Sunday: Vacation Mode Activated.

Our Saturday was busy and hot - we dripped sweat through our chores. Laundry, reprovisioning, tidying things up, arranging for yacht tweaks and new guests with our charter company. Make no mistake - there were gyros consumed for late lunch. We are a well greased (Greeced?) team, and so we were efficient with our tasks and managed a nap before dinner, and still got to bed early.

Reset!

And so today we welcomed our 4 new guests: Katharine, Allyson, Dominique and Mandy. Simon’s fun fact - these 4 ladies train with him in Maine, and come to us as friends already, and friends with Simon! What’s more, Katharine and her husband, Mark, traveled with us in the Ionian Sea in 2018, and I swam with Dominique at my local YMCA probably 14 years ago. So many points of connection made for easy introductions and settling in - we got them on board and were off the dock by noon.

We managed to get out ahead of the coming wind, and so our crossing to Skopelos wasn’t too bumpy. An hour plus under sail was a perfect way to start their vacation, along with a fantastic lunch of Greek mezzes once we were anchored in Limnonari Bay.

Limnonari Bay, Skopelos

(39.0890711, 23.6969998)

https://maps.app.goo.gl/4fe5zonWCq8uvH5V8?g_st=ic

I gave our new guests the welcome talk over lunch, filled them in on what our days will look like, what to expect from swims and meals, answered any questions they had. We decided everyone needed a little time to digest after lunch, and set a swim time of about 3. 

At 3, I came on deck to find Katharine and Allyson out cold on the cushions. Vacation Mode, Activated! I like this! We were at our anchorage for the night, so, hells yes, we can wait to swim until after naps! Welcome to SwimVACATION!

Swimming and rock hugging - we were all feeling the heat of the day coming off the rocks both above and below the water.

They didn’t sleep long, and by 3:30 we were in for a windy but beautiful swim around the bay. These ladies are used to laps and laps and laps in a pool, and it will take them a few days to get used to life without lane lines, and a bottom with no black line. I swam with Dominique and pointed out some of my favorite geological features in this bay, above and below the surface. We put our feet on the underwater shelf and could feel the heat of day coming off of it, even in the cool water. We picked up Mandy and joined Simon, Katharine and Allyson to explore some baby caves - just a taste of what is to come.

Simon got this awesome photo of Allyson cruising across the bay! Nice work, Swiggy!

Lisa wowed everyone with lamb zaganaki souvlaki as the sun set. Our guests  dove into the meal and there are no leftovers. Dessert was a cheese board lined with figs - fresh like you can only have in the Mediterranean. Also no leftovers. Greece is sitting nicely with the ladies from Maine tonight.

I love bringing pool swimmers into the sea, and am excited to show these ladies how their strength in the water can lead to a one of a kind exploration of this beautiful place and her magnificent shores. It occurs to me each year as we swim in and out of these islands’ nooks, crannies, caves and secret beaches, that we are among the few who see Greece from this perspective. I’m sure there are places we have been - caves,  moon pools and rock rooms only accessible to people in the water and brave enough to look down and breach the surface - that no one else has seen. What a gift to be somewhere no one else has been, and how lucky we are that swimming is our means to do it.

Pool swimming to ocean swimming - The strokes are the same. The experience is totally different. I feel so lucky to be able to guide swimmers to something they might otherwise never see, and to a part of themselves they might not otherwise be.

Everyone is abed early tonight. After a taste this afternoon, I think they are excited for the full days to come.

Kali Nikta,

Heather

PS. Random fireworks in Limnonari Bay tonight (see video below). Lady Gaga sang to us during the light show;

I’m off the deep end, watch as I dive in, I’ll never meet the ground

Crash through the surface, where they can't hurt us

We’re far from the shallow now

You’re far from the shallow now, ladies. See you in the morning.

XO Heather