Do you realize that it has taken three blog posts to fully describe my recent voyage? Would you like to know why? No, not because I’m verbose! Because the Mediterranean Sea is so darn big. How big, you ask? Well, it’s surrounded by 22 countries and has a coastline of almost 29,000 miles! (Which, by the way, is longer than the distance around the Earth. Which is 24, 901 miles.)

So, just to finish our last nautical summary, we left Turkey and set sail for the enchanting (and expensive) islands of Santorini, Mykonos, Crete, and Symi. (My personal favorite) Amazingly, there were no cruise ships in port, so we pretty much had the islands to ourself. I even swam topless. Santorini has the best views, Mykonos the prettiest jewelry, Crete the most beaches and wonderful olive oil, and Symi is the perfect place to relax and enjoy the beauty of Greece. We drove all over Crete, which is about 160 miles long, and were simply amazed by how lovely the island looked. (Get this, there are over 30 million olive trees on Crete!) By and large, the Cretans (yes, that’s what they’re called) are super friendly and love American tourists. After a few more islands, it was back to Athens, which is one of my favorite cities to explore. The locals seemed to understand each other, but it was Greek to me.

I’m grateful that the weather and waves were incredibly calm, but after two weeks at sea it was nice to get back on terra firma. (which sounds like the name of a small Italian village, non e vero?) So, now that I’m back in the saddle, what else is new? Well, as you may have heard, my new historical masterpiece, titled, WONDER OF THE WEST, recently won the silver medal for “Best U.S. History Book of 2024” at the New York Book Festival. We are toying with the idea of attending the awards ceremony, but first we have to purchase a couple of bulletproof vests and a small thermonuclear device. Better safe than sorry, right?

Before I forget, I’d like to thank my good friend (and unofficial publicist) Loyd Smith for arranging for me to speak at the Lakeway Men’s Club last week. Turn out was great, and I sold every book I had! I love to speak at this club, which is comprised of some great and intelligent folks. The topic of my presentation was John C. Fremont, and we had some great questions during the Q&A session. Thanks again to Loyd and Tom Cain for setting this up.

Well, I think I’m off to Bass Pro Shops. I thought I might take a look at some fishing rods. (I used to be indecisive, but now I’m not so sure.) The last time I went shopping there, I couldn’t find any camouflage clothing. I looked everywhere, but no dice. Go figure.

Today I shall leave you with a riddle (compliments of Loyd Smith): How do lawyers sleep? Answer: They lie on one side, then the other side! Amen, brothers and sisters. Take care and have a felicific week. (I’m afraid you’ll have to look up that word!)

Love to all, Doc Yanoff

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