July 13 & 14 - The Journey Home

After a layover in Paris and a drive back from Atlanta, we finally make it home in time for Father's Day.  This was a trip of a lifetime and we are so grateful we got to experience it together!

June 12 - Do We Have to Go Home??

We enjoy our last meal on the boat and gather our belongings.  We grab a final gyro before boarding the ferry.  We somehow manage to board and figure out how the ferry works and then in Athens.  Ty and Brittany spend a few days in Greece and we head home.

June 11 - Koufonossi, Despotiko & Antiparos

Our adventure is nearly over.  Today, Ty managed not to die by falling off the other side of the mountain.  We explored the ruins at Despotiko Archaic Sanctuary.  The boys held The Snail Olympics and we chose our fish fresh from the kitchen for dinner.

June 10 - Keros to Koufasi

Just another fantastic day sailing around the Aegean Sea!  Highlights from today including Brittany's lips swelling (probably from the fish!), clear blues skies, delicious food and more exploring.

June 9 - Amorous to Keros

After our breakfast, we loaded the rental car and headed for the monastery.  The drive was full of beautiful scenery and involved a 2 lane winding mountain road.  After a few wrong turns, we parked in what appeared to be a primary school parking lot in the quaint an somewhat preserved town of Chora.  We were at the top of one mountain and could see the parking for the monastery at the base of said mountain.  Fortunately, there was a trail all the way down.  Unfortunately, I was the only one who was wearing something besides flip-flops.  Regardless, we started the hike and took many pictures on the way day.  Halfway down Scott had the bright idea to go get the car and take it to the parking lot at the base of mountain so we wouldn’t have to climb back up in flip flops—we were very grateful for this after the journey!

            Upon our arrival to the monastery we met the Abbot who had just returned with a truckload of groceries.  I am grateful to Scott for offering all of our to transport these necessities to the top of the mountain (which is where the monastery sits in the rocks).  So all the Boltons and Ashleys grabbed a grocery bag or two and started our climb up the “Holy” mountain.

            The climb was much more difficult than anticipated.  We didn’t know how the Abbott had planned to transfer the groceries himself because he is an obese 62-year-old mean who walks tenderly on his knees and uses a cane.  After about 15 minutes of grunting and sweating and straining we reached the top of this incredibly unique monastery.

            After taking the groceries to the monastery I went back and took the Abbott’s cane which he was using to hold groceries over his shoulder.  Taking them up to the monastery.  Brittany and Everlie walked with the Abbott (Spirotos was his name) and enjoyed their intriguing conversation on race, Islam and Obama using very few English words.  Apparently he shares our views regarding politics.  He said “Islam problem” and proffered an invisible machine gun maneuver with his a hand and pretended to cut his throat with a knife. I guess he would be a Tea Party Republican in the States!

            At the very top of the staircase there was a young bearded man with raggedy clothes who welcomed us.  He was kind of goofy and Scott wondered if he was the village idiot (respectfully, of course).  He would start singing a song and the Abbott would tell him to hush.  He told us he had been there for 5 years and was an “apprentice”.  What a lifestyle to choose!  He also told us he didn’t like the current pope because he required everyone to have a radio frequency identification tag implanted in them.  The Abbott was 62 years old and had been at the monastery for 44 years!

            We entered the monastery with caps out and tongues tied out of respect for the atmosphere.  There were 2 small sanctuaries in the monastery with lots of silver and gold lamps, frames and portraits of the Virgin Mary, Jesus and other stories from the Bible.  All these things were obviously old and had been there for probably hundreds of years.  After we looked and experienced the “holiness” of the place, we were taken to what appeared to be their dining room where we were given water, brioches (sweet bread) and samples of their homemade Raki.  There was a chair at the head of the dining room table that was black and had ivory figures on the back of the chair and front of the armrests (the figures were ivory carved lions).  It was a beautiful chair.  I couldn’t handle the sweet ness of the Monk-made Raki but didn’t want to be rude so thankfully Everlie had an empty water bottle that we quickly poured the Raki into and hid in her purse before the monks returned to collect our dirty dishes!

