Ios and Santorini

We wanted to see the famous Santorini Island but after talking to other sailors who explained the poor anchorages there, we heeded their advice to instead go up to Ios Island where there was a safe harbour and then take the ferry ride over from there.

So early on the morning of May 21st, we left Astypalea for mountainous Ios where again we Med-moored 10.5 hours later at 18:30 (N36°43.329' E025°16.421'). It was a great sail with little motoring.

Panorama view of Ios

Village above

The next day, we caught the fast-ferry to Santorini, an island shaped by a prehistoric cataclysmic eruption leaving only a circular archipelago with near vertical barren interior cliffs rising up from the deep bay. After entering the pass, the ferry docked against the vertical wall and the only way to the top rim was up the switchback road where the whitewashed buildings were perched along the rim like snow that capped a mountain.

No, it is not snow capped!

We rented a car and toured around the Island, up and down and along the edge of the rim, taking in the dramatic sights. We drove down to the "red beach". It was a disappointment as there was no sand, only reddish coloured rocks and boulders.

Red beach

But most impressive was the Old Town called Fira where the white buildings hung on the edge of the cliffs and where we hiked up and down the hundreds of numbered stairs through the maze of blue and white houses, churches, and tourist shops of Cycladic and Venetian architecture. We stayed for the sunset and a fabulous dinner overlooking the view.

Old Town of Santorini

Fabulous calamari...

...and sunset

We spent the night at an impressive AirBNB with a swimming pool and a large delicious breakfast in the morning. This is where we said goodbye to Aaron and Dee. Jordan and I caught the morning ferry back to Ios on May 23rd and Aaron and Dee flew out from Santorini to continue exploring mainland Greece for the rest of their vacation.

Astypalea

Most of the Greek islands are spaced just about right for an easy day-sail between them. And that is what we did when we left the volcanic Island of Nisyros to our next stop, Astypalea Island. It was May 19th at 17:00 when we Med-moored in the small harbour right below the slopes of the sleepy village (N36°32.858' E26°21.265').

Sea Turtle at Astypalea

Eateries, cafes, taverns, and stores lined the U-shaped harbour and small whitewashed homes tightly packed together blanketed the slopes with narrow alleys and stair paths that meandered through them. Perched on the pinnacle above was the remnants of a castle from times long past.

Zoomed in view of Castle of Chora from below

Early the next morning, before the heat set in, we set off to hike up to explore the ruins and take in the view.

View from above

Aaron amidst the ruins

Church and remnants

Next we sailed to a nearby island (Koutsomytis) about 1.5 hours away (N36°32.813' E26°26.746') to check out the snorkelling. We anchored in the lea of the island beneath tall imposing cliffs and Jordan, Aaron, and Dee jumped in - I chickened out as the water was too cold! After about half an hour, the shivering trio returned, reporting that the visibility was fantastic but saw very little marine life and certainly no coral.

We then motored back to Astypalea for the night.

Nisyros

Our sailing route was generally to make our way westward. So the next easy day-sail on that trajectory put us in the almost square Island of Nisyros Greece. So we pulled anchor from Pedi at 09:00 on May 18th and motored till we Med-moored at 16:00 (N36°37.181' E27°10.268').

On approach, we could see that Nisyros was more mountainous and slightly greener than previous islands we had visited and it had terraced slopes. Apparently the terraces were built over centuries to retain the meager rainfall so that olive and citrus trees could be sustained.

Terraces

Nisyros is known for its volcanic origins of 600 BC with a major active crater still hot and bubbling, even though it hasn't erupted since 1873.

The 4 of us (Aaron, Dee, Jordan, and I) rented a car and drove the 9 kms (5.5 mi) up the winding road then down towards the caldera. We then walked down to the bottom of the 4 km (2.5 mi) wide crater where we were met with the unavoidable smell of sulfur from the various vents.

Jordan, Aaron, and Dee at bottom

The slopes and ground were a bright sulfur yellow where hot steaming sections were roped off. What a strange feeling to be at the bottom of a hot, currently active but not erupting, volcano caldera!

Fresh sulfur crystals at bottom

We also drove around the rim...

View from above

...and visited 2 of the villages where we completed the day at a little ocean-side tavern feasting over grilled calamari and Greek salad.

Upper village restaurant for snack

Pedi

Wanting to escape being Med-moored next to others, and the surge from the ferry wakes in Yialos on Symi Island (Greece), we made an exit on May 12th at 14:30 to Pedi in the cove just around the corner. A very small village, or more like an over the hill extension of Yialos, but very quaint. We anchored in good holding (N36°36.859' E027°51.476').

