The day boat to nearby islands and beaches near Patmos may cost 40 euros per person for the day, but nothing better delivers the feeling of wealth. When at 1pm you're floating in an aquamarine cove as still as a swimming pool – you are living in Tourism Board ads all over the Athens Airport.
This is part of why Sennen's favorite day each year is Boat Day. I cannot count how many versions of "This is my favorite day of the year!" In fact, as the boat pulled out of Patmos harbor headed toward Lipsi and Marathi, Sennen was munching on his breakfast saying (and I have it on video), "I am the luckiest guy in the world I'm eating a pie parallel to Goat Country on a boat in Patmos." It was a chicken Greek pie to be specific.
I also heard several permutations of "This is OUR day together. I love that it's just you and me."
That's because Ailyn can't stand boats – especially those that aren't highly stable like the Blue Star ferries. Last summer we had a successful day trip to Leros aboard the small and slow Patmos Star ferry that went very well thanks to an herbal motion sickness medication we got at the local pharmacy. For a minute, it looked like Ailyn had found her path to enjoying water-travel and even toyed with the idea of joining Boat Day again for the first time since 2019. Only a whale-watching trip on unexpectedly stormy seas in Kauai this past winter break changed her tune. No combination of wrist bands and magic Greek motion sickness pills would change her mind.
However, she wanted Sennen to have the experience and so she did what many people in a time of turmoil do – she threw herself into her work. It was a great solution – she was safe with Eirini and Eirini who was down an underaged employee could make more use of the one she had. Thus a long workday and a little time at home watching shows Sennen won't watch with her and Ailyn was happy as a clam. A clam buried in the sand – not one actually in the water.
One of the challenges to single-parent life is getting one-on-one time with my kids. I still mourn the highly effective divide and conquer strategy that worked so well when married. I've had a few times with Ailyn accompanying her shopping and when Sennen was at basketball. I've had a few moments with Sennen when we run errands in the morning – and a few hours at Lampi last week. But an entire day like this is rare anywhere, let alone here.
We both enjoyed it and Sennen is always at his best when he's on an adventure, especially when it's one-on-one. Really, there's nothing new about Boat Day. We've done it at least six times over. We know the stops in order – Macronisi, Aspronisi, Tiganakia, Arki and Marathi. We love the first three, enjoy lunch at the fourth and could care less about the fifth which we just stayed on the boat for this year.
At Macronisi, you get to swim through giant archways and caves. Aspronisi is a stunning white stone beach with a small strait of perfectly clear, colorless water. Tiganakia is a tourmaline grotto in which you find yourself surrounded by an incredible color in calm, smooth water. For years, Tiganakia was my favorite – being immersed in that shade of blue resonated through my soul. It still does. A few years ago, Aspronisi overtook Tiganakia simple because of how rare and stunning it is. Perhaps I'm jaded – but coming to Patmos each year has me swimming through all kinds of amazing shades of blue. Nothing I've ever seen looks like Aspronisi. Also, depending on weather and number of passengers, the boat doesn't always go there.
Sennen's favorite part is the simple act of jumping off the boat. Sometimes he did a few rounds of jumping just for the fun of it until the incredibly salinic Aegean stung his eyes – though it didn't dampen his joy.
"I love the Aegean! Coming here, it's like a different Aegean. We get to see more of the parts of it. Living on the Aegean is great!" he said floating on his back at Tiganakia.
The boy needs no instruction in how to lead the good life – which he proved further enjoying his Greek-style fresh-shrimp linguine at a seaside taverna on Arki.
Of course, the day was not fully charmed. The crossing between Patmos and Lipsi was rough because of the winds. In fact we were grateful Ailyn didn't come. As we sat on the bow of the boat, we got a little wet. Then a lot wet. Until we were soaked and moved to the back of the boat for awhile. Overall, it was fun.
One thing people rarely discuss when talking about Greece is just how salinic the Aegean is. My shirt literally crusted with salt once it dried (photo included below). My swim shorts too. On Boat Day, we end up coated in a layer of salt. I was rubbing salt off my head and neck. On the other hand, salinic water makes you float easily – hence swimming is not that difficult and if one gets tired, it's easy to simply float standing up – or moonwalk as we like to call it. Or do like Sennen and just lay back, float around a cove and share the contents of your head.
One positive of the summer that really paid off today – the kids have come to appreciate sunscreen. In the past, it has been a battle to get them to put it on and reapply regularly. After a serious sunburn earlier in the summer, Sennen has been more compliant with my frequent sunscreening, coming to realize he still tans – but it feels good not to burn. Armed with 20 value sized spray cans of Neutrogena Beach Defense 60 from Costco, I have been spraying the kids down consistently. Today, Sennen was the most willing I've ever seen. Not a lot of people finish Boat Day without at least some pink – Sennen walked off the boat the same golden brown he began the day.
In the end, Boat Day is the closest thing that exists to one's fantasy Greece. The places we go are unreal. But the bigger value is the connection, time and tradition we have built. As the kids look back on their growing up years and summers in Greece, I know days like today are the ones he'll remember. The fact that he appreciates this aspect of his life is heartwarming. The way he appreciates us sharing it, is deeply meaningful.
