Athens, Greek Isles and Santorini

Sunday, June 16^th

Our 3-hour flight from Barcelona to Athens was on time departing and arriving, if not a few minutes early. Magically, our bags quickly appeared on the luggage belt and shortly we were whisked away by taxi to our hotel in Athens.

I have been to Athens twice before, both related to work. However, the second time was in 2004 and I arrived a few days early so as to take in the Summer Olympics that just happened to be hosted in Athens at that time. (Coincidence? I think not.) You may recall that the news reports leading up to the 2004 Summer Games indicated that Athens was completely ill-prepared to be hosting these games. Some of the venues were not complete, the new airport and metro system were behind schedule and the Organizing Committee seemed to be anything, but organized.

All of this negative press had an impact on attendance. By the start of the games, only 2.9 million tickets out of 5.3 million (55%) had been sold. So, when I arrived during the second week of the games, I was able to purchase tickets for several key events including: the gold medal men’s basketball, the gold medal women’s volleyball and the gold medal men’s soccer match. In addition, I was able to catch some of the qualifying rounds in tennis and swimming. The only events that I couldn’t get tickets for was gymnastics and track and field.

One of the events I also watched was the men’s marathon which I took in from two different locations – one closer to the beginning and then another closer to the stadium at the end which I was able to access via the newly completed metro system. The Athens Olympics marathon event is infamous due to an incident in which Neil Horan, a drunk, Irish protester and former priest, interfered with

Vanderlei de Lima of Brazil while de Lima was leading the event with around 7 kilometers remaining. De Lima lost about 15 to 20 seconds of time because of the interruption, and finished third. While I was not far from where the incident occurred, I didn’t actually see it happen. And this wasn’t Horan’s first sports event debacle. In a previous protest, he ran onto the track at the 2003 British Grand Prix, intentionally running directly into the path of oncoming cars.

We had booked the Divani Palace Hotel in Athens for one night due to its strategic location quite near the Acropolis. After checking in and cleaning up, I contacted Ted Lamboo who had arrived in Athens the week before with his wife, Ellen. Ted is a former colleague of mine from Bentley who I have now known for over 20 years. He and Ellen have become dear friends over these many years and they would be joining us for our 7-day sailing of the Greek Isles. But first up would be to tour the Acropolis. Ted and Ellen were already there and had purchased tickets for us. After a 15-minute walk, we met them at the entrance and began our self-guided tour.

Malcolm, Liz, Ellen & Ted at the Acropolis

 The Acropolis

As a young boy growing up in the US, the Acropolis is something we learned about in school as one of the most important symbols of ancient Greek civilization. Along with the Roman Forum, these buildings stood for the most advanced human thought on the planet at their respective times and places. While there is a rich history related to the hilltop where the Acropolis now stands, the Golden Age began when Pericles organized the construction of buildings within the Acropolis during the 5^th century BC – over 2400 years ago.

The Parthenon

 The Acropolis is comprised of 20 separate buildings, the most well-known of which are: the Parthenon, the Temple of Athena, the Erechtheum, the Odeon of Herodes Atticus and the Theatre of Dionysus. Over the centuries, the Acropolis was many things: a home to kings, a citadel, a mythical home of the gods, a religious center and a tourist attraction. It has withstood bombardment, massive earthquakes and vandalism yet still stands as a reminder of the rich history of Greece.

Temple of Athena

Theatre of Dionysus

In the sixth century AD, after Rome converted to Christianity, many temples at the Acropolis became Christian churches. The Parthenon was dedicated to the Virgin Mary and the Erechtheion became a chapel.

As Greece endured many unwelcome invaders, including the Venetians and the Turks, the Acropolis and its temples also served as mosques and storehouses for ammunition. The Propylaea was a residence for Episcopalian clergy and later, the Ottoman ruler. It also once served as barracks for the Turkish occupying army.

In 1687, the Venetians bombarded the Acropolis and decimated the Parthenon, which was a powder munitions depot at the time, leaving it at the mercy of looters, vandals and even tourists; many priceless artifacts were lost.

In 1801, hoping to save the Parthenon’s architectural magnificence, a Scottish nobleman, Thomas Bruce, the 7th Earl of Elgin ("Lord Elgin"), began removing its sculptures with permission from the occupying Turkish government.

Lord Elgin eventually removed over half of the Parthenon’s sculptures, known as the Elgin Marbles, and sold them to the British Museum where many still reside today. The Greek government strongly disapproves of the artifacts remaining in the hands of the British and feels the sculptures should be returned to Athens.

