Jeff Bezos Cruises the Aegean Before Flying to Space

Jeff Bezos is cruising the Aegean, visiting Greek islands aboard a luxurious yacht, before his scheduled trip to space later in the months.

Bezos, the richest man on earth, was spotted dining with his entourage at the cosmopolitan restaurant Omega3 in Platis Gialos on the Cycladic island of Sifnos.

He has been sailing with billionaire businessman Barry Diller, husband of fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg and journalist Anderson Cooper an anchor at CNN.

They are sailing the Aegean aboard the Eos, a three-masted Bermuda rigged schooner. The ship is one of the largest private sailing yachts in the world, and as of 2009 was owned by Diller.

Sifnos, one of the islands of the Western Cyclades, is a balance of beautiful beaches, nightlife, pristine white villages, low-impact tourism — and perhaps the best food in the Cyclades.

The National Geographic once included Sifnos as one of the ten most charming and exotic islands in the entire world. According to the magazine, “it’s just a spot on the ocean that someone could hardly notice on a map. Yet if you find yourselves there, you’ll know there’s no other place of equal beauty in the whole world.”

Bezos is expected to travel to other Greek islands during his tour of the Aegean.

Jeff Bezos flying to space on July 20

Bezos, founder of space-exploration firm Blue Origin, said on June 7 that he and his brother Mark Bezos will fly into space aboard the “New Shepard” rocket on July 20 — the company’s first human flight.

The New Shepard program is named after Mercury astronaut Alan Shepard, the first American to go into space.

“Ever since I was five years old, I’ve dreamed of traveling to space. On July 20th, I will take that journey with my brother. The greatest adventure, with my best friend,” Bezos wrote on Instagram.

Virgin Galactic’s Sir Richard Branson announced on Thursday he will launch a rocket into space on July 11, beating Bezos by nine days.

Branson’s company said that its founder will be among the six people on board. All other passengers are company employees. It will be only the fourth trip into space for Virgin Galactic.

Bezos, along with Richard Branson with his Virgin Galactic, wants to expand space tourism, a vision that stands in stark contrast to Elon Musk. The SpaceX CEO has long touted his goal to make humanity into a multi-planetary species. This would start with a city on Mars by the year 2050.

Branson said he was “honored” to be able to help “ensure his business delivers a unique customer experience”.

“I truly believe that space belongs to all of us,” he said.

“I’ve always been a dreamer. My mum taught me to never give up and to reach for the stars. On July 11, it’s time to turn that dream into a reality aboard the next @VirginGalactic,” Sir Richard wrote on Twitter.