At the end of August and beginning of September 2021 I was a guest on the catamaran of skipper Waldemar de Vries (hereinafter referred to as W.) and hereby a large part of my impressions of our sailing trip to various Greek islands, starting on Kos and ending on Samos, with interruptions on Pserimos, Kalimnos, Leros, Arki and Ikaria.
W. is full of stories and anecdotes from his travels in Africa as a tour guide and also through his subsequent work as a cameraman for various TV productions. We met 15 years ago in Bali, where I lived at the time. Familiar as we are with each other, all days were very entertaining, fueled by good and/or impressive memories and by the fact that W. clearly explains how sailing works. Because of his life experience, W. dares to approach someone without hesitation and so - I noticed - in a relatively short time in Greece he got to know a lot of people, both Greeks and foreigners.
The journey started very pleasantly because W. picked me up from the airport in Kos by rental car. We immediately drove to the catamaran and there I became acquainted with the gangplank phenomenon, because the boat was moored backwards at the quay of that harbor. Pretty scary when you're used to sidewalks and stairs to get in somewhere. But everything went well. Stocked up the next day in a well-maintained supermarket, where you can do a lot of puzzles because of the labels in Greek. We assumed that we would regularly cook on board. That has only been successful a few times, what do you want, with a huge choice of restaurants ashore. Still we used the barbecue and ate 'Maki', because W. had everything on board to be able to eat tasty Japanese!
The same day we sailed with the engine on to the island of Pserimos and anchored there in a bay. This is how I learned the first steps to operate the heavy anchor and what to watch out for. W. is a very good teacher. With the binoculars accidentally we spotted a very attractive lady on the beach, 'food for the eye' so to speak. We went ashore by dinghy and had dinner at restaurant 'Sunset' and from there (after having ordered food) I took a short walk towards that lady as an aperitif. She was still sitting there with a book on her lap and I asked her which restaurant on the beach she liked best. One nearby she said, she had eaten goat there and ... she did yoga, started about Bali and also about her 'master' education in Amsterdam. Suddenly we had a lot in common and she spoke good English, while she was Greek. Nancy was her name. She loved to read, especially about antiquity, but it was getting too dark to read any further. So I invited her to our table to join us for dinner and we had a pleasant evening with W., she chatted a lot (especially about Greek history and mythology, she was very well versed in that) and we were definitely curious about each other's doings.
The next day we sailed to Kalimnos and anchored there in a modest harbor. The harbor master there looked like a real captain with a gigantic mustache and he also sold naturally shaped sponges. In a restaurant near the harbor, W. showed videos to the woman who served us the meal, which he or his passenger had made during a previous visit, to the delight of all the staff. The next day we sailed to Leros, the main reason because of a special restaurant on the hill to eat there. We sat on a covered terrace overlooking the water and I noticed that I had to get used to the fact that the place was standing still. Several times I wished the terrace would wobble, just like on the boat. Fantastic food, combinations of spicy and sweet and bold colors of food including black 'Tzaziki'. We were surrounded by a number of elderly people and a Greek couple with a child. The father so broad, big and wild looking, that you better not argue with him and we didn't.
What gives a very good feeling is - after sailing on the engine because of little or no wind - the moment that you manage to make speed with hoisted sails. The track behind the boat lets you see and hear that you're going quite fast, sometimes almost 8 knots (something like 15 kilometers per hour). "We're sailing", W. cried the first time, I looked at him in surprise and only then did I realize the engine was off and we were doing what it was all about, sailing! Fortunately I did not suffer from seasickness, because the catamaran was bobbing along on the waves, but skipper W. assured me there are pills for that. I didn't have to swallow it. At the same time and beforehand W. explains how to prepare everything with the required care, how to take care of the lines and how to treat the sails. Also when tacking. And so you automatically come across the maritime related terms in the Dutch language. Having wind against you, taking the wind out of the sails, getting caught up in the wind, having something ahead, sailing a different course, going for the wind, setting all sails and so on. The catamaran is very special, related to other boats. You swing a lot less with waves, there is quite a lot of space around and it is fun when you sit on the toilet to see a school of fish come by. Like relieving yourself in an aquarium, at home that would be nice too!
*) Madurodam is an amusement park in The Hague with highlights of the Netherlands in miniature
According to the professional weather map, a storm was on the way for the next four or five days. We tried to reach the island of Ikaria in high winds, which we succeeded and we stayed in the lee of the harbor for several days, like many others. Even in the lee it was quite windy and the boats in the harbor moved with it. Ikeria is one of the so-called blue zones, about that a little more. There are five, in Italy (on Sardinia among others), Costa Rica, Japan and therefore also in Greece. The guiding principle is a long (and healthy) life with the highest average of 100-year-olds worldwide. Lifestyle and rest will undoubtedly play a major role, healthy eating and drinking, exactly what we tend to do much less. We lay next to an Austrian couple and after a beer together (as a thank you for his help with the mooring) the white wine was served on the table. Our temporary neighbor had bought 5 liter packs of Greek white wine 15 times, and there was no shortage of stock. Immediately our delicious barbecue leftovers were cut into small pieces and presented: bell pepper, sirloin steak and also a cheese board with Greek, French, Dutch and Italian cheese. Naturally - in the German language - a lot of nautical information was exchanged about types of boats, weather applications and technical maintenance on the different islands.
