Greek Islands Aug 26 - Sept 2 1985

To Athens

With great excitement we set forth from Butterworth to Athens. The first water to cross was the Malacca Straits on the ever reliable ferry. 

How to get 6 Aussies and all their gear from the Athens station to Piraeus? Hire a truck.

How do we find our yacht among all these? It turned out to be a fruitless search at Piraeus so best we go and eat somewhere. Surely that will improve our spirits. 

Don't we look glum. Have we just done our dough on a dodgy Greek Hire Co?

Oh! Kalamaki Marina, not Piraeus? That explains a lot. Why didn't we go there first?
The boat is not named Chloe D-Edgee but Moussaka.

Dinner on the waterfront that night was much more enjoyable than lunch had been; the relief was palpable. Copious amounts of Marco white wine was drunk as we savoured the thought of the adventure ahead.  Mind you, the Smiths blew about half their budget dining on that lobster meal.

John, a prolific writer and poet, kept a diary and generously shared it with us after our return.

To Hydra

Tuesday morning, away we go with Angelo

Taking it easy on Day 1, and proof that I did make it down below deck at least for a brief time once I'd had enough sun for one day. It didn't take long before John got his hands on the wheel but Helen, Cherie and Angelo, Bob and Libby, were relaxed about that. 

Approaching Hydra and our first windmill sighting. The old fortress still stands at the entrance to the harbour. The stonework takes you back hundreds of years but the steps will be good exercise after all that lying about on-board.

The first thing you notice when you venture into the main street of Hydra is that there are no vehicles on the island. Instead they use working donkeys and mules. Cute, but oh the lice! That night we dined at Jimmy's Taverna with lashings of fresh seafood, lamb, Greek salad, feta cheese and continental bread all washed down with copious amounts of Demestica. When we returned to the boat Bob sang and played his guitar.  

To Serifos

In the morning we set sail for Serifos with the moon still clearly visible in the cloudless sky and the street just coming to life. Chora came into view, the capital of Serifos on the hilltop, so unlike Hydra which clung to the coast. 

We took a bus to the top and the view of the harbour was certainly worth it. We enjoyed strolling around the cobblestone alleys and into the small plazas of Chora. It was mostly starkly white but in contrast the main chapel was very colourful. 

At dusk we made our way back down on foot.

To Paros

The afternoon sun was so strong, and we weren't used to the dry heat, so Angelo erected a canopy for us as we sailed. As we travel we see many ferries plying the waters taking tourists and locals between islands. The Paros harbour is a major hub for Aegean Island ferries and catamarans, with several sailings each day for Piraeus, Crete, and other islands such as Naxos, Ios, Santorini, and Mykonos. We arrived so late in the evening yet the light was still good and we were pleased we had sailed all afternoon for this welcoming sight of the harbour dominated by the cathedral. 

The old Venetian Fort is located in the old port and is the most characteristic spot of this lovely town. Constructed in the 15th century by the Venetians, the fortress was used as a watchtower for pirate and enemy attacks and as a front line in times of war. Its location was very convenient for surveilance of the Aegean Sea and due to its design, it was very difficult for enemy ships to approach the close port where commercial ships used to moor. 

Paros had a very active and colourful wharf with plenty of harbourside restaurants to choose from.

We were intrigued by this chap below tenderizing the octopus.

Beyond the waterfront the houses are built and decorated in the traditional style of the Cyclads, with flat roofs, whitewashed walls and blue-painted doors and window frames with shutters. They butt up against one another and front tiny, cobblestone lanes, sometimes shaded by rampant vines and bougainvillea that add an amazing flush of colour. Some have pocket-sized gardens of oranges and pomegranates, windowsills often hold pots of hydrangeas or geraniums. 

Angelo's American friend Heather, encouraged us to eat on the other side of town at a place run by friends. It turned out to be a great night dancing to Zorba and listening to Nana Mouskuri.

 To Mikonos

Gorgeous sunshine, gorgeous weather and our final destination just around the corner so time to drop anchor and just enjoy the moment. Next minute, Angelo convinced a couple of brazen young beauties with very perky breasts to come on-board Moussaka but we have no photographic evidence, just the mammaries. Oops! I meant memories.

Just on dusk we lifted anchor and sailed into the harbour. The light was gorgeous and then progressed to sunset as we headed off for dinner. 

In the morning we sailed off under another glorious Aegean blue sky sporting a Boxing Kangaroo compliments of John's green hanky and Bourkie's handiwork. 

To Kithnos

Bob had fixed the outboard on the rubber ducky so he and John took it out to get some shots of Moussaka under sail. 

Old hands at this sailing caper by now! look at me inside!

Bob is not good at sitting around doing nothing so when he wasn't at the helm or playing his guitar he would be tinkering with the outboard and then taking the rubber ducky for a spin.

To Kea

How's this for absolute waterfront?

To Poros

In such contrast to all the other islands Poros has a cover of greenery. We enjoyed a walk through the town and up into the bell tower but oh, the mainland is so close. We are reaching journey's end. 

And as the sun set on our island cruise we spent a sombre night on-board Moussaka. None of us were quite ready for it to end. You can tell by these long faces.

Athens

Having returned the yacht and said our farewells to Angelo we made our way to the Dorian Inn on Pireos. The hazy views are nothing like what we are used to but unmistakably Athens.

