Sailing/Sifnos
After two action-packed days on the Peloponnesus, the seas finally settled enough for us to make the crossing out to the Cycladic Islands. It was a perfect morning for sailing! This is what it is all about. We spent the morning under sail with the engines off as we passed the island of Serifos on our port side, with Poliegos and Milos off to the distant starboard. We were all out on deck as Panorama entered the shelter of Kamares Harbor on the delightful island of Sifnos.
The strong winds of the past days meant that not many ferries had made it out to Sifnos for the weekend, so the island was rather quiet and very pleasant. Many of us took an afternoon swim at the sandy beach in Kamares,or just walked through the harbor town before we all departed by bus to the quintessential Cycladic village of Kastro. Like most Cycladic Islands, the principal towns were built in the hills, hidden from view from the threat of pirates. The protected harbors have only recently developed as modern tourist towns, so the essence of Cycladic life and history lies in the hills.
Kastro means “castle,” and this small fortified town on the east of Sifnos was the perfect example of the cubic Cycladic architecture with the vaulted roofs and domed churches that are so familiar from photographs of the idyllic Greek Islands. We walked through very narrow walkways that separate block houses that have been inhabited for millennia. Bouganvillea, figs, prickly pear cactus, and pomegranate lined the walkways and alleys, with ancient amphora and sarcophagi lining the steps as recycled tables or flower pots.
Effie and Gemma introduced us to Cycladic life in these well-protected villages, before we emerged from the walls of the kastro and out to the stunning periphery walk with breathtaking views of the clear blue Aegean Sea below us. And there stood one of the most photogenic little churches that we could imagine, 200 feet below on a rocky promontory. Many of us joined Gemma and Effie to hike down to the tiny Church of the Seven Martyrs, where we saw the icons and offerings of olive oil and flowers that locals had left this weekend.
Frappe, fredo cappuccino, bira, orange juice, wine and plenty of ice cream filled the tables of the two cafes at the Kastro parking area, where we all gathered for a relaxing end to a charming visit. We then drove down past the dovecotes, olive trees, and windmills to return to the port of Kamares for a barbecue grill buffet dinner and an after-dinner harbor stroll. Tomorrow—Santorini!
