On the Rhodes again...

So far we have been in Kos town for over two weeks, but now its time to get on the Rhodes again. Our next stop is Rhodes, about a 60 mile journey from Kos. As we travel the Dodecanese islands (12 Greek islands near Turkey) we'll travel to Rhodes, Patmos, Kasos, and many others. So far its been pretty uneventful but I'm not complaining. About a month from now Bethany and mine travels will split as B goes home and I continue on with the boat to St. Thomas! We're looking forward to see what the month of October brings, should be fun and busy!
-A

Sun, Beaches, & Relaxation

This past weekend we had a three day weekend in Tigaki, Kos. A small island of Greece near Turkey. We decided against a 45 min. boat ride to Bodrum, Turkey and had a great time in Tigaki. We were planning to escape the upper age group of our co-workers and boss but it seemed we arrived to an empty-nester's resort town. We had a great time any way and met some really great people, predominately from England. It was mostly 4 days of laying out, great meals, and great company. We were able to rent a tiny four-wheeler after being turned down twice since our drivers licenses aren't international. We rode around from town to town trying to discover something exciting, needless to say there wasn't much to discover. Most people who come to Tigaki plan on doing nothing but get a tan. Even though I saw enough topless grandma's to last me a life time, we had a great and relaxing time!

Our first wine tasting experience...

Today we took a wine tasting tour to three of Santorini, Greece's 16 wine distilleries. Much of the island is covered in sand/volcanic rock from a volcano eruption 3600 years ago. They have created a special way for the grape vines to grow in a basket-like shape in order to withstand the lack of rain, strong wind, and different soil. Some of the vines have been growing for 150 to 200 years! Old vines produce a better wine but often get replaced because they don't produce as many grapes as a young vine. If you own 1 hectare of land (2.5 acres) on this island you mostly like own some type of grape. Much like beans or corn in the Midwest, grapes cover any livable space on Santorini.  White wines dominate the island due to the fact that they need less water then red grapes. 80% of the wines produced are white wines, followed by reds and also their dessert wine called, "Vinsanto," which smells and tastes much like a raisin. We experienced some of the old bottling techniques along with some 21st intervention. We ended the day with a slight headache and a beautiful sunset dinner at, "Dimitris, Ammovdi Taverna."
-A

35 knot winds...

Today we're anchored off the coast of Paros, a little island south of Mykonos where we were yesterday. Since we arrived we have been stuck in a little bay at anchor due to wind. The wind has been blowing 35 knots or roughly 40 mph. We haven't snapped any mooring lines like last summer when gust's reached 40 to 45 kt. It will be blowing like this until 6 p.m. tomorrow night, so someone will be on anchor watch throughout the night (something I haven't done since last summer on Bacarella). With only one anchor out the boat swings from side to side jerking and swaying the boat like a little toy boat in a bath tub. We attempted putting a stern anchor out but after 4 or 5 failed attempts, losing our line and diving 25 feet to retrieve it, we finally said enough is enough. The weather has forced us to change some of our plans but the guests don't seem to mind to much. We're heading to Santorini in a few days so we're hoping to get there safe and in one piece!
-A