            We walked down the stair after bidding farewell to the Abbott (where he blessed us and thanked us many times).  After piling into the rental care we drove back to the village of Chora. This was a really neat town with small lanes, clean and simple architecture and multiple taverns.  The bougainvillea were massive and provided shade!  There were lots of trellises that had plants on them covering the alleys providing shade and beatify.  We stopped in one store a bought a locally made coffee cup. 

            We planned to eat lunch in Chora but didn’t find a place advertising gyros so went to another tavern by the harbor where we enjoyed delicious gyros.  A good gyro is made of pita bread, meat of some sort, tzatsiki sauce, French fries, tomatoes and onions—delicious!

            We left the harbor around 14:30 en route to another uninhabited island where we could spend the night.  The waters once again incredibly smooth and ushered no wind for our sails so we used our man mand wind again to make our around the long island of Amorgos.

            En route to Keros, we sailed by an old shipwreck that was very interesting to observe.  We took several photos and Bertrand told us that this boat had been in a movie.

            We didn’t stay long and were soon our way at 7.5 knots (by engine this is the most fuel/energy conserving speed) to the beautiful uninhabited paradise.  What a paradise it was!  Upon arrival I was asked to dive in and swim to a rock mooring with a rope in my hand to secure our boat in the harbor. 

            Bertrand says this was likely a pirate cove because it is so well protected from the open sea.  There were also large black stones at he bottom of this harbor that were seemingly out of place.  Captain told us pirate ships most likely dumped these stones where when transferring treasure or smuggled goods from one ship to the other so the weight of the accepting ship would remain the same.

            Scott went snorkeling.  Davis rowed the dinghy and Everlie swam to shore.  Everlie wanted to explore the mountain but there were critters “rustling the bushes” so she chose to watch Davis hit rocks with a piece of bamboo.  It should be noted that by the Grace of God no injuries were made or caused by the many roks thrown by Davis on this trip.

            After enjoying our private beach and harbor on the island of Keros, Bertand rang the dinner bell and served us a delicious meal of freshly caught and grilled fish, tasty potatoes and grilled zucchini with tomatoes and fresh bread and white wine.  It was an incredible meal for which we were very grateful.  We were served watermelon for dessert. 

            The sun went down shortly after dinner and we read, wrote, contemplated, talked, listened and relaxed in our own private beautiful harbor for the night. 

            The stas were incredibly beautiful.  So many things were visible due to the absence of man-made light.  We could easily see the Milky Way.  Stars were twinkling like I had never before seen.  Before bed every evening, I joined Captain Bertrand for a sweet sip of homemade Raki.  I enjoyed this ritual as the drink proved to be “medicinal” and “good for digestion.”  While looking at the stars, Betrand softly said, “We are so small” and repeated himself before bidding me goodnight and walking to his cabin. 

June 8 - Donousa to Amorgos

We awoke after another wonderful night’s rest to find the fishermen had already returned and were checking their nets again.  The consistency and pressure they endure for their jobs amazes me.  It also impresses upon me that these individual’s “career” is akin to what their father, grandfather, great-grandfather, etc has done for probably centuries.  To find the type of desire or willingness to continue in the family/community/cultural trade is unheard of in America.  These families and communities are probably living very similarly to how their ancestors lived hundreds of years

            Moving on, we enjoyed our breakfast again (toast, marmalades and coffee) before pulling away from Donousa and heading towards Amorgos—our captain’s home.  

            There was just enough wind and whitecaps to trick us into raising the sails.  Unfortunately, the wind didn’t prove to be steady enough so we again had to make our own wind.  Captain, consistent with his jovial and generous spirit let me steer the boat in a SSE direction.  I was happy to do so but became nauseated because I was looking down so much to ensure we were on course.  I went to lie down in the main cabin and slept for the remainder of our journey to Amorgos on the Morgan. 

            When I woke up, feeling much better by the way, I was excited (again) to see before me a beautiful beach with less than 10 people on it with “flanks” of rocks on each side of the beach jutting out into the sea—almost making the island seven more secluded.  WE anchored close to the short.  The name of the beach is Maltezi.

