VOLUME 4: GREEK ISLANDS & TURKEY
SPECIAL FEATURES
-
Feature commentary on Episode #26 Passage to Turkey with tips for
chartering and sailing in the Greek Islands and visiting Turkey - plus
hints for land based travellers.
-
3 “Safe Boating Challenge” quizes presented by Canadian Power & Sail
Squadrons for improving your boating knowledge
-
Host biographies - Scene selections and more
Episode Outlines
#23 - Ionian Islands Leaving the Adriatic Sea we head south to Corfu where
we begin a voyage through the Ionian Islands of Greece. Sailing past the
Albanian coast (and it's reported pirate attacks) we moor Two-Step beneath
the castle walls in the old port of Corfu Town. The couple running the
local restaurant teach the Shards how to prepare traditional Greek food
such as octopus! Next we sail on to the tiny island of Paxi and then on to
explore Ithaca, reputedly the home of the Greek hero, Odysseus.
#24 - Corinth Canal Before first light, we sail from Ithaca towards the
Bay of Corinth. Stopping at the remote island of Trizonia we meet a young
English woman who has established a little yacht club here. We drive
inland to the ancient site of Delphi, home of the Delphic Oracle. Sailing
down the bay we enter the Corinth Canal, a historic canal that divides the
Greek mainland from the peninsula of Pelopónissos. It is a spectacular
trip, and the most expensive canal in the world (per mile) to take a
sailboat through. Leaving the other end we enter the Aegean Sea.
#25 - Greek Islands of the South Aegean On this cruise of the Saronic and
Cyclades Island of Greece, we meet up with Stavros Theoharides, the first
Greek emmigrant to sail single-handed from the USA back to his homeland of
Greece. Stavros takes us on a cruise to his favourite places in the
Saronic Islands and Eastern Pelopónissos peninsula - Hydra, Spetsai and
Toló - all easy destinations to reach from Athens on a one-week cruise or
charter. While exploring the Peloponnisos peninsula we meet a shepherd who
invites us back to his farm where he teaches Paul how to milk a sheep! We
say goodbye to Stavros and sail on to the island of Serifos, then Naxos
where we head into the hills on a motorbike visiting the temple of Apollo,
an ancient marble quarry and join villagers in the annual fall harvest.
#26 - Passage to Turkey Sailing to the Dodeconese Islands we stop at the
isolated shepherd island of Levitha. Next stop is the Dodecanese island of
Kos, home of Hippocrates, the founder of modern medicine. A French sailor
who is a teacher of Classical Greek history shows us around the ancient
temples of the Askeplion, the site of one of the first Schools of
Medicine. From Kos, we sail to landfall in Turkey at Bodrum, where we
explore the Castle of St.Peter built by Christian crusaders in the 1500’s.
Next we sail south to Knidos, the home of the Aphrodite cult, where we
anchor beneath the ruins of a vast ancient city.
#27 - West Coast of Turkey Continuing the voyage north along the west
coast of Turkey we stop at Sigacek where we hike through olive groves to
the ancient ruins of the Ionian city of Teos. We sail to a deserted cove
where we have a Turkish bath in a natural hot spring “hamam” along the
shore, and visit the town of Ayvalik on an inland lake. Here we experience
a weekly Turkish bazaar and meet new Muslim friends who take us to visit
the local mosque. And a trip to the barber becomes an enlightening
experience when Paul discovers that Turkish barbers use flames as well as
razors when he goes for a shave.
#28 - Passage to Istanbul Continuing north along the Turkish coast we head
for Istanbul, fighting strong currents as we sail up the Dardanelles, the
straits dividing Europe from Asia and one of the world’s busiest shipping
lanes. Along the way we visit the war memorials at the battlegrounds of
the tragic Gallipoli campaign of WW1. In the Sea of Marmara we encounter
squalls and seek refuge at Marble Island. We arrive in Istanbul and sail
past famous monuments of the city such as the Blue Mosque and Topkapi
Palace en route to Atakoy Marina, our base for exploring the old city. We
celebrate our arrival at one of the local seafood restaurants and meet new
friends who introduce us to the city and show us how to use a “nargile”, a
Turkish waterpipe.
#29 - Istanbul Settled in to the Atakoy Marina in Istanbul, we begin our
exploration of the old city. We stock up on exotic spices at the Spice
Market, run from touts at the Grand Bazaar, one of the world’s oldest and
largest covered markets, and are captured by a carpetseller near the Blue
Mosque, Istanbul's most famous monument. With local friends we learn about
Turkey's fashion industry, sample traditional Turkish foods and discover
the night life in the Taksim district where Sheryl has her fortune told by
a rabbit.
#30 - Mytilini We make landfall in Greece at the port of Mytilini, on the
island of Lesvos, home of the Muses and poetess, Sappho. We look into the
island's two gulfs, Kalloni where the most delicious sardines are caught
and Yeras where there has been the greatest production of olive oil and
olive soap. We visit the Mylelia water mill, where these products are
still produced in the traditional style. At Skopelos a local child takes
us on a tour through the church’s catacombs. The visit ends with the
Festival of Ay Marina where we participate in the ceremony of the blessing
of food.
|
 |
