I don’t know which excited our skipper more – the fact that the north wind had died right away overnight, or the option to visit Pana Koufonissi today, one of the smallest of the Greek Island in the group known as the Cyclades, and an island he’d never been to before. Of more concern on the horizon is that there is a force 10 storm predicted in the area next week, and warnings have been sent to all skippers to make for a safe port. As a comparison, yesterday’s blow was only a force 6, but we all agreed that this was in the future, and we might well be finished before it arrives (if it ever does).
So, it was off to Pana Koufonissi in glorious conditions. No life jackets in sight, though Brendan had one sea sickness patch and two wrist bands on just in case. Left about 8:30 (which is the best measure of the skipper’s concern), and arrived just after 11:30 after having motored most of the way in the gentle breeze. It’s a tiny port, and we had to back in to the small harbour to get to our berth. After the docking formalities were over, it was off around the island to explore.
Swimming, walking, and exploring the small number of shops in the town was the order of the afternoon, while the more adventurous in the group hiked to the other side of the island to do some snorkelling and swimming. Dinner at a local gyros restaurant, none of which seemed to be busy.
There was a wedding in the Orthodox Church late this afternoon, accompanied by small cannon fire or large gunshots – we weren’t exactly sure – but they were significant enough bangs to have the tourists trying to photograph the source. Post wedding entertainment was set up on the beach. Not sure if it was a local wedding or not, but if it was it may account for every other eating establishment being deserted. The music and celebration started at 9pm and went till 5am so the singer must have been tired. A huge sound system – we could hear it clearly and we were over a kilometre down the beach.
Sunrise
Saloon
Our Berth
Pana Koufonissi
Naxos Port
Off We Go
Pana Koufonissi
Pana Koufonissi
Yes, The Water Is Like That
Sunset
Sunset