When a plan comes together

Dodecanes Islands, Greece

For months we had a plan to get to the Dodecanese Islands, where the summer winds are lighter, and sail from north to south with the wind at our backs. It took longer than we anticipated, but we finally did just that, and as we enjoyed a smooth sail south to Kos, we congratulated ourselves on developing such an excellent strategy. Shortly later, we looked at the coming weather forecast and decided we needed to find some cover for a few days of strong winds. Luckily, the marina at Kos had the perfect spot for Berkeley East and we wanted to spend some time on a dock anyway.

Kos is the second largest island in the Dodecanese, famous as the birthplace of Hippocrates, and for producing Kos lettuce. Kos Town is so crowded with tourists, restaurants, shops and excursion boats that it is difficult to see much else, unless you really look. We grabbed a town map and went in search of some ruins we’d read about. As we walked around, we noticed a lot of rubble and wondered why such a highly visited town wouldn’t clean up the mess. Then we realized that the wreckage under the pines trees was the Ancient Agora site. As we explored the area, we found tops of ancient columns on the ground and mosaic floors partially visible under the dirt.

Since beginning our travels in Greece, we have seen many amazing ruins, most restored to a remarkable state. While less pristine, these ruins actually seemed more real, as if they sat exactly where they fell thousands of years ago.

We explored the island by car. This time we made sure to ask if the air conditioner worked, and the question was answered with a confident “yes” from the rental car company owner. What he failed to tell us was that it only worked on one speed but luckily for us it was the high speed. With the AC blasting, we went to crowded beaches with gorgeous views; visited an enormous, and what seemed like impenetrable, castle; drove through tiny mountain villages backed by mountains that made us feel like we were in Northern California; and even toured a winery that made excellent wine.

Kos, it turned out, was not just a crowded tourist town; it was a beautiful and interesting island.

We always seem to want whatever it is we are not doing at the time, and after three days on a dock (with electricity and water at our immediate disposal), we yearned to be swinging free at anchor, where the breeze cools the cabin and we can swim in the water. So when the wind calmed, we left Kos and went to Yali, an island scarred by extensive pumice quarries.

The reviews on the anchorage were very unappealing, but we found it oddly beautiful. We swam in the clear blue water of Greece, on an island that reminded us of Mexico, sipping Prosecco from Italy, nibbling animal crackers from France, while listening to music by Wally Germany and Dave Butler of the good old USA. It was an amusing international event.