Ionian Sea Crossing

We sailed away from the Italian peninsula at dusk and soon after we could see the lights flickering on its shores a beautiful view but quite different from that of astronauts who were looking down on Sicily, Calabria and the expanse of the Ionian Sea from the International Space Station.

When we began the crossing of the Ionian the sea was calm but weather reports were advising mariners of strong northerly winds and high waves in the Adriatic and Ionian Seas.  Although I mostly functioned as the navigator, all of us participated in other duties as needed.   In the photograph I was ready for the night duty wearing foul weather gear, my life vest and was getting ready to tether myself on the life lines, so that the other two in the crew could sleep and be called only in the event more than one person was needed for duties such as to decrease canvas.

The next morning a well-rested Kostas was at the tiller.  It is obvious that the weather had changed during the night and the waves were building up.

Later by the afternoon of the same day, my brother and our most able captain, is at the tiller.  As in the previous photograph the waves continued to build up and the predicted bad weather reached its peak the night that followed.

After four days and nights of rough weather sailing we could see the mountains of the largest of the seven islands Cephalonia and the southernmost Zante.

In the Land of the Cyclops

In Odyssey the Cyclops, (Ancient Greek: Κύκλωπες), are giants, each one having a single eye on their forehead.  The Cyclops lived in the eastern part of Sicily, in the region in between the cities of Catania and Taormina, where Mount Aetna is located.

Another location that contends as the land of the Cyclops, is the island of Serifos, in the Cycladitic archipelago.    

Legend has it that the caves and prehistoric dwellings found on Serifos are where the giants lived and kept their herds.  

Upon arrival to the land of Cyclops, Odysseus noted a fire and together with some of his men went to investigate.  They found a giant cave full of lambs and cheeses. They help themselves to the food until the cave's occupant, a Cyclop named Polyphemus led his flock in and sealed the entrance to the cave. Finding themselves trapped, Odysseus appeals to Polyphemus to honor Zeus and respect the rights of a guest.    

The Cyclop laughs, picks up two of Odysseus' men, and kills and devours them. Faced with such overwhelming force, Odysseus decides to trick Polyphemus by telling the Cyclop his name is 'Nobody' and offering him wine. Odysseus' real plan is to get the Cyclop drunk.  

This he accomplishes rather quickly; and while the monster sleeps, Odysseus and his men jam a red-hot pole from the fire into his sole eye. Polyphemus screams in pain, attracting the other Cyclops from nearby caves who are concerned. But when his neighbors ask him if someone is attacking him, Polyphemus screams 'Nobody"! “Nobody is attacking me!” thus the confused Cyclops depart. 

Odysseus and his men then escape the cave by clinging to the bottom of Polyphemus' sheep as the now blind Cyclop herds them out in the morning.

Yet Odysseus is too cocky. Having escaped Polyphemous, he cries out his name “I am Ulysses the King of Ithaca” so that Polymphemous might tell the other Cyclops who had blinded him. The furious giant attempts to sink their boat by throwing huge boulders at it. However, the giant was unsuccessful. At this point Ulysses and his crew start on their journey back home to Ithaca.  Unbeknown to Odysseus, Polyphemus is a son of Poseidon, the god of the sea. Poseidon now knows Odysseus' name, and he will make him pay for blinding his son. For a sailor, there is no worse God to anger than Poseidon.  

The boulders can be found off the east coast of Sicily near the charming village of AciTrezza which is located in between the towns of Catania and Taormina.  In addition to Homer many authors in antiquity such as Pliny have described the Cyclopean Rocks or Isole dei Cyclopi.  It was from the Rocks of Cyclops from where we started the last of the three major crossings on our way back home.