OPINION

Cruising amid the Greek islands

Our exploration of the Greek islands (see last week's column about how this came about) began at 10 a.m. Oct. 1 when, after recovering from the shock of acquiring a mega yacht, our group of 10 friends boarded the 125-foot Carmen Fontana. The yacht had five staterooms and a crew of eight. The captain took us on a quick tour; we were shocked at the lavish interior.

I knew late spring and early fall were the best times to travel to a Mediterranean country, so when I started planning the vacation cruise, I took into account the weather and the overall tourism travels of the general population. Bad weather and overcrowding can turn a great trip into a struggle.

We started our trip from Piraeus, the port of Athens. Our first stop was Andros, the crown jewel of a chain of islands in the Aegean Sea called the Cyclades. The cruise would take a couple of hours, which would give us time to go ashore and have lunch, then return to the yacht for dinner.

The captain informed us that one of the crew was a noted chef, and dinner would be served promptly at 8 p.m. each day. We would have lunch at one of the many seaside restaurants on whatever island we happened to be on.

The Cyclades (220 islands that are peaks of a submerged mountainous terrain) are Greece with an exclamation point. My first reaction when we docked at Andros was to just walk. The beauty of the small towns are complimented by the physical charm of the surrounding sea and land.

Strolling through one of the many island villages is a joy that is almost impossible to describe, and can't be replicated in any of the travels we have made. I don't know if whitewashed buildings are mandatory, but I didn't see any other color, and the setting of the villages against the backdrop of the "wine-dark dea" as described by Greek poet Homer as well as red splashes of blooming bougainvillea is truly breathtaking.

Of all the things we did on the cruise, walking in the villages comes in on the high end of the list, and dining on fresh seafood in the village restaurants and along the many beaches rises to another level.

That first night, as we sat around the table waiting for our first dinner to be served on the yacht, we really didn't know what to expect. Louree, one of our Texas friends, was seated next to me, and she whispered, "I hope they don't serve something exotic."

"Oh, I don't think they will. After all, they know we're Americans," I replied.

A few minutes later they brought out the first course, and as I looked down at my plate, my eyes rolled back for a moment. It was octopus--about the size of my hand with tentacles covering the entire plate--and it had been grilled.

Louree is a trouper, and she started whacking off those tentacles. After a few bites she said, "These are really tasty."

The food served on the yacht during our two-week trip was consistently outstanding. Our day would start with a mixed breakfast of rolls and fruit, then lunch would be at one of the villages we would be visiting. Picture dining under the shade of a large straw-covered patio overlooking a gorgeous beach as the servers put some of the freshest seafood imaginable down in front of you. Dinner was always on the yacht, and was also a variety of fresh seafood along with items such as a salad with dolmas (stuffed grape leaves).

On another day we cruised around various small islands, and right before lunch docked at Mykonos. The combination of a gorgeous beach restaurant and a spectacular view from a hill overlooking the beach with a windmill and small church are views that are so wonderful they can't be described. It's easy to see why Mykonos is the No. 1 party island in the Cyclades, but in early October, we nearly had the island to ourselves.

Among the best parts of our island-hopping were the small villages, where walking through the narrow streets or climbing a small hill would lead to surprising sights. Since the islands had been inhabited as long as the Greek mainland, they are sprinkled with breathtaking ruins. The ancient Greeks understood views, and from the advantage of numerous temple ruins the view was wonderful.

As the trip continued, we stopped at Paros, Sikinos, Serifos, and several other islands tucked away just a few miles from each other. It seems each one, even though they were sometimes a few miles apart, had their own special flavor, and whether it was food or views or ruins, it added to the trip. Each island was an adventure.

Our weather was perfect, clear, with temperatures in the 70s to 80s with a slight breeze.

At our last night's dinner, the captain announced the crew had a special presentation. As a couple of the crew entered in with bouzoukis playing folk music, the remainder of the crew, including the captain, entertained us with some great music and colorful Greek dances.

Then just a little later that night, after we were in the harbor at Piraeus, the first rainstorm of the fall started.

Email Richard Mason at richard@gibraltarenergy.com.

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