Part III: The Greek Islands, Sifnos

Cruising
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Monday, June 18 Andrew boarded the fast ferry to Sifnos, a small Cycladic island in the Aegean Sea. I had no sleep, Andrew had little, and we were both starving. Aboard the ferry was a snack bar serving coffee, (frappe!) assorted pastries, juices, etc. I had a spinach & cheese "pie" (sort of like a spanokopita) and it was instantly satisfying. That and my dramamine kept me from getting ill the entire 3 hour ride. There was a small outdoor deck in the back of the ship where we spent most of the trip, inhaling the salty sea mist and watching our fellow passengers. On the lower deck there was a woman with her beagle, which of course made me miss my Maggie (and Butters too).

Kamares at Night
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The ferry left us on Sifnos around 10:30 am, where a cab driver was waiting for us with our name on a sign (gotta love that). Five minutes later we were at our hotel, the Delphini Apartments, and it was love at first sight. A traditional white-washed building with blue shutters and doors, small balconies overlooking the pool and the Aegean Sea. Our room was tiny (as most european rooms seem to be), but it didn't feel cramped--high ceilings, big windows and everything painted white. The bathroom wasn't bad either. What more could we ask for?

On the Deck
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We spent our three days in Sifnos exploring the local tavernas, beaches, churches and shops. Andrew attempted to rent a scooter and failed the driving test (!!!). So we rented a car to get around the tiny island, amazed by the endless vistas and welcomed by very friendly people everywhere we went. We quickly felt at home at the Old Captain Bar, and had a great italian meal across the street where we heard quite a few dirty jokes told by a local potter. I tried to reciprocate with a penguin joke but some things just get lost in translation (I bombed it).

Arrival in Sifnos
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Our hosts at Delphini were especially warm--George was constantly advertising his wife's homemade cooking, "Bepe is making something very special for you tonight! Fresh fish, salad, beans, fried potatoes, dessert...." and his father's house wine, "This wine, it is made by my father for many years. You will like it." Indeed we did.

Adding to the family ambience were George and Bepe's children running around the grounds, playing soccer and eating dinner with the guests. The groundskeepers had to be grandparents or aunts and uncles--they only spoke greek and were working very hard, watering the plants, cleaning the rooms, making things perfect. It was truly a family-run establishment, but still very private and romantic. We could have stayed there all week.

First Glimpse of Our Hotel Grounds
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On our final day we had big plans to go driving around the island again before we had to turn in our rental car. I, however, had the hangover of all hangovers (thanks Old Captain) plus a sore throat and other cold symptoms, and I felt like death. We had actually stayed up until daylight, sleeping only from about 5am til 10am. We would have slept longer if George didn't call us to remind us to check out. I tried sitting in the shade by the pool, but it had to be 100 degrees and I wasn't faring well. I had to get in air conditioning, and I had to sleep. Andrew asked George if we could rent a room just until our driver was scheduled to take us to the port (5pm). He agreed, and I laid in a dark cool room for the next 4 hours (Andrew, in the meantime, got a nice little show by a pretty blonde [topless] european by the pool). The sleep in the cool darkness did wonders for me, though even at 5pm I was not even 50% of my normal self.

Sleepyhead
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Our driver took us to the port, and I found a shady bench to sit and wait on for the next 45 minutes while Andrew did a little souvenir shopping. He went into the potter's studio (the one who told us jokes) and got some very pretty things. Eventually our ferry arrived and we boarded for our next leg of the trip: Santorini.