Greece East

20 September 2010

N 37 42.736 E 24 03.372

Lavrion, Attica Coast, Greece

Weather: Sunny as per usual, 36C

Yesterday was Swedish election day and we were determined to follow the voting so kept our internet connection up and running all day. Greece seems to have very good coverage out here as we never lost the connection in spite of the fact that we were several NM off the coast.

We left our lovely cove after a long morning swim. The water was amazing. We could see every blade of grass on the bottom, through 7.5m of water. We could see all the little fish swimming around the boat; silver with a white stripe and black tail. We could see the entire anchor chain and follow it through the water right to the anchor. The water is about 24C. Dan swam to shore with the camera and walked to the other side of the little island. The coves on that part of the island face the prevailing wind and here it becomes evident that too many people still litter the Med. Sad.

The wind doesn't come up around here until about 11.00 so we had to motor the first 2 hours, but then a nice northwest wind came up and we could shut down the engine and sail until we rounded the Attican coast. We had planned on anchoring in a cove but when we got there it was surrounded by power stations and the wind had turned to S. so we took the nearest marina which was Lavrion. It's not a very pretty place but it has good protection. We checked our grib files yesterday and again this morning and it looks like a meltemi is on the way and will last until Friday. We're not quite sure we want to stay here, will look and see if we can find a nice sheltered place to anchor. But first have to do practical things, like get our laundry done and get our main sail mended. We discovered a tear in one of the seams yesterday and it will only get bigger if we don't get it fixed.

We went to a taverna on the waterfront for dinner last night and then came back to the boat to listen to the Swedish radio covering the election.

21 September 2010

N 37 39.361 E 24 01.231

Sounion Bay, Attica Coast, Greece

Weather: Meltemi, blowing 25-35 knots, 25C in the early morning

We didn't like Lavrion much, so once Dan got the mainsail mended and I got our laundry back, (they picked it up at the boat, washed it, dried it, folded it and delivered it back to the boat, all for 20 Euros) we left the marina and then considered where we should go. There was a meltemi warniing out for Tuesday so we knew we had to be somewhere with protection from the NW-NE. We also have Madeleine flying in to Athens on Friday night so did not want to get stuck somewhere she could not easily reach us,. First we thought to go northeast to the island of Evia which is just a bit smaller than Crete. But then changed our minds as one never knows, the Meltemi could last much longer than to Friday. So we opted for a short run south and then west to Sounion Bay. There's a ruins of Poseidon's Temple on the hill just above us. The pillars are still standing but not much else. We set our anchor on a sandy bottom and then went for a long swim. It's so pleasurable to swim when you can see the bottom, the water is so clear. We were very happy to be out and free again as opposed to being in a marina. After dinner we sat in the cockpit with a whiskey and noticed that Poseidon's temple was lit up in the night and the nearly-full moon was just over it. It was hauntingly beautiful. Another sailboat came in around 22.00 and laid its anchor. This is a well-known bay for sitting out meltemis. It's protected from the W-NW-N-NE-E. So now we were 6 boats.

We were woken up suddenly in the middle of the night when the meltemi came screaming off the mountain to the north of us. Roam was swinging in a 180 degree arc back and forth due to the gusts of the wind. Dan got up and kept a nightwatch to make sure we didn't lose our anchor hold. A great big motor cruiser came in during the night and laid anchor and a sailboat came in but did not anchor until it got light. He motored back and forth at the entrance to the bay. Must have been grueling for them. It was difficult to sleep as well. The gusts of wind were very loud, whistling and shaking the boat. When I looked up out of our hatch I could see stars just flying by as we swung in one direction or another. Dan woke me up and 07.00 and as soon as it got light enough we set about moving the anchor from the bow of the boat to the stern. We've done it before and it stops Roam from swinging back and forth in the wind. Dan also put down another anchor on the same chain as our Danforth, but 20 meters up the chain, just to give added weight. The whole process took about 45 minutes and when it was done, Roam was quiet and still. Dan went to bed and now I'm keeping watch. The sun is shining and it feels like it will be a very hot day again so maybe this wind will keep things cooler...

