Wij waren blij om het team van kledingketen Tess V te ontvangen op de catamaran toen we op Milos waren! https://www.tessv.nl/ Met een team van 6 mensen (2 modellen + 4 medewerkers van Tess V) kwamen zij aan boord voor een fotoshoot op de catamaran van de nieuwe collectie. Tess V heeft hier een video van gemaakt die in de 5 winkels te zien is (geweest).

Op het kleine eiland Ios in de Cycladen, zijn veel mooie stranden. En vlakbij de haven waar onze boot lag, vind je Koumbara Beach. Dit bestaat uit kleine schiereilandjes, waar ook luxe restaurants en clubs zijn. Maar ook oude vissersbootjes die in ondiep turquoise water bij een landtong liggen te wachten. We zijn er met de drone overheen gevlogen en vonden het er sfeervol uitzien.

Het eiland Ios in de Cycladen is niet zo bekend, maar een prachtig eiland! Ios Chora (oftwel Ios Stad) ligt spectaculair op een bergtop. We zijn op onze e-bike en de e-step gestapt en de klim naar Ios stad gaf een prachtig uitzicht op dit deel van het eiland. We gingen nog verder omhoog en we stopten bij een serie oude windmolentjes. Deze herinneren aan het agrarische verleden van Ios. Waarbij je ook weer uitzicht had op Ios stad zelf. Mooi!

In de Griekse Cycladen ligt het eiland Naxos. En in het noorden vind je het kustdorp Apollonas, met de bekende witte huizen uit de Cycladen. En daar vlak achter, best wel verscholen, een marmergroeve uit de anieke oudheid. Want Naxos staat bekend om het marmer dat hier gedolven wordt en werd sinds de oudheid. Daar ligt een enorme, onvoltooide Kouros: een mannenbeeld uit de 6e eeuw v.Chr., uitgehouwen in Naxisch marmer, dat maar liefst elf meter lang is. Dit beeld wordt ook wel de Kolossus van Dionysus genoemd. Bij het hoofd zie je dat er scheuren in het marmer zitten en daarom is het beeld dat eigenlijk bijna af was, vermoedelijk hier achter gebleven. Voor ons in de 21ste eeuw een geluk, dat we dus zo’n beeld nog kunnen bewonderen!

The most famous image of Mykonos is the five windmills standing on a small hill by the water, which you can already see from a distance when approaching the town. Most of the windmills face north and were built by the Venetians in the 16th century. They also look stunning at sunset. In this video, you can see how close they are to Little Venice, which is located directly across from the windmills.

We didn’t know that Samos wine is to Greece what, for example, Champagne is to France or Port is to Portugal: the signature, iconic alcoholic drink! So there are plenty of wineries. But our harbor master tipped us off about a small winery producing organic Samos wine. We set off for the eastern part of the island and rented a car for the trip. The winery, Hatziioannou Estate, is located in a beautiful spot in the green hills on the east side of Samos, naturally surrounded by vineyards. They are exclusively dedicated to the production of high-quality organic wines. We received a warm welcome and were invited to sit at a large table overlooking the tanks and wine barrels. The inspiring owner shared his story with us, explaining how he started the winery together with his wife and sons. Watch the video of our arrival at the winery, the tasting, and the lovely owners here!

We arrived at the island of Chios and, as is typical during this time of year, we were the only boat at the quay. We did notice some kind of rack sticking out over the water when we tied our put up at the quay. It turned out that we had docked right in front of the only restaurant that was open, and their specialty was “sun-dried octopus,” which was lying there drying in the sun. Even though the weather was sunny, we still needed some extra electricity—for example, to run a load of laundry. During the low season, electricity is often turned off for sailors, and that was the case here as well. We asked the restaurant owner if we could roll out our 50-meter power cable to the restaurant to get electricity for two days. Of course, we were willing to pay for it. But Greeks are often so hospitable and friendly—it wasn’t necessary. It was around lunchtime, so we showed our gratitude by having lunch and drinks there. A win-win situation! I filmed the restaurant and how our electricity cable was set up—funny to see, also the octopus and the tree in the restaurant!

The capital of the island of Lesbos is located on the east coast and is called Mytilini. The Castle of Mytilini can be seen from almost every viewpoint in the city — not only because it stands on a high hill, but also because it is one of the largest castles in the Mediterranean. The first structures date back to the Byzantine period (6th century), likely built on the remains of an even older ancient acropolis. In the 14th century, the Genoese Gattilusio family significantly expanded the fortress while they ruled Lesbos. The castle was built to protect the city from pirates and enemy naval attacks. After the Ottoman conquest in 1462, additional walls, bastions, and storage areas were added, giving the complex its current impressive size. The castle covers about 60 hectares, highlighting its strategic importance; located close to the Turkish coast, Mytilene was for centuries an important military and trading center in the Aegean Sea. We spent the entire afternoon walking across the grounds, passing remains of Ottoman bathhouses, water reservoirs, underground storage spaces, and an old mosque.

Molyvos is often considered one of the most beautiful villages in all of Greece. When we moored our boat in the harbor, we immediately understood why. Here, it feels as if time has stood still. The medieval castle on top of the hill dominates the view and has witnessed both the Byzantine and the Ottoman eras. We sent our drone up to capture the beautiful village of Molyvos from a bird’s-eye view.

You don’t expect to walk through a mini-desert on a Greek island — yet suddenly the Ammothínes appear right in front of you. This area on the island of Limnos consists of fine sand dunes formed by strong northern winds and ancient sea currents. Over thousands of years, the sand was carried inland from the coast and accumulated between old volcanic hills. Because the area is so vast and difficult to explore on foot, we launched our drone to admire the beautiful dunes and this seaside mini-desert from above.