After the Greek War of Independence in 1822, the Acropolis was returned to the Greeks in disrepair. They began investigating the condition of their crown jewel and meticulously excavated the entire site in the late nineteenth century. At the turn of the twentieth century, restorations began.

In 1975, the Committee for the Conservation of the Monuments on the Acropolis was established which includes architects, archaeologists, chemical engineers and civil engineers. The Committee, along with the Acropolis Restoration Service, works to document and conserve the history of the Acropolis and restore its structures as closely to their original state as possible.

They also work to minimize environmental damage caused by pollution and weathering and identify ways to limit future damage. The restorations of the Erechtheion and the Temple of Athena Nike are complete.

The Erechtheion

One of the signs posted in our self-guided tour spoke of the damage caused by earthquakes, wars and fires over the Acropolis’ nearly 2500 year history, but it concluded that the most severe damage by far was caused by Lord Elgin who, with the permission of the Turks, dismantled large parts of the Parthenon, and other buildings within the Acropolis, and brought them back to England where they are now on display at the British Museum. I have been to the British Museum several times and its display of the Acropolis is breathtaking.  Here is how the museum refers to its Acropolis collection:

“The collection includes the following marble, architecture and architectural sculpture from the Acropolis:

Parthenon

·       247ft of the original 524ft of frieze

·       15 of the 92 metopes

·       17 pedimental figures; various pieces of architecture

Erechtheion

·       a Caryatid, a column and other architectural members

Propylaia

·       Architectural members

Temple of Athena Nike

·       4 slabs of the frieze and architectural members

Material from the Parthenon was dispersed both before and after Elgin. Approximately half of the original total was already destroyed by Elgin’s time. The British Museum holds about half of the surviving sculptures.

Lord Elgin applied to the Ottoman government, the legal authority in Athens at the time, for a firman (license and letter of instruction) to permit his activities on the Acropolis. This was granted in 1801, and was followed by the issue of a second firman in 1810, allowing the shipping of the remainder of his collection to England.

In 1816, a Select Committee of the House of Commons found that the collection had been legitimately acquired by Elgin as a private individual. After a debate in the House of Commons, funds were agreed and the collection was acquired for the British Museum, where it is held under the terms of the British Museum Act 1963.”

This collection, commonly referred to as the “Elgin Marbles” or “Parthenon Marbles”, remains a point of contention between the Greek and British governments (or, at the least, the British Museum). In Greece, they feel as though an essential part of Greek culture has been stolen from them, while in the UK they feel they were properly obtained and are now beautifully preserved and on display for the world to see.

As recently as April of this year, in a speech given at the Acropolis, President Prokopis Pavlopoulos of Greece stated, “Let the British Museum come here and make the comparison between this museum of light and the murky, if I may say, prison of the British Museum where the Parthenon Marbles are held as trophies.”

This disagreement over the Elgin Marbles has been going since they were first removed in the early 1800’s. It is unlikely to be resolved any time soon. My sympathies are with the Greeks.

After our tour, Ted, Ellen, Liz and I stopped at a nearby bar for a quick drink and some snacks with magnificent views of the Acropolis. From there we walked into town and enjoyed dinner together before Liz and I headed back to our hotel while Ted & Ellen walked to their AirBnB.

Enjoying a drink with a view

The Acropolis from our hotel

Sailing the Greek Isles

The next morning, as per our instructions from the sailing charter company, the four of us convened at Skippers Bar in the Marina where we would meet up with our captain, George, at 10am. George, a good-looking, bearded 30-year old with what appears to be a permanent tan, showed up at precisely 10am. After brief introductions, we made our way over to the boat with all of our luggage. I had mentioned to Adriana at the charter company that Liz and I had several bags, some of which were large, and asked her if there was a place to store them. She replied that the boat, which has four cabins for guests, would have some spare cabins and we could simply store them on the boat. Problem solved.

After getting all of the bags on board, we settled in the salon of our boat, the Vitamin Sea, where George reviewed the operations of the boat and then we began the discussion of our itinerary for the next week.

Our boat - "The Vitamin Sea"

The website described four different itineraries: the explorer – off the beaten path; easy & fun – the path of the gods; wet ride – salt and choppy sea; and the adventurer. After some back and forth with the charter company and taking into account Liz’s pre-disposition for seasickness, we had selected the 2^nd itinerary – Easy & Fun, the Path of the Gods.

