Folegandros, Poliegos & Sifnos
In the morning, we moored at the only dock in the only harbor of tiny Folegandros, a place that time seemingly forgot. The population numbers just a few hundred souls, and we were virtually the only visitors. Disembarking Panorama, we stopped to see a small fishing boat that had gotten in shortly before. The fishermen were hard at work straightening their nets after a night spent catching lobster and scorpionfish.
We boarded a bus for the short ride uphill to the Hora, or old town, of Folegandros — a place that qualifies as spectacular even by the elevated standards of the Greek islands. Our guides Laura and Sophia led us on a short walk through the kastro, or fortress, unique in that the walls of the houses are themselves the walls of the fortress. It looked like a movie set, except that it isn’t — people live there and have for generations. The brightly painted shutters and gaily colored flowers contrasted with whitewashed houses and blue skies. People were out working on their houses, whitewashing, painting, making small repairs and watering the flowers.
The vistas from the Hora were remarkable, with row after row of terraces pouring down the steep hillsides to the open Aegean. Peregrine falcons, our frequent companions on this voyage, soared on the air currents.
With time to wander, we went off in different directions, some to photograph the town, some to sit in the café and have a fruit drink or coffee, and some to make the steep climb up to admire the panoramic views from the church called Koimisi, dedicated to the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, celebrated by the inhabitants of Folegandros each August 15th.
Many walked the three kilometers downhill to our ship, while others rode the bus and had time for a swim on a nearby beach.
All this constituted just our morning!
Letting the breeze fill the sails, we headed northward to the uninhabited island of Poliegos — Greek for “many goats.” The rocky, dry landscape led some of us to speculate on how we would fare here as “Survivor” contestants. We looked for birds and other wildlife, then anchored a short distance away for a chance to swim in the bracing waters of the Aegean. The onlookers among us cheered each person who dove off the stern platform of our versatile ship.
As they say on the infomercials, “But wait folks… there’s more!”
As we began our Greek feast of octopus appetizers and ouzo, followed by yet more Greek specialties, we docked at the small port of Kamares on the island of Sifnos. A brilliant sunset preceded a chance to stroll through the town, enjoying the pottery and jewelry shops and the waterfront tavernas. It was a satisfying conclusion to a fulfilling day.
In the morning, we moored at the only dock in the only harbor of tiny Folegandros, a place that time seemingly forgot. The population numbers just a few hundred souls, and we were virtually the only visitors. Disembarking Panorama, we stopped to see a small fishing boat that had gotten in shortly before. The fishermen were hard at work straightening their nets after a night spent catching lobster and scorpionfish.
We boarded a bus for the short ride uphill to the Hora, or old town, of Folegandros — a place that qualifies as spectacular even by the elevated standards of the Greek islands. Our guides Laura and Sophia led us on a short walk through the kastro, or fortress, unique in that the walls of the houses are themselves the walls of the fortress. It looked like a movie set, except that it isn’t — people live there and have for generations. The brightly painted shutters and gaily colored flowers contrasted with whitewashed houses and blue skies. People were out working on their houses, whitewashing, painting, making small repairs and watering the flowers.
The vistas from the Hora were remarkable, with row after row of terraces pouring down the steep hillsides to the open Aegean. Peregrine falcons, our frequent companions on this voyage, soared on the air currents.
With time to wander, we went off in different directions, some to photograph the town, some to sit in the café and have a fruit drink or coffee, and some to make the steep climb up to admire the panoramic views from the church called Koimisi, dedicated to the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, celebrated by the inhabitants of Folegandros each August 15th.
Many walked the three kilometers downhill to our ship, while others rode the bus and had time for a swim on a nearby beach.
All this constituted just our morning!
Letting the breeze fill the sails, we headed northward to the uninhabited island of Poliegos — Greek for “many goats.” The rocky, dry landscape led some of us to speculate on how we would fare here as “Survivor” contestants. We looked for birds and other wildlife, then anchored a short distance away for a chance to swim in the bracing waters of the Aegean. The onlookers among us cheered each person who dove off the stern platform of our versatile ship.
As they say on the infomercials, “But wait folks… there’s more!”
As we began our Greek feast of octopus appetizers and ouzo, followed by yet more Greek specialties, we docked at the small port of Kamares on the island of Sifnos. A brilliant sunset preceded a chance to stroll through the town, enjoying the pottery and jewelry shops and the waterfront tavernas. It was a satisfying conclusion to a fulfilling day.