Walking Tour
Our first day was spent exploring the ruins. We began at the ancient Agora,
centre of political, social and religious life. It has been being excavated by the
American School of Classical Studies at Athens since 1931. Reconstructed buildings now house a museum. Above the Agora stands the Acropolis, an ancient citadel that contains the remains of several ancient buildings of great significance, the most famous being the Parthenon. First though you must enter via the Propylaia.

We weren't the only tourists visiting this amazing site even as reconstruction continues; the whole site is a collection of pieces, numbered and cateorised, ready to be used in reconstruction of the Acropolis. Below we were looking down on the Theatre of Dionysus from the Pantheon. It was used for festivals in honour of the god Dionysus. For the Greeks in ancient Athens, the theatre was a very important part of their lives. Today it is considered to be the place where European theatre had its beginnings.

The Erechtheion, an ancient temple built on the most sacred site, is dedicated to both Posiedon and Athena. According to legend Poseidon's mighty trident had left its mark here and Athena caused her most sacred emblem, the olive tree, to sprout. This is the Porch of the Caryatids, with six draped female figures (caryatids) as supporting columns.

Looking toward the Temple of Zeus and Arch of Hadrian. The Temple is a colossal ruin in the centre of the city that was dedicated to Zeus, king of the Olympian gods. Locals began building it in the 6th century BC and planned to build the greatest temple in the ancient world, but it was not completed until the reign of the Roman Emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century AD some 638 years after the project had begun.

The Odeum of Herod Atticus, restored and now used for summer concerts. It was built in 161 AD by the Athenian noble in memory of his wife. It was originally a steep-sloped amphitheater with a three-story stone front wall and a wooden roof made of expensive, cedar timber. It was used as a venue for music concerts with a capacity of 5,000. It lasted intact until it was destroyed and turned into a ruin by the Heruli in 267 AD. 

Looking back up at the Parthenon from the Odeum of Herod Atticus.

Looking down on the Roman market with its octagonal Tower of the Winds. The structure features a combination of sundials, a water clock, and a wind vane. The frieze on each of its sides represents the wind god of that direction. 

Before lunch we made it down into the Theatre of Dionysus. Each site costs to enter but when you consider the cost of excavation and how much of the project there is to complete you don’t mind paying. 

Snap Happy! Everywhere you look there is another shot to be taken. Eric and Bob are the experts, Cherie and I navigate and find meaning in all these ruins. 

And we found these orthodox men from our café doorway at lunchtime.

The Arch of Hadrian is a monumental gateway. It spanned an ancient road from the center of Athens to the complex of structures on the eastern side of the city that included the Temple of Olympian Zeus. Fifteen columns remain standing today and a sixteenth column lies on the ground where it fell during a storm in 1852. Nothing remains of the great statue that it once housed. 

The Panathenaic Stadium was originally built to host the athletics portion of the Panathenaic Games which were held in honour of the Goddess Athena. The first modern Olympic Games were also held here in 1896. The Discus Thrower Statue by Dimitriadis has stood opposite the Stadium since 1927. At a height of more than two metres, the statue perfectly depicts the muscular tension of the athlete’s body as he is about to throw the discus.

We finished our walk after watching the changing of the guards in front of Parliament House. On our way back we stumbled across a statue of Lord Byron.

In the evening we watched the Parthenon Sound and Light Show which is held in English every evening over summer 

One Day Delphi Tour

We took a bus tour with Bob which passed through rugged countryside with olive groves, cotton and veggies grown in the valleys. The bottom images are of the ruins of the Temple of Apollo.

Athenian Treasury after reconstruction. It was constructed by the Athenians to house dedications made by their city and citizens to the sanctuary of Apollo.

High up the hill, beyond the sacred way and the theatre sits the ancient stadium. It is cut into the hillside, very impressive. Looking down on the temple ruins and the amphitheatre would have presented the seated audience with a spectacular view of the entire sanctuary below and the valley beyond.

 Last day in Athens
We spent much of the day in the Plaka, the old Roman market. It is one of the most attractive districts of Athens with its ruins, small winding roads with their steps and balconies overflowing with colourful flowers. The whole area is under strict zoning and conservation regulations, and is the only neighbourhood in Athens where all utilities (water, power, sewage etc) lie underground in fully accessible, custom-made tunnels.  Restoration of the historic heart of Athens goes on amid the homes, pedestrian streets, shops and restaurants.

In the afternoon we made it to the Flea Market.  Most of the shops are pretty conventional and sell the same stuff you find in the tourist shops on the islands, some of it made in Greece and some made in China or other cheap labour countries. 

In the late afternoon we all met up on the rooftop of the Dorian Inn for our final evening in Greece.

Singapore Stopover

We arrived in Singapore after a long, delayed flight from Athens. I was mortified at the airport when they searched our backpacks full of dirty clothes from all those days on the yacht. We shopped all day Saturday so then took ourselves off to Raffles for a drink in the Tiger Bar. How impressed we were to find Fosters on tap?

Flew off to Penang, lucky to make the flight after discovering our bag full of Singapore splurges and camera were stolen at check-in.  We were directed many floors underground to Airport Police and just signed the paperwork when we heard the last call for our flight. Never mind, it was a great holiday and nothing lost couldn't be replaced. We still had most of the rolls of film, just lost the latest Singapore ones. 

Greek Affair After-Party

About a fortnight after returning we had a "Greek Affair" Reunion at John and Helen's with Greek food, Greek wine and happy Greek memories. 

I wonder if the consumption of too much of Demestica explains the lousy photography that night?