Vespa scooter in Pedi

Soon after anchoring, the wind really picked up so we moved to tie up along the dock. Several sailors grabbed our lines in the strong winds and one of them was from Nanaimo BC Canada, another couple from Denmark, and a man from France. Happy hour ensued with our new friends.

Two days later, we re-anchored in glassy waters and Jordan installed a new watermaker membrane while we waited for our company to arrive.

Watermaker fix

On May 16th, we tried to catch the yellow bus to take us over the hill back to Yialos where Jordan's son and our daughter-in-law (Aaron and Dee) were arriving on the ferry from Rhodes Greece. They had flown in from Canada on vacation. As the only bus had broken down, we caught a cab.

We showed Aaron and Dee around Yialos a bit and then were able to catch the repaired bus back to Pedi.

Village high above Yialos

Cute boats of Pedi

On the 18th, we checked out of Symi/Pedi to do further Greek island exploring.

Symi Island

Rhodes was our first Greek island and on May 10th we headed off to see our second, Symi, at 13:15 for a 4-hour voyage. We had heard many favourable comments about Symi and they were all true (N36°36.992' E027°50.205').

This somewhat barren Island has the cutest preserved main harbour town of Yialos, tucked in a tight bay, and even on approach, reeks of a rich maritime history. Most of the Island's 2,500 inhabitants live in the tight confines of Yialos where shops and homes quilt the slopes with Neo-classical architecture-style buildings painted in mostly pale yellow with touches of blue or ochre.

Close-up view

Exploring the town involved wandering through a labyrinth of winding and weaving streets, alleys, and staircases. We also hiked way up to the upper village and museum.

View from above

The harbour is the center of activities shared by local fishermen, yachties, tour boats, and ferries that bring flocks of tourists from all over. And it's at the harbour front that all the action and scenery can be absorbed from many of the sidewalk cafes and eateries and where souvenier shops offer sea sponges, clothes, jewellery, and more.

Yialos was a strategic trading center and main shipbuilding port in centuries past, and up until recent times, it was a known marketer of the locally harvested sea sponges - that is, until synthetics euthanized that industry. Now it is mainly a desirable retreat for vacationers.

The Island has a warm, friendly, and laid-back feel, which we found quite typical of the Greek Island attitude and there seems to be no concern about things like a lack of water which as to be shipped in, and conversely, the plague of cats.

Return to Greece

After our delightful visit to Bruges Belgium and a tour of Versailles Paris, we made our final stop on our return flight to the Island of Rhodes Greece on April 25th and where Sea Turtle had been waiting for us on the hard at Nereus Marina for the last 11 months (N36°26.476' E028°14.174').

Sea Turtle required some work before splashing: new bilge pumps, freeing up a number of fixtures and fittings that had seized up while sitting for too long, and creating a stern boarding plank for the anticipated "Med-mooring".

From boat to shore (photo taken at later date)

Lastly we painted the bottom with anti-fouling paint and then slowly dropped her into the water on May 8th.

Lowering into water

Jordan turned the key - but no start! The old starting battery, which was isolated from the system, had lost its life. So with jumpers, we got enough juice to it to start the motor and get going. Half way out of the bay, the motor died. So quickly, up went the headsail and we sailed out so Jordan could bleed the air out of the diesel line and get her going again. It was Sea Turtle's way of letting us know that she doesn't like to be left alone for so long.

We motored over to Mandraki, the next bay and main harbour of Rhodes and tried our hand at Med-mooring (N36°26.950' E028°13.646'). Now Med-mooring is backing into and tying up to the seawall while your anchor holds the bow out. For newer fin keel type boats, the knack comes easy especially if one has a bow thruster, however with a full keel boat, they just don't back up straight so attempt was made with a little juggling and twisting while the anxious yachties on each side were fending us off. But we did it with only our nerves taking the chaffing.

We spent a couple of days in that splendid setting, enjoying Rhodes again and doing a few more minor repairs including a new starting battery and provisioning, now that the keel cooled fridge was operating.

Windmills at dusk

Another boater, Jubilee, introduced us to the best-tasting calamari in Greece at a small tavern, so if you are ever here, ask a local to direct you to this place near the Old Town - we went back numerous times!

Can't be beat!

A word about visiting Europe: We are only allowed to stay 90 days in a 180-day period in European countries that belong to the Schengen Group. We will be in Europe until around November, longer than 90 days.

So we will have to spend time in countries that do NOT belong to the Schengen Group (such as Albania, Croatia, Montenegro, etc.) When we enter one of these countries, the "clock will stop" on our time in the Schengen Group and restart when we next enter a country that does belong to the Schengen Group (such as Greece, Italy, Malta, Spain, etc.)

