Athens

Welcome to Greece!  We will have a low key day today. Just checking into our hotel in the Plaka District of Athens and a meet-and-greet at its rooftop bar at 6:00 pm.  Afterwards, wander through the busy Plaka in search of good eats or eat at the rooftop bar atop our hotel with views of the Acropolis before retiring to bed!

Athens

Antiquities Galore!  Today our focus will be on a visit to the amazing textile collection at The Benaki Museum. There will be time for an early morning ascent to The Parthenon and an exploration of the knitting scene in Athens as we collect our yarn for our knitalong shawl from TreLiz!

Corfu

The Adventure Begins!  Our adventure truly begins today as we head back to Athens Airport for our flight to Corfu.  Once on Corfu we will have a few hours to explore the lovely museum and gardens of Mon Repos with our local guide.  Mon Repos was the birthplace of Prince Phillip, and also a film location for The Durrells of Corfu (a must watch TV show!) and is a lovely oasis of green at the edge of Corfu Town. Then it’s on to the port to board our home for the next week, the Aegeotissa!  

After we meet the crew, have a welcome drink and get settled into our cabins, we will head back out for a tour of Old Corfu Town before dinner on your own.

Paxos

And We’re Off! The high seas await as we cast off this morning and head for the sleepy island of Paxos.  There we will begin our routine for the next week - motoring in the morning, a swim stop in crystal turquoise waters, an amazing lunch, motoring to our port for the night, with time to explore a port town or an excursion to the interior, and dinner on your own. Our visit to Paxos will definitely include a visit to an old olive oil press with a chance to talk to a local who grew up on the island before tourism (and electricity!) were introduced to the island.  We’ll set our sights on a visit to The Blue Cave for an amazing swim stop, but this will be weather-dependent.

Lefkada & Meganisi

Over the next couple of days we fall into the gentle routine of eat, knit, swim, eat, nap, explore, eat, knit, repeat. We will visit Lefkas, home to The Aegeotissa, and take an excursion to a folk museum with another amazing textile collection.  Then it’s on to Meganisi, where we will meet some of the local women who are preserving the weaving traditions of the islands.

Ithaka and The Palace of Odysseus?

Anchors Away! Beautiful beaches await!  After our swim stop, we will head to the beautiful island of Ithaka for an excursion up to the amazing ruins of what is thought by some to be the legendary Palace of Odysseus.  Our local guide will meet us in town to introduce Homer and The Odyssey, then we will walk a half mile to the ruins where she will interpret them for us, as well as giving a lively refresher course on The Odyssey.  These ruins are situated on rough hilly terrain, but the views are spectacular! (Walking sticks are not a bad idea here due to the terrain.)  We will walk a half mile back to a gorgeously situated restaurant overlooking the valley below for a traditionally prepared meal.

Kefalonia

Our last island stop will be the island of Kefalonia.  Our last day on the boat will be very relaxed with plenty of time to enjoy our swim stop and a walk to the lighthouse in the port of Fiskardo.  Time to shop and wander and knit in the evening.  Eat, knit, swim, eat, nap, knit, explore, eat, shop… this is the life!

The Textile Traditions of Kefalonia

A fond farewell to our crew this morning as we leave The Aegeotissa and head to the capitol of Kefalonia, Argostoli.  Kefalonia is a large and mountainous island, and one that has really preserved its textile traditions. We will visit with the local Textile Association to learn about those traditions and maybe try our hand at a couple of them ourselves.  While on the island we will also enjoy the local history and geography, learn about the earthquake that shook the island in the 1950s and enjoy a farm-to-table meal, perhaps with some local wine?

Athens Here We Come!

We fly back to Athens today, but before we do, there is still more of Kefalonia to see!  Another museum and lovely lunch will round out our experience here before we head to the airport.  We will arrive in Athens in time to check into the hotel and enjoy a fabulous trunk show and dinner with our local indie dyer extraordinaire - Lise Condis! 

Athens

HOMEWARD BOUND

We bid you a fond farewell!

 Heather loves designing and leading knitting and fiber tours. She’s fascinated with local traditions, unique yarns, and the modern twist added to both by current designers. Her ever-widening exposure to both has led to a long queue of patterns and a dramatic accumulation of stash!  She’s also been trying her hand at new wooly endeavors like felting and spinning. When not knitting, traveling or planning your next trip, Heather tends her small flock of chickens and ducks, volunteers in her local thrift shop, and spends time with her two dogs, her family, and friends in Dunbarton, NH.

Suzie is an avid knitter, spinner, and all-around fiber enthusiast plus writer, gardener, adventurer and appreciator of both cityscape and landscape.  When she realized she could combine her love of making things with her love for travel and new experiences, she found her happy place! Suzie lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She’s the author and illustrator of The Nervous New Owner’s Guide to Angora Rabbits. No longer a fiber animal owner, she loves nothing more than visiting fiber animals someone else owns -- preferably in another country. She writes about her travel experiences at www.studiobriddsang.com