Busting bronco riding

It is fun if Papa doesn't go too fast!!!

We stayed at Finikas on the island of Syros for 9 days.  We liked staying here.  We turned on the air-conditioning at night so the bugs wouldn't bite me and Tutu.  We could watch movies a lot because we had electricity.  One night we went to a restaurant for ice cream deserts.  It was very good.  One day we went for a walk and found a store selling a riding float thing to pull behind a dinghy.  Papa bought it for us.

Motoring the last bit

Finally the wind wasn't too bad so we left.  We sailed really fast back to Kythnos island.  Sailing fast is a little scary, but I liked it.  

Riding Rider

Getting on Rider

We went back to the bay and beach that we liked so much before.  Papa took us to the beach to play after the sun wasn't so hot.  Then before dinner Papa took us riding on the new float thing.  We named it Rider.

Pulling me slowly

The next day we played on the beach again.  Tutu said it was too crowded to ride on Rider again.  It was Saturday and a lot of boats came down from Athens and lots of people were swimming.  Tutu said we had been in the sun enough, so we stayed inside the boat  in the afternoon and played dominoes.   Then we watched more Horatio Hornblower and more M.A.S.H. 


I saw some people putting up a tent on the beach.  I wanted to camp out.  So Tutu let me sleep in the cockpit by myself.  At the crack of dawn I woke up and I was thinking of going downstairs and playing on my DS, but everyone else was still asleep so I just went back to sleep.

Pulling me a little faster

Then we cleaned the boat because we are Swabs.  We are not Midshipmen yet.  Papa said he will give us a test later and if we pass the test then we will get a Midshipman certificate.  Next summer we can take a test to be Lieutenants -- if we pass the Midshipman test this summer.


After we cleaned the boat we played on Rider.  Then we went to the beach.  Since I had not eaten breakfast, I ate breakfast on the beach.  I ate a banana.  Then I dug a hole and buried the peeling so I would not litter the beach.  They don't have trash cans here.  I bet a goat will find the hole and dig up the banana peel and eat it.  There are lots of huge goats here on the mountains on both sides of the beach.


A boat broke its rope tied to the rocks this afternoon.   A lot of the boats tie ropes from the back of their boats to the rocks on shore.  Tutu and Papa don't like to do this.  They like to stay out in the middle of the water.  The people were not on this boat.  It floated away on its anchor chain and it scraped the other motor boat next to it.  I would be mad if a boat scraped my boat like that.  They should not leave their boat with no one on it to take care of it.

A mountain village

Near Ano Syros

Papa rented a car one day when the wind was blowing hard.    He drove too fast on the mountain roads.  

Near entry to Ano Syros 

Tutu thought we got lost but we were on the right road all the time.  We almost ran out of gas 

"street" in Ano Syros

because the rent company gave us a car with almost no gas in it.  It was on empty but it was still running so it must have had some gas in it.  We found the gas station just in time.  It was a long way away.  Then we drove through the big town and up another mountain.

St. Georges Catholic church

Then we walked through a little village trying to find an archway.  This village was built in the mountains a long, long time ago when pirates were attacking the big town by the sea.  They built a thick wall around the village on the mountain that had 7 big doors in it.  Now there are only 2 left, but we couldn't find them.  Later, Tutu found one of the doorways next to a little store where she stopped to buy some water.  (This village was called Ano Syros.)

St. George's Cathedral, Ano Syros

There were no streets in this village, so there were no cars or motorcycles.  There was an ice cream shop but we could not find it again so we didn't buy any ice cream. 














 We walked through the narrow alleys until we found a church at the top of the mountain.  It was way up above the big town by the sea.


It was a big church.  It was the only Catholic church we have seen in Greece.  Papa is Catholic and he lit a candle in this church.  He said that lighting a candle is like saying a prayer and it lasts as long as the candle burns.   This was an old church and it was fancy inside.  

Overlooking dome of St. Nickalis Greek Orthodox Church

Tutu explained the kneelers between the pews are used a lot during the Catholic church service, which is called Mass.  Zachary and I each knelt like we were praying.

Pretend confession

Papa explained how Catholics confess to the priest in a little closet with doors and little window. I knelt on the outside looking through a little screen and said, "Bless me Father for I have sinned......blah, blah, blah, blah.  I couldn't think of any sins.


Then we went out and Papa and Zachary walked off the way we had come, but they didn't even look for us.  So we went the other way and explored.  There were pretty flowers and vines hanging down on some of the houses.  When we reached the edge of the village we found trees growing.  There were no trees inside the village because it was all stone.   We walked down a bunch of steps; then we walked up a bunch of steps.  My legs got very tired.


