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!

The first island we visited in the Saronic Gulf (the stretch of water south of Athens, Greece) was Aegina. In the southwest corner of the island lies Perdika. We found this little fishing village so charming that we sent our drone up into the air to admire it from above as well. You can see the colorful fishing boats moored at the docks in the sheltered harbor, and along the promenade are the whitewashed houses so typical of this part of Greece. To me, the village had retained much of its authentic character. From the harbor quay, you can see the uninhabited islet of Moni – a nature reserve that can only be reached by boat. It is said to be home to peacocks, fallow deer, and wild goats.

Cherry Street Pier in the state of Philadelphia (USA) is a former shipyard from 1919 that has been transformed into a vibrant, creative hub on the Delaware River. Once a cargo loading and unloading hub, it now houses art galleries, pop-up markets, and food trucks. What makes this place unique are the preserved old industrial details: think steel arches, rugged walls, and original train tracks in the floor. Artists work live in glass studios open to the public. You can also relax with a view of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge. It's the place where heritage, creativity, and city life converge. In the summer, it hosts concerts and open-air movies. A hidden gem in Philly, full of atmosphere!

We were very charmed by the village of Klima in the south of Milos, where the famous fishermen’s houses with their colorful doors are located right by the sea. These houses are called syrmata. The houses are built into hollowed-out soft rock, where fishermen in the last century stored their boats to protect them from the strong winds and waves. The ground floor serves as a storage space for the boats (during winter), while the fisherman lives on the second floor during the working season, where there is a living area with a sleeping space. We made a short video of these characteristic houses!

The Lassithi Plateau at the island of Crete is a wide, fertile plain over 800 meters above sea level, surrounded by peaks, dotted with villages and fields as far as the eye could see. One of the first things we noticed was a row of stone windmills. There were about 20 in view, but once, there were over 10,000 of them! These windmills used to pump water from the ground for irrigation – a lifeline for agriculture here. The Lassithi Plateau has long been the agricultural heart of eastern Crete, with a unique microclimate and plenty of groundwater. Even today, the 18 villages around the plateau live primarily from farming. We flew our drone to capture this sweeping valley from above – the perfect blend of natural beauty and human ingenuity.

Welcome to Gramvousa Island, the first landfall when sailing from the Peloponnese to Crete. This island is renowned not only for its breathtaking beaches and historic Venetian fortress but also for the mysterious shipwreck rusting along its shore. The wreck is that of the Dimitrios P, a cargo ship that ran aground near Gramvousa in January 1968. The exact cause of the stranding remains a topic of speculation. Some suggest the ship was overwhelmed by severe weather and rough seas, while others believe it was abandoned by its crew due to mechanical issues. Whatever the true story, today the wreck forms an iconic image in the turquoise waters surrounding the island.

Embarking on our journey to the Samaria Gorge, we set off in our rental car, eager to explore one of Europe's most renowned natural wonders. The Samaria Gorge is a canyon located in the middle of the White Mountains Forest Preserve. And the White Mountains massif (known as Lefka Ori in Greek) truly lived up to its name. Due to heavy rainfall the previous night, the mountain peaks were beautifully covered in snow. Snow on Crete? Yes indeed! The highest peak of the White Mountains stands at 2,453 meters, with more than 50 summits exceeding 2,000 meters. As we drove towards the Samaria Gorge, sometimes weaving between goats, we enjoyed the stunning views of the snow-capped mountains.

Kythira is an island that belongs to the Ionian Islands but is geographically located south of the Peloponnese and Crete, at the entrance to the Aegean Sea. This strategic position has historically made Kythira an important maritime hub. Over the centuries, the island has been influenced by various cultures, including the Byzantine, Venetian, and Ottoman civilizations. Kythira is known for its unspoiled nature, picturesque villages, Venetian castles, and stunning beaches with crystal-clear waters. We have moored at the quay of Kapsali Bay, which features a beautiful sandy beach and the characteristic white-and-blue houses of Greece. Here, I recorded a video overlooking the bay, with our catamaran as the only vessel in the bay.

