Eager to set out in our Cycladic odyssey, we indulged in a delightful morning of sailing on our first day aboard Sea Cloud. Still getting to know this incomparable ship, we began with an orientation to the ship’s rig and an easy-to-follow introduction to the fascinatingly complicated task of setting the sails, offered by expedition leader Tom O’Brien. Many took the opportunity to photograph the ship’s crew climbing the four towering masts to loosen the gaskets. Setting all sails, we took full advantage of the light winds to achieve a moderate pace of three knots, which we maintained during Jose Calvo’s introduction to photography with a wide range of cameras.
In the afternoon, after the setting of sails, we anchored off the coast of the charming island of Folegandros. While admiring the port-side view of the rugged island landscape with its carefully terraced hillsides and pristine waters, we enjoyed a lecture on the Aegean Bronze Age, an impressive era boasting three distinct cultures: Cycladic, Minoan, and Mycenaean. This talk was followed by a visit to Folegandros, offering a first-hand look at a quintessential Cycladic village. Smaro and Nena expertly guided us through daily life in the Folegandros chora (or main village), a relatively untouched gem of Cycladic architecture. The heat began to fade as we ended our walking tour, and as shops opened and business in cafés began to pick up, we got a better feel for the modern Greek village square. Taking a break to sip a frothy iced coffee or a thimble-like cup of sweet rakomelo, we began to adjust to Greek time – we were in no hurry to return to the ship despite the feast that would later await us. As if on cue, two donkeys, with traditional wooden saddles, appeared in the town center, providing one final Greek photo opportunity as we concluded our first visit to a Cycladic island.
