First day of sailing and we have calm waters and sunny skies. Fotis confirms how lucky we are as last week it was extremely windy and he had a stressful trip. I can’t imagine trying to sail in difficult weather with a bunch of people that have no idea what they’re doing.
After breakfast everyone dons swimsuits and finds their optimal spot on the boat. I prefer being up front where I can keep an eye on the horizon and be in the full sun. By eleven we’re into the white wine and snacking on pita and hummus. We intermittently nap and chat.
Within a couple of hours we reach a cove for an early afternoon swim and we anchor offshore. I grab an air mattress and hop in the water. It’s so warm and clear! I paddle to the deserted beach to snap some photos and feel a little like an explorer that’s hit shore in an undiscovered land. The water is bright turquoise and the sand is a soft yellow colour with a flour-like consistency. Too soon, it’s time to swim back to our boat and sail to Syros.
We arrive in Syros in the intense heat of the afternoon and strike out for the nearby beach to cool off. We have docked in Finikas Port which is quieter than the port in the larger town of Hermopolis. There’s a christening party at a nearby tavern and the music is pumping. I can hear the party goers singing along to ABBA at the top of their voices. Hopefully the party winds down before bedtime.
We have an amazing dinner of numerous shared appetizers including pita and tzatziki, fried shrimp, grilled calamari, baked spicy feta and Greek salad. Everything is so fresh and tasty.
After much discussion about transportation into Hermopolis, I opt to order a taxi for 7:30am to explore the town in cooler temperatures and hopefully have nice lighting for shooting photos. No one else in the group is willing to get up that early, so I’ll be on my own for the day, which suits me fine. After being around a group for extended periods, I always need to carve out times to be on my own so I don’t burn out.
I’m off to bed early tonight as I slept little last night and had some whacked out dreams that made for a restless sleep, and I want to be fresh for my adventures tomorrow.