22 September 2010

N 37 39.361 E 24 01.231

Sounion Bay

Weather: overcast, 27C, wind 15m/s

After waking up and checking the wind reports, we decided to stay put today. Have no where we need to be so feels good to just decide to not do anything. We spent the day puttering about and googling Greek historical moments on the computer. So nice to have internet now with our 10 day dongle. We can internet all we want until mid-day on the 25th whereby we have to buy another 10 day card. We were listening to a podcast of the battle of Marathon yesterday. The feat of 10,000 Athenians fighting off a million (or at least 100,000 depending on where you get your story from) Persians in Marathon and winning with a loss of only 192 lives and then running the 40 km back to Athens to cut the Persians off at the pass, is truly amazing. Apparently, in 1970 a university in the US did an experiment to see if a bunch of fit young men could run the distance loaded down with sword and shield like the Athenians did. They all dropped out after 2 km. So I guess it was considered incredible even back then. Today we googled the Spartans and the battle of Thermopyle. It was really fascinating. The Persians, though entirely overwhelming in terms of men, were forced to give up and go home, again. Even after an idiotic Greek farmer betrayed the Greeks by revealing to the Persian army a little-used passage through the mountains behind the Spartan king Leonidas' line. When Leonidas found out, he sent the main army back towards Athens and stayed to hold the line with his 300 Spartans plus about 1000 Greeks. All 300 Spartans and the Greeks died in the process but they managed to hold off the Persians long enough to give the rest of the Greek army time to retreat and re-group at Salamis. The Persians lost there too and finally gave up and left Greece

The Spartans seem to have had a very democratic government and were very advanced in terms of women's rights. Spartan women were educated just like the men, bar the military bit. Since they would be giving birth to Sparta's future elite soldiers, they were treated accordingly. Of course, any babies born that did not look like they would make good soldiers were dumped in a ravine...and all men were made to become soldiers from the age of 7 until 60. In order to maintain food levels, the Spartans had to conquer all the surrounding populations. They were smart though, instead of conquering and occupying, they told the neighboring states that they could continue to be free as long as they supplied the Spartans with food, which they naturally did, because who the hell would want to go up against the Spartans?

That's about all we've done today. The wind seems to be steadily decreasing so we will be on our way tomorrow again.

28 September 2010

N 37 26.547 E 24 25.570

Loutra, Kithnos in the Cyclades Islands

Weather: Sunny with some clouds, 24C at 08.00

It's early morning, everyone is still asleep. We have Madeleine with us now. She arrived in Athens at midnight on Friday. Dan and I took the airport bus out to meet her and we all rode back together to the marina. Delta Filaro was not a pleasant port, there were no services, the water was horrifically filthy and it was far from town. On Saturday we went in to town to go to the Acropolis and see the sights. It rained all morning but then only a few showers in the afternoon with sun inbetween. It was still hot, about 30C.

On Sunday morning we set sail for Poros. It was a bit of a rocky start for Madeleine as there had been a strong west wind during the night that kicked up alot of swells. As Poros lies southwest of Athens, most of the trip was a slog. But we were able to raise the sails and sail the last hour in to an anchorage on the northwest side of the island where we stopped for a swim. The water was beautifully clear and refreshing. We continued on the half-hour to Poros town. Madeleine took lots of photos as the approach to Poros town is very beautiful. Poros is on a rocky hill and completely covered with houses, all white with multi-colored shutters and trim and bougainvillea blooming all over. The waterfront is lined by boutiques and tavernas and cafés. We tied up for the night, and Madeleine and I went into the town for groceries. Everything was closed, it was 17.30 so we went back to the boat to wait until evening when all the shops open again. At 20.00 I went to see Fortis at his wine shop. Turns out he rents out a shower to boat guests. Madeleine and I ran back to the boat and got our shower bags and towels. There was a steady flow of mostly women wanting to take showers there but Fortis saved our spot and we were able to get right in. I bought some more of his wine, which was very good by the way, at least the white wine, and the pistaschios that his father produces. They are the best we've ever had. Dan Madeleine and I went out to dinner at George's Taverna and had mixed grill. Delish, we love Greek food.