We found some workmen and we followed them, thinking they knew the way out because we didn't know where we were.  Tutu said we were not lost; we just didn't know where we were.  We were still inside the village, so we weren't lost.  The workmen walked inside the monastery.  They didn't show us the way out.  Earlier we were looking for the monastery and couldn't find it.  Now we found it.


Then we walked up even more steps and found an alley that looked familiar.   We turned right and followed that alley.  It brought us to the place where the car was parked.  Papa and Zachary were not there yet.  We waited for awhile and they finally came.

Grape Arbor at restaurant at San Michalis

Then we drove through more mountains and went to San Michalis and had lunch.  I tasted a sour grape growing in the grape arbor of the restaurant.  Tutu said this kind of grape is used to make wine and maybe it wasn't the right kind to eat plain.  At San Michalis we also walked through some very old stone buildings and walkways and found a tiny church on the top of the mountain.   I wanted to light a candle but Papa didn't have any more small money. 

Walking up to San Michalis Church

We saw a bunch of figs but none of them were ready to eat.  I have never tasted a fig.  Papa said figs taste terrible.  Tutu said figs are pretty good.  I don't believe either of them, but I haven't tasted one yet.

San Michalis tiny church

I wanted to go to a cave.  We had seen a sign for a cave on our way to San Michalis.  But Papa drove past the road and we did not see a sign on the way back.  Then we went shopping at a few stores.  Then we went back to the boat.

Attacking Sand Castles!

BeBe in front of BeBe

On July 4th we went to the beach and started making a big hole in the sand near the water.  It started filling up with the water so we decided to make a sand castle.  And we made a moat.  The water did not fully go into the moat all the way into the castle, but it was close enough.  It was too far and too deep to dig with the shell we found.

Sand castles are hard work

Then after we got everything ready, Zachary went into the water and started catapulting wet sand at our sand castle.  I catapulted dry sand at him to defend the castle.  After that we just destroyed the castle and re-built a new one.

Temple of Poseidon, 444 B.C.

While we were doing this, Tutu and Papa walked up the hill to the Temple of Poseidon.  I didn't want to walk up to the temple.  I could see it just fine from the beach.  And the beach was more fun.

Beach combers

Tutu and Papa came back and told us to get into the water.  Then we got into the dinghy and went back to the boat.  The wind changed direction and we decided to sail to another place (Kythnos).  We sailed fast and the wind got strong.  I took a nap in the cockpit.   Papa said it was too rough to get up on the mizzen deck.   When I woke up we were almost at the new island and Zachary was still asleep.  Tutu was racing with other sailboats.  Two of the other boats got to the island first, but they didn't have the kind of sails we have.  One of the other boats turned and went somewhere else.  Papa took in the sails and we were the first boat to get into the bay.  It was very pretty with high mountains on both sides and a little beach in front of us.


Then Zachary told us about the last time he was here and climbed the mountain and saw some devil ram goats with really big horns.  Then we went to the beach and made another sand castle.  We made something called cement.  We used hard sand and added water to mix it.  Then Papa came and picked us up in the dinghy.


The next day we went back to the beach and made stone.  To make stone you have to use dry sand and a little bit of water and some small rocks; then add more dry sand and a little more water.  Then mix it all together and sometimes it turns hard enough to make a real stone castle.  Sometimes it isn't so good and gets lopsided.  So I used it to make walls to keep water from getting into our sand castle city.  After we made the cement and stone, I made a bomb area for soldiers to shoot pellets of rock at pretend people.  Then I made an escape route.  Then Papa came to pick us up.  He said we had been in the sun long enough.  Zachary was turning pink.

Fishing at Kythnos

Later that afternoon we used the small casting rods to fish off the boat.  Zachary knows how to cast the rod.  I don't.  Papa cast my rod.  We could see fish and got little nibbles but did not catch anything.  The water was very, very clear and was a very pretty color blue.


The next morning we were going to climb the mountain and have a picnic at the ancient ruins but Papa said the weather was going to change and we needed to move.   We sailed 4 or 5 hours to a place called Finikas on another island.  Papa backed the boat up to a wall.  I did not help.  I stayed in my bed out of everyone's way.  I did not even know they were tying off lines and stuff.

Huge Hot Dogs!!!

Later we walked to have dinner and found a place that had man-eating hot dogs.  They were huge!!!!!!  They had french fries inside the hot dogs.

Ermoupoulis--big town

On Friday we rode a bus to bigger town with a shopping center.  We found a place that had earrings and charms.  I bought a turtle charm and blue rose earrings.  The lade gave me a gift that was a tiny charm that was blue and had a white eye in it.  The local people say the eye is for good luck to ward off the evil eye -- whatever that is.

