The good news of the day is that the Meltemi is taking a break! And this interruption in the dreaded Aegean strong winds from July to September gives us the opportunity to head for the Northern Sporades archipelago. This archipelago in the northern Aegean comprises a total of over 100 islands and islets. The four largest islands of Skyros, Alonnisos, Skopelos and Skiathos are also the best known and very well developed for tourism. We set sail from Lavrion, south-west of Athens, in completely calm weather to reach the southernmost island of Skyros in a long stretch. We leave the island of Andros to starboard, round the southern tip of Euboea - the second largest Greek island after Crete - and then set course for Skyros.
For a long time, we sail parallel to the east coast of Euboea, which looks rather inhospitable in this area with its steep cliffs and mountains and has no harbours. We reach Skyros in the late afternoon and, as always, the day ends with the search for a suitable mooring.
On the western side of Skyros, in a large sheltered bay, lies the small village of Linaria, from which there is a connection to Kymi on Euboea. The large ferry "Achilleas" dominates the harbour, which is otherwise occupied by small local boats and only has a few guest berths, all of which are occupied. After a few minutes of circling around, a rubber dinghy suddenly approaches us. It's the harbour master, who assigns us a wonderful berth at the front of the pier - alongside. Thanks to the exposed position, we have an unobstructed view of the bay and the surrounding mountains and islands on three sides. On the land side, we look up to a Greek Orthodox church overlooking the harbour, gleaming white in the warm light of the fading day. Is there anywhere more beautiful?
Linaria: the harbour is a sight to behold
"We keep the berth available for large yachts," he explains to me when we have moored. Before we dock, an employee cleans the pier with a cleaning machine, even though we don't think it's necessary. The pier is so clean and well maintained that you could eat off the floor. We have never experienced anything like it in over twenty years of water sports. But that's not all: we are given a folder with information about the harbour and the island - in German!
He also explains how to use the harbour facilities, one of the crazy highlights of which is a "disco shower". We are no longer up for such jokes, but other younger harbour guests obviously love this offer.
And then we rub our eyes again: the harbour has a waste separation system that we have never seen anywhere else in such perfection. The harbour master rides around his little kingdom on an electric tricycle and helps wherever he can. We have rarely felt so welcome and well looked after as here. Of course, the electricity and water connections leave nothing to be desired. Everything works, everything is in perfect working order - and at the same time the children play here and the omnipresent anglers try to snatch a big catch from the sea from the jetty. There is also a petrol station and the large ferry is responsible for the harbour cinema. The mooring manoeuvre at the small pier deserves respect - and when the engines finally fall silent, peace reigns again in Linaria.
Thunderstorms are actually forecast for the evening, but this has often been the case on this trip without anything happening. By the time we go to dinner, however, the sky has darkened considerably.
We order drinks and a starter in the taverna as the first gusts of wind whistle through the harbour basin. The waitress starts to collect everything that can fly around and the landlord prefers to retract the brand new blinds. We pay hastily and rush to the boat to lay out extra lines and fenders. In the meantime, it has become dark and an incredible spectacle begins. Lightning flashes continuously 360° around us and the distant rumble of thunder gets closer and closer. When the thunderstorm is overhead, the rumble turns into a crash, but the wind dies down and it starts to rain - for the first time in two months. After a good hour, the thunderstorm moves away and the rain stops. We get something to eat on board and enjoy the clear, cool air for the first time in a long time.
On an island tour in a hire car
The main town of Skyros - Chora - is about twenty minutes by car from Linaria. There are ten telephone numbers for hire cars posted in the harbour, but almost all of them are fully booked due to today's Assumption Day holiday. Eventually we do get one from multi-entrepreneur Taris. He also owns a hotel with bungalows in a nearby bay and runs buses to take his guests to the island. On the way to the north-east coast of Skyros, we pay a visit to a large and not so old "marina", which is described in our harbour guide as follows: "Unfortunately, the entrance is not only lined with rocks and reefs, but is also aligned so that the Meltemi blows right into it. Winds from the north create a terribly heavy sea in front of the entrance. There are depths of five metres in the entrance, but these quickly flatten out to one metre. The inside of the harbour is in danger of silting up. You can attempt the approach when there is no wind, but not in Meltemi."
The visual impression on the spot confirms the scathing comment - a truly desolate place, with just a couple of soul sellers bobbing around, lined with cannibalised boat hulls lying on the shore.
In stark contrast to this is the beautifully designed "Anemomulos" restaurant, which is built in and around the round tower of a former windmill. Two small islets and several chapels, some carved into the rock, frame the very Greek-looking scenery. Those who love maritime romance will also get their money's worth in the small fishing harbour of Molos Skyros. Here, the fish caught is still prepared by hand with a kitchen knife. However, the "Chora" is dominated by the whitewashed old town, which nestles on the slope of a huge rocky outcrop. The ruins of a castle, the chapel of San Nicolas and the monastery of Agios Georgios are enthroned at the top of the rocky massif. Anyone arriving up here at 35° in the shade knows what they have done. Below the rock, in a picturesque market square, we replenish our lost fluids with a cold drink.
On the way back, we take a long detour past the airport to the west coast and discover the gem of Atsitsa. This place, which today invites you to daydream, used to be a loading centre for ore mined on the island - run by a German company, as we are told in the bistro.
The remains of a former viaduct made of natural stone still give an idea of the industrial past. In search of a supermarket, which are all closed due to the public holiday, we happen to discover an open warehouse behind a winery, which is also closed, where large quantities of drinks are stored on high shelves. People are sitting at wooden pallets piled up to form tables, drinking beer and obviously enjoying their evening off. When we ask if we can buy some more water, we are spontaneously invited for beer and Greek salad. A lively discussion about the issues of the world ensues - at the end, we are given a few cans of beer and the water we actually wanted to buy. This kind of Greek hospitality - unthinkable in Germany - leaves us speechless and stays with us for a long time.