Next morning, we were up early in order to get to the meat market for some lamb chops and to climb up to the top of the village and take some pictures. It was a beautiful day and the wind was from the southwest at about 7 m/s. Our camera battery is dead for the moment so no pictures yet. After breakfast, we set off for Kithnos in the Cyclades. It's about 50 NM so took all day. We sailed the entire way though and averaged 6 knots. Madeleine is starting to get her sea-legs. She was actually able to eat lunch:) As we were sailing along, Madeleine and I were sitting on the high side of the boat talking when a porpoise surfaced off the bow. It was a great big one, but seemed to be enroute somewhere as it didn't stop to have a look at us, it just kept going towards the south. We had planned to anchor on the west side of the island but as we neared the coast we could see that the swells were pretty big and rolling right into the anchorages. We didn't feel we would have a calm night at anchor there, so changed course and went around the northern tip of Kithnos to Loutra. By the time we got here, it was dark. We went to a small bay to the southeast of Loutra port, but as it was so dark we couldn't really see where to lay our anchor and after 2 unsuccessful tries we went into the harbor which was full. As we motored along, I heard a strange sound coming from the propellor..."wonder what that is?" I thought, but then was so busy steering through the dark night that I didn't give it any more thought. We saw on the way in that there was a big French sailboat that had laid up along a quay outside the marina so we went there. As we approached, I suddenly saw waves splashing up on big rocks behind the French boat. I shouted to Dan and he backed up and we went in front of the French instead. But when we got tied up, we noticed there was such a surge that Roam was being cast up on the quay which was not very high. Sigh. What to do? We couldn't stay there, it was untenable. So we went back in to the marina and laid up against a big Amel sailboat. It was all closed up so figured no one was there to mind our laying up. As we motored in Dan heard the strange noise from the propellor too. Hmmmm, no idea what it can be so will look at it tomorrow morning. Once settled, it was about 22.00. We had cocktails and then I made Spaghetti carbonara for dinner.

Now, looking out of a porthole, I can see the traditional white-washed houses with blue trim that is so typical of the Cyclades islands. Loutra is very small but very pretty.

30 September 2010

N 37 27.878 E 25 19.609

Mykonos town, Mykonos island

Weather: Partly cloudy, wind Beaufort 5 from N, 30-ish C

Dan spent most of the night on watch at our anchorage in South Bay on the island of Rinia, which is just west of the island of Delos which in its turn is just west of Mykonos. We found this bay which is deep and totally protected from all sides but south. The bottom is white sand so the water was a lovely turquoise color and totally clear, like a swimming pool. Madeleine and I went swimming as soon as we got there and swam to shore. We got a bee our our bonnets, to walk over to the other side and see what was there. It was only about 400m as the crow flies but we had no shoes on and it was very thorny and stoney. To make matters worse, there was a dog up on the hill outside a hut barking at us. We both wanted to turn around and abort the mission but neither one was willing to be the one to call it off, so we continued and got to the top of the knoll and saw the other side. There was a bay over there with one boat, but it didn't look as nice as ours, so we went back, stopping every few minutes to pick thorns out of our feet. The water was a welcome relief when we reached it. During the evening the wind freshened from the south. Not exactly what we wanted, but it was OK. For cocktails we opened one of our bottles of champagne from France and celebrated 3000 NM so far this year on Roam. Had a very cozy dinner in the cockpit with soft light from our kerosene lamp and the almost-full moon. The forecast said that the wind would shift from South to North during the night. As we were between 2 walls of rock, Dan wanted to make sure we swung unfettered when the wind shifted so he stayed up to keep watch. By 04.00 this morning the wind finally shifted over to North and Roam made the transition without coming close to either wall. Madeleine and I slept soundly through all this, safely protected by our captain during the night. I got up early and tried to make enough noise in the galley so that Madeleine would wake up and we could go for our morning swim. I was not very successful. She finally surfaced around 10.00. But we did take a morning dip. The wind was quite strong from the north, about Beaufort 5. Dan got up soon after and we all had a nice breakfast in the cockpit with the sun shining. Around lunchtime, we watched a sailboat come into our bay which had been all our own up till now. It was a charter boat with Swedes aboard, they came by and looked at anchoring near us, but their anchor wouldn't catch so they went over to the other side of the bay. One of them, Jimmi, came by in a dinghy later to chat. Turns out he's from Norrköping and knows lots about boats. Dan told him about our sacrifice anode being loose on the sail-drive (that is the strange sound we've been hearing from the propellor). He gave it some thought and wondered if he couldn't help us by going down and changing the screws. It would have been great, but didn't work, as the new propeller is more complicated and is difficult to get off. And none of us had diving equipment; only snorkels and masks. We will try in Mykonos to find a diver who can do the work. Would be such a bummer to have to lift Roam again. Anyway, it was fun chatting with a Swede again and especially one from Östergötland;)

At 15.00 we stowed away everything laying loose, battened the hatches and took off for Mykonos. It was a good sail in strong winds. We had to tack 3 times but still made the 10NM in 2 hours. Madeleine has become a proper sailor and was a great help when tacking and reefing the main sail. Also did a great job mooring the boat at Mykonos. Mykonos is where Dan and I met 33 years and 4 months ago, so we are really looking forward to seeing it again.

