29 July - An Aegean Adventure!
στην θάλασσα! On the sea!
Today was undoubtedly one of the main highlights of the program up ’til now! All 33 students on Global Summers Academy – Greece August embarked from the port of Hermoupoli on the ‘Quarantine of Delos’ cruise boat with sunny skies and deep blue waters.
As we watched the white-building lined coast of Hermoupoli shrink into the distance, there was a palpable sense of excitement amongst our students. Some had never been on a sailboat before, many had never swum in the Mediterranean before, and all had never experienced this kind of intimate and secluded experience with the Aegean.
Our first stop was in a little inlet with aquamarine water that absolutely stunned the students when they saw it. “There is nothing like THIS back home,” a few of them exclaimed.
It did not take long before there were 33 young people in the water! Within seconds of anchoring, the whole boat cleared out with students doing backflips, dives, cannonballs over the side of the boat. Many of the students swam from the ship to the nearby coast and spent some time suntanning on the rocks.
After about an hour of Instagramming, swimming, and enjoying the gorgeous day, the students were served what was a highly memorable lunch, as the crew grilled up a mountain of souvlaki skewers on the side of the boat. Served with a Greek salad, rice, bread, and tzatziki, this special meal was enjoyed by all of our sailors. Nico even ate about 15 skewers himself!
We stopped in two more bays along the voyage, and continued swimming and jumping, even having the chance to swim into a completely secluded beachfront where we felt that we were the only people around for miles.
As we turned the ship for home, the seas became angry, and we started rocking and rolling over huge whitecaps all the way home. Some of the students described it as a very wet rollercoaster! Nonetheless, everyone was having fun and laughing at the thrill of going up and down over the waves. At one point, the captain even played the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ theme over the loudspeaker, which gave everyone a big laugh as we crashed through the open sea.
In the evening, we travelled to the town of Hermoupoli to get a glimpse of the nightlife on the island of Syros. Students had three hours to explore the streets, which had countless charming tavernas, gelaterias, and shops. It seemed to be a major hit for the students, as there were very few English speakers there, and the town has maintained a high degree of its authentic Greek culture, in comparison with the bustling tourism of a place like Mykonos or Athens.
At the end of the day, everyone was looking sun-kissed and ready for a long sleep. Thankfully, they have a sleep-in day tomorrow morning!
Make sure to follow our Instagram account for more photos and videos, particularly the Syros Sailing excursion reel!
@gsagreeceaugust2023
– Activity Coordinator Harrison R.
