Siphnos
What a glorious introduction to the Cyclades we had today! After spending our first night anchored near Cape Sounion, Panorama got underway early this morning and set sails for Siphnos. A brief, but strong, rain shower in the wee hours of the morning washed the decks and woke a few folks, but it was mostly a quiet night “on the hook”. Underway at sunrise, we passed the island of Serifos with Cory’s shearwaters and a few common dolphins as our companions. Although the wind was light, we motor-sailed for about an hour, reaching Vathy Bay on the island of Siphnos mid-morning. Our Greek guides Stella and Elli gave a wonderful talk, introducing us to both the geologic and human histories of the Cycladic Islands. Afterwards, once the sun was high, we dropped the swim ladder and put kayaks in the water, for a few hours of water sports. Kayakers paddled around this lovely bay, while swimmers braced for a refreshing entry. It was a beautiful, relaxed first morning in the Greek Isles.
Shortly after lunch, we received our first lesson in the Greek alphabet, a puzzle likened to Sudoku for some of our western eyes and ears. Afterwards, we boarded coaches in the modern capitol of Kamares for an afternoon tour of Siphnos. As one of the less visited of the Cycladic islands, and now that the summer tourist season is coming to a close, Siphnos was quiet. First, we headed across the island to the old capitol of Kastro, where we entered the city on foot. The main “road” of this long-occupied town is a pedestrian footpath, paved with limestone and schist flagstones. Winding through the village, our guides stopped to point out Venetian architecture and Roman artifacts, before leading us out one of the city gates to an incredible view of the Aegean and a blue-domed Orthodox church, 200 meters below.
Back aboard the coaches, we continued our island exploration with visits to the twin villages of Artemonas and Apollonia. Many chose to walk the mile between the villages, stopping at countless photo opportunities along the way. Others opted for the shade in Apollonia’s main square, since many of the shops and cafes were still closed for siesta. Back aboard Panorama, we watched a beautiful sunset and learned about olives, one of the symbols of the Mediterranean region.
What a glorious introduction to the Cyclades we had today! After spending our first night anchored near Cape Sounion, Panorama got underway early this morning and set sails for Siphnos. A brief, but strong, rain shower in the wee hours of the morning washed the decks and woke a few folks, but it was mostly a quiet night “on the hook”. Underway at sunrise, we passed the island of Serifos with Cory’s shearwaters and a few common dolphins as our companions. Although the wind was light, we motor-sailed for about an hour, reaching Vathy Bay on the island of Siphnos mid-morning. Our Greek guides Stella and Elli gave a wonderful talk, introducing us to both the geologic and human histories of the Cycladic Islands. Afterwards, once the sun was high, we dropped the swim ladder and put kayaks in the water, for a few hours of water sports. Kayakers paddled around this lovely bay, while swimmers braced for a refreshing entry. It was a beautiful, relaxed first morning in the Greek Isles.
Shortly after lunch, we received our first lesson in the Greek alphabet, a puzzle likened to Sudoku for some of our western eyes and ears. Afterwards, we boarded coaches in the modern capitol of Kamares for an afternoon tour of Siphnos. As one of the less visited of the Cycladic islands, and now that the summer tourist season is coming to a close, Siphnos was quiet. First, we headed across the island to the old capitol of Kastro, where we entered the city on foot. The main “road” of this long-occupied town is a pedestrian footpath, paved with limestone and schist flagstones. Winding through the village, our guides stopped to point out Venetian architecture and Roman artifacts, before leading us out one of the city gates to an incredible view of the Aegean and a blue-domed Orthodox church, 200 meters below.
Back aboard the coaches, we continued our island exploration with visits to the twin villages of Artemonas and Apollonia. Many chose to walk the mile between the villages, stopping at countless photo opportunities along the way. Others opted for the shade in Apollonia’s main square, since many of the shops and cafes were still closed for siesta. Back aboard Panorama, we watched a beautiful sunset and learned about olives, one of the symbols of the Mediterranean region.