It is no longer possible to moor in the old harbor at Mykonos. The new harbor, still under construction, is about 1 NM north of the town of Mykonos. It's very big and impersonal and shares with all the ferries and cruise ships. Kind of a bummer as the town is so far away now. It's about half way between the old harbor and that beach that we girls walked to barefoot when we were here with Liberty. None of the electricity boxes work on the 3 piers where we are, but we have found out now that if we move over to where all the ferries and cruise ships come in we can get both water and electricity. Tough decision. It's noisy and lots of lights over at the ferry pier, while quiet and peaceful here, but over there we would have all the facilities. Will decide what to do tomorrow. Madeleine treated us to cocktails at the local taverna. We all had Ouzo with feta cheese and olives. It was a cool taverna; big terrace overlooking the harbor with an olive tree growing up in the middle of the terrace and out through the roof.

2 October 2010

N 37 27.878 E 25 19.607

Mykonos

Weather: Cloudy, 25C. Wind from NE

We moved the boat yesterday morning after breakfast to a berth that was supposed to have access to electricity and water. Once docked, Madeleine and I went over to the cantina that is in charge of the keys to the electric and water box. I told the woman there that we only wanted water. "30 Euro" she said. I looked at her and said "we only need 100 liters of water". "You get 4,500 liters of water and electricity, same price, 30 Euro". "Can't we just pay for 100 l of water?" "No, same price". This seemed totally unreasonable to me so I told her to piss off. Kidding, just said no thanks and went back to the boat. We all agreed that it was a ridiculous price to pay for 100 liters of water so we resolved to do it another way. We figured that very few boats load up with 4,500 liters of water and once the water is turned on it stays on until the 4,500 liters is consumed. I went to the water/electricity box, looked to the left and then to the right to make sure no one saw me, and checked the faucet for water; it had plenty coming out so I nipped back to the boat and took our 5-liter water jugs and got Madeleine into my little conspiracy and we went back and forth filling jugs and handing them to Dan who poured them into our tank. Madeleine was a bit skittish about standing at the faucet filling a jug, in case some one came and asked her what the heck she was doing, so I did the dirty work and she carried the full and the empty jugs between Dan and me. In all, we poured about 40 liters into the tank; enough to last us till we get to the next port.

When we were finished we walked the mile into town. The road is very hazardous as it is narrow with no real shoulder or sidewalk, and the road goes right along a precipice that drops about 20 meters straight down to rocks and the sea. On top of that, Greeks drive like maniacs. I nearly got clipped by a motor scooter, and we all had to jump out of the way to avoid being run over by a tour bus. But we made it safely into town. The first place we went to was the old harbor, where private boats are no longer allowed to moor. They have widened and lifted the pier where we moored with Liberty and Aubade, to accomodate ferries, and there is now a parking lot for tour buses, a ferry terminal and a couple tavernas there. Over towards the town of Mykonos on the east side of the harbor there is now a beach. We thought this was a shame as it was such a nice harbor before when all the sailboats could be there. Now it's totally empty except for the quay on the town side where all the fishing caiques are kept. The new harbor where we are now is big, and looks like most of the budgeted money was spent on landscaping. There are flagstone terraces and piers with cleverly fashioned lights in stone but only 3 electric/water boxes to be shared by about 500 boats. On the outside of the harbor the huge cruise ships tie up and eclipse the sun for us little sailboats, and buses are constantly coming and going picking up passengers and dropping them off again. There are signs all over saying that the port is still under construction. Building started in 1989 was supposed to be finished in 1997 and is now projected by the locals to be finished sometime in 2027. There is a bus that goes from the new port into town. According to the schedule it runs every half hour, but in reality it runs between every 45-60 minutes and you never know when it's going to arrive. Taxis cost 5 Euros.