George began the discussion about our itinerary noting that we had selected “Easy & Fun”, but then stated that the weather report indicated thunder storms in the Saronic Islands during the next couple of days which would not make our trip either easy or fun. He then described an alternative trip that would take us away from bad weather. This new itinerary was a combination of The Adventurer on the front end, and Easy & Fun on the back end. I could sense that Liz’s seasickness was beginning to expose itself, but she fully understood the need to change course and agreed to George’s audible to switch things up. With our course determined, we slipped out of the harbor and set our course for the island of Kea, about a 5½ hour sail from Athens.

The Vitamin Sea is a 51 ft sail boat with four cabins down below – each with its own bathroom, plus a fifth cabin upfront for our skipper, George. Also down below is a salon and a kitchen or galley. At deck level, at the rear of the boat (the stern) are two identical steering wheels or helms, a cockpit with seating for six adults, and a large bow or sundeck up front. While sailing, George commanded the helm while the four of us remained seated in the cockpit.

As for our skipper, here’s what the website says about George – “His first contact with sailing was at the age of six where he learned all the basics and crucial techniques of dealing with wind and waves. By the age of nine, he was awarded twice for being the youngest participant racing optimists, got 15th place in the nationals and many more awards. After few years away of what he mostly loved in his life, he found another path to yacht racing and became a professional skipper for chartered yachts leading first time sailors with safety to a once in a lifetime journey to Greek islands.”

Our skipper - George

And, again, from the website, some words from George – “Sailing is not just a job or a passion for me, it is a way of life. When out there in the open sea or at an astonishing anchorage it feels like the place where I belong. Taking guests on a sailing trip, sharing with them this unique experience of being alone in nature, socializing and showing all the beautiful corners of my country is the biggest satisfaction I can get as a skipper. We shall treat the sea with respect, so safety and the well-being of the passengers on board is priority #1, no matter what. I am an easy-going person, calm 99% of the time, fun and smiling with a great attitude. Always keen on meeting new people, sharing stories and experiences. I am looking forward to show you the best of Greece.”

We warmed up to George immediately, and, over the course of our week together, developed a profound respect for his sailing ability, but even more for his even keel personality. We quickly became friends and then, really good friends. George was one of the highlights of the entire trip.

The sailing experience among the passengers was limited. Ted and Ellen had been on open seas sails many years before, but apparently, due to the absence of wind, there was very little sailing. Liz and I have little to no previous experience. Hence, we relied heavily on George who was more than up to the task.

As it turns out, during our week aboard the Vitamin Sea, we did precious little “sailing”. Mostly, the sails were not deployed and we were using the boat’s motor for power. This wasn’t a matter of choice, it was necessitated by the absence of wind, in most cases, or the direction of the wind that didn’t favor the destination for the day. I think the sails were deployed for less than five hours during the entire week.

The Vitamin Sea at port in Kea

Rather than describe each of our days on the boat and the islands we visited, I will speak in general about our experience with some specific highlights. It’s not exactly accurate to say that one island is like the next, but it isn’t so far from the truth that the differences are worth noting. We sailed to Kea on day 1, then Kythnos on day 2, Serifos on day 3, back to Kythnos day 4, Poros day 5, Epidaurus day 6 and then back to Athens on the final day. Kea, Kythnos and Serifos are all part of the Cyclades, an island group due south of Athens, while Poros and Epidaurus are part of the Saronic islands due west of Athens.

In almost every case, the harbor has a small town with restaurants, bakeries, bars, shops and a port for the extensive ferry system that supports the Greek islands. However, the main town or Chora, is removed from the harbor and is up in the top of the hills or mountain. The Greek islands are actually a mountain range submerged under the Mediterranean Sea with only their peaks visible. As people settled on these islands, they chose the top of these peaks for their main town, primarily for protection from potential invaders. Consequently, when we arrived at an island, we almost always made our way via taxi to the Chora as it was here that you find the better restaurants and shops as well as the people and outstanding views.

A typical day began with breakfast on board the Vitamin Sea comprised of cereal, fruit, yogurt and baked goods from the local bakery, plus coffee from a nearby café. Generally, we would leave the port around 10am and set a course for our next island. Typically, we would stop at a cove along the way for swimming before making our way into the harbor where we would dock at the pier among the many other boats. Only once did we spend the night moored only via anchor in a quiet cove at Kythnos.

The beach at Kythnos

For lunch we often had cheese and crackers, more fruit and bread from a local bakery that we had picked up in the morning. Only once did we have lunch at a restaurant and, again, this was on Kythnos, where we ate at this lovely seafood restaurant perched on a hill side overlooking the harbor.

