Out of bad, comes good.”


And of course there was the diver, who, within 15 minutes of learning that our anchor was trapped and we were unable to move, dropped everything to spend the morning trying to free us. He was assisted by a random Greek sailor who paddled out on his dingy to translate for us since the diver didn’t speak any English, other than the words (which he kept repeating throughout the morning, much to our chagrine): “very, very difficult.”  


There was also Nicki, who ran a heavenly, family-owned villa tucked away in a rustic cove whose food was deliriously delectable and whose ever-present smile, helpfulness, and oh-so-positive attitude made it sheer pleasure to spend time with her. As with the other restaurants, her family produces their own wine (aged a whopping 3 months!), featuring her father and uncles on the label.


And we can’t forget our super-friendly Dutch friends with whom we docked for several days, who welcomed us with beer from Holland, had lively conversations with us, and spent oodles of time assisting us with our anchoring debacle (even after they were supposed to have set sail). Their daughter, Tessa, who is “differently-abled” in multiple ways (autism, physical disabilities, etc.), generously gifted us with her beautiful smile whenever she saw us.  


The other morning Mark and I hiked into town and over to a remote chapel. We were famished and tired so we stopped at a local coffee shop on the way back for breakfast. As we looked at the menu we realized we had  left our money back at the boat, but the owner generously offered us a free breakfast. “Money doesn’t matter,”  insisted.


Yesterday Mark wrote about Thomas, the restaurant owner who called us up to his two-story, very spacious, but woefully empty restaurant to offer us complimentary fruit and drinks. He gleefully and proudly showed us around his place as well as the food he had lovingly prepared for the evening. He then proceeded to talk about how his restaurant was passed down through multiple generations. Thomas’ contagious enthusiasm about his restaurant was matched only by his ultra-positive outlook on life and love of people.


One of my favorite quotes is from Maya Angelou, which goes something like this: “I will forget what you said; I will forget what you did; but I will never forget how you made me feel.” In Greece (and I think I can speak for Mark, Bernice and Rebecca), I feel embraced and filled with gratitude. Up, up with people!
 
We arrived in Astros (still on the western coast of the Argolic Gulf) yesterday (Sat.) afternoon after a very pleasant sail from Leonidio. The coast is so beautiful. From the coast, everything slopes up dramatically and we can see mountains behind mountains in the misty distance. At the level of the sea coast though there are many little inlets each with a hamlet around it. We glided into Astros and around its breakwater and--hooray!--pulled alongside the quay rather than dropping anchor.  Easy in and out; off and on.  No plank to walk and no dinghy necessary to get to shore (I guess you have figured out this is the landlubber writing). This little town is a resort, with hotels and apartments and tavernas lining what we are told is the longest beach on this coast. Our view to the south and west is of those mountains retreating into the hazy distance. Many of the hillsides we can see are a mix of green, which I suspect is scrubby pines, and of light brown, which is everything else because it's pretty darned hot here. I have no idea how hot, though because TWC.com does not have this place on their map and it's not as if there's a big city nearby so we can just say, "Well, if Ossining isn't listed, just give us NYC and we'll extrapolate." We are literally off their map,  is what this means.


The quay we're docked on has a lot of activity, with couples promenading back and forth, grandads walking with little kids dangling from their hands, young men on motorbikes, fishermen (all men) of all descriptions, etc. Let's just say I hung a cloth over my window last night so I wouldn't wake up with someone sticking a hand, fish, or something worse through my window. 

Bernice and I got up and got going this morning so we could walk up to the citadel above the town before it got too hot.  I think it's a 15-16th c. structure. The last use it got is when the Venetians used it in the 16th c. We walked up, up, up (everything is up, up, up all the time when you are down, down, down on the waterfront) through the tiny streets and paths of the town all the way past the fort to the headland where there is a signal light for sailors AND--get this--the ruins of a Pre-Hellenic fortress/city. That means it is really old.  Not much has been excavated, so there is not a lot of the site to see.  I wish it were easier (and took less bandwidth) to upload photos because the view from on top of the mountain is spectacular and it is a thrill to think of standing in a place where people built and looked around the countryside thousands of years ago. The view over that "backside" of the mountain is of a plain where there are fruit trees as far as the eye can see practically; the area is famous for its fruits and vegetables. On the way back from the headland, where we were completely exposed to the sun and where everything is very dry (though we did find pistachio and almond trees), we stopped to explore the fort. Anyone can walk right into it. It has a view similar to the ancient city and is located just a little south of the earlier site. Then we headed down again to the waterside and a taverna where we collapsed and had any number of cold drinks and, eventually, grilled cheese sandwiches.

By the time we got back to the boat, Mark and Sue were waiting to tell us that we had been asked by the harbor police to move our boat from alongside the quay (parallel parking for those of you not of a nautical disposition) (like me) to "stern in," meaning that we had to back up into our "parking spot." We did this, despite the fact that we had to drop anchor. Our anchor is a little rattly now after our adventures in exiting  Kiparissi. Next, much to our surprise and delight, our Dutch friends with whom we spent two nights in Kiparissi sailed in and now we are neighbors again. We were so pleased to see them and are looking forward to spending this evening with them.  AND with the additional eight boats of Dutch sailors that they found in sailing up to Nauplion yesterday.  There will be Amstels galore, I predict!

Thanks for reading our blog and for your comments.  You have probably noticed that our map is not working.  That is because it is for people in cars, on foot, etc.  It doesn't let you map SEA ROUTES.  :-(   We will find the right app for next time we go sailing! Bye for today. Or bon voyage. The island of Spetses is tomorrow's destination. Try to follow us there!

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