Once into the labyrinth that is Mykonos, we were completely charmed. The streets are narrow and winding paved with white-washed stones, the buildings are all white-washed with blue trim. Pink bougainvillea is still blooming everywhere and the number of shops and tavernas is amazing; very much like the first time we came to Mykonos 33 years ago. Jewelry is very big here, expecially the dark blue stone lapis lazuli. We found a nice boutique where Madeliene picked out her birthday present from us; a silver bracelet with turquoise stones. We wandered around for hours stopping here and there, taking pictures and drinking Ouzo and beer at a cafe where we could watch all the tourists walking by. We also did some useful things like buying Madeleine's ferry ticket back to Athens, booking her a room at a hotel once she gets there until her flight early on Sunday morning, and stopping by Mykonos yachting services to find out if there's a diver in town that can go down and replace the screws in the sacrifice anode (there wasn't). By late afternoon the sun came out again and we walked back to the boat and Madeleine and I got our bathing suits on and walked over the hill to a beach, I think it's the same beach we found when we took that long walk from Liberty the first time we were here and got all those blisters on our feet. Now there are hotels and tavernas lining it, but the water was still nice and clear. Instead of taking the road back to the boat, we walked along the beach and then hopped on rocks along the water line to the harbor. The last bit we had to swim so tied our sarongs around our heads and swam like swans; heads held very high over the water to keep our sarongs dry... We walked the last bit to the boat, collected our shower things and went to the showers that Dan found. Felt so good to wash our hair. Once we were all showered and changed we had cocktails on the boat while Dan played his guitar and Madeleine sang along. It was so lovely to listen to. Had dinner in Mykonos town at a taverna. We had picked out a place earlier in the day that had pink bougainvillea hanging down from rafters overhead and pink tables and chairs. Kimmie would have loved it. Spent a few hours having a very nice Greek dinner after which Madeleine treated us to Italian ice cream for dessert down by the harbor.

Today we spent a lazy day. Walked in to town again to buy shawls that Madeleine and I saw yesterday but took ages to find through the labyrinth that is Mykonos. Finally after several wrong turns and a stop to eat a giro, we found the place and made our purchases. The sun came out in the afternoon so we got our bathing suits and went back to yesterday's beach for a long swim and sunning session. Dan and Madeleine played tic-tac-toe in the sand with stones for men. Not quite the same as chess which they played several times on Roam during the week, but they seemed pleased with it. Madeleine's ferry departed from Mykonos for Athens at 18.30 so we had to get back, shower, change and get her in to town. We went a little early so we could sit and have a last Ouzo before she had to dash off to the ferry. We hugged good-bye and watched as she boarded the ferry. As it pulled out into the windy sea, we saw a her hand waving to us from one of the windows. Waved back and watched as the ferry disappeared over the horizon. So sad to see her go, we have had such a lovely time together. Now we look forward to the next visit whenever that may be.

It has been lovely to see Mykonos again and to stand right where our two boats were when we met here in May of 1977, walking on the same road from the town that we walked along in the early hours of the morning after dancing all night at various tavernas and remembering being together and head over heels in love. I told Madeleine the story of how my Dad punished me for coming home so late by making me get up at 06.00 (about an hour after I'd gotten back to the boat after saying good-night to Dan) and made me scrub the grime off the waterline of Liberty. So when Dan got up several hours later and came out on deck, there was I sitting in the dinghy with scrub brush and wearing my father's anchor gloves all covered in grime. I wore sunglasses and a scarf and hoped that he would not be able to recognise me and think I was one of my sisters. But no such luck. He did sit on the side of his boat though and chat with me while I worked so that side of the boat; needless to say, that side didn't get a very good cleaning...

On the other hand Mykonos has changed a great deal from the slightly bohemian place that we experienced in 1977. It's much more polished now and the nightclubs are more like something you would find in Athens than the little tavernas that used to double as night clubs. We saw no smashing of plates against the walls while dancing to Greek music, in fact there were very few Greeks about, except for the ones that minded stores or worked in restaurants. There are thousands of tourists brought in every day from the cruise ships that stop here and the main language seems to be American. Don't mind leaving it. Today, 3/10, we sail to Naxos which is directly south of Mykonos. It's only about 25 NM but it's pretty windy so should be a fast trip.

3 October 2010

N 37 06.306 E 25 22.466

Naxos

Weather: Sunny, 26C and windy; Beaufort 6-7

We helped our new Danish friends, Hans and Grethe aboard their sailboat, Trille, throw off their lines yesterday morning. They invited us over for wine on Saturday evening to talk about Turkey where they have wintered the past 5 years. They were very nice people and had great advice and information for us regarding our winter quarters in Turkey.

