The 3 T's

A fast ferry passing us at 34 knots!  Look quick or he will be gone.

The ruins of Asklipieion on the Greek island of Kos.  This is where Hippocrates, the daddy of modern medicine, taught in AD 550.

Same ruins of Asklipieion with Turkey in the background, across the sea.

This is how to explore a Greek island!

Typical beach on Kos.  The view is free but the umbrellas and 2 chairs cost about $5.

Captain Steve's way of zooming around the Greek islands.  The dune buggy shakes every part of your body and you feel it for days afterward!

Paradise beach on the island of Kos.  Just spectacular!

There are 4 people in that flying float.  I don't think this is legal in the US?

Another beach on the island of Kos.

Sailing to Paros, Greece.

Our neighbors on Paros.  The helicopter is a nice toy!  This is Phoenix 2.

A better view of our neighbors at anchor at Paros.

S/Y Aspen – August 25, 2013 – Log #104
Aspen Position: 36 degrees 59’ N  027 degrees 15’ E (UTC +3 Hours)

Ask any sailor who has sailed the 7 seas and they will tell you about the 3 T's, or better known as the three best places in the world to visit and sail.

T is for Turkey
T is for Thailand
T is for Tahiti

It just doesn't get any better than those three places to visit in the entire world.  The people are friendly, the scenery is unsurpassed and life is the best in the 3 T's.

So now we are in G for Greece.  Hmmmmm. 

It is fitting that the great philosophers came from Greece.  The people here tend to be very thoughtful nearly all of the time.  They love to think about life and live life to the fullest.  The concept of work is pretty remote for them, that is why Socrates, Plato, Aristotle and oh so many other great thinkers came from here!  They must have loved contemplating things like, if a tree falls in the forest with no one around does it make any noise? 

3 to 4 hours for their lunch break is common, as we talked about last year.  Shops are closed and the only things open are the restaurants that are brimming with people.

Come 5 or 6 pm, life begins in earnest in the little windswept and sun drenched islands of Greece.  Can't you just picture the Ouzo flowing around the harbors?!?

We had planned to go to an island called Paros.  But half way on our journey the meltemi decided to start blowing.  That is a Greek word for devil wind, we think.  Well, Captain Steve decided that trying to sail into those nasty 30 knot winds and 9-12 foot seas and bash our brains out was not good, along with Admiral Maria's verbal thoughts, and instead we altered course to fly down the large seas at 9.5 knots and head for a different island altogether.  Dhenonssa.

Ah yes, weather bound at a small Greek island with Aspen the only boat in the bay and right next to a spectacular sandy beach with a taverna to eat at.  Only Greek Athenia tourists have found the island so far so everything is very laid back and peaceful.  Peaceful except that the beach music keeps going until 4 AM but we have fans to block out the noise!

So after 2 days of sunburn the weather cooperated and off we went again. 

Today we finally anchored in Paros and who do you think decided to anchor right behind us?  Some Mega Yacht with a helicopter on board called Phoenix 2.  The people onboard look friendly since they waved at us with their guard boat hovering very close by.  Don't you wonder who is on it?

Sail on, sail on and sail safe Aspen...