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"There's always a plan, but unexpected things happen and we just go with the flow. Though I do believe that fate and destiny often play their part"
sailing blog
First stop on our sail South was Lakka - on the island of Paxos. It's a six hour sail, but well worth it. This place is about as good as it gets. I've said it before - spectacular water, a cute little village brimming with authentic tavernas and luscious woodlands all around you. We've been here a few times in recent years and it's hard to imagine we won't come back again one day. Next anchorage, over on the mainland, the one and only Two Rock Bay. Idyllic, peaceful - the Ionian at its best. If we weren't on a timetable to get to our new berth in Lefkas, I could quite easily bob around in this bay for a week or two just soaking up the sheer beauty of it all. A gentle two hour sail took us off for a bit of hustle and bustle. Preveza never disappoints when it comes to a typical Greek town, with its maze of ancient alleyways and delightful places to eat and drink around every corner. It's lively, yet stylish - a favourite place for Greeks, hence the authentic charm. Our one night stop was made even more special as we met up with old friends Roger and Lynne. That's their ruddy great big trawler yacht parked on my port side in the pic below. They took us to an amazing taverna just slightly away from the centre of things. The meze was sensational - the company was great fun as ever. We then had a guided tour of an area we hadn't seen before, up the hill a little, beyond the popular bit. A place festooned with fairy lights and scented candles all glistening in the overhanging trees and exotic shrubbery. Wonderful bohemian styled bars and eateries tucked away in quaint passageways. Chill out music wafted through the air making the atmosphere quite magical; a very hedonistic enclave where the really cool crowd hang out. We like Preveza a lot and we will return. I may have to buy a Kaftan and some beads before we do! Maybe even a piercing and a tattoo? We got to Lefkas on 13th June as planned. Time to celebrate with a drop of bubbly. Cheers!!!...... here's to our new home for the foreseeable future and the base from which we'll venture further South. As reported in a previous blog, we sailed here for a few days last year to see the marina and wander through the town. Therefore, we're already quite familiar with the place. We know where the nearest supermarket, butchers, bakers and fruit and veg shops are. However, to our delight, on Saturday mornings a large farmers market rocks up literally just outside the marina. WOW......that's all I can say. So, what's not to like. We love Lefkas already, plus a few Brits on our pontoon have been incredibly helpful telling us the most reliable people to contact for maintenance etc. There's even a few liveaboards, who love to chat about the best anchorages, tavernas and how best to avoid the flotillas. What makes Lefkas such an ideal base is its close proximity to beautiful anchorages and Greek villages just a stone's throw away. You can, of course, sail farther afield to places such as Ithaka, Cephalonia, Kalamos, Atokos and Zakinthos (to name just a few islands on our "to do" list), but for a few days away without sailing too far, there's plenty of choice. For example, Abalike Bay in Meganisi is just two hours due South. If you don't want to eat on-board, there are a couple of Tavenas to choose from. One, which we've tried before, is very rustic and unspoilt - like something from days gone by. The wife runs around serving everyone whilst the husband gets more and more inebriated sitting at the bar. His excuse is he cooks the homemade dishes earlier in the day. I'm not condoning his lack of support, but his Kleftiko was simply outstanding. The other is Minas Taverna. A rather trendy establishment with a "lounge" vibe and lots of young waiters/waitresses in branded polo shirts. They have their own pontoon at the end of the bay to attract charter boats and flotillas, hence they're always busy and booking is advisable. We gave it a go. Excellent. And so to the mainland village of Paliaros - another two hour hop from Lefkas to the East. We booked onto the charter pontoon in the harbour for three days during the week, whilst their boats are away. This gave us electricity and water, plus it's less than a hundred yards to the centre of the village. We rather like the beach club, with free loungers and umbrellas providing you have a drink. Reluctantly, (not) we complied with this rule and took full advantage of the facilities.. Actually, the food was excellent too. A day here make you feel like you're on holiday in the traditional sense. Yes, it's a bit decadent, but hey, we all need to be spoilt every now and then. The short sail down to Nidri was a bit like a pilgrimage. We were last here over twenty years ago on a Sailing Holidays flotilla. At the time, we both said how amazing it would be to return one day on our own boat. And here we were! Time to pinch ourselves. It didn't disappoint. Nidri is a bustling little resort, but we'd booked a three day stint on the Iris Hotel pontoon a short distance from the town itself. Electricity and water were on tap, not to mention all the hotel facilities......showers, restaurant, swimming pool, sun loungers and a view to die for. The Greek owner, George, made us feel very welcome with his handshakes and smiles. So here we were on holiday yet again......tut tut.
Like many of our fellow cruisers, going home for August seems to be the norm. By the time we left on 19th July things were already much busier; kids (noisy and lively) were in abundance everywhere and the temperature had crept up to the point where afternoons were boiling hot. Indeed, our last four days were officially recorded as a heatwave. Getting to Preveza airport for the first time was a doddle. Instead of a taxi at €45 we caught the fully air conditioned coach from the marina bus stop just 150 metres from the boat. Cost, a mere €3 each. Scheduled to depart at 09:10, it left at 09:10 precisely. Result. The airport itself is brand new, very shiny, not crowded and brilliantly efficient. Take note Bristol, this is how it should be done! We'll be back soon(ish) with tales of more ventures further down South next time.
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A FEW PICS OF COMINO Click a photo to enlarge and use side arrows to scroll through. COMINO IS CURRENTLY HEREDID SOMEONE SAY SEAFOODOn our journey from Portugal to Greece we enjoyed amazing seafood almost everywhere we stopped. Finding the local fish market was always a priority because seafood was so plentiful and so reasonably priced. And, the displays were a feast for your eyes.
Locating a market sometimes meant pounding the pavements in searing heat, but if you kept your eyes peeled, you often came across a little clue. The pic below was a rather less than subtle advert for a fish market - it was eight feet tall.
Freshly cooked onboard, a plateful of giant prawns, baked in wine and garlic, washed down with a few glasses of local vino, was like heaven. Watching the sunset on the boat eating a meal like that was the epitome of "living the dream".
Now we're in Greece we've another favourite to savour. I'm talking about fried Calamari. It's usually good, but every now and then it's off-the-scale fantastic. At Natalie's Taverna on Kontokali Beach in Corfu, it was nothing short of epic.
We're based in Lefkas now and It's been a bit of a mission to find somewhere just as good. And we have. Rakias is a mere ten minute walk from the marina and this little fish market, with its very own taverna attached, is quite sensational.
Oh...and it's also worth mentioning that, on occasions, a bit of barbequed Octopus is on the menu at some of the tavernas we frequent. Can I resist....no. SUNSETS AND DRAMATIC SKIESNo filters, or any other monkey business, have been used to enhance these images.
OUR ADVENTURES FROM THE BEGINNING CATEGORIES
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