Kea
After the flurry of dynamic towns and improvised islands of the past few days, the goal today was to finish as we started: with an authentic and unadulterated Cycladic village set quietly on a small island hillside. Although the island of Kea is the closest Cycladic island to the Attica Peninsula and only a one-hour ferry ride from Cape Sounion, it remains unspoiled and feels like it could be adrift in the far reaches of the Aegean.
Captain Britzolakis fought the north wind to get the ship close to the dock in the little port of Kourissia, but without line handlers on the docks there was no way to secure the mooring lines. It took a couple of approaches and determined Greek gesticulation to coax a scruffy young man off the taverna balcony at 0700 to retrieve our lines and slip them over the bollards. But we were secure in what one of our guests said was a “watercolor harbor.”
There was only one small bus on the island that had a capacity of 25, so we ran a couple of shuttles up the mountain to the chora, which was known by its ancient name of Ioulis. This island was one of the centers of the early Cycladic culture that is known mostly for its soft and stylized human sculptures that predate the Minoans of Thera and Krete by 1000 years and Classical Greek civilization by 2000 years! The humble but fascinating archaeological museum detailed the amazing trade network that the Cycladic cultures had with the rest of the Mediterranean, at the same time as the peak of Egyptian civilization.
We then continued up the steep and narrow walkway through the labyrinthine chora, and on to a lovely walkway that followed the mountain contour past the cemetery and out to the enigmatic “Lion of Kea” statue well out of town. The views were spectacular, with inspiring looks back at the colorful chora, and there were many places to stop and reflect on the unlikely circumstances that have made this small group of islands – the Cyclades – so disproportionately significant in the history of Western culture and civilization. Many of us took the time to explore the very moving tombs and sarcophagi of the cemetery, or try to coax the local donkeys into more photogenic positions. All in all it was a wonderful return to the core of Cycladic culture and architecture, reminding us from where all of the modern popularity arises.
Back on board, we took advantage of the winds with a good sail south around Cape Sounion, raising a glass to Poseidon before coming in to Piraeus for our final evening. Captain Britzolakis hosted a farewell cocktail party as we approached the harbor, and as of this writing the party and expedition continues into the Piraeus darkness.