            After closer observation, we realized our paradise for lunch and early afternoon just happened to be a nudist beach!  I just hope for their sake that sunscreen was applied to the unmentionable areas!

            We boarded the dinghy and all went ashore to bathe in the sun while avoiding the sights of locals in all of their natural outfits.  It wouldn’t be as difficult to experience if the naked people happened to be young, fit and beautiful.  However, this certainly wasn’t the case!  We cringed and averted our eyes away from the view of fat and wrinkly older man and woman flesh which left on questions in one’s minds nor any unholy desires either!  (This was my first day to don the speedo so I probably can’t discuss the negative traits of naked or nearly naked beach folk!).

            Following another relaxed experience on this secluded beach we took the dingy back to the ship were our commandingly capable captain was setting out another gourmet lunch.  Our meal this time consisted of wonderful carbonara pasta, fresh bread, basil/arugula/tomato salad and another side dish that escapes me at the moment.  We relished the pasta and the boys ate more than they had ingested the entire cruise thus far!  We enjoyed  a dessert of freshly picked fruit salad that was really divine to our American Wal-Mart taste buds.  The produce here is better than anything any of us have ever acquired at home.  Captain Benoit then served French press coffee following lunch (as he always does) leaving us full and inspired to search for better ingredients once home again. 

            After allowing our food to digest, Everlie decided it was time for a swim in the Aegean Sea.  With much coaxing and encouragement to jump in the chilly waters, she took the leap and immersed herself for the first time in the Aegean Sea… She couldn’t answer our questions at first because of the shock but kept on yelling, “I’m sooo proud of myself” as soon as the initial shock was over.  She eventually admitted that following the initial shock the waster didn’t feel half bad!

            Observing her older sister take the leap, Brittany decided to suck-it-up and do the same thing. She asked if I would her hand and jump with her which of course I did!  We jumped into the cold sea together and camp up out of the water with big smiles on our faces despite the bone-chilling fresh water begging to enter our bones.  Brittany did swim marvelously with me around the boat and agreed it wasn’t bad after equilibrating with the water.  We got back in the boat and I felt proud again to be with my lovely wife on a trip of a lifetime with our family.  Shortly after drying off, we pulled anchor and motorized our way the very short distance to our night destination in Katapola (part of Amorgos).  Our educated and experienced captain recommended we rent a car and travel a few kilometers to the Ancient Minoa ruins a the top of one of the mountains overlooking Amorgos.

            We complied and Scott rented a vehicle big enough for the 7 of us and we made our way to Ancient Minoa. Everlie, Logan and Davis decided they would rather walk back to the harbor instead of enduring the treacherously scary goat trail/road back down and so we parted ways.  We still had to hike up a small incline to reach the ruins.  We arrived at the ruins and Scott said that the structure was literally 3,500 years old!!.  The stones still have markings on them from where they were cut and contemplating the work required to make those stones and get them in place thousands of years ago without hydraulic machinery astounds me!  Brittany stopped there while Scott, Ethan and I hiked to the top of the mountain just to accomplish it! We met a few people (2 young men and one of their moms).  They had noted our boat was flying a Texas flag and said “Howdy” to me as we came around the corner.  Unbelievably, one of the men had just graduated from A&M and lived just a few miles from our house in Bryan!  Their family had chartered a 3 masted boat and was on it with their 21 member family for a cruise!  We said farewell to our Teas friends and despite the plethora of goat droppings, made it to the peak of the mountain that gave us beautiful views.

            We started our climb down with hesitation to leave the scenery and leaded the car for the drive back to the harbor.  We ate at a tavern (again in the open air) just behind where the Morgkan was docked and enjoyed the pleasantry of our captain’s company again.  I ate the local dish Patatato that is lamb cooked in the same sauce as the other meats we had on top of a bed of potatoes.  It was tasty!  The boys had pizza that was also very good!  Captain Bertrand ordered stuffed squid and with fava beans on the side (obviously made me think of  “Silence of the Lambs”).  Our waiter was an obese man with long straight gray hair.  He was quite a character and reminded us all of David Hard, Brittany and Everlie’s first cousin.  He gave us complimentary cheesecake before we finished eating.

