Day 8: Samos

Trip Start Jul 05, 2008
1
7
14
Trip End Jul 19, 2008


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Where I stayed
Crystal Serenity
(Pithagórion hotels)

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Saturday, July 12, 2008

If George Washington were to have visited Samos, perhaps the legend would be that he threw a coin from the coast of Greece to that of Turkey, which lies only a kilometer from this Aegean Island. Samos is the most mountainous of all the Aegean Islands and looking around may remind some a bit of the terrain of Riverside and San Bernardino Counties in California. The highest peak here is about 4,670 feet.
We slept in a bit this morning and skipped our normal exercise routine, as we had to be ready for our tour at 8:00.
We anchored in the harbor of Vathy, the capitol. We were taken ashore by ship tenders. Buildings here are made of reinforced concrete and are situated North/South to take advantage of the prevailing winds so air conditioning is unnecessary. Only very experienced pilots fly into the Samos airport, as the proximity to Turkey and the strong winds make the chance of an airplane being inadvertently pushed into Turkish airspace a real possibility Samos
Samos
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Hera, or so the myth goes, was born on Samos. The ruins of her temple -the Herion- can still be seen today. A lonely pillar still stands amid the ruins as a testimony to tell the story of what was once an important part of the lives of the Samians. Along it lies the Sacred Way-a 2 mile road that stretches to the sea. The Turks destroyed much of the temple, using the marble and limestone for building materials.
Another native was Pythagoras, of mathematical fame. His town-Pythagoria-is a quaint seaside village. Keith wanted to try an authentic gyro-basically a pork sandwich made with pita bread. He also tried a Greek beer. I was a little adventurous and settled for a Greek coffee.  After our tour we went back to the ship for lunch.
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