Mytilene, Greece

Sun, June 23

This morning we had to tender for the first time to the beautiful island of Mytilene dating to the 11th century B.C. Population 100,000 and the 3rd largest island in Greece, it boasts more than ten million olive trees. So it was fitting that we visited the Olive Press Museum to find out the history of olive oil production. Very interesting exhibition of the first steam-powered factory built in 1887. The machinery has been restored and is in use today.

Although the island welcomes tourists you will find no huge resorts and hotels here. It is still a very simple and unspoilt island; very fertile with vegetation right down to the sea. We saw gardens for the first time since leaving Singapore and roses seem to do particularly well here.

Houses are painted in pale colours, beige, pink or blue, mostly two storeys and look quite spacious.

There are many styles – Neo Classical, Baroque, Gothic and European; amazingly, they all blend in. Rustic stone mansions with gardens filled with jasmine, palms and fruit trees. Small wrought iron balconies – very lovely.

As it was Sunday, all businesses were closed. All (and I mean all) the men in the small villages were in the cafes. Where are the women, we asked, to which our tour guide explained that they were all at home cooking. No females were in sight as we passed through several villages; the only exceptions being the souvenir shops and around the port.

Of course we had to visit some churches with their beautiful icons and impressive chandeliers, and we could not help but notice the imposing Mytilene Fortress built in the 5th century to protect the island from pirates.

Beaches are pebbly however the water is sparkling and crystal clear and you can either swim for free or pay two Euros to swim in the area with banana lounges, a bar, music and umbrellas.

We loved Mytilene – what a great holiday destination!

Athens, Greece

Sat, June 22

Our tour began with a stop at the Old Olympic Stadium; built on the foundations of a 4th century B.C. stadium, this stadium hosted the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. The only marble stadium in the world, this is where the Olympic torch is lit.

Next was a guided tour of the National Archeological Museum of Athens. We took so many photos here; it houses one of the richest collections of Greek antiquities in the world, including the Mask of Agamemnon and the Statue of Posideon. We also spent a lot of time in the exhibition of the Antikythera shipwreck which is dated to 60-50 B.C. Treasures recovered included bronze and marble sculpture, glass vessels and golden jewellery.

We then drove on to the highlight of the day, climbing 80 steps through the Propylaea, the gateway to the Acropolis, the Pantheon which is an immense structure and the sacred site of Erectheum and the graceful Porch of the Caryatids. We walked on some of the original pavement – very carefully – some areas were so worn that a type of membrane had been laid with concrete over the top for safety.

After all this exercise we went to a lovely restaurant for a buffet lunch, lamb meatballs, pasta, moussaka, a filo cheese pie, greek salads, breads accompanied by red and white wines…delicious!

After lunch we walked to The Plaka, a shopping district with cobblestone lanes, colourful stores, tempting cafes and local tavernas.

We liked Athens very much. The people are so friendly and it is a lovely city. No highrise here, as no building can be higher than the Acropolis. We packed a lot into the day and it was great to finally get back “home” to have a refreshing swim. We ate so much at lunch we didn’t need to eat any dinner!

Mask of Agamemnon

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From the Red to the Med

Wed, June 19

We had been looking forward to seeing this water passage between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea, and after reaching the anchorage waiting area at 3.30am we joined our convoy of ships. I think there were about 14 ships, however we were second in line and could only see the french warship ahead and one container ship behind..

We passed through the Great Bitter Lake around 10.00am and then passed under the Suez Bridge around 2.30pm without incident, finally making our way clear of the canal around 5.00pm.

It was interesting to see “The Highway to India”as it is sometimes called, approx 120 miles long, 79 feet deep and 673 feet wide. It was opened in 1869 and today, over 17,000 ships pass through it each year.

We spent most of the day on deck watching the passing scenery which was quite amazing – fertile and green and populated on the port side and desert on the starboard side. Also quite evident were the number of military establishments along the left bank of the canal with armed soldiers stationed about every 100 metres patrolling the desert side.