If the northerly Meltemi is too strong in our third week of sailing, we continue further south to the Greek island of Leros before...

King Otto, Greece's first Monarch, arrives in his new Capital Athens in 1837 Standing in the summer heat on the Acropolis, you wonder how...

Galata Tower - View from the East - Tokapi Palace, Hagia Sophia & Blue Mosque in the back The Galata Tower is one of Istanbul’s most...

At a time when Europe needs to replace Russia as main gas supplier it is worth looking at alternatives in our vicinity. During our trip...

Arriving at Istanbul’s Airport for the first time was a real shock. It was 1979 andI felt so lost. Did not understand a single word or...

The decaying Barracks on the former Prison Island of Gyaros Cruising in the turquoise waters of the Aegean does not prepare for the...

Before writing my blog yesterday, I never asked myself where the marble for Greece's magnificent temples and palaces came from. But...

Wind conditions in the Aegean played a major role in our route planning for summer 2022. Every year, from June to September, the Meltemi...

Most people who come to Turkey would not associate the country with wine production. But the wine list in Istanbul’s restaurants is...

Muslim Refugees in 1922 - the Steamboat at the back is from the Turkish Red Crescent When sailing along the Turkish-Greek border in the...

Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill meeting in Cuba in 2016 Media these days are full of news of the horrors of war in the Ukraine. The...

One of the most beautiful things when sailing at night is the night sky. There is no light pollution when you are in the middle of the...

One of the world’s most prominent food controversies is about who invented yoghurt. My blog F - 183 talked about it. An equally intense...

This summer we are going to see many abandoned and destroyed ancient cities. Our sailing route through the Aegean is full of them. As we...

Trying to find remnants of old Byzantium in modern Istanbul is quite a task. Of course the Theodosian Walls which once protected...

At times when cruise missiles and artillery shells rain down on civilians in Kiev and Kharkov, it is worth remembering that human...

Wanted to write about Turkish Honey today. But now that Russia attacks Ukraine and kills innocent people, I will write about a time 2’000...

Visiting the ceramics departments in a Greek museums is fun. My sentence has a double meaning though. The exhibits make you marvel how...

The Balkan War 1912 - 1913 was a Precursor to the First World War 1914 - 1918 When we sail in the Aegean, we have to carefully respect...

On the holy sanctuary island of Delos, 12 lions once stood on the majestic Terrace of the Lions, greeting visitors on their way to...