We left about 30 minutes after Hans and Grethe and set our course for Naxos town. There's a Volvo dealer there and we need to get screws and a new anode for the sail-drive. We made great time sailing with just our genoa the 25NM south to Naxos; just under 4 hours. The wind was Beaufort 6 and seas were quite big once we got out from the protection of Mykonos. We estimate that the waves were about 3 meters. Every once in a while a set of even bigger waves hit us and it was freaky. One such wave rolled right into the cockpit drenching me. Dan was safe, standing on the companionway steps behind the plexiglas door which we had put to avoid such a "poop" flooding the inside of the boat. We were taking the waves on our port aft and sometimes they could really push us around and cause us to temporarily lose our course. We decided to see if Nelson could do a better job so hooked him up to the tiller and he kept a much better course. This was a happy outcome for us as we have wondered how he would do in big seas. Now we feel very confident that he will be able to keep our course in most weather except really light wind.

The first landmark one sees on approaching Naxos from the north is the ancient Apollo temple. It's actually just a doorway, the temple never having been finished, but the doorway stands about 10 meters tall. We arrived in Naxos harbor which is protected by a great long stone breakwall on the northeast side and natural protection from the other directions in the form of an arc of land going westwards in the south end and then northwards narrowing the north entrance. Once we were behind the breakwall, the seas were calm and beautifully clear. We could see everything on the bottom at 12 meters depth. Once docked and hooked up with electricity (finally) we took a walk around the town and up to the Venetian castle built in the 1200s by the Venetian adventurer, Marcos Sanudo. His family ruled here until 1566 when Naxos was overrun by the Turks. It's a museum now. Naxos is a lovely little warren of streets, alleys, arches and tunnels all bedecked in pink and red bougainvillea and red habiscus. The buildings are white-washed just like Mykonos. Naxos is the biggest and most fertile island in the Cyclades and well worth a week's vacation. There seems to be plenty to do, charter a sailboat for a day complete with captain crew and food, windsurf, kiteboard, and travel in the interior where there are lots of Byzantine churches and marble ruins, vineyards, and citrus groves. Dan and I rented a motor scooter today and buzzed to the middle of the island as far as Khalki which was anyway about 25 km. We stopped and looked at the village square. The population in this town is 38 so you can imagine the size of the town square. We did find a distillery though. A family called Vallindras has been distilling ouzo and a liqueur called Kitron. It's kind of like a Grand Marnier, but not as sweet and much more citrus taste. Really good, we bought a bottle. Our contribution to helping the Greek economy...

5 October 2010

N 36 43.345 E 25 16.425

Ios Port, Ios

Weather: sunny light winds

We had a relatively short sail to Ios from Naxos sailing on genoa only. Ios harbor is very small, we had to literally squeeze in between two other sailboats. They had anchors out to hold them straight and we tied onto them. Took a walk about and found the most beautiful Greek Orthodox church out on the point. It was perfect for a wedding up there on the hill overlooking the sea in 3 directions. Bought some bread and vegies for Greek salad, had a beer in the local taverna right across the street from the boat and caught up on emails. Tomorrow we sail to Thira.

11 October 2010

N 36 27.017 E 28 13.661

Rhodes Town, Rhodes, Dodecanese islands,Greece

Weather: Sunny, 30C at mid-day but "cold" at night, 15C

We have had a problem with coverage since we got to Thira. Vodafone had no coverage in Vlikadha or Oia where we were most of the time on Thira. We arrived at Vlikadha which is on the extreme south side of Thira, on 6 October in the late afternoon. The harbor is very small and circular and tends to silt up as we were to find out the next morning when we moved to another place and went aground. A kind Greek sailor pulled us off and we moored anew but with a very clean keel. They had water and electricity on the dock, but the water was salty so we did not fill our tank. On the 7th, we took the bus into Thira town (40 minutes) and then after a walk around the town, continued by bus to Oia (30 minutes on cliffhanger roads with precipices straight down to the sea)where we were met by our dear old friend Leandros Darzendas and his 8-year-old son Lukas. It was so lovely to see Leandros again after all these years, Dan recognised him straight away from afar. After an emotional reunion we walked the few minutes to Leandros Traditional Village which consists of 4 houses built into the cliffside facing south into the crater that is Thira.

