At Rest! Mediterrenean Sunrise. Greece.
Mostly, my stories revolve around photography from the back of a truck, deep in the wilderness, and looking for wildlife here and near to the Pacific Northwest. But for the past forty one days, and the reason my stories have been on hiatus, I have been exploring Europe with my wife Stephanie (and daughter, son-in-law, and 18-month old granddaughter for the first two weeks): Italy, Greece, Portugal, Spain, southern France and then Iceland were all on the agenda, and all wonderful experiences.
Evening Moorage! Poros, Greece.
As often with our trips, we tried to cram far too much into our time away. That meant that we didn’t have much down time, and maybe not enough to really explore all of these wonderful places in depth. But we covered a lot of ground, learned so much, met great people, and gave ourselves a good reason to go back again (and again, and …).
Prickly Pear in Bloom.
Of course, I wouldn’t be happy if I weren’t looking for wildlife. So as part of our trip, we spent time in Spain looking for the Cantabrian brown bear, and for puffins and artic fox in Iceland. We found all of these, but that is a story for an upcoming and future article (stay tuned).
Ready for Celebration! Trizinia, Poros, Greece.
For the first time in my travels, the food, the people we met, and the places we stayed were absolute highlights of the trip. No huddling around a campfire on a cold and rainy evening this trip… but waking up to sounds of the early morning streets, a soft breeze and billowing almost surreal curtains framing a balcony view in Lisbon. Watching my granddaughter’s glee with her first visit to the beach in Athens; a private visit to a small family-owned winery in the Saronic Islands; a farm stay in the Tuscany countryside, or buying pastries and wine and wandering a city-wide farmers market in Sarlat-la-Canéda in France. Just a few of our escapades and highlights on this trip.
Roman Amphora Jars! Agios Vlasios, Greece.
I remembered that at one time (perhaps even before we were married?) Stephanie had said she wanted to learn to sail. Well, we have the San Juan Islands and Salish Sea right here in Bellingham, so it seemed like a great idea. So, a few years ago, Stephanie signed up for a week-long all woman’s sailing course in the San Juans. At some point, that desire to sail, and that course, locked in an eventual sailing adventure in Greece with goals of being with family, sailing on the turquoise waters of the Mediterranean, swimming above ancient roman ruins in the bay of Agios Vlasios, enjoying cool winds as we sailed or motored from port to port, and savoring great food night after night. Pretty cool how ideas sometimes have a way of growing and morphing into something wonderful and incredible – a sailing course, a shared taste for adventure and being together, all leading to our days on the water, in Europe, and with each other in a dream come true.
Poros Morning!
As we got serious about the sailing, our research caused reservations about insurance. We were definitely hiring a captain (that San Juan course was a while ago), but what happens if he/she sinks the boat? Insurance was under $1000 for a boat worth roughly over a half-million (Fifty-foot sailboat per Google). It didn’t add up, and we got cold feet.
Windward Isles! Saronic Islands, Greece.
So, Stephanie called her friends at the San Juan Sailing School to look for options. They gave us info on the insurance and a contact for a local boat captain here in Bellingham to talk with. In a stroke of what can only be considered serendipity, that captain, Edana, said that she had another summer sailing trip set up in Greece a week after our dates, had the boat set, and would be happy to do back-to-back trips with our family. We met here locally, worked out the details, and we were on!
After finding a dog sitter, stopping the mail, checking the bank account, and booking a flight to Rome (best destination using frequent flyer miles), we found ourselves in Italy for a few days, then on to Athens and a quick ride to board our home for seven days, the “Inspiration.”
Mediterranean Days!
Our Captain was amazing, and our first mate Martha also, and they both quickly became fast friends with our family. Their contacts and local knowledge made the trip very special. Sailing and especially docking in Greece is a bit like driving the Washington DC beltway with a blindfold. People are cutthroat (and/or clueless), zipping here and there, cutting other boats out, and demonstrating way too much testosterone. Edana was a pro, and our trips to Ancient Epidavros and the ports of Methana, Poros, and Perdika (Aegina) were seamless. After hours, Martha would slip into town, shop for, and prepare local and amazingly fresh food on the boat. Tzatziki, Moussaka, Katsiki, Saganaki, Baklava (and Ouzo), we ate all of it, even our most picky eater, me. Martha quickly became a member of our family and best friends with our granddaughter. We also enjoyed dinners in local towns, each with fresh fish, pork, and lamb. Yum!
Traveling the Island of Methana!
This combined local knowledge generated led us to an afterhours visit to the local winery mentioned above, and a phenomenal dinner in a small restaurant (Oinotherapeftirio) on the island of Methana. Local, simply prepared food and drink, an evening spent talking with the owner Theo, local wines, learning about life in the islands, and most definitely the best chicken and grilled vegetables any of us have ever tasted.
All this and only the first part of our adventures.
Temple of Aphaia! Island of Angina, Greece.
From previous travels and our many explorations, Stephanie and I understood before we left that the world has so many wonderful places to explore. All with different wonders, customs, histories, peoples, and places of interest and beauty. And, in case we forgot during our journey, just how wonderful it is to come back home – especially if that home is here in the magnificent, awe-inspiring Northwest.
Mediterrenean Reflection! Poros, Greece.
On our first day back, we took our first walk in the woods near our house and reflected on the many amazing sights and places we had seen. We compared those to what lay before us, towering Douglas fir, western hemlock, red cedar, salmonberries and thimbleberries just within reach, cooler than the blazing hot temperatures in Europe, and the smell of recent rain. In all, a really good place to live, and to start and end each new adventure and exploration.
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