Κυριακή = Sunday

Πνοή, or Pnoe = breath.

After the whirlwind of Saturday, we take a breath.

A tiny bit of a sleep in (this is only possible because we got SO much done yesterday), and a non-frantic return to the work of final touches on our yacht to make her ready for our guests this week. Our yacht, a beautiful Lagoon 46 with teak decks and lovely, comfortable amenities, is named, appropriately enough Πνοή or Pnoe. Pnoe means Breath, or Breath of life, in Greek.

I like this.

And so we took our Sunday morning breath and eased into noon as our 5 guests collected at the meeting point on the dock.

This week we have super-alum Cynthia, who has swum with us in the BVI, Hawaii and Grenada. Alums back for their second trip is the dynamic duo of Kevin and Jane. They loved us so much in Grenada they immediately went home to sign up for Turkey (Sept 24) and put themselves on the waitlist for Greece, and here they are. New to us is the lovely couple of Roger and Susan who hail from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. That makes them the easternmost residents of our guests, as Cynthia is from California and Jane and Kevin come from Washington. And I thought Maine was far.

Everyone seemed to have introduced themselves to one another and become instant friends before Alina and I even reached the main dock to collect them, which makes things easy for us. Party of 5, your yacht is ready!

To Pnoe, where we encouraged them all to take a breath, get settled in and relax as we got underway.

Lisa likes to swing for the fences right out of the gate, and puts out a lunch of small Mediterranean plates. Dips and nice cheeses, dalmati (stuffed grape leaves) and some lovely cured meats. Welcome to Greece and to a menu your body and soul will love.

We sailed away from Lefkada to Varko Bay - across the northern tip of the Ionian Sea to a beautiful stretch of shore on the mainland. Some swim info and splash. So clear, this Mediterranean Sea! We cruised over toward the rock where we instantly hit a thermocline and halocline - cool freshwater seeps into the salty sea from cracks and crevices creating a full sensory experience. Cold patches that taste less salty, and look like heatwaves across hot pavement as salt mixes clumsily with fresh. You have to experience it to really understand it. Whoops and hoots came as exclamations from each of us as we hit the cold patches, laughter and awe at the blurriness below the surface. We swam to the beach and sat on the rocks baking in the sun - these were smooth and hot beneath our chilled skin. We gabbed for a while - these 5 ready to just relax together made for easy conversation. We had our fill of basking and plunged back into the blue and made our way back to Pnoe. A great intro swim down where Alina and I discovered with delight that this group is nearly all the same pace. This will make for a fun and connective week of swimming.

Lisa and Richie put out Katabatic Blasts - a fancy cocktail named for the Katabatic winds which are caused when the heat of a land mass pulls winds from the sea. Mountains stealing breath from the water. The stuff of mythology - how very Greek.

Dinner was a new creation of Lisa’s, with aubergines in a baked layered deliciousness, delicate fish with a rich sauce, and perfectly seasoned rice. Delish. Baklava with Greek yogurt for dessert. This isn’t the Greek yogurt you get at home - no no. This is something altogether different, and I’m sorry, but now you’re ruined for ever eating anything else.

We chatted like old friends into the dim. I like this gang so much that I stayed too long and am rushing this blog a bit now as they have all gone off to bed. 

We have lovely breezes tonight, the breath of Greece that will keep us cool as we dream of the Monday swims to come.

Kali nikta,

Heather