Turkey to Greece
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After giving sailing a miss during 2004(Jan had a double knee replacement), we were back on board Chispa from May until August 2005. Jan set off in mid April to get Chispa back into the water after two winters 'on the hard'. After two weeks of slogging, I arrived to see a sparkling clean boat. Even so, there is always something more to do on a yacht; however we were ready and waiting for our son Mike, Kim and baby James, who arrived in Marmaris at the end of May.
It was a whole new experience having a toddler on board but our cockpit became a lovely playpen. Unfortunately we had very little wind and only managed to hoist the mainsail once. We set off along the Turkish coast stopping every evening in one of our special places. We just love visiting the little bays with nothing much more than a small restaurant at the end of a rickety jetty. First stop was Ciflik where we were given a very warm welcome. There is usually nothing much to do except eat and drink but with James, life changed. He loved paddling in the warm shallow water and walking along the shore. We then visited our previous bays of Busuk Buku, Bozburun before heading to a 'new' bay - Kalaboshi. From there it was straight to Bodrum. Kim, I'm sure, was very pleased to finally hit terra firma as the last day was uncomfortable sailing. Poseodon, god of storms, kept the seas nice and calm and the wind at bay much to Mike's chagrin. On the other hand, James loved the casual yachtie life and was soon clambering all over the boat being encouraged by his father to do all sorts of foolhardy things. Mike inflated the dinghy and took his son for a spin. Unfortunately this budding sailor fell fast asleep within minutes. Perhaps it was not exciting enough! James also has a passion for animals and was soon leading Granny and Opa on wild chases all over the little villages after cats, chickens and even sheep. Life on board then became rather hectic. Before Mike and the family left, our new 'crew' arrived. We had already alerted the police to locate Oliver when he sauntered in some six hours after landing. He very thoughtfully booked into an hotel at 4 a.m. so as not to disturb us. We, meanwhile, had become rather frantic. Erik and Jane arrived at the same time. Everyone was then tripping over each other and the littered luggage everywhere. After our family's departure, it was down to sorting out cabins and showing Jane and Oliver over the boat. Erik, of course, was straight back at 'home' and didn't take long to start fixing odds and ends. Oliver, who had never cooked a meal in his life, came armed with a fabulous cook book which his daughter-in-law found for him. Thank you, Sue. As many of you know, we find the Turkish people one of the nicest nationalities we have met. Erik and Jane found this out whilst walking along the streets of Bodrum. Erik had a nasty fall and was surrounded by women in minutes, cleaning him up and producing plasters for every graze. Meanwhile Jane sat on the pavement, completely disregarded, watching all this happen. No amount of protestation from Erik was accepted and he returned to Chispa like an advert for Elastoplast! Bodrum to Kos took three hours but thereafter it took at least as long again to 'sign in' to Greece. Just how many times we walked around Kos castle, I don't know, but eventually we were 'cleared in'. The new marina was rather over-done with marble floors in the main building. The staff were very helpful and spoke good English. It didn't take us long to discover Oliver's weakness for ice cream whilst slogging up and down the hot streets. Jan and I went straight for large glasses of freshly squeezed orange juice. Strangely enough we were unable to find kos lettuce in Kos but found them everywhere else. For the first time in our lives we hired a quad bike. After getting going, we found it rather fun riding through the countryside. We had hardly set sail for the small island of Lévitha when Jane persuaded (?) Oliver to cook his first meal. They pored over his new book and then headed for the galley. Oliver bravely called out the ingredients which Jane simply ignored and used whatever was available. To his misgivings, it turned out a complete success. However, Jane wasn't finished yet. Erik, who has put in many thousands of miles on Chispa, was ordered into the galley for the first time, and under Jane's eagle eye, was made to produce a meal as well. Once again, a complete success. Let this be a warning for anyone who dares to say they can't cook. The rugged island of Amorgós has been inhabited from as early as 3300 BC. Today one can visit the Chozoviótissas monastery, founded in 1088, situated on a cliff face some 180 meters high. The resident monk welcomes visitors to step inside this incredible building. Erik managed