September 23 – 26, 2015
With the seas finally settled, we primarily motored to Ios as the winds only allowed about 15 minutes of sailing before they calmed. Ios is a small island just north of Santorini. Because of its chance geological development it has a large, protected harbor with ideal depths for anchoring, unlike Santorini. Our ultimate goal is to visit Santorini but because the volcano that formed the island rises so steeply there are virtually no harbors or places to anchor. Because of this, many cruising boats moor at Ios and take a ferry to visit Santorini. Although that was our plan, it turns out the ferry schedule this time of year would not allow us to spend much time there before Lauren and Mark needed to be back to catch their ferry to Athens.
When we arrived in Ios we found a wonderful natural harbor with beautiful churches, a nice waterfront and quays on three sides to accommodate lots of boats and ferries. We tucked into a nice berth right in the center and were greeted by a very efficient dockmaster who informed us that our dockage fees would be 8 euros per night, with electric included. You have to love these prices!
Although we were disappointed to not get to Santorini at this time, we discovered Ios to be an incredible island by its own right. It is like a mini Santorini with harbors. There is a small village at the water’s edge and, like Santorini, the town is spread along the ridges. It is an upscale island with very nice restaurants and shopping. For recreation there are beaches and resorts scattered all around the island. We decided this could be very enjoyable without the hustle bustle of Santorini, and it was.
To get around the island we rented ATVs. With great hopes of doing some real off road adventure we headed out. We arrived at our first dirt road and discovered these things would not even climb over a small stone, not to mention a rut. 
Oh well, back to the pavement, the adventure would still be fun. It turns out the machines may look like the ATVs we are familiar with but are deliberately underpowered so tourists don’t get any crazy ideas. They weren’t even four wheel drive!
Back on the hard surface we headed north see Homer’s tomb. It was a bit of a letdown. The fun was getting there along the narrow, winding roads perched on hillsides, albeit slowly. With underpowered machines we weren’t going to break any speed limits. Arriving at Homer’s tomb, or what we thought was Homer’s tomb, at the end of the road on the far northern end of the island, we came upon some rock piles. 
Not sure if it actually held Homer’s remains, we figured it must be significant for some reason–there were lots of signs although were obliterated by the weather. 
What was great were the breathtaking views from there. We were high on a hill and could see dozens of islands surrounding Ios. Naxos and Paros about twenty miles to the north were clearly visible.
Back in town, Lauren and Mark had gotten a recommendation for dinner at “Grandmas”. Our vision was a very local restaurant with grandma in the kitchen doing the cooking. Not so. Grandma’s is an architecturally modern restaurant alongside a dramatic vanishing edge pool, in the village above the harbor. Dinner was delicious and the view down on the harbor wonderful. Bob, always one to try new things, had the rooster. He reported that it did not taste like chicken, but rather much more gamey. As for grandma, we never saw anyone that would have qualified—the wait staff were all excellent but their ages collectively would still not have been enough…
To see more of the island, a most rugged spot, we headed off the next morning to cross the island for a beach on the southeast side. The route was steep and winding as we crossed over several mountains. Along the way we watched as the sky became darker and darker. Finally the heavens started to open up and, getting wet on a very slow ride, we decided to take a pass on the beach and head back. 
Within fifteen minutes we were all being pelted by hail! It was not only wet, but the hail stung and the sound of it hitting our helmets was tremendous. Trees do not grow on these mountain sides and there were no shelters in this very rural, rugged area, so we soldiered on back into town. After changing into some dry clothes, Lauren and Mark did some final exploring of the harbor area before catching a mid-afternoon ferry to Athens.
Bob and I finished the exploration of Ios on our own. We set off for the town above the harbor and found it to be a delightful, albeit quieter, village of white painted buildings and narrow alleyways of shops and restaurants. Near the top of the hill the village sits on is the large Greek Church with three small chapels, one beside another, up to the peak of the high hill. For exercise we walked to the top and enjoyed the sunset.
