The Meltemi finally gave us an opening. While the Cyclades and Dodecanese continued to take the brunt of the winds, conditions in the Saronic Gulf were looking considerably friendlier. After days tied to the dock, we didn’t need much convincing.
KORA was making a break for it!
First target: Moni Beach, where brilliant aqua water and a little beach bar had us dreaming of swimming and paddleboarding. Unfortunately, the wind was still gusting into the mid-20s when we arrived. Not quite the idyllic float-and-cocktail experience we’d envisioned. We admired it from KORA and kept moving.
Our destination that evening was Epidaurus, a return visit for Doug and me, although the conditions were very different this time. The bay was choppy enough that we anchored farther offshore, making the dinghy ride to the Sunken City of Ancient Epidaurus an adventure in itself. Gracie and Sierra drew the splash-zone seats. By the time we arrived, they were thoroughly doused – which fortunately didn’t matter because we were all about to jump in anyway.
The submerged remains of the nearly 2,000-year-old Roman settlement shown in the above photo borrowed from an online travel page lie just below the surface, with walls, foundations and ancient structures still clearly visible beneath the water. This time the waves added an extra challenge, but the girls embraced it and captured some fantastic underwater photos.
Doug remained with the dinghy under strict doctor’s orders: “no swimming for four weeks” while his leg heals. Apparently that didn’t exclude marine rescue! He spotted three people attempting to row a motorless dinghy through the chop toward the ruins. Two had actually jumped overboard to help push and pull, but they were getting nowhere fast. Their sightseeing mission officially abandoned, Captain Doug headed over and towed the exhausted crew safely back to their boat.
One good deed for the day: ✔️
Later we wandered to town, passing by the Ancient Theatre at Demos , with its views across the bay where KORA was anchored, and the girls found the cutest door to take a few photos in front of. In town we replenished some of KORA’s mysteriously disappearing snorkel collection, browsed the waterfront stalls and inevitably found ourselves holding gelato. At this point I’m beginning to think the Mediterranean diet I’ve been following is roughly 30% Greek salad, 30% seafood and 40% gelato. I could live with that!
While the girls shopped, Doug headed to the magnificent Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus, built in the 4th century BC and famous for its extraordinary acoustics. More than two millennia later, performances are still staged there during the summer. Sadly, that night’s performance would not go ahead. Smoke from wildfires burning elsewhere in Greece had begun drifting across the region, becoming increasingly thick as evening approached. It was a sobering reminder that while we were enjoying ourselves on the water, communities elsewhere were facing a far more serious reality.
That night we celebrated Gracie’s birthday with a lovely dinner overlooking the bay where the sunken city laid. A beautiful night out with friends looking over the picturesque bay.
By the time we returned to KORA, the smoke had settled heavily over the bay, making for a most beautiful sunset. But as the smoke grew thicker, we closed every hatch and window and periodically ran the air-conditioning to cool the cabins. With three AC units aboard but only battery power overnight, continuous operation wasn’t an option. No problem – Karen set an alarm and awoke at regular intervals to run the ACs a little ensuring all slept well!
Morning revealed the evidence. A grey plume still seemed to hang low above the water. Meanwhile, KORA was covered in a fine layer of white, grey and black ash. Every step across the deck left a perfect footprint behind – turning KORA into something of a crime scene, complete with evidence of exactly who had been where. Suddenly her usual coating of salt didn’t seem worth complaining about.
Fortunately, our little Saronic escape continued under calmer skies as we spent the morning paddleboarding around Epidaurus. We even spotted a cute pup out enjoying the water with it’s owners.
After lunch we set off again, this time sailing a couple of hours to Korfos, where the agenda became wonderfully simple: swim, paddleboard, relax, repeat. And on this particular evening it was Gracie and Karen out striking the poses for the camera. Haha! Dinner was spaghetti Bolognese aboard KORA, followed by one of those beautifully quiet nights at anchor where everybody sleeps well.
The following morning we continued toward Salamina, squeezing in one final swimming stop before returning to Athens. And what a stop. We snorkeled beneath the rocky shoreline before taking the paddleboards around the cliffs, where we discovered a gorgeous little cave-like enclave tucked into the rocks. Locals had even created their own tiny relaxation nook inside.
Eventually, however, Athens called us home. KORA returned to the marina, and we finished our three-day escape high above the city at Prasini Tenta on Lycabettus Hill, enjoying dinner with spectacular views stretching across Athens. The most intriguing dish of the night was an appetizer of deep-fried cheese served over arugula and topped with a scoop of red pepper sorbet. Yes, you read that correctly – sorbet. On cheese. And somehow… it worked!
As the sun disappeared and the city lights began to twinkle below us, however, we noticed something far less welcome on the horizon – a plume of smoke that appeared to signal yet another fire starting on the outskirts of Athens. After seeing firsthand the smoke and ash carried across the region over the previous few days, it was a sobering sight. Our thoughts are with everyone affected by these devastating wildfires, and especially those working tirelessly to keep communities safe.
Three days. Three anchorages. Ancient ruins, underwater cities, paddleboards, caves, one dinghy rescue, a whole lot of swimming – and enough gelato to maintain our very strict Mediterranean diet. Not bad for a week when the weather supposedly had us trapped in Athens! Gracie, Dakota & Sierra – we’re going to miss you!!!
