Sailing Day 2: Waking up in a beautiful bay
The island of chalk: Kimolos
After the night sail and the swim under the full moon the night before, Charlie had spent her first night on a sailing boat. The light movement of the boat (and the reduced sleeping hours the previous days) made her sleep like a baby. The alarm rang at 7 because they wanted to be at the harbour early to secure a good spot. Charlie took a swim in crystal clear waters to wake her body up. The water was lovely. It felt a lot warmer than the night before and you could see so many fish…
Due to the movement of the sea, the boat had turned around 180° around the anchor over night and was now facing the other way. Charlie could admire the view towards the island of Kimolos. The word comes from the Greek word for chalk; the chalk mines are still being worked today and visible from the sea – even at night.
Historic breakfast
After her swim, the others had prepared the coffee and they all had breakfast together in the cockpit of the boat. Charlie was lucky to have two native Greeks on board that both had an interest in history and culture. That way Charlie learned about the most important dates in Greek history without having to look it up in a book. According to Dimitris, there are 4 dates every Greek remembers:
- 1204: the year of the 4th crusade and the first occupation
- 1453: the fall of Constantinople and the following Ottoman occupation
- 1821: the begin of the Greek revolt against the Ottomans
- 1940: the occupation during WWII
Vangelis, the instructor during the sailing course in Greece, added a few dates and pointers about the history of the island of Kimolos, just to make the history lesson well-rounded.
Sail to safety
After coffee, they were ready to sail. It wasn’t far, just a few bays over to reach the port of Kimolos where they could anchor, go on land and most importantly, charge all their devices. It only was a half hour sailing trip to reach the port and they were lucky to find a spot because the marina was busy. Charlie learned from Vangelis that apart from the island of Mykonos, all harbours in the Greek islands work on a first come first serve basis. You can’t reserve a spot to moor.
Right by the marina was a coffee shop and they went for a second breakfast, this time with a coffee freddo – a cold espresso. Charlie didn’t understand what was going on as they all (even Daria and Pablo) ordered in Greek. Charlie had no clue what they had ordered, or what kind of coffee she would get…It turned out that a few words such as “Kalimera” and “Efaristo” weren’t enough. She should have learned some Greek!
Work & Travel
Despite all the sun and fun, Charlie and Pablo still had to get some work done. That’s how they turned the boat into a co-working space. Luckily, their laptops had just reached full charge as the power cut occurred. The internet connection at Kimolos wasn’t the best either, but Charlie got those things done that had to be done that day. However, a sailing trip might not be the best idea for digital nomads.
Later that afternoon, Charlie and Pablo went for a swim and enjoyed a cool beer at a bar directly by the beach. Tables and chairs were set up in the sand and Charlie got to experience the Greek hospitality. The card reader didn’t work (remember, bad internet connection) and neither her nor Pablo had taken any cash with them. The waiter who had warned them before their swim about the sea urchins, was very friendly and offered them to stop by again later and pay for the beers.
They walked a bit around the town, heard somebody sing Barbie Girl in the shower, discovered stunning olive tree gardens and did a little grocery shop on the way back to the boat. They agreed with the others to meet at 8 for dinner which gave Charlie and Pablo an hour to take some pictures of the area from above. Charlie had never taken photos with a drone before and it felt like playing a computer game.
The village up the hill
Vangelis, the captain and sailing instructor, knew the place very well and recommended to go up to The Chora (Greek for “Village”) for dinner. It certainly was worth the walk up the hill: small streets, historic buildings, quiet corner shops, creative libraries on every corner, positive vibes and stunning views. Before they went for food, they had a drink at a small bar next to the ruins of a historic castle. In the meantime, the village got busier and as they continued their journey to the restaurant, kids had come out and played in the streets and elderly women hat put their chairs in front of the houses for their usual evening chat amongst neighbours.
Vangelis was soon to regret having not made a reservation at the restaurant he had in mind although he was the only one upset about it. Everybody else was happy about the alternative of “Greek fastfood”: Souvlaki. The waiters were a bit surprised that the group wanted the beers before the food had arrived. It is apparently not common in Greece to drink without food. Even more uncommon was Pablo’s request for mayonnaise… there was nothing to be served with Souvlaki then Tzatziki!
They had another drink in one of the bars at the harbour before going to sleep that night and Charlie got the chance to try another traditional Greek drink: Masticha – a spirit from the island of Chios. She was again lucky to have had Dimitris and Vangelis to provide some information about what they were drinking.
