Kefalonian Textile Traditions

Our day begins with an exploration of Kefalonia. This is a large, mountainous

island that has preserved and valued its textile traditions through the centuries, still practicing many of them to this day. We will visit with the local Textile Association to learn about those traditions and maybe try our hand at a couple of them ourselves!  

Traditional crafts and skill building continues on board the Aegeotissa, as we will have a journal making workshop early on in our tour so you have the remainder of the days to fill the pages with your memories. Then grab your kit and join Sydney for a vintage knitting workshop that dives deep into the world of traditional Greek lace knitting!

While on the island we will also enjoy a lovely vintage boat ride in Melissani Cave, learn about the earthquake that shook the island in the 1950s, and enjoy a farm-to-table meal, perhaps with some local wine. Before we leave, we'll have a chance to meet some of the local sea turtles that reside here as we chart the clear waters on a pedal boat! 

Ithaka and The Palace of Odysseus

Anchors Away! Here, we will truly begin our routine for the next week - motoring in the morning, a swim stop in crystal turquoise waters, an amazing lunch, motoring to our port for the night, with time to explore a port town or an excursion to the interior, and to find yourself dinner at one of the local restaurants. 

After our swim stop, we will head to the beautiful island of Ithaka for an excursion up to the amazing ruins of what is thought by some to be the legendary Palace of Odysseus.  Our local guide will meet us in town to introduce Homer and The Odyssey, along with the cast of characters dear to our hearts, such as Penelope the weaver. We will walk a half mile to the ruins where our guide will interpret their connection to The Odyssey for us. These ruins are situated on rough, hilly terrain, but the views are spectacular! (Walking sticks are not a bad idea here due to the terrain.)  We will walk back for a well deserved traditional Greek meal at a gorgeously situated restaurant overlooking the valley. 

Weaving Traditions - Meganisi & Lefkada

Over the next couple of days we fall into the gentle routine of eat, knit, swim, eat, sunbathe, explore, eat, knit, and repeat. We will visit Meganisi, a small island with a mighty weaving history. Here we will get to meet some of the local women who are preserving and upholding the island's weaving traditions, and see some of their stunning creations up close. 

Then it's on to Lefkas, home to The Aegeotissa. Between knitting and swimming, we will take an excursion to a folk museum with an amazing textile collection, and a wholly unique sunset tradition as well!

Paxos

The high seas await as we cast off this morning and head for the sleepy island of Paxos. Our visit to Paxos will include a visit to a historic olive oil press to see how this wonderful and fragrant oil is made. Here we'll have a chance to talk to a local who grew up on the island before tourism (and electricity!) were introduced to Paxos, giving us a feel for the island life of yesteryear. Later, we’ll set our sights and hopes on a visit to The Blue Cave for an unforgettable swim stop. This will be weather-dependent as daily conditions can change the ability to swim here, but perhaps an earnest wish sent to the Greek Goddesses will turn luck in our favor! 

Corfu Awaits!

At long last, we will pull into Corfu Old Town and bid a fond farewell to the crew. It's high time we get to know the actual home island of The Durrells!  We'll start with a tour around Corfu Old Town, then head to the Mon Repos Estate, birthplace of Prince Phillip, and filming location for the series as the home of the Countess.

Then it's off to spend two nights at the home of Lawrence Durrell himself, The White House. While living at the White House Villa, Laurence Durrell described the interior as, “the rooms look lovely and gracious with their white-washed walls, and the few bright paintings and books. The windows give directly on the sea, so that its perpetual sighing is the rhythm of our work and our sleeping.” While resting our heads in these beautiful 1930s villas, we will spend our final day on Corfu visiting various filming locations, and as a special nod to Gerald Durrell, take a trip to a local donkey sanctuary!

Sydney is a voracious knitter, designer, and knitwear historian. She has been knitting and studying fashion history for over fifteen years and recently turned her passions into a career at Squid's School of Vintage Knitting, an online school devoted to the education and love of historical knitwear. In collaboration with Rowan Tree Travel, Sydney works to develop tours that have a historical or vintage atmosphere, often with elaborately themed and niche activities! With over fifteen years of working in the fiber industry, Sydney continues to love meeting other knitters and sharing fiber experiences with them more than anything else. You can find her at patreon.com/squidschool or over on instagram as @squidneyknits. 

Heather loves designing and leading knitting and fiber tours. She’s fascinated with local traditions, unique yarns, and the modern twist added to both by current designers. Her ever-widening exposure to both has led to a long queue of patterns and a dramatic accumulation of stash!  She’s also been trying her hand at new wooly endeavors like felting and spinning. When not knitting, traveling or planning your next trip, Heather tends her small flock of chickens and ducks, volunteers in her local thrift shop, and spends time with her two dogs, her family, and friends in Dunbarton, NH.