On Land Again - Perissa and Fira, Santorini WTRD 33 and 34, September 11-12, 2016

On Land Again - Perissa and Fira, Santorini

Sunday, September 11

Russ and I were packed and ready to jump ship by 8:00 am when breakfast was served. We said our goodbyes, disembarked at 8:50, walked to the pickup point, and were met by the van from Honeymoon Beach Hotel.  

Our driver and owner of the hotel, loaded us into the van and we were in Perissa and installed in our very nice accommodations by 9:30.  

Downstairs, we have a small kitchen and dining/sitting area with bathroom, and doors that open up to patios with table and chairs.  Upstairs is a bedroom with queen bed and a single.

We spend the day doing laundry, working on the blog (me), swimming in the pool, eating moussaka for dinner, and taking a moonlight walk along the ocean front.  We are in a great location to relax.

Monday, September 12

This morning we caught the local bus to Fira.

 This is the town we saw while swimming in the caldera a few days ago high up on the cliffs.  The bus ride takes about 30 minutes and passes by several vineyards that look quite different than those in California. 

 There is so little water here, that the vines are swirled in a circle on the ground and are watered only by nature, the scant rain and the ocean dew that forms at night.  It is incredible that these plant survive, and produce grapes.

We spent our morning walking the pedestrian paths in Fira, visiting churches, 

shopping, 

enjoying the beautiful vistas, 

and watching people on donkeys ride up the steep hill 

or take a cable car 

from the port at the bottom of the cliffs.  Russ and I ate lunch and returned to the Honeymoon Beach Hotel, where we packed and weighed our bags, relaxed, swam, and I backed up photos.

Tomorrow morning at 5:15 am we leave for the airport in Santorini and fly via Athens, and Madrid, to Marrakesh, Morocco.

All is Well with the Worrall Travel R's - Our Last Night in  the Cyclades Islands, Greece

Last Night in Santorini - WTRD 32, Saturday, September 10

Our Last DAY &  NIGHT Aboard 

The morning of our last full day dawned.  We ate breakfast and started the travelers' farewell ritual of exchanging contact information of our fellow crew mates.  They have all been great sailing mates.

The morning sail to Santorini, was picture perfect, blue skies, consistant wind, barely any swell.  Santorini is an island group around an ancient caldera.  The volcano blew about 1400 BCE wiping out the Minoan civilization and created a huge tsunami that devastated part of Crete.  Scholars believe this catastrophic event is what gave rise to Aristotle's theory of Atlantas as a lost city.

By 2::00 pm we had reached the ancient caldera area across from Thira where we found a place to moor, lunch, and swim. 

Cass swims to shore and ties off the stern

Circling the caldera area are islands, the largest being Thira or Santorini.  Tall cliffs of sandstone and lave rise hundreds of meters above the sea.

Look at the tall masted ship below and the height of the cliffs

Our swim was in water over 30 meters deep, beautiful blue seemingly bottomless pit with tall volcanic cliffs partially encircling the boat.

To reach our port destination, would require motoring into increasingly large natural and ferry made swells between the the island straits.  We wallowed through and bucked a bit.  The forward stateroom hatches were open and got drenched in saltwater requiring the occupants to hang out their laundry as we pitched along.  Everyone is on deck keeping their stomachs in check and enjoying the last day.

AAARRRHHH!

The small boat harbor of Vlichada was busy with day charters and fishing boats.  There was little room to spare.  We managed a side tie to a spot vacated by a fishing boat for the night.  Two other sailboats rafted up to us. We commemorated our trip with wine sundowners and snacks.  By 8:00 pm we were ready for dinner, and enjoyed a nice meal at Dimitris on top of the cliff.  Farewell friends.  We had a great time.

L to R, Cass, Rory Russ, Lynne, Chris, Debra, Roz, Natty, Matty

All is Well With the the Worrall Travel Rs in Santorini.

Beautiful Sunset in Chora on the Island of iOS - WTRD 31, Friday, September 9

Floor Mosaic of Black and White Stones

Beautiful Sunset in Chora on the Island of Ios

The morning was cool warming by 10:00 as we got underway to Ios.  Ios is the home of Homer's mother and he is entombed here.  We stopped for a long lunch and swim in small cove on the northwest side of Ios.

Cass preparing lunch

After lunch we motored around the peninsula to the port of Chora.  The town itself is on the other side of the mountain.  Russ and I lingered on the boat until 6:00 pm, drinking wine, and reading our books.  Finally, we caught a local bus that climbed the mountain for us.  Once on the ridge, there was a small valley and another hill behind that.  The old, windy walkways of stairs and paths led up to the windmills on one side and the church on the other.

We chose the windmill path, explored that and hoped we could see the sunset from there, but we could not.  Retracing our steps, we asked a person who was trying to entice us into his restaurant where the best place was for a sunset photo.  He directed us up to the church.  Ugh!   It was 7:15.  Sunset would be about 7:30.  We really had to chug up the hundreds of stairs to the church.
We made it! 

Waiting for the sunset.  Natalia and Matias, lower right

There were probably 30 other people at the upper level of the church and surrounding rocks  including Natty and Matty from our crew.  We had a beautiful panoramic view. 

The sunset was nice but a bit disappointing as the sun set behind a layer of clouds. Nevertheless, it was a wonderful experience sitting high over the port enjoying the last rays of the day.  Tomorrow is our last full day and night aboard the Malma.

Russ and I decided to walk down the steps to the port, but along the way we met up with Rory, Cass, and Chris in an Italian restaurant and joined them for dinner.  Then we walked down the hill, took cool showers, and are just turning in.

All is Well With the Worrall Travel R's in Ios.