Thira is actually the top rim of a volcano; all that was left of the island after a major eruption in about 1440-1450 BC, that caused the destruction of most of the island and even had a major effect on the island of Crete 65 km away due to the tsunami it set in motion. The eruption was 3 times stronger than Krakatoa in the South Pacific in 1883. Archeologists have found remnants of a very advanced and wealthy society here from about the time before the volcano erupted causing the extinction of the Minoan population, and eminent authorities maintain that Thira is indeed the lost Atlantis of Plato's writing. The volcano is still active and the natives maintain that as long as it's smoking, it's a good sign. When it stops smoking they will worry about an eruption. The last time it erupted was in 1956 in connection with a major earthquake. The earthquake actually did more damage than the volcano eruption. Leandros' mother grew up in a castle that was on the northwest edge of Oia, high on the cliffside overlooking the sea when this earthquake took place. The cliff under the castle gave way causing part of the castle to slide off the cliff and now there are just ruins left, but it is still a very popular place to watch the sunset and many people have their wedding photos taken there. The view is stupendous. Now that we have traveled around the island and seen the major towns, we agree with Leandros and his Dutch wife Angela, that Oia is the most beautiful place on the entire island -or the world if you ask Leandros.

All the houses are built into the cliffside up at the top. Half of each house is actually built into the mountain side itself with huge terraces overlooking the volcano and crater edges. The major street of the town is marble and slate stone - compliments from the EU- that leads from one end of town to the other. Lots of tavernas, cafés and shops line the marble street. The houses are all pristine white with blue trim and surrounded by pink and red bougainvillea. Turquoise swimming pools and jacuzzis add to the beautiful surroundings. Dan and I arrived just before dark so didn't get a chance to take too many pictures. After Ouzo and Feta pastries on Leandros' terrace, they took us through the village and to his mother's castle ruins where we admired the view before finding our way down narrow streets to a taverna where we were treated to a super dinner together. Angela is a fountain of knowledge concerning Thira and its history. She works off and on during the summer months as a guide for the cruise ships. She speaks several languages so is probably in hot demand. It was very interesting to hear how the Greeks here work nearly 24/7 during the summer months and then spend the winter getting back in touch with the family, tending to their homes and going on vacation themselves. The season here is longer than the other Greek islands, (7 months) due mainly to the fact that Thira is one of the southern most islands so has warm temperatures most of the year and according to Leandros, the sun shines almost every day. It is also one of the most popular islands with several cruise ships stopping here daily during the entire season.

We were curious about the strength of the pummus that makes up these cliffs everyone lives on. Though it looks frightenly porous and crumbly, it is apparently stronger than our normal cement. There is a small hole in the cliff right beside Leandros' house that he says has been the exact same size since he came here. Leandros Village has had a fabulous review in Fodors guide for Santorini and they have no trouble keeping it fully booked throughout the year. By the end of the evening, Dan and I knew that we had to come back during the day to take pictures of this incredible place.

Next day, we caught the 10.30 bus to Thira and then the 12.00 bus to Oia and spent the entire afternoon walking around taking pictures, petting the dogs and cats(me, that is) and then stopped by Leandros and Angela's to check our email and update our website. Angela made Greek coffee for us and it was the best we have had here in Greece, although she doesn't drink it herself:) At 15.30 we went with them to pick up Lukas from school which is just up the road off the main street. Dan and I invited them for tea at a wonderful little bakery that serves the most devishly good cakes. Leandros had pointed it out to me the night before as Lukas' favorite bakery. After filling ourselves with chocolate souffles and cakes, we said our good-byes to the Darzendas family and made our way back to the boat.

The public transport system works very well here on Santorini albeit on Greek timetables. We took a bus to the next town and then walked the 3 km to Santorini through tiny slate stone streets along the cliffside. It was really beautiful and each new view was more beautiful than the one before. When we got to Santorini we caught a bus to Perissos which was the closest we could get to Vlikadha since the bus to Vlikadha stops service at 14.00 every day. Perissos is about 8 km from Vlikadha. We figured we could catch a taxi to Vlikadha from Perissos but when we got off the bus and asked around, everyone said you had to call Thira town to send a taxi.... 2 very nice girls in an ice cream cafe along the main street of Perissos offered to call a taxi for us, for which we were very grateful. It was chilly out, a whopping low 15C with a strong northwest meltemi blowing. We split an Ouzo while we waited and were very happy when the taxi arrived and we could continue on to Vlikadha where Roam was waiting for us. All in all, a wonderful stay, and more so for spending it with Leandros, Angela and Lukas.

