Friday Free Swim.

We do not say TGIF on SwimVacation. Instead, I hear things like, “How did it go so fast?” and “How can this be the last day?”. And so we like to make Fridays a little special (which is pretty challenging as every day has been pretty special). One of the ways we do this is with free swim. Free swim Friday!  These swimmers have been guided all week and it’s fun to just set them free in some beautiful bay and see what everyone wants to do in the water. Some bob (actually bob), some swim far and fast, some round corner after corner, some explore every nook and cranny. 

“Mamma Mia” Cliff, where the Chapel of Agios sits atop.

This morning’s free swim off the island of Skopelos offered one more unique option: a walk up up up and up an ancient set of stairs to a tiny church, complete with a bell to ring (if you read 2019’s blog from the Ionian Sea, you might remember that we had a tantrum over the island with the chapel  and the bell to ring). It feels difficult to be in the Greek isles and not ring some old, special bell. And so we did. First we swam with our jelly friends in what seemed like another planet between the rock formations and the pulsating orbs. Then we crawled (I mean crawled) out, donned shoes that Lexi the hero had carried to shore atop the stand up paddle board (which she managed to get up onto the rocky shore), then commenced to climb.

This place is set on a tiny peninsula atop a promontory over a hundred feet high, maybe two hundred, I don’t know but there are over 200 steps, small, stone and twisty and I am no land mammal. Neither is Kendra, and she and I quivered and white knuckled it the whole way up and even more so on the way down. No matter, it was totally worth the terror (for mermaids - everyone else did fine). The location has been celebrated for its beauty as it is where a dramatic moment was filmed in the musical Mama Mia. 

I must say, it lives up to the hype. The views are breathtaking, though I’ll admit they made me just want to get back into the water more. The tiny chapel feels sacred for its place so high above the sea, and its inner sanctum is beautifully adorned with frescos and lots of candles and a lovely blue ceiling. We signed the guest book with care, and made our way back down. 

Back on the yacht, Lulu served a lovely lunch as we made our way to our final bay for our last water experience of the week. More free swimming, including a rare dip and swim by Richie and Lulu! After all of the hot deck and galley work these two have put in this week, it delighted everyone to see them cool off.

Above, Simon swims our stern line to shore. Once we were secure, Richie & Lisa splashed in, below.

I jumped in with my big camera to do the swimmer portraits I do on every trip - where each swimmer can swim or play for my camera and I do my best to capture the inner glow they have cultivated all week.

In a bold creative request, Lexi asked specifically to be photographed with one of the many jellies that had begun to fill the bay, and so I worked at composing hair and tentacles while also keeping us both from booping the wrong end of one. 

Friday nights are busy on SwimVacation, with a slideshow of our week, special dinner and dessert and the hardest part, goodbyes. After all of that was done, our guests, now family to us and to one another, trailed off to bed, except for Kendra, Lexi and I, who went for one more swim, sans bathers under cover of darkness. The water was calm and still, and with every move we made, a million little underwater stars lit us up. We made two laps around the yacht, and went to bed fully satisfied with our final swim.

It’s Saturday morning now and I’m sitting in a small sea side cafe finishing up last week’s blog as Richie and Lulu do the shopping for this week. Simon has just been called to help them unload. We have lots to do today. It’s always hard to say goodbye to a group of swimmers, especially a group that has made the most of every single thing these islands offered us this week.

I have no doubt next week will be just as spectacular, but for now, I’m happy to roll in the memories we just made. 

Miriam, Susan, Marianne, Lexi and of course, Kendra, thank you for stepping out into the world with us in these uncertain times. I’m so glad Greece rewarded this effort in such an unforgettable way.

Efcharisto!

Love,

Heather