Friday the Siren sings.
Have you ever been lured by the Siren’s song? I mean, really. Like, in Greece, you heard some sort of music in your soul and got lured into a place or circumstance you would not have otherwise gone. That’s what happened to us yesterday morning (Friday) at the small island of Dasia Skopelou.
Wait. I’m getting ahead of myself. Did I mention the dolphins?? Ok. So we are sailing to our first destination and dolphins gave us a brief show and swam for a few minutes off our bow. I KNOW. RIGHT????!!?!?!? I got a few nice pics, but Miriam nailed it with the video. Well done, Miriam! Her video can be seen in the montage below.
Ok so Dasia Skopelou. This is a new island for us - Jason was able and willing to anchor there because the sea has been so calm and winds very light. Simon noted a cave feature on Google maps and so we jumped in and swam a short distance from the boat along the coast to check it out.
It wasn't a cave.
It was a tunnel. A magnificent tunnel, probably 25 meters in length, white gravel bottom, walkable, swimmable, a skylight overhead ¾ way through. You could probably fit a small row boat through there.
But more importantly, alluringly, this tunnel was a passage to another time / space continuum. The water had been a little bumpy when we entered, and when we came out on the other side, flat like glass. Light turquoise and crystal clear. White cliffs with interesting detail and formations, pure green foliage lining the tops. Underwater, an Eden of interest - wrasses and grasses, structures to swim through and around, an intricate shape to the sea floor that dropped away to the depths, just incredible and other worldly.
I knew everyone was tired from our week of adventures, so we did a quick little survey - turn back through the tunnel and back to the boat, or keep going and circumnavigate the island? Simon had estimated it at about a mile….ish. We were intoxicated. To a woman, they opted for going all the way around. How could we turn away from this scene?
So off we went. As we got a little past half way, of course things began to change, Wind, current, swell. It even got a little cloudy. We would have turned back, but we all thought maybe the boat was just around the next corner…ok the next one….oh look a cave….maybe the next one.
Miriam and Taylor finish the last bit of the challenge in fine form.
And so it was that we were seduced into what became a very challenging swim. The final stretch was the swimming equivalent of Heartbreak Hill. We did find a passage that short cut about 200 meters, but it was a job getting back to the boat. We all did, and we laughed and celebrated our accomplishment of sort of accidentally circumnavigating Dasia Skopelou island. All told, it was almost 1.5 miles. Well done, ladies. You got us, Siren.
Time to make our way ever closer to our home port on Skiathos. We stopped at one more little island for an afternoon swim that ended up being more of a bob-n-chat…no one was really up to anything major and it was just nice to be in the water together one last time.
Once on the dock, we sorted ourselves and cleaned up for dinner. Jemima had prepared a fantastic beef stew with a chickpea side and excellent salad. Dessert was banana bread with choice of ice cream. She’s really done so well with healthy delicious food this week. After dinner, our slideshow of the week. Laughs, tears, the remarkable acknowledgement of such unique memories made. Who does a thing like this? Surely, almost no one.
I have loved this group of women on board this week. Each of them have traveled with us so many times before, and having them together just made for a really special way to swim these spectacular islands. I shared with them all that in spite of some significant stress and worry as this trip approached, knowing that these 4 were coming along was a comfort in my planning and preparation.
Miriam, Celine, Taylor and Kendra, thank you for all that you give, receive and embrace on a trip like this. We have made photos and memories to last a lifetime.
After the ecstasy, the laundry, someone wise once said. Today my crew and I are prepping for another week in these spectacular Sporades islands. We will in fact do lots of laundry, re-stock the food and drink and all of the other things needed to make this trip work. The boat will be cleaned and re-set for round two. I’m so grateful to this crew for the work they dive into to make this thing go. We’ll make time for rest and a nice dinner together tonight.
I can’t believe I get to swim out there again.
When the Siren of these islands sings, I’m helpless to resist.
Efcharisto and love,
Heather
PS. A poem by Miriam to cap off an amazing week:
Here is to our wild adventures...exhilarating deep water swims, boulders swaying in the middle of the ocean, and the lone tree bravely clinging to the cliffs. With sun rays streaming through caves, sparkling off the rocks, swimming wide, deep, shallow and in between. Watching breathtaking sunrises and sunsets lighting up the sky. Plus, we glided safely from island to island, keeping it all together through this emotional rollercoaster. Here’s to the incredible moments captured in your photos, your words, the joy of a quick synchronized swim, and the sheer quality of it all! Let’s SwimVacation into it all Again and again 🌊✨
Huge Thank you to Heather , Simon, Jason, Jemima and Hopper (behind The scenes) for making it all happen for us 💕💕
Thank you, dear brave Miriam. ❤️🧜🏼♀️🇬🇷