to pass the strict dress code by wearing Jane's slax; she, however, was not allowed inside until she donned a borrowed skirt. Once again Poseidon was not on our side. Wind on the nose (coming straight at us) which meant we were using engine power - 'diesel god' only. Our next port of call was Páros, third largest of the Cycladic Islands, which since antiquity, has ensured it's prosperity since the early Cycladic period (3000 - 1000 BC), producing beautiful white marble. We used a ferry to visit the tiny uninhabited island of Delos, legendry birthplace of Apollo, and also Mykonos and Santorini. Luckily(and very reluctantly by the crew) we were able to re-moor later in the day inside the harbour of Parikia (Páros) as Poseidon decided to show his strength, throwing yachts all about. The cathedral, Panagia Ekatontapilliani, is said to stand over a 4th century shrine founded by St Helen, mother of Constantine the Great. The museum has part of the priceless Parian Chronicle, an historical record of artistic achievements of ancient Greece up to 264 AD. We attended a classical concert held in a derelict building organized by a local English speaking group. We felt rather under-dressed (usual yachtie style of shorts and T shirts) as the audience was dressed in their finery. Some men actually wore ties and jackets! We cannot understand how the locals look so cool and fresh whilst we are dripping like leaky taps. As soon as Poseidon allowed us to, we set sail for Póros. No, not a spelling mistake but a different island (actually two islands joined by a causeway) altogether. Leaving at 5pm, this was our first overnight sail. It became rather rough and this time Jane was not her usual perky self. However, we all brightened up on our arrival in lovely Russian Bay some 20 hours later. We were given various reasons for the name; in 1828 a nautical conference was held between France, Britain and Russia at which they discussed the future of the independent Greek state. We also heard that Russians had used the bay during the 2nd World War. There are the ruins of a lovely old building on the beach and there is a little island at the entrance of the bay with a tiny church on it. Unfortunately the town was inundated with ferry loads of tourists all day long so we stayed in 'our' bay most of the time. Jane and Erik came to the end of their time on board with us and took a ferry back to Athens. A few days later my Canadian cousin, Mavis, arrived the same way. She was absolutely shattered on arrival (time differences, lugging luggage etc). She had coped marvelously on her own, arriving right on time. Within an hour of her arrival, we set sail for the Corinth Canal. Mavis had had so many 'first's by this time so we just added another with a night sail! As many of you know, we had already experienced sailing through the Corinth Canal (Dhiórix Korínthou) in 2002. This time we traveled through the 6 kms early in the morning without any other vessels. It was magical. This time we managed to stop over in Corinth. This nondescript city is merely a bustling cross road. Ancient Corinth, founded in 8th Century BC, however, is situated on a plateau some distance away. The remaining pillars of the Temple of Apollo dominate the archaeological site. Both Poseidon and Palaimon (god of harbours) were also honoured here. All the signs of prosperity (Roman period after 44BC) are visible in the museum - beautiful mosaics, pottery and figurines. Some eleven hours sailing from Corinth is the pretty town of Galaxidhi and a good stop for visiting Delphi. We had no idea what a spectacular site was chosen for this 'centre' of the ancient world. The towering Phaidraides cliffs form the backdrop whilst an imposing ravine falls away below. This, we feel, was the highlight of our 2005 voyage. We soon moved on to one of our favourite places, the small fishing hamlet of Trizonia. Lizzie's restaurant is a must to visit. Firstly, the view is lovely; secondly, the food is delicious; thirdly, Alison, Lizzie's daughter is a delightful character. Unfortunately, Poseidon decided to roughen up the seas so we quickly set sail for Mesolonghi. By this time Mavis had become a seasoned sailor and was also taking on galley duties. For a 'city girl' she was amazing us all - no hair dryer, no make up, no shoes, swimming in mid ocean. The Harilaos Trikoupis Bridge spanning the Corinth Sea, connecting the Peloponnese with the Greek mainland, is now complete and looks very spectacular. We were also lucky enough to see lots of dolphins who played around the boat for ages and also a sword fish leaping into the air. The approach to Mesolonghi is through a narrow canal dredged out of the very muddy flats. One could be forgiven to think you had arrived in a Far East village as the houses lining the canal are set on stilts. The town is noted for it's