After a full day on Santorini, today was a day to relax and enjoy. At dawn Sea Cloud approached the town of Neaopolis, at the very southern tip of the Peloponnesus peninsula. The sun rose over the local hills to our north, and the sea was flat calm.
As with most ports in Greece, we had to clear in for permission to go anchor off our morning destination of Elafonisos Island. Once done with the formalities, it was a short 30 minute trip to the anchorage. By 9:30 we were queued up at the gangway, ready to hit the beach.
Simos beach on Elafonisos is a beautiful half-moon shape, with crystal clear water and white sand stretching out in either direction from the landing. After stepping out of the Zodiac, the expedition team welcomes us with champagne mimosas! A few guests head for the chaise lounges with “palapa” style umbrellas, but the water is hard to resist, so most of us just wade right in. What a spectacular way to spend our last morning.
After a few hours, it’s time to head back to the ship for lunch, and our head chef Maik has prepared one of his signature dishes: a “pasta wheel” spaghetti prepared in a giant hollowed out wheel of parmesan cheese.
Soon, our sailors are climbing the rig one last time, setting the sails for the afternoon. A westerly breeze is the perfect time for a photo safari, and the crew lowers the Zodiacs so we can take pictures of Sea Cloud under sail. Seeing the ship from that vantage point is certainly a thrill for all.
Tonight, we raise a glass and toast the voyage at the Captain’s Farewell Party. Captain Pushkarev reminds us that we are now part of the Sea Cloud family, and surely that means we will return someday, to sail again under clouds of while sails.