Enjoying lunch on Kythnos

Generally, we reached our final destination for the day by 4:00 or 5:00 in the afternoon which allowed for exploring the harbor and or the chora prior to having dinner at a restaurant that almost always was recommended to us by George, although George never ate dinner with us in spite of our frequent invitations.

We would return to the boat by around 10pm and get ready for bed. While the boat has four cabins and can accommodate eight passengers, after the first night, Ted & Ellen decided to sleep separately in two of the four cabins. Liz and I would have done the same, except that one of the cabins was fully occupied by our luggage. After the second night, when I awoke very early feeling both hot and claustrophobic, I elected to sleep in the salon for the remainder of the trip. I honestly don’t know what we would have done if there were eight adults on board. The sleeping quarters were so small and tight that two adults are like packed sardines in a single cabin. It would have been a miserable trip for eight adults with everyone trying to survive on little to no sleep.

The swimming each day was a lot of fun. The water was a comfortable temperature and so salty that it was easy to float. Jumping and diving off of the boat’s deck was a treat and we also made good use of the inflatable stand up paddle board. The coves were generally busy with other boats anchored nearby and the beaches typically had several to many sunbathers who had arrived by car or ferry.

A view of the harbor from the Chora on Serifos

I was surprised by how barren the Cyclade Islands were. It was clear by the terracing of the land, that farming was once very active on these islands, but there was no evidence that this was a continuing endeavor and I don’t think it has been happening for many, many decades. Tourism is the main driver of the economy now with fishing taking the #2 position. And these islands are sparsely populated with a few hundred folks living in the harbor and maybe a thousand in the chora. Scattered houses can be seen on other parts of the islands, many of which are obviously second homes and not frequently used. While they were fun to visit, I was always happy to be able to set sail and head out of the harbor on the next day.

The Saronic Islands, by contrast, are comparatively lush with vegetation and the populations are larger due to their being closer to Athens and much more accessible.

The Saronic Islands defintely appear more lively

On the morning of our last day, before leaving Epidaurus, we traveled by taxi high up into the hills to visit the ancient ruins of the Epidaurus Theatre. Built during the 4^th century BC by the Greeks and then expanded by the Romans, this theatre, and the many other accompanying buildings, are amazing. The theatre, which can accommodate up to 14,000 people, is still active today. In fact, the night before there was a performance at the theatre of “The Life and Times of Oepidus” with over 6,000 people in attendance, most of whom had traveled from Athens to be there. If you ever find yourself in Epidaurus, be sure to visit this ancient theatre.

The ancient theatre of Epidaurus

After our visit to the theatre, we made our way back to Athens arriving in port around 3:30 where we unloaded our bags, bid farewell to George and hopped into a taxi to head to the airport.

Sailing the Greek Isles has long been on my bucket list and Liz’s too. And I think it is on many other people’s list as well. Be honest, it’s probably on your list too.

So, here’s my take. After one full day, I wasn’t sure how I was going to survive the week. There isn’t much to do on the boat especially since you aren’t even sailing. The hours and hours of inactivity confined on a small boat is difficult to take. Fortunately, the company on our trip was terrific. Ted and Ellen are fantastic people to travel with. Easy going and fun, celebrating almost 40 years of marriage. The perfect companions for this trip. And George couldn’t have been better. By the end of the trip, we all were in love with George. So, imagine if this wasn’t the case. Imagine if one or more of the fellow passengers was a pain in the neck or George had a Captain Ahab personality? It would have been intolerable.

Sailing the Greek Isles has been thoroughly scratched off my bucket list. Been there, done that. And maybe it can come off your list now too. Just saying.

Santorini

Upon arrival at the airport, we said goodbye to Ted & Ellen who were heading back to their home in Amsterdam. Our next stop would be Santorini, a 45-minute flight due south of Athens.

As previously noted, the Greek Islands are formed from a submerged mountain range. Santorini was the site of one of the largest volcanic eruptions in recorded history: the Minoan eruption, which occurred about 3,600 years ago at the height of the Minoan civilization. The eruption left a large caldera hundreds of meters deep. It may have led indirectly to the collapse of the Minoan civilization on the island of Crete, 110 km (68 mi) to the south, through a gigantic tsunami.

Satellite image of Santorini

There are over 15,000 people who live on Santorini, most of whom live on the caldera’s rim, high above sea level. I had seen pictures of Santorini many times, but I didn’t realize that these beautiful clusters of tightly packed white buildings with blue doors and roofs had virtually no access to the sea. In fact, there are very few beaches on Santorini as, mostly, where the land meets the sea is marked by steep cliffs and rocky shores. With that said, the place is beautiful.