brave struggle during the War of Independence and valuable support from Lord Byron who died there. Ithaca is known to the world from the exploits of Odysseus who eventually returned to his beloved wife Penolope, there. The island is known to have been inhabited as far back as the third millennium BC. The bay is surrounded by high hills and has a narrow entrance. Zeus, with Poseidon, managed to get up a great storm which had boats straining at their moorings. We then continued to Ayía Evfimía on Kefalloniá. It was here, three years ago, that Chispa set off on her own, dragging the anchor. This time we were firmly tied up to the shore. We watched some 'interesting' maneuvers by very inexperienced crews. At one stage two anchors from different boats were floating about a meter in the air. We are happy to report that a south African chap managed to swim out and sort out this now dangerous situation. This was, sadly, Mavis' last port of call. With great difficulty we managed to locate the airport (non-existent signs)
In no time at all Anthony made firm friends with Oliver. Loving grandparents Ann and Jan gave Di and Chris their first day of freedom in many months, as they set off sightseeing round the island on a motor bike. The cockpit became a wonderful playpen once again. There was a nearby beach which became a Mecca for Anthony. Oliver made a great baby sitter too, although it wasn't in his job description as 'crew'. We were also very fortunate to join in the festivities honouring Saint Eyfimía. The clergy, in ornate regalia, followed a band and the saint's picture along the main street, right past the yacht. We watched local folk dancing and saw a firework display. One of our favourite villages, Fiskárdo, has now been spoilt by many new jetties and an influx of tourists. Asos,situated on an isthmus, is still pretty and unspoilt. We then set sail for the island of Lefkáda and the port of Vasilikí, a wind surfer's paradise. It was an incredible site watching hundreds of surfers speeding up and down at about 40kms an hour. Unfortunately, we were unable to visit any other islands with the family because of the rough seas, so returned to Keffaloniá and Eyfimía. Either we had too much wind or not enough so Chris had to be content with the 'diesel god'. All too soon the family were on their way home and a strange calm returned to Chispa and the three of us set sail (or tried to) once again. We didn't get very far as though Saint Eyfemía has a 'thing' about anchors, with us being involved three times. This time we had to get a diver out to unhook us from a large piece of concrete . We arrived in the port of Vathy, on Meganisi, and were thrilled to find very few yachts around. The dusty little village seemed half asleep. Our illusion was shattered some hours later with flotillas of charter yachts arriving. Once again we watched some very strange maneuverings take place. Lefkáda is only an island because of the canal which separates it from the mainland. The first canal was dug by the Corinthians around the 7th century BC. It is an interesting passage through the salt flats where we saw pelicans. It is a very busy route for yachts on their way north and south. We continued northwards to Preveza, on the mainland. This area is definitely on our list to return to as we were unable to hire a car. The decisive Battle of Actium was fought close by, so there will be lots to go back and see. Páxos is still as nice and unspoilt as it was. We anchored near Lákka in beautiful turquoise water where swimming from the boat was lovely. We took the hairy bus journey down to Gaios where the waterfront is lined with 19th century houses with Venetian-style shutters. As this little wooded island is only seven by eleven kilometers, it takes only one day to see. Interestingly, we understand that Harrods sell olive oil taken only from Páxos. Our final port of call was Corfu, by far the most sophisticated island we visited. We were very pleased with our berth in Gouvier Marina (although miles from the office) as we have an un interrupted view of the bay and very few boats on 'our' pier. We watched all the comings and goings yachts and also the two sea planes taking off and landing nearby. The island is very hilly with tiny villages around every corner. We managed to drive in circles as maps and road signs were very poor. We found at least two Blue Flag beaches, well worth their status. On the main headland near Palaiokastrísta stands Moní Theotókou which dates back to the 17th Century. The first monastery was built here in 1228. They certainly chose places with stunning views. We deserted Chispa for yet another winter and will return in May 2006. |
Home Building chispa Getting ready Atlantic Crossing Caribbean on to Malta to Turkey Turkish Coast Croatia Croatia/Italy Greece & Turkey revisited Odes to Chispa