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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
It was just a week, on my own, with a mission to get Comino ready for the sailing season ahead. Lots of hard grafting did occur, but also some R&R in glorious wall to wall sunshine. By the time I departed yesterday, I felt it was "a good job well done". Plus, I'd had a bit of a mini-holiday. Here's some takeaways from Trip 1.
So, not long to wait before we both head back and jump aboard a Comino that's practically ready to go. Just the fridge and the larder to fill and then we're off. News of our adventures to follow.
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At last Spring has sprung. The odd warm day here and there has got us thinking about sailing in the sunshine again. And what wonderful thoughts they are. So, feeling excited about returning to Greece, I've been searching for reasonably priced flights to Preveza. I normally just click EasyJet departures from Bristol, our nearest airport, and after a few minutes it's job done. Shock horror - not now - just one flight a week starting in June (at insane prices) is all that's available. Therefore, the search has had to go somewhat further afield this time. After many hours of pouring over all the options, I've managed to book three trips, but they do involve a bit more travelling. All three of them are from three different airports on three different airlines. Because of some slightly unsocial flight times, it makes two overnight stays at airport hotels a must, one before an early departure and the other after arriving back very late. Hey....it's all just part of the adventure is the way I look at it. Lots of time aboard Comino is now fixed in the diary and having so much to look forward to is good for the soul. Tales of our travels will, of course, find their way into this blog.
This latest soiree to the boat was from 24th September to 22nd October. Those 29 days meant we'd notched up a grand total of 86 days in Greece out of the last 180, thus narrowly avoiding incarceration at the airport for breaching BREXIT regulations. To be honest, I don't know what would actually happen at passport control if you were caught exceeding the 90 day rule. I guess you'd be marched off for a bit of a robust interrogation, (hopefully you wouldn't be tasered first), followed by whatever the deportation process is, then fined and possibly banned from re-entering the EU again for lord knows how long. But don't get me started on that one! I'd like to think that a €50 note strategically placed inside one's passport would immediately smooth things over, but, just for the record, I'm not planning to put that theory to the test. We're now looking into the (not inconsiderable) hoops and hurdles involved in applying for Greek residency. This would allow us unlimited time in Greece and with a bit of leg work it does appear quite doable. Comino has been in Greek Territorial Waters since 2018, including the 31st December 2020, when BREXIT actually occurred. We've been in and out of Greece since 2018 meaning, all things being equal, we should be eligible. And, what fun it would be to say to people that we're now part Greek. Mind you, it would put some pressure on us to learn a bit more than just "good morning", "please" and "thank you" in our new native tongue! Shortly after arriving home from our summer trip, and completely out of the blue, I needed some rather invasive surgery. Then I had to attend the hospital or the doctors every single day for 8 weeks during August and September. Not a great experience, I can tell you. So, as you can imagine, getting back to Comino was just the tonic I needed - preferably with a measure of Gin, sat in the cockpit, watching the sun go down. The original plan was to return at the beginning of September, but as I say constantly.... "unexpected things happen and we just go with the flow". The biggest surprise was the weather. Thinking October might be a tad wet and unpleasant, our expectations were totally wrong. After an initial few days of biblical downpours, we had wall to wall glorious sunshine, with daytime temperatures of around 26 degrees. And, the nights were heaven too. Just a sheet over you was sufficient and no humidity to speak of. Towards the end hoodies came out for evening drinks in the cockpit, but overall it was shorts and T-shirts every day. We did sailing trips to all the usual places within a two hour distance. We're saving ourselves for longer passages next year when, hopefully, Nicki will have a brand new hip, meaning long walks and exploring further afield will be possible for her again. Not the case at the moment I'm afraid. And, climbing in and out of "Dolly" the dinghy was simply not an option. Our destinations this year have therefore been deliberately planned around tying up on pontoons with very short walks to showers, pools, beaches and tavernas. Hey....no hardship there....what's not to like! Our future list of "must see" places further down the Southern Ionian is ready and waiting and the routes are already programmed into the Navionics app on my phone. We know where we're going, and we know how to get there! My research this winter will be mainly focused on sussing out the best anchorages and reading reviews for recommended places to dine. Well, a boy's gotta eat! We stripped Comino of her sails and canvas before leaving, did a deep clean down below and had all the sheets and towels laundered at the marina laundry. It's run by a rather eccentric old lady who the Brits on our pontoon call "Jackie Onassis". They jokingly say she's a multi-millionairess, given the rather steep prices she charges. Harsh, but fair! You wouldn't want to use her services more than once a year, that's for sure. Our man Nikos will keep a watchful eye on Comino over the winter, plus he has a few maintenance jobs to tackle before we return. So, it's a wrap for 2023. All I can say is.... roll on next year. We spent four days moored up in Paleros, a charming little mainland village. I've written about this place a couple of times before, so here's a few random pics taken on an early morning wander. That is, apart from the Octopus and the frolicking gals, who I was forced to watch whilst eating my Cephalopoda lunch later that day. The significance of the readings above is that the heat and humidity at the height of summer, at four in the afternoon, was a little oppressive. Now, in October, it's fantastic. The comfortmeter (left) is showing that we are in the comfort zone as both needles are within the centre box. This is where the term "comfort zone" comes from. Guess what, we've been chilling on Comino for five days now. Not sailed yet because of thunderbolts and lightning, very very frightening, not to mention downpours worthy of the tropics. The boat has never looked so clean.
The sunshine is now putting in an appearance for the most part and next week looks good for a bit of island hopping. Normal service will be resumed and the iPhone camera is raring to go. It says above that unexpected things happen...... and they have.
We were meant to go back to Comino at the beginning of September......but we haven't. The story involves A&E, a surgeon's scalpel and a lot of post operative care. But I'll not be brought down that easily. Tickets for our return are booked. The blog will be continued soon. 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. After a week of waiting for our new bimini and sprayhood to be installed (absolutely delighted with the end results by the way), we slipped our lines at Gouvia Marina on 10th June and slowly began our voyage to Lefkas. We've spent five happy years based in Corfu, but new adventures in the Southern Ionian are calling us. Actually, if it wasn't for the Covid interruption, we might have moved a little sooner.
We arrived at Lefkas Marina on 13th June, after overnight stops at Paxos, Two Rock Bay and Preveza. We've already done a fair bit of sailing from our new base here and there are stories to tell and many pictures to show. I'll do a proper blog job when we return to England on 19th July for a month or so, before coming back for more fun and frolics in a less crowded and slightly cooler September. Just to say, we're very happy at Lefkas Marina and the town, which is only a short stroll away. It's like Aladdin's Cave. |
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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