            Shortly after dinner, Brittany and I went for a walk along the pier looking for a jacket or vest because the temperatures were abnormally low and we stayed slightly chilled all day.  Unfortunately, there were no affordable options but we did get to taste the different liquors made on the island.  I bought a few samples to take to friends because I thought they were unique flavors – obviously infused with sweet fruits, honey, cloves and cinnamon.

            We made it back to the Morgkan and were welcomed again by our ever-courteous captain.  He offered me one of his jackets that I thankfully and happily accepted.  He and I sat on the boat and talked while drinking Raki (the locally made liquor).  He shared much of his life and spiritual convictions.  He believes in God and Jesus but has always been polarized to the Catholic church because of the corruption of man.  I pray wer ae together in heaven some day.  He is an incredibly polite, selfless, kind and courteous captain.  We are all safe and comfortable under his care.  While talking, Everlie, Scott and Davis went to find crepes for dessert.  I went to bed warm (from the jacket and the Raki) and full from the Raki and Patatato) and happy (from the Raki and the experiences of the day)!  This trip has been absolutely amazing and wonderful.  I don’t know how it could ever be better!

June 7 - Donousa Island

We awoke after a wonderful night’s rest to amazingly vivid blue water, clear skies and temperature around 72 degrees.  Captain Benoit prepared a simple yet elegant breakfast that consisted of fresh bread from Iraklia, French press coffee, orange & strawberry marmalade and freshly squeezed orange juice.  It only takes one of these oranges to make a cup of juice!  The juice is perfect – not sour or bitter.

            We quickly jumped in the water for an invigorating swim because it was time to depart and sail to our next paradise.

            We raised the sail but unfortunately didn’t have enough wind to reach our lunch destination so we “made our own wind” and soon arrived at our own private beach on a small rocky and mountainous island in the crystal clear clean Aegean Sea.  We anchored in a small natural harbor almost between  two islands and in close proximity to the beach.  The name of this beauty is Makares. Shortly after arriving we saw a seal several hundred yards away.  Without considering the temperature, rockiness of the shore or lunch, I dove in the chilly waters with 2 flippers and my mask with snorkel.  There is an abundance of sear “grass” that grows in clumps at the bottom of the sea that often detaches and lands onshore.  These blades look deep purple in color, are about 12 inches long and are very thin.  I did see some fish but mostly the black ominous spearing sea urchins.  The fish that welcomed us were green with yellow/orange straipes in a nautical pattern .  They were more than 7-8 inches in length.  I swam ashore and the first thing I noted were the beautiful smooth stones.  Colors ranged from dark blue to orange to purple, white, black and even green and I placed a few in my pocket to take to Sam for his rock collection.  After walked ashore, I quickly understood that shoes are a must due to the rocky land.  Regardless, I climbed up a small hill/rock on the shore to see our boat anchored in her own harbor.  The seclusion and privacy of this beautiful paradise amazes me.  Scott, Davis and Logan all swam to the beach and appeared to have the chills when they arrived.  Scott was comfortable tbut the boys wanted the dinghy to bring them back to the Morgkan (Scott said “no way!”).  I swam back with a hunger for Bertand’s gourmet lunch. 

            Fortunately, he was prepared as well and for lunch we dined on grilled chicken that had been boiled while we were sailing.  We also were fortunate enough to enjoy tzatziki, fresh bread, white wine and more.  For dessert he served honedew and apples with a sweet candy like concoction called Amorgasia. Shortly after lunch Brittany and I snuck off the boat in the dingy while the Bolton’s napped. We rowed around the island to another little rock cove which wasn’t visible from the boat.  We drug the dingy onto the rocky shore and tied it to one of the large gray boulders jutting out of the beach. She decided to bathe in the sun while I explored Makeres (with shoes this time). 

