(7/25) Well, the weather has finally topped over 100 degrees here in Athens. With that said, we slept long into the morning, lunched, and laid by the pool the entire day. The air was just too oppressive to sight see or to be caught wandering around the area. Once the sun set, we did venture out to a local Greek taverna for a filling, inexpensive dinner. We have been eating quite extravagantly with Tim and Angela so a meal on the simpler side was perfect.
(07/26) Today would have been my Dad’s 88th birthday so I am a bit bloopy. I am excited, though, to be coming home. So we thought. Here was the day’s timeline: be at the airport by 8:00 AM to board the plane at 9:20 AM for a 10:20 take-off time. But wait! The plane is too heavy for take-off due to the heat (104+ degrees) so we need to remove some cargo. During this fiasco, a pilot “times out, ” he cannot fly, meaning we need a new pilot. We also need two or three people disembark for $500 and they can be booked on the next flight.
As we wait for the new pilot, we loose our time slot for take-off, and are pushed to the end of the line. But wait! We were still too heavy while the air temperature continues to increase. “Can we have an additional ten to twelve volunteers to please leave the aircraft?” It is now noon. We are supposedly scheduled to leave at 2:15PM.
You can guess the rest. At 2:30 PM., our flight is finally cancelled. “Please leave the aircraft, go through customs, claim your bags, and follow the Delta representative to the bus to take you to a hotel.” The day was tedious and long, but we did meet some neat people. One couple, in particular, recently retired to the town of Young Harris which is close to our North Carolina lake house. Now we’ll have friends to call upon next time we head to the mountains!
(07/27) We are still waiting for Delta to reassign us a flight to the US. It was a scheduling disaster on all levels since numerous flights were grounded due to the high heat index and forever changing Greek winds.
Making lemons into lemonade, we explored Athena including the Acropolis and its museum. It was hot and crowded, but you just muddle through it like everyone else. After hiking the great, white marble, slippery hill to the top, Rich and I splurged with a milk shake and a dish of chilled lemon sherbet, respectively.
On Tim’s recommendation, we toured Plaka. Situated under the Acropolis, Plaka is the oldest historical section of Athens. Here the streets are closed to vehicles, cafes spill out onto the walk ways, and tourists and locals meander slowly through the peaceful district. On our way back to the hotel, we walked the neighborhood to familiarize ourselves with our surroundings, stop for a light lunch, and returned in the evening to dine at Daphne’s. It was a wonderful, dry heat type, kind of a day.
(07/28) With the assistance of Katie, we finally have secured a flight home. From Greece to the US, all went accordingly until we were faced with delayed flight from JFK to Atlanta. Thank goodness for the Delta Sky lounge! Nonetheless, sleeping in my own bed that night was the bomb!
Being away from home for four months was a long time. We are exhausted mentally and physically from both living on the boat and being in two different times zones. While on the boat, you are constantly “on call.” You never stop monitoring the amount of water, the state of charge (power), and amount of fuel you have. All these variables factor into how you will sail and how to best react to the constantly changing weather. Weather forecasts are checked hourly. Some sailing days are like the ones you languish over on YouTube sailing videos, calm, serene, peaceful, while other days are like the ones you see in the thriller movies and “what not to do” videos. There are days when safety rules and the “red card”, meaning I get a say in comfort things, are enforced. Cocktails are not permitted until the end of the day when the boat and sails are secured. By then, you have earned the right to indulge!
Don’t get me wrong, it was a once in a life time adventure and that is why we are sailing for the length of time that we did. We saw amazing cities and towns, breathtaking landscapes, and sailed on the most pristine, clean waters. It is hard to fathom just how the massive castles and elaborate churches were constructed while still remaining as grand, and mostly intact, as they are today.
Going forward, we are waiting to hear from the Artemis Boatyard in Leros, Greece, with a time schedule of when the boat repairs will roughly be completed. Remember, all of Europe is on “holiday” during the steamy, tourist packed month of August so there is no telling when our return date back to Greece will be. Stay tuned for the next set of adventures!
(07/29-?)