We were amazed as we entered the Dardanelles Strait in Turkey. Along the coastline there was so much going on: ferries, trains, towns, and monuments. It almost made you forget to look at the water — until suddenly large dolphins started leaping in front of our bow and diving through the bubbles created by the front of our catamaran hulls.

At one point, we noticed the anchor light wasn’t working. Apparently, after six years the battery was dead. We were able to buy a spare anchor light, and I went up the mast to replace it. The first time, we thought it would be easy—just replace the light or the battery—but it turned out that more work was needed. The anchor light had to be unscrewed and the two wires had to be reconnected in the terminal block. And all of that at 22 meters up, right on top of the mast. After some instructions from Gilles, I went up the mast again, this time bringing tools along in the side pockets of the “chair” (bosun’s chair) in which you’re hoisted up. It worked, and the anchor light was shining brightly again at the top of the mast!

Suddenly, they were here again: dolphins! Between 2 of the Sporades islands, we saw them jumping in front of the boat. This was during the week we had guests aboard, so we celebrated the presence of these magical animals together!

You might be wondering: why mention the airport? What’s so special about it? Well, here’s why. Skiathos, a Greec island at the Sporades islands in the North-West of the Aegan sea, is a relatively small island, yet it has an international airport. And that is exactly what makes it so spectacular. The runway is short and squeezed in between the sea and the built-up area. As a result, aircraft have to approach extremely low. From the water – especially when you’re in the harbour – you see the plane coming straight at you. It flies low over the harbour, sometimes so low that you think it might clip your mast, and then immediately hits the brakes as soon as it touches down on the runway. The first time we experienced this, it really startled us. You hear the sound, look up… and suddenly there’s an aircraft right above you. You rarely see planes flying this low. First there’s a moment of shock, then laughter, and after that you find yourself watching every single landing again 😉. For plane spotters, Skiathos has by now become world-famous. People stand along the road or on the beach to take photos and videos of the landings. We made a video too.

The Crazy Waters Bridge in Chalkis sits at the narrowest point between Evia and the mainland, where the strait is only about 38 meters wide. Because so much water is forced through this tiny opening, extremely strong currents are created — the reason sailors call it the “Crazy Waters.” The bridge is in the middle of the city and opens only once a day to avoid disrupting the constant road traffic. Boats may only pass at slack tide, the brief moment every six hours when the water is calmest. That’s why sailors often go through at strange times like 1:30 or 3:00 a.m. While waiting, boats are not allowed to tie up along the quay because the turbulence is so strong that it would be dangerous. Instead, everyone must anchor in the bay and wait for instructions from Port Control. We anchored there with about fifteen other boats and waited until slack tide at night. At midnight, Port Control suddenly called all boats in order — we were number three. Passing the bridge in the dark was surreal: strong currents below, quiet city lights above. The bridge didn’t lift; it actually slid sideways into the quay walls, disappearing completely. Once through, we moored safely just 100 meters further in the city. Experiencing this natural phenomenon at night, in such a narrow and powerful channel, was something I will not quickly forget!

The ancient city of Corinth is located in a strategic place between the Aegean and the Ionian Sea — exactly where Greece is at its narrowest. It's location between two seas made Corinth the “Venice of Antiquity,” with enormous prosperity through tolls on trade routes. Corinth grew into a true city-state (polis) in the 8th century BC. Corinth was also an important religious center, especially for the goddess Aphrodite. On the Acrocorinth mountain stood her famous temple, where—according to tradition—more than 1,000 priestesses (sacred courtesans) served. The ancient city has been preserved as ruins and can be visited. We arrived there at sunset, so the site was closed, but we were still able to make this video

We recently sailed the Corinth Canal with our catamaran! But before we crossed this iconic Canal, we first went up to see it from above. You can see here the drone recording of us looking over the Canal. Some interesting facts about the Canal of Corinth: • Opened in 1893 • Length: 6.3 km • Width max: 24 meters • Depth max: 8 meters • Cliffs: about 90 meters high • 11,000 ships pass through annually • 6 bridges cross the canal, at a height of 52 meters above the water

The theater is one of the best-preserved ancient theaters in Greece and is often considered a masterpiece of classical antiquity. It was built around 340 BC. From the beginning, this theater in Greece was famous for its excellent acoustics. Even whispers from the orchestra floor can be heard at the very top rows. This phenomenon is still often demonstrated to visitors, as you can see in the video I made when I sat in the top row of the theater!

Methana is a peninsula in the Saronic Gulf and is famous for it’s volcano and Thermal springs. We visited both and we loved also the charming village of Vathi were a small harbor felt very welcoming to us. Next to the fishing boats, we were the only sailing boat on the quay and after making it through the small entrance, we had a quiet stay in this beautiful scenery. Enjoy the drone flight we took over the harbor with the stunning mountains in the background.

Just as we were about to set sail here in Greece from the island Poros, our wind sensor suddenly stopped working. No wind direction, no wind speed. Not ideal when you're navigating open waters. Maybe it had been a bird? Or sun and salt damage? Or just one strong gust too many. Whatever the cause, I had to climb up the mast, attached to a line and helped with a winch. And ofcourse the new windmeter! So up I went — 22 meters high at the top of our catamaran’s mast and the camera rolling! I filmed the whole thing. Because this moment captures what it means to be a Digital Nomad: 🔹 Being ready to improvise 🔹 Making decisions to set clear couse again 🔹 Trusting your preparation, your partner and yourself 🔹 And staying calm, even with a shaky view ➡️ Want to see what it looks like up the mast, installing a new windmeter? 📹 Watch the video!