Where Greece and Turkey (almost) meet

Samos and the Samos Strait


Another change of plan: the winds mean that our intended destination is not practicable. The consequence is a much more relaxing schedule, and a day on a truly delightful island.

The island of Samos has one great advantage over virtually all other Greek islands: a plentiful supply of water. There are plenty of trees and forests, renowned vineyards, high mountains, and an air of comfortable prosperity which has been lacking elsewhere on this trip.

In antiquity the island was birthplace to the mathematicinn Pythagoras, the fabulist Aesop, and the astronomer Aristarchus, who first posited that the earth revolves around the sun. A famous non-native inhabitant of Samos was Herodotus, variously called "the father of history" and "the father of lies"; either way, he makes a fascinating read.


In today's photo we are under sail, turning to enter the Samos Strait. Samos is to the left, and Turkey to the right. We have left Greek soil and our next landfall will be in Turkey.


The two countries are just one mile apart, and - a little surprisingly - it is possible to travel between them here by ferry. The relationship between Greece and Turkey continues to be a hostile one. There is still the unresolved (and probably insoluble) problem of the partition of Cyprus ..... not to mention the blood-soaked legacy of the past few centuries' history.