Tinos, Greece
With the yards braced square, the crew climbed aloft to loosen the sails against a backdrop of brilliant clear blue skies. Our morning quiet was interrupted by the whir of the deck winches and the snapping sound of sails being pulled taught against the southerly winds that sent the Sea Cloud surging ahead through the choppy seas. A lot of action to absorb before most of us had had breakfast! Our first morning aboard was spent at sea racing towards the Cycladic island of Tinos at a comfortable speed of four knots!
After our morning safety briefing we scattered around the ship to find the perfect spot to either enjoy the panoramic view of sails aloft, chat with new friends or settle into a deck chair only to be lulled to sleep by the gentle action of the ship. Lunch on the Lido deck featured local seafood and a cornucopia of salads and fruits and a lot of lively conversation with fellow travelers eager to share their impressions of the this magnificent sailing vessel.
The island of Tinos is near the center of the Cyclades and has been famous for its marble since antiquity. Its extensively terraced landscape is a stark reminder of the islanders’ spirit of self-sufficiency against all odds. Not only do the thousands of kilometers of dry-stone terraces help retain the rich soil, but they also hold water so that in reality the islanders could produce almost everything they needed to sustain life, especially during the winter months when the storms made communication with the mainland virtually impossible. The windmills atop each ridge are now silent, and the stone threshing circles in each field have fallen into disuse, but each of Tinos’ whitewashed villages that cling to the steep slopes of mountain valleys have their own unique charm. The remnants of winter wheat had already turned golden in the heat of the early summer sun but the purple mallow and yellow broom were still in full bloom for our visit.
En route to Pyrgos, the center of marble production on the island, we stopped to look at a few of the ornate dovecotes, a relic of the island’s medieval Venetian rulers. After a visit to the new Museum of Marble Craft, cameras in hand, we started our descent into the village, stopping to take photos of the many intricately carved marble fanlights above the doors and windows of the houses.
Several of us took the opportunity to enjoy a coffee frappe or sample some Greek ice cream in one of the cafes that were nestled under the spreading branches of the ancient plane tree that dominated the village square. Others checked out the marble crafts that were on display in one of the many little studios that had opened up especially for our visit.
All too soon we had to head for the town’s ornate marble bus shelter for the drive back to the central harbor in Tinos town where our tenders waited to ferry us back to the Sea Cloud.
