We began the day with a beautiful morning on the easternmost island of the Cyclades. We had sailed into the quiet bay of Katapola the night before, but it looked so different early in the morning as we approached. The town was almost all white, with blue windows and doors, and we knew we were in Amorgos!
I love Amorgos for many reasons. The Big Blue—a fantastic film I watched as a young student—was filmed here. The island is a little bit off the beaten track, which is always a refreshing experience. Dimitris, our driver, took us to the most spectacular building of the Aegean! A monastery is perched like an eagle’s nest on the cliffs. We encouraged our guests to hike all the way to the top, and I am sure nobody regretted it. Countless photo opportunities and amazing views were available all the way to the top.
The visit to the monastery was hard for the “giants” among us, because everything is built for tiny medieval Byzantine monks. Built in the 11th century AD, the monastery of the Virgin Mary Hozoviotissa is a jewel and a miracle at the same time. We saw the church and stood on the balcony, taking it all in. We carefully found our way back to the bus to go to Hora, the capital, a fortified inland community from the Byzantine era, where we strolled downhill and enjoyed the architecture. There were beautiful churches, amazing jasmine flowers, geraniums in full bloom, and a picturesque coffee shop to stop and enjoy a Greek coffee and some bitter cherry spoon sweets, which is what Greeks like to offer to their guests when they visit. Some of us even had some time to shop, then we started on our way to the port.
Sea Cloud ornamented the port with its elegance, and we boarded to enjoy our lunch and then watch part of a documentary, The Greek Character. Then our expedition leader, John Frick, gave an exciting presentation about Sea Cloud. We also got the chance to get a good view of the amazing original staterooms during our open house reception. Holding a glass of wine, I walked to the dining room, expecting another perfect meal and evening.