The following days we rented a car to drive to Nas on the north-west side of Ikaria and to visit a colleague/friend of W.. We booked a room in a small pleasant hotel with a nice view, recommended by that friend, let me say his name is B., while we had settled at his house on a hill for an aperitif at sunset overlooking a bay, not wrong at all. Now we had solid ground under our feet again and a bed that didn't rock back and forth. We stayed in that hotel for 3 nights and one of the evenings we stood still - despite the very strong wind from the north - at the death of the 96-year-old composer and activist Theodorakis that same day. Italian-Greek friends of B. had also invited us for a varied meal, supplemented with music by the Greek hero and albeit your head was almost blown off, it was a great evening. And even though everyone was dressed in winter clothes, I was wearing a borrowed cardigan. Except for a big Greek in a t-shirt and with a lot of humor and fantasy, he was not bothered by anything.
I laughed a lot with W. after I told them that a bus in Rotterdam drove from the airport to the central station and stopped at a stop marked 'vliegveldweg'. Funny when you pronounce it with space: vliegveld weg (which means in Dutch: airport gone). This is how we came up with the idea of a modern residential area with the street names never gone (nooit weg), refrigerator gone, wife gone, everything gone, house gone, washing machine gone and so on. The last day in Nas we made a trip south with B. and his girlfriend T. via a road that led to a dead end to a pebble beach and a cemetery. B. also wanted to show a naturally formed swimming pool, but many cars were already parked there and my weak knees would not have been happy with a tough descent on foot and especially the clamber back over rocks. Along the way we saw that the Greek flag was flying at half-mast in honor of the deceased Theodorakis, a kind of dead-end life path of the Greek resistance hero and musician. In the meantime we enjoyed a good lunch with fried fish and local slightly tinted wine that was more like rosé. Returning to the small sheltered harbor of Ikaria, we saw that our catamaran was in good shape. The Austrian neighbor had been careful, pulling the lines to the quay and slightly moving the fenders. Moreover, he invited us for dinner and luckily we had brought them a bottle of classy dry white wine from a winery on the other side of the island. It was a cheerful evening in a cozy cabin and it got really late when we returned to the stern deck of the catamaran and chatted further.
The wind was getting stronger, too fierce to sail, wind force 6 to 7 with gusts of 9 to 10. The chance of damaging the sails by gusts was too great. Even the shelter in the harbor no longer helped, the wind blew straight from the inlet into the harbor from the front, a rather restless picture and everyone had their hair fluttering. Some were repairing a sail. We had to have some patience to be able to sail. Fortunately, we were able to disembark easily through the neighbors and there were shops, a launderette and cafe-restaurants with terraces within walking distance, even if the unoccupied seats were blown over. We also bought cigarettes and tobacco in a cute kiosk in which a plump and also cute lady sat in the middle of the smoking products. I had taken a picture of her and her friends through a very small hatch to serve the customers and shortly afterwards I asked W. to take a picture of me in the same interior. I asked if she wanted the pictures and she really wanted to. If she could also forward those photos to her friends. Yes, no problem and I got a big smile as a gift. Until the next pack of 'Lucky Strike' then. So we had to wait for a decreasing wind and possibly for B. and his girlfriend T. to view the catamaran and possibly sail to Samos. They would then be able to go home by ferry, because W. would stay on Samos for a while until the next booking. While writing on the aft deck, the waves lapped in the harbor, the wind howled with whistling sounds, and all the moored boats were rocking quite a bit. Nobody felt like setting sail and so there were Finns, Dutch, Austrians and Greeks waiting for better weather conditions. As an ashtray we used an empty beer can with a layer of water, άλφα (Alfa) was the brand and thanks to the Greek characters we now know how to write 'dick' ('lul' in Dutch) in Greek: ∆V∆. We didn't get much further, just 'kalinychta', 'jamas', 'ena' and 'enja', which roughly stands for good evening, cheers, one and nine. For the number three we were not sure whether it should be 'trio' or 'tria', I think 'tria'.