            The rocky shore reminded me of the many islands in the South Pacific. Each rocky shore juts out into the sea enough to make one sure it is the leading edge of the island.  However, each rocky protrusion, once reached leads to another view of the next “edge of the island”.  Between each earthen protrusion, God placed beautiful pools of blue and aquamarine water that, as usual, is wonderfully crystal clear.

            I told our captain I would take a photograph of the Morgkan in the natural harbor from halfway up the cliff I was climbing.  So, with both our cameras I attempted to portray the elegance of his boat in the beautiful nature in which it was surrounded.  The picture can’t do it justice but will be a reminder to me and hopefully a blessing to him.  I can’t even imagine how amazing heaven will be if a small glimpse of paradise is only a fraction of the real thing!  The small glimpse seems overwhelming in beauty to me.

            Following our picture taking “op” we hopped in the dinghy and rowed back to the sailboat.  We found our esteemed captain preparing the boat for the afternoon journey and we continued to watch in awe of how effective he is as our one-man crew!  He allowed me to steer this beautiful vessel from Makeres to Donousa.  We arrived in Danousa about 1.5 hours prior to sunset and our beloved captain recommended we hip up the hill to a beautiful white church with blue shutters (like every other building on the unique islands) to observe the sunset.  We made the hike and learned it was indeed beautiful and perfect for extravagant photo opportunities. 

            It was a treat to watch the Bolton boys during the hike.  Ethan is starting his teenage years and is undergoing the transition from boy to man.  He gets along so very well with Logan and Davis that I pray my boys will treat each other as well as he treats them.  Logan is ALWAYS thinking and analyzing.  He has an incredible brain that I have relied upon often during this trip to remember foods, facts and places.  He too is kind and gentle-hearted.  So far I haven’t an argument or exchange of hurtful words amongst them.  Davis, on the other hand, always had a giddy grin on his face and it is usually giggling.  He is full of so much joy and laughter that it becomes contagious.  I can’t count the number of times during this trip that he has caused me to laugh just from looking at him. 

            Anyway, they haven’t complained or whined at all throughout this adventure. Davis can be entranced for hours with rocks!  Ethan can also be content for a long time by skipping rocks in the water.  In fact, that may be the only thing I have seem from him besides listening to podcasts, playing cards/backgammon or reading on this trip.  I pray my boys will be half as great as these boys are!

            The only negative to the rock throwing is when there is a Greek man swimming in the water a “stones throw” away.  This is a bad thing because the boys throw stones precisely the distance a “stones throw” turns out to be and the poor Greek swimmer involuntarily played a game of “dodge-rock” with the silly American boys because the silly American boys didn’t know the Greek swimmer was there. Fortunately he was a good swimmer and quickly learned how to maneuver beyond a stones throw to reach safety.

            We hiked back down to the harbor and sat at another open air tavern just 30-40 feet from the edge of the sea.  While the clan ordered dinner I kept walking westward to see the sunset because it would not have been visible from the church we had just visited.  I walked about 1/5 of a mile before finding a westward protrusion of land with nothing but water between myself and the sun.

            For the next 25 minutes God granted me a beautiful view of the incredibly vivid sunset.  I used the “time lapse” photos to document the setting sun and I think it timed out rather well.  The serenity and peace of contemplating that same view for thousands of years was overwhelming but also calming.  The blessing of have experienced from slowing down and relaxing has been priceless.  After sunset, I walked back to the tavern where someone had already ordered me octopus!  It was cooked In a sauce that is typical of many Grecian meats and tastes like a mixture of cinnamon, cloves, anise and something I’m not familiar with.  Again, our extremely capable captain graced us with his presence and told stores of his life on the sea.  It was another incredible meal which has become rather the norm for every dining experience.

            After acquiring satiety some bought ice cream and enjoyed it on the way back to our boat.  Our oat was fortunately docked next to a fishing boat and we noticed the crew checking and preparing their nets for their next excurision.  WE all prepared for another wonderful night of rest and feel asleep in this huge cradle and slept like babies until the next morning  with anticipating more beatuful landscapes, good food, good company and exciting adventures waiting just around the “leading edge” of the island.