Drinks and lunch by the sea

Tutu shared a small 6-slice pizza with me for lunch.  We each ate 3 slices.  It was good.  Zachary ate spaghetti and gave half of it to Papa.  Papa just ordered a beer for lunch because they did not have baguettes to make him a sandwich.   It was pretty where we ate lunch by the blue water.  

Town quay at Ermoupoulis

Then we had ice cream.  We both had the same type.  It was vanilla and chocolate swirled together and had chocolate sauce at the bottom.  I would rather have a different type of Magnum ice cream though called Choco-Bites.  


After that we went to wait for the bus.  Once it finally got there we got on.  On the bus ride I found a 5 Euro bill on the floor of the bus in front of my seat.    We walked back to the boat and I played DS for the rest of the day until dinner time.  Then we watched Princess Bride.  It was Zachary's night to choose the movie.  The night before we watched Flushed Away.  That was my night to pick the movie.

Shopping Queen of Hermoupolis

(Tutu types this for me because I don't know how to type yet)

Sailed to Sounion

Sleeping on the back deck while sailing

This morning Tutu and Papa started the boat without waking us up.  Later when they put up the sails the loud noise of the electric winch over my bed woke me up.  But I went right back to sleep.

I was very tired today.  I have a cold and just want to sleep.








While we were sailing I laid up on the back deck and went to sleep.  Zachary slept in the cockpit.  We ate my leftover pasta for lunch.  Tutu baked it in the over with parmesan cheese.  It was still good.

Zachary swimming

When we got to Sounion we anchored near the Temple of Poseidon up on the top of the hill.  There were hundreds of people on the beaches.  Papa put some fenders tied to long ropes in the water behind our boat and Zachary went swimming for a long time.  I sat on the back steps and dipped my feet in the cold water.  That water is too cold to swim in.



Then Zachary took a shower outside on the deck.  I wanted to take a shower out there too.  But Tutu and Papa said only people who swim get to take a shower on the deck.

Shower on deck

We hope there won't be so many people on the beaches tomorrow.  They should go back to work on Mondays.  Then we can take the dinghy to the beach and I will swim there if the sun is hot.  And we will walk up to the Temple of Poseidon.

Tootsies in the cold water.  Temple of Poseidon on top of that hill.

Boat cherries! Mucho delicioso!

Aigina Town

We had eaten almost all the vegetables and fruit so Tutu said we had to go to town.  We drove the boat to town, then took the dinghy inside the marina to the town.  We saw tiny market side streets and fat ladies in bikinis on the beach.   We walked and found a supermarket.  Zachary was getting blisters on his feet so on the way back we switched shoes.  I wore his boat shoes and he wore my blue Crocs.

Church in Aigina Town

We walked past a church.  It was across the street from the marina with the fishing boats.



Farther down the road there were boats in the water with vegetables and fruits on the sidewalks.  We tasted some cherries and they were delicious.  We bought some.  Tutu also bought nectarines.  Then we went back to the dinghy and back onto the boat.

Buying cherries from a boat lady

Then we went back to the anchorage we were previously at.  Tutu cooked hot dogs while we were motoring back to the anchorage.  Then we ate some of delicious cherries.









That night we had guests.  Dr. and Dr. Bush came on our boat to have snacks before dinnertime.  They brought a big bowl of popcorn.  After that Zachary and I were so full that we did not eat dinner.

Peloponnese behind us.  Our boat too.

Then we watched a movie called Troy and went to bed.

Paddling along and my first cooking

Harder than it looks

Zachary wanted to paddle the dinghy and Papa said it would be too hard.  We tried it.  And it was hard.  Papa did the job and I rested.  I pointed to where I wanted to go.

I couldn't paddle but I could point

Then we washed the side of the boat while we were in the dinghy.  I sprayed the water hose to rinse off the soap on the side of the boat.   Papa was scrubbing and Zachary was holding onto the boat so the dinghy would not float away from the boat.  Then Papa took us for a ride with the motor on the dinghy.  A few times he went too fast and I yelled for him to slow down.

Picture of an island near our boat

First fine dinner I cooked all by myself

That night Tutu said I should cook dinner.  So I cooked pasta with meat sauce.  I added the seasonings.  Then it cooked for awhile and I taste-tested it and added a little more oregano and salt and a tiny pinch of sugar.  Tutu said that a tiny bit of sugar makes the flavors blend better.  And it was very good.  We ate out in the cockpit with special napkins.  I said that we were fine dining.  Now I know how to cook excellent meat sauce.