Kids are the best crew members

40° 34′ 31.476” N 22° 56′ 52.656” E

27th June 2021

Nellie is the first mate. Julian is a ship’s boy. They have sailed with Ronja every year of their lives and thus have nine and two years of seniority as visitors. They sweep the decks with high spirits, they live with us on the long voyages, and they spread a great atmosphere on board. Our two grandchildren arrive with their father in Aretsou Thessaloniki Marina. That’s the plan, we’ll be together for ten days. Jubii.

After a trip on the sea, the salt must be washed away

The father announces that he will have to work a lot for the first five days, and he leaves for a hotel in Thessaloniki, where he can write and hold online meetings. “Have fun with the kids!”.

Wonderful.

We always get closer to the kids when the parents are not with us, so we immediately set course for the Halkidiki Peninsula, eight hours sailing from Thessaloniki. Here we have chosen a completely superb beach. Clean, white sand. The clearest water and not a rock.

The place is called Sani and turns out to be very expensive with architect-designed hotel clusters and 26 top restaurants, where a Greek salad costs 22 euros compared with 6-7 euros in “normal” Greece, and where hotel guests are driven around the area with silent electric golf cars .

The place is ridiculously preoccupied with putting guests into different groupings, each having access to their selected parts of the delights. It feels a bit tasteless. But the beach and the water are amazing. And if you want to have fun with your grandchildren, then there is nothing like a beach full of play equipment.

We’ll be here a full week. A wonderful week where the children’s father catches up with us along the way and participates in the fun, while he still looks after meetings and deadlines at his job. After a wonderful week we sail back to Thessaloniki, where Ronja will spend the warmest summer months alone.

John Dillermand? Is he saying that about a Greek squid?