Paros and Naxos - WTRD 30, Thursday, September 8

Paros and Naxos

The sky is hazy.  We set sail for Paros and Naxos.  Paros is the smaller of two side by side islands.  After a down wind sail, we arrive in Paros around 1:30, swim, and have lunch before setting off again for Naxos.  

We arrive around 3:00 pm.  There are fishing boats and nets on the dock.  There is something alluring to me about fishing nets.  Almost a work of art.

Russ and I hike to the ruins of a temple


and a castle, weaving our way through small alleys and streets where tiny tables and chairs in the alleys become seats for tiny restaurants throughout the city when the sun goes down and we see more cats than people.  

We eat dinner in a traditional Greek restaurant...Eggplant rolls baked around sticks of feta, Greek salad, bread, spicy sausages, french fires, melon, lemon cake, wine and ouzo.

As usual we are the first to return to the boat.  We shower and call it a night after another fine day.

All is Well With the Worrall Travel R's in Naxos.

Ruins of Delos and a Night in Mikanos -WTRD 29, Wednesday, September 7

Ruins of Delos and a Night in Mikano

A large ship pulled in and out early this morning at 2:00 am tossing the boats around and waking everyone from sleep.  I came up to the cockpit to see what was going on and was in good company as skippers up and down the quay, including our own, were checking their lines and raising their planks.  This is probably a nightly occurrence.

We are off to Mikanos.  THe clouds have passed.  We never experienced thunder storms or rain yesterday.  We have a good breeze today and a few white caps.  The sails are raised.  

Russ is at the helm most of the day.  

I spell him awhile.  It feels nice to be back on the helm.

Rory, Chris and Natty are raising and trimming the sails.  We are all reading our books and lounging about as we sail toward Delos, a small Island off of Mikanos.  I enjoy sitting on the dinghy bottom on the bow with my back against the mast.  I've missed this.

We reach Delos about 2:30, set anchor, have a late lunch, launch the dinghy and take turns motoring.....to shore...kind of....The dinghy engine quits.  The first group (Rory, Chris, Lynn, and Deborah) gets 2/3 of the way to shore before they have to paddle.  Rory drops three off and paddles back for the rest of us.  

The dinghy holds five, and Cass needs to go to help paddle.  Rory, Cass, Russ, Natty, and Matty go next.  I stay back.  Perhaps I've seen enough ruins and the idea of being alone is appealing to me...although I'm a bit wary.  Seems that in the past all sorts of crazy things happen when I am at anchor alone. Someone always comes too close or pulls up the anchor

Rory and Cass paddle back, and we move the boat to an empty spot on the dock, only to be told that we have to move it when the ferry arrives.  I am tempted once we are on the dock to explore the ruins, but no sooner thought and the ferry is in sight, so we slip the lines and pull away until the ferry comes in and then stern back into to pick up everyone else.  

They had a great time exploring, and Russ took some good photos of these archaeological ruins.  Modestly settled 2400 years BCE by early indigenous people, the Mycenaeans built the first city in 1500 BCE.  Delos's heyday was 900-68 BCE, when it was believed that Apollo was born here and a temple was raised in his honor in 1000 BCE, bringing people from all over the Greek world to worship. It was declared a free port and became the trading center for the Greek Islands.  It rose and fell many times, but between 80 -60 BCE, Delos was attacked by the Mitherites  and other invaders.

Our crew arrives in Mikanos late in the day.  We med moor in the new harbor as the sun is sinking into the sea. 

I watch some fisherman catching their calamari for the evening meal.  Our group of seven piles into two taxies, and we spend the evening shopping, walking, looking, and exploring the sights and sounds and of Mikanos. 

Russ and I eat at a seaside cafe that is organic, called Nice and Easy.  The meal is excellent.  We buy gelato afterwards and board the Sea Bus back to the new port.

It's been another sun drenched, aqua marine day.

All is Well With the Worrall Travel R's in Mikanos

Hermopoulos, Siros, Greece - WTRD 28, Tuesday, September 6

 Capitol City of the Cyclades, 

We are on the fringe of a weather system on the mainlands of Greece and Turkey.  There is a high grey overcast and the wind is forecast for 15-25 knots with thundershowers later in the day.  Our skipper preps to leave around 9:30 so that we can do some sailing and get to our next destination before it starts to rain.  We are underway by 9:45 and for awhile have enough wind to sail.  After lunch and a swim in a small cove on the west side of Nisos Siros, we arrive at Hermopoulos on the east side of Siros, capitol city of the Cyclades islands.

It's a large city with a quay along the city front.  

A colorful city - They don't adhere to the all white with blue theme.

The wind was ripping sideways

on the beam making a stern Med moor quite challenging as we had to thread the needle between some other boats, but our skipper and mate efficiently dropped 150 feet of chain and pulled directly back into the moorage.  Just glad we weren't having to do this.  The port traffic, wakes and quay rebound create a washing machine effect.  THe boats are so close we rub bumpers and the boat is in constant, agitated motion.  Walking the hanging gang plank as it slides and sways across the dock is quite a challenge.

Our gang  plank delivers us right to a table in a Greek restaurant on the quay. 

We are the entertain,emt for the restaurant patrons as we walk the plank.  Everyone goes in different directions.  Russ and I walk the narrow back streets of the city, 

Matty and Natty on an Empty Street

stop at an ATM, unsuccessfully hunt for a geocache, have a beer and eat pork gyros with tzaziki at "our  table", cross over the dancing gang plank before we drink too much wine, and spend a pleasant evening sitting alone together in the cockpit as port traffic and winds calm.

All is Well With the Worrall Travel R's in Hermopoulos, Siros