Versailles France

After spending a few days in Bruges of Belgium, we then headed back towards Paris France to Versailles on April 24th, for a different but worthy visit of the fabulous Chateau de Versailles and its immaculate 800-ha garden setting.

The Chateau was the palace/castle of kings and nobles throughout history who surrounded themselves in opulence. Most impressive was the vastness of magnificent wall and ceiling paintings as well as the incredible intricate and elaborate ornate golden finishes.

Palace behind restored gold-leafed gate

Lavish ceilings and walls

Multitude of priceless paintings

Fabulous Hall of Mirrors

What was most impressive was the Hall of Mirrors (with 17 arches containing 21 mirrors each) reflecting light of thousands of candles and glittering chandeliers. In the 17th century, mirrors were too expensive for most, so this was a lavish extravagance for King Louis XIV. The Treaty of Versailles that ended World War I was signed in this famous room.

With exploring completed, we finally arrived in Rhodes after a late-day flight on April 25th, where we booked ourselves at an AirBNB inside the old fortified city walls, a short walk from Sea Turtle.

Bruges Belgium

After 11 months back in Canada (329 days!), we finally started to make our way back on April 20th towards lonely Sea Turtle IV that patiently waited us while on the hard in Rhodes Greece. Just in time for some much anticipated summer Med cruising.

Again we booked flights that gave us a 4-day layover in Paris (France) but this time we drove up to Bruges (Belgium) to see this charming historical medieval town. Our interest in Bruges was sparked when we watched the quirky movie In Bruges. The movie we could recommend, but not as emphatically as a visit to the town itself.

Walking through Old Town (horse carriage in front)

Cool stepped gables

Skinny and stepped

Images of Bruges' long and rich history as a trading center in past centuries can easily be seen while wandering the alleys. It has been well preserved even though two world wars had left many other places ruined. The distinct historic Flemish Dutch architecture set in winding streets and canals easily garnered a UNESCO designation.

Belfort Tower

We climbed the 366 steps to the top of the 83-meter tower where we could at intervals listen to the 47 melodious bells, looking down at the great view of the open square ringed with eateries and bustling tourists.

Canals of Bruges aka "The Venice of the North"

Legend has swans on the canals and lakes forever

Dutch detail

Bruges has lived up to more than we expected and was definitely a worthy stop. Tomorrow, the Chateau de Versailles, then Sea Turtle in Greece...

Gay Paree

Fine dining, high fashion, art, rich cultured history, and old world architecture provides a romance that makes Paris a special place! This is where we made a short 3-day stopover on our way back to Canada for a year-long sabbatical from sailing.

Our AirBNB flat was in close proximity to the most popular sites which made it possible for us to walk to them all. With parks, riverside walkways, sidewalk cafes, and museums, Paris is a walkers' dream. As our stay was short we wanted to cram in as much as possible.

Our first day, we walked down the Avenue des Champs-Élysées which is 1.9 km/1.2 mi long. This most famous and most beautiful avenue in the world is lined with rows of London Plane trees, cafes, theatres, and upscale boutique shops of luxury. It stretches from the Arc de Triomphe to the Jardin des Tuileries and the Louvre that site along the Seine River.

Champs-Élysées from Arc de Triomphe, looking towards Louvre

Of course we visited the Musée du Louvre, the largest (15 acres in size) and arguably the most famous museum in the world. Within its walls, the Museum is filled with more than 380,000 objects including sculptures, drawings, and about 38,000 paintings by famous artists including the famous Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo. Did you know that the Mona Lisa is quite small (53x77 cm/21x30 in) and is displayed behind bulletproof glass and a roped off area, keeping you at an untouchable distance for viewing. But many others are whopping big!

Grand art by an old master

Wreck of the Medusa

The magnificence of the Museum's treasures are equalled by the fabulous building that houses them where paintings and frescoes are displayed on a pallet of the most splendid architecture.

A roof canvas

The building has served both as a fortress in 1190 and a palace in the 16th century, undergoing numerous reconstructions, additions, deletions, etc. to the present day. The modern and controversial addition that serves as the entry for the thousands of visitors is the glaring glass pyramid.

Musée du Louvre (photo from web)

During our visit to the Louvre, we inquired about the lack of impressionists' art and were informed that they were to be seen at the Musée d'Orsay. So that became our next art museum venue. There we saw pieces such as Monets, Renoirs, etc. and post-impressionists Cezannes, van Goghs, Gauguins, etc. We were surprised and pleased to see paintings by our hometown famous artist, Emily Carr, as well as other landscape painters of the Group of Seven.

