Crept out of Kalimnos Harbour before breakfast & snuck into a glassed off spot for a swim. I swam to a tiny island overpopulated with goats & large gulls, the latter making a din when I climbed from the water into their nesting ground.
Water as usual, clear, emerald tints to turquoise, some sea lettuce on the climb from rocks emerging from deep indigo water to shore.
On return swim to the boat, a pod of small dolphins were dancing around a tiny nearby fishing boat as it bobbed on the water like a cork. Nothing else, no one else, flat sea, blue sky, barren hills, small islands, a tiny church, us, dolphins & 1 fishing boat.
Breakfast was another of more than eloquent sufficiency. Perfect!
Followed the coast of Kalimnos heading north towards Arki Island a small rocky outcrop supporting goat herders.
The spot of the day was a tiny nameless island where we stopped for lunch. Flat water large white pebble beach, no sea urchins. A perfect swimming spot. Mary swam with & without the noodle, the water temperature ideal, & buoyancy fantastic.
Lunch was melt in your mouth stuffed eggplants, a grilled chicken tika, various excellent salads including a watercress and yoghurt, & a Turkish Narise - Chardonnay blend. Highly satisfactory.
Post lunch rest hour saw us nosing our way towards Arki, where I had an overnight on the Aegean Rally a few years ago with Mariner boating.
We anchored on an island adjacent with enough time for Toby to show his skiing prowess on 1 ski as well as 2, and enjoyed the wind down towards susnset.
Arki is one of the least visited islands in the area, and has a permanent population of about 50 people - lack of potable water may explain this! Predominantly a goat herding & fishing community, it is thought the goat herders may be descendants of those farmers who worked for the influential monastery on nearby Patmos.
It appears but a large rocky outcrop, but has a great history with the remnants of an acropolis, a small fortress believed to have been destroyed by Julius Caesar, & on the northern end, fishermen report remnants of buildings under the sea.