I have mentioned on other occasions that I cannot imagine a vacation in Greece without a cruise and/or a Greek night. We bought the trip from the agency that organized the stay, and it might not have been the most inspired choice.
We left in front of the hotel around 8:30 AM with a 50-seat bus, together with the guide, heading to Lefkimmi, where we were to board the cruise ship. If we had studied the offers in the resort a bit, we could have had the same experience for almost half the price, departing right from the resort where we were staying. But, you learn from mistakes.
The journey took about an hour, and the scenery was fascinating, but the adventures did not delay in appearing. On a very tight curve, with houses that had balconies jutting out significantly, we encountered a piece of machinery occupying about a quarter of our lane. At that moment, we saw that our driver had two options: either scrape the balcony or kiss the mastodon.
After a few minutes of maneuvers executed with an extraordinary calm and skill, with the support of everyone in the area, more or less by chance, the two giants managed to pass each other by a hair, and we burst into a round of applause.
At the port, the cruise ship with a capacity of over 300 seats, which looked like a floating block of flats, was waiting for us. The only advantage of such large ships is that the rocking is not felt as badly as on a smaller vessel. I don't know how it happened, but our group was the last to board, and there wasn't even a patch of shade left.
We settled on the open deck, left the island of Corfu behind, passed by Cape Kavos, the southernmost point, and headed out into the indigo-colored open sea.
On the ship, there were groups of all nationalities and languages: Greeks, English, Czechs, Poles, Hungarians, Nordics, Italians, and each group with its guide who settled in the command cabin to translate the explanations along the route.
The captain presented the route and each landmark as we passed by it in Greek, and then each guide took turns translating for their group. This is where the chaos began. I don't know what the presentation algorithm was (probably in alphabetical order), but it was clear that by the time our-speaking guide got to say something, the "attraction" was long past and we were approaching the next one.
Moreover, those who had already learned from their guide what it was about resumed their loud conversations, temporarily paused, without any respect for the others.
The first stop was on the island of Antipaxos, at Voutoumi Beach, rightfully cataloged as a must-see and the most beautiful beach in the area. Those who choose to spend a vacation on the neighboring island of Paxos either rent a boat or take a taxi-boat from the port of Gaios and come here for at least a day at the beach.
Although the ship was very large, it docked quite close to the shore, and the bravest swam to the shore. Most of us preferred to splash around near the ship in turquoise water, so clear that some said they were afraid to jump in, fearing they might hit the bottom.
After half an hour of splashing around, we headed to the west of the island of Paxos to see the caves carved into the limestone shore. Legend has it that the god Poseidon struck the coast of Epirus with his trident, breaking off the island of Corfu to give it to his wife, the nymph Amphitrite.
When he found out that she had been unfaithful, blinded by jealousy, he locked her in a smaller cave on the island of Paxos, near a larger cave that bears the name of the god of the seas. She managed to save herself by digging a tunnel and escaping through a nearby cave.
Unfortunately, our ship was too large to enter the caves, so we had to be content with admiring them from a distance and watching enviously as the small boats went in on one side and came out on the other.
On the way to the capital of Paxos island, the port of Gaios, dolphins appeared. We might not have even noticed them if the captain hadn't pointed them out, not realizing that 300 people would literally rush over, almost capsizing the boat 😱.
Only his quick thinking prevented a tragedy, as he nicely (but safely) lied, saying there were dolphins on the other side too. We were quite frightened, but once the danger passed, we continued our journey and soon arrived at the charming port of Gaios, where we had two hours for strolling and dining.
We anticipated that it would be physically impossible for everyone to fit into the tavern recommended by all the guides and still have a decent meal (unless they had reserved a wedding hall with a fixed menu for us) 😜, so we preferred to walk around the town and browse the little shops along the waterfront.
The first shop we entered was one with gold and silver jewelry that I swear could have made money just by charging a small entry fee, like a museum. Besides the fact that all the pieces were gorgeous, with genuine precious stones, I didn't see even two pairs of earrings that were the same. 😍😍😍 All were unique, handmade, and priced accordingly.
Next door, there was a shop with local products: wines, which were very good but sweet to the point of being cloying, sponges, and soaps made from olive oil and glycerin with different colors and scents: orange (with the scent of oranges and cinnamon sticks), turquoise (with seaweed), pink (with rose scent and petals), milky white (with vanilla), and many others.
We lost ourselves in the narrow, sloping streets, and before we knew it, time had flown by. We only had enough time left for a sweet treat, ice cream, and a Greek coffee at one of the taverns perched above the waterfront. Soon, the siren sounded three times, and we headed to embark. Not all of us, though. Two couples tried their luck and hoped we wouldn't leave without them.
Remember I told you that Greeks will leave you behind without remorse? Well, they found out the hard way. About 10 minutes after we left, someone realized they were missing. But they weren't the only ones. A 13-year-old girl from the English group realized her backpack was missing and started screaming that it had been stolen.
Her husband tried to calm her down to no avail, and the captain's intervention was useless; the lady kept insisting and even snapped at him for not doing anything. After about half an hour, we had an unscheduled stop.
A high-speed boat brought back the two lost couples and the backpack that the young girl, too busy chatting on the phone with friends left at home, had forgotten next to her chair in the tavern where she had been with her parents, who, well-soaked by the sun and beer, had not taken care of it. Honestly, I would have expected the lady to apologize after the situation was clarified, but she didn't. 👎👎👎
The captain did it instead of her, and she retreated with her whole family and what remained of their beer supply to a corner and did not move until we arrived back in Lefkimmi. About halfway through the return journey, we managed to find some seats in the lounge almost entirely occupied by Italians.
All in all, it was a tiring but pleasant experience. Would I repeat it? Definitely, but with a smaller ship and a smaller group.
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