A leisurely stroll from the Louvre along the banks of the Seine brought us to the famous gothic architecture of the Notre Dame Cathedral. Our expectations however were dampened by the dreary interior and the exterior that showed the effects of unchecked erosion.

We didn't see the hunchback!

The Eiffel Tower, in spite of the many tourists and in contrast to Notre Dame, was grander than we expected. At 81 stories tall, we had stomach butterflies as the elevator ascended to the peak. Perfect weather presented us a spectacular view below that stretched over the city for miles. With a thrilling nervousness, we walked the perimeter and peeked into Gustav Eiffel's cozy and romantic private apartment, complete with mannequins of himself and Thomas Edison. (Eiffel never allowed anyone to stay in his apartment, even turning down offers of huge sums of money.)

Needs no description

Best view in Paris

At the western end of the Champs-Élysées stands the iconic Arc de Triomphe. It was ordered constructed by Napoleon as an honour to his soldiers returning from war. We climbed the many interior stairs to the top for the photo op looking down the grand Avenue. At the base also lies the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier with a memorial flame lit everyday at 18:30.

The Arc - hub of splendid avenues

A visit to Paris would be incomplete without strolling the alleys and avenues amongst rich architecture and lounging at the ubiquitous sidewalk cafes sampling the authentic French cuisine while watching the world pass by.

Sidewalk cafes

Large cities are not our favourite places but we can make an exception with Gay Paree (Joyful Paris).

GREECE - here we come

Once we exited the Suez Canal, our first Med experience was a forest of objects to negotiate. For the first 10 hours, we closely watched our chart screen as a plethora of AIS targets moved about and kept a visual vigilance as we crossed paths with ships, tugs, oil rigs, and various other seafaring traffic.

Rush hour traffic

There was virtually no wind so it was mostly motoring on an uneventful passage northwest to the Greek Island of Rhodes (aka Rhodos, Rodos). To time an early morning arrival to the main port, we lay ahull for 6 hours about 15 nautical miles out.

Marking the entrance to the beautiful historic Mandraki Harbour is the old fortress of St. Nicholas. This harbour is famous because it is believed that the great statue of Colossus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, once stood at the harbour entrance. Now the entrance is 'guarded' by the heraldic symbols of Rhodes - a bronze stag and a doe standing tall on 2 separate pillars on each side of the entry.

St. Nicholas on the point

In the harbour, which is right in front of the City of Rhodes, were many boats Med-moored (stern to the seawall) from ultra luxury yachts to tourist boats. We were greeted by George who directed us to tie up to the seawall instead of attempting a Med-mooring, a tricky manoeuvre that we were not willing to attempt in the breeze and given that Sea Turtle doesn't like to back up in a controlled manner (N36°27.004' E028°13.537'). This was a perfect spot on the City side of the harbour, directly across from a pleasantly busy downtown centre of Rhodes City.

We completed all check-in procedures, except providing the required proof of boat insurance which we still did not have. We had a heck of a time finding coverage. Insurance companies we contacted would either say they didn't insure Canadian boats or they wanted a survey or simply didn't respond to our emails! But we finally got the basic insurance according to the Greek requirements.

The charm of Rhodes founded in 408 BC is the old fortified town behind fortress walls with a rich centuries old medieval history of Knights and trade. Seven gates in the fortified walls provide access to a maze of over 200 narrow streets and alleyways. Much of the old buildings have been restored and now quaint shops, bars, and eateries cater to the tourist crowds. (This is a different fortress than Fort St. Nicholas.)

Two by two

Inside Old Town

The new City outside of the Old Town is also a delight of sidewalk cafes and shops where one can stroll away the day. We have enjoyed many of their infamous Greek salads, delicious calamari, and pastries to die for.

What a difference to be in the clean developed country of Greece with all amenities available. We have found Rhodes to be very beautiful and with friendly and helpful people. One day we rented a scooter and rode halfway around this charming island.

Island hotel

As Sea Turtle desperately needs bottom paint, we moved her to the Nereus Boatyard around in the next harbour on May 5th (N36°26.476' E028°14.174').

Like a fish out of water

And then our plans suddenly changed. We needed to return home to Canada to help with aging parents, attend to some incidental health issues, and make some real estate changes. This would take more than a couple of months and as we don't want to winter in Greece, it would be a year away from Sea Turtle, returning at the start of the best time of year to cruise the Med.

We are now putting Sea Turtle to bed and then on May 23rd we catch our flight home, making a 3-day stopover in Paris!