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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
This might sound a little strange but we haven't been sailing yet after three weeks in Gouvia. The fact is we both sat down and agreed that to begin with we really needed a holiday in the traditional sense - lounging around the pool, reading, walking, exploring the local area and visiting lots of tavernas. And so, that's what we've been doing - recharging our batteries and generally unwinding. There's weeks, months and years to sail again - indeed we will venture out next week for sure. But these past few weeks have been heaven and the pair of us are now well and truly chilled, and rather tanned. Part of the attraction here is the superb pool that is about 300 yards from the boat. The restaurant serves really good food (and the local wine is very drinkable) which means we get dragged here like a magnet most days. Plus, being hot, hot, hot everyday makes regular dips quite compelling. Gouvia Marina is surrounded by rolling hills covered in beautiful greenery and lush vegetation. Just around the corner is the Durrells house, as used in the popular TV series. It's gardens look amazing, although this is as close as you can get. Apparently they resume filming here later in the year for the fourth series. From our pontoon we also look up to the mountains of Albania just a few miles away - you can venture over there these days but most people here feel it's not very advisable. Perhaps the most unexpected thing about the marina is the cricket pitch and the croquet lawns. Matches of both pastimes take place every other day and I must say it always looks a little bit odd to see what would normally be quintessentially English summer activities occurring in the searing heat of Greece! Water must be plentiful here as they use rather a lot of it to keep the grass green. I mentioned that we've been doing the rounds of the local Tavernas and one in particular (Harry's Taverna established in 1929) has become our favourite. At weekends really talented musicians play traditional music to a packed audience - booking a table is essential. But it's not all eating out don't you know. I've been cooking some rather delicious meals - even if I say so myself. And to add a little local flavour I have acquired some dried Oregano from a farm shop that smells (and tastes) utterly divine. The Oregano not the shop! I've also started a small garden on the decks of Comino to grow our own fresh herbs. As you can see our Basil plant is looking very healthy indeed - and he tastes pretty damn good too. To make it even more difficult to slip our lines and venture back out to sea we've just discovered another even more luscious pool just a few minutes walk from the marina. Set in beautiful gardens, manicured to perfection, this quiet little oasis is the epitome of calmness. We were welcomed with open arms by the owners, who's only stipulation is that you use their bar and little restaurant - absolutely no hardship there then!!!
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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.
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