We stayed for three nights at the Acroterra Rosa on the southern perimeter in the small town of Akrotiri. The Santorini port is located in Thera, the capital city, located on the west side of the central perimeter. The city of Oia, located on the northern perimeter, is the town captured in all of the popular images of Santorini and is, by far, the most crowded part of the island.

We arrived late on Sunday, June 23^rd and went straight to bed. The next morning, we traveled to the lighthouse at the southern tip for a quick hike. From there, we drove to the eastern edge of the island to Red Beach. The beach derives its name from the color of the volcanic ash that is evident from the cliffsides and the beach. From the beach, we drove to the highest point on the island, Mount Profitis, where we visited the monastery of Prophet Elias. Next, we drove to the town of Pyrgos, in the center of the island, where we had lunch and later visited Pyrgos Castle.

Red Beach

This day also happened to be our second anniversary and to celebrate, I had arranged for dinner at Lauda in Oia. Lauda is Oia’s first restaurant and its chef, Emmanuel Renaut, is a Michelin 3-star chef. You approach the restaurant from the rim of the caldera where you are met by the host who then escorts you down several flights of stairs to where the restaurant is. There we are met by the maître d’ who I can only describe as the most charming individual I have ever met. He looks and sounds like the younger sibling of Ricardo Montalbán. When he shows us to our table, which sits on the outer edge of the patio with spectacular views of the harbor, he asks “Is this table to your liking?” and then he hands Liz a long stem rose. We are both gob-smacked by the entire ambiance. What a great start to our anniversary celebration.

The view from our table at Lauda

The menu is a prix fixe with wine pairings and everything is spectacular. In the harbor below us is an enormous yacht which we later learn belongs to Mark Cuban, the owner of the Dallas Mavericks. The boat is over 100 meters long with a swimming pool on the rear deck. Seems a bit over the top to me, but it does make for a nice visual as the sun slowly sinks into the sea. Overall, this was one of the most romantic experiences ever.

Mark Cuban's yacht

The next day, Tuesday, June 25^th, we drove back to Oia to explore the main walkway that tracks along the caldera’s perimeter and is lined with hundreds of expensive, fancy shops. The views are just as outstanding as the post cards suggest, although navigating among the throngs of tourists in the oppressive heat is exhausting. There are six cruise ships in the harbor this day, each with several thousand passengers and, it seems, most are in Oia this day.

Oia

We returned to our hotel, had a swim in the pool, followed by massages. Tough day. That evening, we had dinner at a cliffside restaurant in Fira. From our table, we had a wonderful view of the gondola or tram system that is used to bring cruise ship passengers from the shore up the cliffs to the top of the caldera – a rise of 1200 ft.

The next day, Wednesday, June 26^th, we flew back to Athens where we checked into the Sofitel Hotel at the airport. I had a conference call with my former Bentley colleagues, for whom I still do some consulting work, that began at 6pm and lasted nearly five hours.

The next morning, we had an early flight out to Nice, France where we will visit with our dear friends, Alan and Karen Farkas. For years, they have rented a home in Gassin, near St. Tropez, for a month. Last year, we spent several days with them there and we will now soon be back for a repeat performance. Very much looking forward to relaxing with the two of them.

Musings…

As Malcolm mentioned, both of us had sailing the Greek Islands on our respective bucket lists. Everyone I’ve ever talked to that took this trip loved it. So how could we not? Well, I’m not sure, but maybe it was the temperature (hotter than Hades!) or the fact that even though 51 feet sounds big, it’s really a little boat or the fact the islands we visited were tiny with very little activity (and desert like). Anyway, it's checked off my bucket list, and I loved spending time with Ted & Ellen (still hoping I passed “the test”!). And, best news, I never felt seasick - those patches definitely work;).

I must say that I was slightly obsessed with George, our captain. Here’s a young, good looking guy, that spends about 6 months a year sailing alone. Yes, he’s with his passengers, but he’s pretty solitary and only participates if directly cajoled into participating. Just couldn’t get my head around how someone would want to spend their life like that…but that’s why we’re all who we are (said a voice in my head as I was swimming in the stunningly beautiful Aegean Sea). Thanks, Amphitrite.

I also enjoyed Santorini, but found the huge crowds (God knows how people do those cruises) and still hotter than Hades temps, not to my liking. However, our anniversary dinner was fabulous and very romantic.

So, sometimes we find ourselves surprised at our own reactions…like I was to my highly anticipated Greek Island cruise. Just too hot, too crowded, and not nearly enough greenery for me. Who would have thought…..?