This morning we began our first day sailing in the Cyclades, the archipelago of spectacular islands in the Aegean just south of Athens and the Attic Peninsula. We began our morning by setting nearly all the sails on our wonderful four-masted barque, one of the most beautifully preserved sailing ships in the world. Winds were light, so we were able to set lots of canvas which gave us the full impression of a square rigger under full sail. After lunch we struck the sails and entered the small harbor at Sifnos, one of the less visited islands in the group, but certainly one of the most striking. Taking our tenders ashore, we drove across the island to the old town of Kastro, a Venetian word for castle. Kastrosits dazzling white in the bright Aegean sun and is silhouetted against the deep blue of the sea.
We first walked the narrow streets and steps of the town, where even a donkey might have a hard time walking—there are of course no cars in the entire town. The houses are built one atop the next so that the roof of one building is the front porch of the one above. A few local inhabitants passed us with a friendly “Kalimera” (good day). As we walked around the small town we reached the ocean side and there, far below us on a small promontory, was the tiny Church of the Seven Martyrs. A number of us walked down the steep stone pathway and went inside for a short visit. The beautiful icons of Christ, the Virgin and of the Seven Martyrs adorned the walls. This is just one of thousands of small churches in the islands, usually built by someone, likely a sailor who, after a life-threatening event at sea, was caused to pray to one saint or another and to promise to build a church if he survived.
In the late afternoon we took our tenders back to the ship and enjoyed the Captain’s welcome aboard cocktails and dinner as we swung at anchor in the bay. It was a delightful end to our first day in the Cyclades and left us ready for more adventures as we continue our voyage through these enchanted islands.
