Onboard the Andrea Cay: Anchors aweigh (...or knot)

We went to pull anchor yesterday and discovered we had a lovely mess. We had been dropping both anchors for the last week because of the Meltemi winds. But, the day after we anchored at Paros, the winds dropped (which was wonderful…) but for the next two days the anchors wrapped around each other several times. There was some confusion as to the direction of the wrap (they were tangled well underwater), so we multiplied our problem by circling the boat in the wrong direction creating an additional wrap that ended up in a giant ball of chains at the waterline (see photo below). After several hours of unsuccessfully trying to untwist the above-water mess from the tender, Joc went to the port-side stern of the boat and used the tender as a tug to push the Andrea Cay in circles. 8-9 revolutions later, we were all dizzy, but the anchors finally untangled and we were on our way.

It was a memorable way to start the celebration of John’s birthday! Fortunately the rest of the day was much more fun. We anchored the boat off Delos, near Mykonos, and tendered in for an 1 ½ hour tour. We were very fortunate to catch an excellent English-speaking tour guide who was just leaving the island as we arrived.

This tiny, uninhabited island is one of the most important mythological, historical and archaeological sites in Greece. According to legend, the twin gods, Apollo and Artemis, were born on Delos, and the Ionians started pilgrimages there about 1000 BC. By 700 BC, Delos was a major religious center, and by the 2^nd and 3^rd centuries BC, it was declared a free port and became the financial and trading center of the Mediterranean. Over 30,000 people from Greece, Rome, Syria, Egypt and Italy lived in harmony and practicing their own religions on this tiny island of 1.3 sq. miles.

Delos had a swift and tragic demise in 88 BC, when King Mithrides of Pontus (an area that is now Turkey), revolted against the Roman rule and attacked the island, killing or selling into slavery over 20,000 people, looting and stealing the millions of dollars worth of sanctuary treasures, and destroying the temples, homes and shops of Delos. The island continued to be looted for centuries after that and unfortunately, almost all the statues and valuable relics are gone. In 1879, the French began excavation of the site, which continues today. It was a fascinating tour!

Continuing west, we found a good, quiet anchorage last night and celebrated John’s birthday in great style. Shaz prepared a delicious dinner in his honor, as well as his favorite dessert, a birthday apple pie. And in the Greek tradition, we toasted him with Ouzo! As predicted, the Meltemi winds returned this morning, but we’re continuing our voyage westward and are doing fine. The winds are howling at Delos and Mykonos at the moment, so we made the right decision.

We spent a couple hours in Hydra this afternoon. Joc and Shaz drifted around in the Andrea Cay while we took the tender into the port to drop Sean off. He took a ferry to Athens and is spending a few days there before heading home.

As you can see from the pictures, Hydra is a very charming (if a little touristy… ) town. It sits on a very steep hill and there are no cars allowed. You walk or ride a donkey to get around. The donkeys are also the pack animals, carrying tourist luggage to the small inns, as well as moving other goods and materials around the this small village. Carol and I discovered that Hydra has really good shopping, but of course we were only allotted the time it took John and Peter to drinks a couple glasses of wine while people-watching in one of the funky little outdoor cafes.

For the record: Carol and I are beating the boys at bridge (at least for these last few days).

Tangled anchor lines!

(And that's only the one above the water...)

Delos

The famous lions of Delos

                                                        Remains of a home in Delos
                                      which had three 18 foot floors and was 7000 sq. ft
                                                              (approx 400 BC)