September 2014

I arrived in beautiful Athens, Greece, immediately after my time in St Tropez. I was here as a hostess for a sailing yacht on a trip organised by Sailchecker.

At the airport I met up with Kim, a fabulous human as well as chef, & we had fun stocking up on cocktail supplies for our guests before finding skipper, Chris.

The sun was shining down on the glowing marina as we arrived to collect our yacht &
prepare to meet our guests. The three businessmen who we were hosting were great guys & we had a really fantastic time with them. Once we’d sorted out the basic orientation it was time to set sail.

There’s nothing quite like the freedom of sailing your own (temporarily!) yacht across the Mediterranean ocean. Warm breezes & turquoise waters surrounded us as we cut across lolling waves to begin our gentle voyage.

On our first afternoon we sailed across to a group of smaller islands & paused to enjoy the
view. The Mediterranean Sea is warm (unlike the Atlantic!) so we could slip off the back of the boat and enjoy a swim in the clear waters. I made up some cocktails as Kim prepared some appetisers which we enjoyed looking out at the sun went down. This become our evening routine. We would pause somewhere particularly beautiful & watch the setting
sun with ‘sundowners’ (cocktails & light snacks) before we sailed off towards a port in search of some local cuisine.

The Greek people were always so friendly & welcoming &, of course, the food was simply wonderful. We would order the entire starter & side dish
menu so as to sample as many different dishes between us as possible – & we were never disappointed! One evening  we also went to a bar for after dinner drinks & a few shots & a dance on the outdoor dance-floor.But for me it’s dining al fresco along the harbour with the worn stone beneath your feet & stars over the tinkling masts that creates the unique tranquility of these wonderful little islands.

The next morning we sailed across to Hydra. This charming island was particularly beautiful & a line of donkeys waiting patiently as we pulled into the harbour. These could be hired for exploration trips but Kim & I took the opportunity to stock up on some supplies. We wandered down the narrow, winding streets through to wider ones, from shop to tiny shop & across markets of fresh fish & produce. Re-joining for drinks along the waterfront we compared additionally purchased trinkets before we sailed off for our swim & sundowners.

That evening, instead of turning into a port for dinner, we set our anchor down off the shore of a tiny abandoned island in the middle of the Mediterranean ocean. We used the dingy to toddle our way across to the old jetty & Kim got a delicious barbeque going whilst the guys made up a fire. I set up a make-shift bar along the wooden jetty with (compulsory!) ‘Pirate Punch’ for everyone. The stars from out there were like nothing I’ve seen before. The island was completely deserted but for a few goats bleating mildly from time to time against the lapping of the waves against the shoreline.

For our final morning we prepared a champagne breakfast as the guys climbed back on-board after an early swim. The glowing morning sun was the perfect backdrop to enjoy our last few hours as we began to make our way back to beautiful Athens.

Once we had waved a sad goodbye to both our yacht & amazing clients, Kim, Chris & I headed up to see the magnificent Acropolis. We admired the views & dined on the very steps of the city before it was time to fly home after an unforgettable experience & the best job ever!

 

The true beauty of creating your own trip with Sailchecker is that you can go at your own pace. You have the freedom to choose your own schedule & truly relax. Just stop anywhere that takes your breath away & dive right into the crystal waters. Watch the sun set over cocktails, see it rise over champagne or as it stays hot & steady with a tequila shot straight off the back of the yacht…

 

Once I was back on the plane it was finally time to touch-down at home & catch up with my family – but only for a matter of days as I was due to move down to London almost immediately!

 

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