Next morning 9 October, Dan and I left the harbor (and thereby, the Cyclades islands) at 12.00 and set off for the Dodecanese islands. Just as the sun set at 19.00, Dan noticed that Nelson was not doing a good job of keeping our course. Upon closer inspection he found that the tiller was extremely heavy to move back and forth. We considered all the possible answers; a fish net or big plastic bag wrapped round the rudder, or scariest of all, the rudder might have lost a screw and be about to fall off. Ugh. Dan went down on the swimming platform to have a look before it got too dark but couldn't find anything trailing. There was nothing we could do but hope for the best and check it out when we get to Rhodos or somewhere with a boatyard. We had to steer manually through the night. Our course was set for an island called Tilos in the Dodecanese islands, but when we got there next morning, the wind was still blowing quite strongly in the bay that we had considered spending the day in and so we decided to continue on to Rhodes; another 10 hours by motor as the wind had died down and we needed to get in to the harbor before dark. When the sun was up and we were warm, about 10.00, Dan jumped in the water and dove down to look at the rudder. Everything looked all right and the rudder down under swung freely and without a problem so Dan now thinks that the plastic bushing around the rudder shaft has expanded due to the salt water and causing the rudder shaft to seize up. A bit of a relief to know that it won't go falling off while we are out at sea!

We arrived at Rhodes' Mandraki harbor at 19.00 after 2 days and one night of sailing. It's a big harbor and to our surprise, was almost full with charter boats. We found a place between 2 enormous sailboats, each about 55 feet long. Roam is now tucked in between them and we feel that it's like my Lupo in a parking space, cars come in to the parking lot thinking they've found an empty space, but when they get there, my little Lupo is there, so small you can hardly see it.

Tomorrow we will see what Rhodes has to offer. I have read so much about the crusades and the Knights Templar so already know that the Grand Master's palace and the citadel is a sight to see.

We only have to pay 3 Euros per night for our spot at the harbor so are looking forward to spending a few days here.

13 October 2010

Mandraki harbor, Rhodes Town

Weather: Beaufort 6 from southeast, cloudy, 25C

We have spent the last 2 days seeing old town Rhodes; the fortress, Grand Master's Palace, and all within. So much history here. The Grand Master's palace museum was very well done with descriptions of daily life in Rhodes through the ages, the Knights Hospitaller, the Ottomans, the Venetians, and the Romans. Also how commerce was conducted, what they grew, what they sold, who came here over the centuries, etc. Within the fortress walls there are countless shops, boutiques, cafes and tavernas all crowding onto narrow stone-paved streets. Eventhough it's October, there are alot of tourists here. The harbor is filled up every day with new charter sailboats with people from all over the world, the commercial harbor has a steady stream of cruise ships coming and going and in the town there are people everywhere. We have had a long discussion about what we each think the Colossos looked like and where it was placed before it was destroyed in the earthquake of 227 BC. Scientists are not agreed about where it was placed; some believe it was at the harbor straddling the entrance, others believe it was on the edge of the fortress. There are no descriptions of how Helios, the Sun God, was standing; arms akimbo? Holding a torch? with one arm or 2? etc. But all are agreed that it was huge and made of bronze and probably looked a bit like the Jolly Green Giant:)

We had a diver go down and look at the zinc anode but the results were indecisive because he insisted that there are no screw holes in it and Dan knows that the anode has 2 hoels for screws to hold it in place.... Anyway, he was very decent and offered to go down again at no extra cost to try to put some holes and then screws in it. Dan has been doing some reading up on our propellor and it looks like we don't need to have a zinc anode at all because the propellor is made of a rubber compound and not metal. That's one worry out of the way. The rudder seizing up is caused by a swelling in the plastic packing at the lower end of the rudder shaft. Unfortunately, we have to lift the boat out of the water to fix this one. But there's no rush, at least not yet. We can still steer, it's just hard to move the tiller back and forth. We will have to lift the boat anyway during the winter to scrape and paint the bottom so will deal with the rudder then.

The weather is supposed to calm down in the next day or two so we will stay here till it does. Then we are thinking of sailing to the island of Simi which is just north of here about 20 NM (4 hours, Madeleine). Then it will be time to move into our winter quarters at Marmaris in Turkey.