Although we adored being on our private paradise island, the wind predictions were dire, meaning we had to get moving or otherwise we would be stuck in Chalkidiki for another week. And so we did, on Friday, 5th May, we put our anchor up and hoisted our sails with one reef on. If I had to describe our sailing trip in one word? Rough. The gusts were up to 30 knots, we got into an acceleration zone while we were crossing close to Mount Athos and Elena got seasick, meaning that she was in my arms for almost the entire trip while Jelle was steering non-stop and trimming the sails. To make matters worse, as if we were newbies sailors, we completely forgot the breathers in our cabin open, which resulted in lots of seawater on my bed, on my clothes, and the floor. What a beginner’s mistake!

The good news was that we arrived safely and Lemnos port was very well sheltered and empty, so we moored alongside the pier, thus making our life easier. We quickly tied things up and took 2 big bags of laundry with us into the little town. We enjoyed some food and ice cream while waiting for our laundry to be done and we came back to the boat to put Elena to sleep and start our next chores, mainly rinsing off with fresh water EVERYTHING, inside and outside the boat. That night I slept on the couch, cause my mattress was outside, waiting to dry. What a day!

Despite the not-so-hopeful beginning, Lemnos won us over. We stayed at Myrina, the capital of the island, a cute little town with a ruined castle with impressive views, many seafood restaurants, and little shops. The people are friendly and the rhythm of life is relaxed, we were on an island after all. We spent our days walking around, climbing the medieval castle, and meeting up with family friends.

On Monday we rented an open Suzuki Jimny and explored the island. What a treat! We first visited Hephaestia, a town in ancient Greece, and then the church of Agios Nikolaos, which was situated in the water and you walked a little pier to get to it. We also visited Ammothines, the big sand dunes in the north of the island. Lemnos is the 8th largest island of Greece and much, much greener than we had expected!

But from all the sites we visited, the most impressive was the sedimentary rocks of Falakro; volcanic formations after the sea met with lava. The legend goes, that Falakro was the place Hephaestus landed after Zeus hurled him off Mount Olympus. Given that Hephaestus is the god of fire and blacksmith, it is no wonder that this landscape carries along such a myth!

We enjoyed our stay in Lemmos, even more so as our friends had a 6-year-old girl who played nicely with Elena. But sailors are bound to the wind’s whims, and even though we had great plans for Saturday, 13th May, we canceled them and instead woke up at 5:30 and started preparing for our next trip, towards Lesvos. Cause the miles were long (70NM!) and the winds were strong, we had to make due. Curious how that trip go? Stay tuned!