As said before, cooking yourself didn't work out very much, that happened a number of times. This was of course partly due to the very affordable restaurants. The portions were so large that we often shared a dish. We also always wanted to try new dishes. Local fish, spicy dips with herbs and goat cheese, cheese from the oven and 'Fava', a puree made from peas and served with onions and lots of olive oil. Thus, not far from the harbor during the storm, we ate in a restaurant with small tables under a vine roof in a very narrow street. While we were starting to taste the 'Fava', a smiling couple walked by and asked us what we were eating. W. spontaneously offered a piece of bread with this puree to taste. Later they settled in the same restaurant and W. informed them that we would take the remaining 'Fava' to our house, the boat of course, and that they were welcome on board for a drink and perhaps to make some music, because we heard that they were musicians, guitar (he) and vocals (she). They accepted that invitation, found the (only) catamaran in the harbor and so we were surprised with a selection of Brazilian (Portuguese) songs and a single Spanish song. Originally they were both from Argentina, but nowadays they lived south of Barcelona. She (Franca) sang enchantingly and he (Paco) played guitar subtly and skillfully. Luckily we recorded some clips with the phone and miraculously there was less wind while playing and therefore a purer sound. Between the songs she also explained the (poetic) meaning of the sung lyrics. It was an unforgettable evening, also for our Austrian neighbor, who unfortunately sometimes could not keep his head shut and was waving through the music in German. W. kindly, but firmly, asked him to be quiet and, above all, to listen carefully, which he finally succeeded. Because such musicians (seasonal labor) are not wealthy and also because we found them sympathetic, W. offered them to take up residence on the boat the next day and to cancel their hotel. They did and now it was even the intention - if they wanted - to sail together to Samos. But first do some shopping, because for that evening a barbecue was planned with sushi and salads aside. W. had invited the neighbors of the surrounding boats to come for dinner and possibly to listen to live music. Moreover, B. and his girlfriend also came that evening.
During the day the singer and the guitarist went by bus to a warm water cave, where we had been a few days earlier. At one place there flows water from the (volcanic) ground with a temperature of at least 42 degrees Celsius and B. had advised us not to stay longer than 20 minutes in that natural bath because of radiation. That evening went well. Although planned to eat on the quay, the strong wind forced us to all take place on the aft deck of the catamaran and with some fitting and measuring that was no problem. The music was played from the doorway of the cabin and loud applause reached the musicians. Every visitor had contributed to the food and drinks, it lacked nothing and the atmosphere was very special. The next day we sailed out with the new guests and it became a 'bumpy ride' with strong winds and therefore also big waves. We easily reached a speed of 8 knots with 2/3 main sail and a half jib. We had the wind in our sails, so to speak, on the port side of the ship. The singer was not feeling well and until the wind lied down, she also went flat in the cabin. After some time sailing (on sails) we anchored at a sandy beach and now we had many hands on board to handle the boat as it should be. Together we - lying on the net between the floats - enjoyed the sunset, while Paco played the guitar and sang songs. That was contagious and W. started producing Flamenco sounds at full throttle and Franca clapped her hands along. We laughed about everything and anything.
The next morning Franca - after some explanation - was at the helm, on the way to a (with European subsidy) renovated harbor, where we could moor along the quay and use fresh water for a shower. We did some shopping in the harbor village and ate a nice lunch on a terrace at the harbor. Mini fish and a spicy dip with cheese and bread. W. seized the moment to propose to the restaurant manager to provide live music that evening. He thought that was a good idea and the deal was that all four of us would eat and drink at his expense. During the performance, the restaurant was filled with guests and that was exactly the intention. After each song there was considerable applause and a number of fragments I videotaped with the telephone. Later in the evening we visited another terrace down the road with live Greek music. That performance was also filmed and photographed and in the process my gaze met that of a very attractive Greek lady, who gave me a smile twice. That tasted like more and fifteen minutes later I sat next to her, we got into a conversation and she translated the content of the sung texts. She was a dentist and spoke fluent English, which was handy. I gave my phone number and I wonder if she will ever contact me. Athena was her name, rather easy to remember! It got to be 3 am before I wanted to say goodbye and go to the catamaran to go to sleep. After having consumed the necessary 'ouzos', she treated me wonderfully, I was not allowed to pay anything.
Another sunny and warm day. Everyone was in a good mood, like every day actually. We had the plan to go sailing to the island of Arki. I was there once with W. and we thought that Paco and Franca would definitely want to perform in the café of the musical and jovial owner. As far as I'm concerned we still had a few days to go at sea and later I will miss a lot in terms of adventure and warmth. The freedom and surprises that come to you while sailing and knowing that you always have the same cabin for a welcome night's sleep. Until now I always slept like a baby and when I got up I always looked forward to a first cup of fragrant coffee. While the coffee had to simmer in the Italian coffee pot, I washed the dishes and greeted W. to start the day. After breakfast, the wind and the forecast often determined what we could do via an application. Now again, given the wind forecast, we sailed with reasonable speed and with sails hoisted to the island of Arki.
*) Funny when someone in Spain or Italy says 'yes' to him: "Si Gahret"...
Rested after a good sleep we left for Pythagoreon, close to the international airport and a dilapidated castle. The harbor was full and we dropped anchor close to a beach with terraces. Just when we were done a guy came in a motorboat to tell us to lie down somewhere else - outside the harbor area. "I am so sorry my friend" he said, the harbor is full and we were only allowed to anchor outside the harbor. So we did and a walk on the boulevard along many terraces and moored boats made up for it. And the idea that Franca and Paco could play here to earn money. We never had a definite plan in mind, but all kind of things happened, every day! W. took us to his favorite restaurant 'Pergamonto' and there we enjoyed a very good meal with interesting flavor combinations and also different mushrooms. The ambiance and presentation alone made you hungry to eat.
Ronald Wigman, October 2021, Alès (FR)
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