We anchored in the bay of Laganas and while we were anchoring, we suddenly heard a puff coming from the water. It turned out to be a sea turtle that swam at the back of the ship and came up for a moment. We were surprised, because we knew that this bay was famous for sea turtles, but we did not expect to see one right away. And it was impressive, because the sea turtle was at least 1 meter long and weighed 80kg, which means that she is certainly more than 50 years old. The sea turtles have become the symbol of Zakynthos, they are called Caretta caretta and can grow up to 1.20 meters and weigh 100 kg. They mainly eat jellyfish, shellfish and seaweed. The breeding season runs from May to August. Females come ashore at night to lay their eggs in holes, after which they cover them with sand. A nest can contain up to 100 eggs. After about 60 days the young turtles hatch. They navigate to the sea by following the moonlight. The caretta caretta is very threatened by pollution, fishing and tourism. We spent 3 days in the bay, saw a sea turtle behind our boat a few times every day, but often 8 tourist boats immediately came to see the turtle very close as it tried to swim to the beach.

When we sailed the island of Lefkas in the Ionic Sea of Greece, on the most southeastern side of the island, is an islet called Atokos. This is an uninhabited island, where on the east coast is the famous Wild Pig Beach. We took our dinghy and looked at the pigs that walked on the beach here. The pigs are wild or semi-wild pigs, probably descendants of animals that were once left on the island by humans. This happens more often on uninhabited islands, where pigs are introduced for food purposes or accidentally stranded by ship voyages. Atokos has been uninhabited for a long time, but in the past it was occasionally visited by shepherds or hunters. The pigs may have come from these. They eat a wide range of plants, seeds, roots and nuts that occur in nature. On Atokos vegetation is sparse, but pigs can eat dried grass and branches. Marine life can also be a source of food; some pigs eat washed-up seaweed or small crustaceans. Although pigs are technically wild, they often exhibit semi-tame behaviors when they come into contact with people. Their behavior depends on how much interaction they have had with visitors. They can tolerate human contact, but often remain wary. Some pigs are curious and dare to approach, especially if they smell food!

Yes, I know, it was off-limits, you are not allowed to sail through the Grand Canal with your tender as a non-resident..... But hey, we are Dutch, to us 'no' means maybe there is a possibility. And we only have this one chance now that we are here with our sailboat and tender. So we just did it. And it was great, also a bit tricky through the narrow canals with a lot of waves and 10,000 other boats, check out our video of the trip in the small canals. There you can see very well that Venice is composed of 118 small islands connected by 400 bridges. We enjoyed how you could almost touch the houses and saw everyone in the city doing their thing (loading fruit into the boat, transporting guests).

We witnessed a newly married couple coming out of church around 20:00 in the town of Šibenik in Croatia on a Friday night. They danced together to beautiful traditional music. Family and friends stood around them clapping. The tamburica (a string instrument) and folklore dances are popular at weddings. It was fun to experience this exuberant wedding celebration. I think that in the Netherlands you don't see someone waving a Dutch flag and the bride making a cool cheering gesture at the end.

Visiting the Šolta, we stayed at the sheltered ‘Mojito Bay’. The name attracted us, that's why ;). The next day we noticed tourist boats in this bay stopped at a specific spot and people started looking at the water, sometimes swimming, but most of the time leaving again. It turned out that there was a shipwreck called ‘Kontesa’ which sank here and could easily be seen just below the crystal clear water! The ship was built in 1943 and served as a cargo vessel during World War II. After the war, it was sold and converted into a passenger ship, carrying tourists along the Croatian coast. Its sinking in the 1980s was due to a storm, and fortunately, all passengers and crew members were rescued safely. Today, the Shipwreck of Kontesa serves as a reminder of the island’s rich maritime history and provides a unique opportunity for visitors to explore and learn about underwater ecosystems. Over the years, the sunken ship has become a habitat for a wide range of marine life, including colorful fish, octopuses, crabs, and sea anemones. So I got my snorkeling gear and getting closer to the area you could see the top of the ship, it was only 1 or 2 meter under the waterline! Gilles filmed me with our waterproof Go Pro camera, while I was swimming towards the shipwreck.