FRANCE

 

BASTIA, CORSICA


I wish that I could describe this place as being more than just pleasant and quiet..even for a Saturday night…normally you hear all around the harbors loud disco music and cars racing around..but here it is relatively quiet…and this marina..Port Toga..is well organized…no need to call in for a berth..they met us at the opening of the quay and ushered us in with no problems. An added bonus to this marina..is the obviously well cared for bathroom and shower quarters. Getting once again bad info re internet..but it was ok..because the walk to the city center was pleasant…but now I have found a restaurant near that offers free service…just buy a beer or a glass of wine..smile..and your almost home.
The most spectacular aspect of visiting here…and I could of..and think that I spent the day in the local supermarket....it rivals anything we have in Seattle..including PCC…Larry's markets…QFC..etc….leave it to the French…I wanted to buy everything…but we have a very limited cold storage place…so I had to be prudent…..:*(
We will be well stocked though leaving this area as we head to northern Corsica..then the long stretch to the French Riviera…can't say that I am missing the 'touring' aspect of this trip..sometimes and most always it is great just hanging out with other fellow boat travelers. I keep a constant ear out for English speaking folks and it always leads to a lively and informative exchange.
Bastille Day is coming up…July 14th…so we want to position ourselves for a good hangout. Don't know why we encountered so many places displaying fireworks..but it is just like being in Seattle for the 4th….this holiday should be grand.

ST FLORENT, WEST CORSICA

 

Made our way around the northern end of Corsica..very pleasant motoring..Unfortunately once again the winds were against us…very little sailing… But this is quite a find..this marina..tourist area…great restaurants..shopping ..etc…met some great people at a wine shop…did a little wine tasting…talked to the owners who want to move to California to open a restaurant there…got their business card..and when trying to buy a bottle of vino from them…they refused $.....
Had a great dinner in a restaurant that all the walls and ceilings were bricks and stone..the food was great…just too much of it…leave it to the French for fantastic cuisine. Lots of people hanging out in this marina socializing… only wish I could understand what they were talking so avidly about…it is a beautiful night…it's already past 12 pm and people are still milling about like it was 9pm.
Once again…I can say that I want to spend a week here…month here..maybe a year….it is exciting, vastly busy… and beautiful at the same time…Glad we stayed an extra day…the eve of Bastille day here in France…fireworks were fantastic…right over our heads…we had to spray the boat down in the morning before our next long journey to mainland France..headed to Menton..east of Monte Carlo…it will be a long stretch..but hopefully with the winds in our favor…we will get to sail a good portion of the way….
The mega yachts here are amazing….I call them monster yachts…every crook and nanny was filled with boats last night..they were turning boats away….good anchorage however right outside the marina…lot's of boats on the horizon…spent some time on the beach here…swimming..reading…hanging out with the other tourists..
I am still getting used to using the passarelles….'the gang plank as I call it' off the boats….there are so many different versions of them…some hydraulic..or others like ours that you just tie onto the stern of your boat to get onto the quay. It's an ingenous way of loading a marina with lots of boats…but still quite comical to watch how they fit them all in…we were always a bit weary of an extra space next to us..being ready with fenders and body power to ward other boats off.


CORSICA TO MENTON, FRANCE

Our last overnighter hopefully…and it was a douzy…good thing…Bob got to sail us to the French coast..over 90 km….bad thing it was a slammer for the boat…with just a small jib up…the swells were unbelievable…I felt sea sickness for only the second time while sailing. The good and bad news about this is that we arrived way earlier than expected and it was hard to discern how to anchor or get a marina berth. So Bob headed Gaia back off the coast and I got to keep watch drifting in heavy swells while he got some much needed rest. It was an evening that made you give pause to thinking that all I want to do is go home!

However….once we got settled into this marina…walked around..had lunch..then Bob took a nap..while I walked the city..checking out the sites, shopped…then do what I love to do most..headed to the cool beautiful azure beaches. It was very relaxing…and I found the most wonderful concert for us to see/hear that night. It was incredible..and free..and right on the ocean front. A superb 20+ jazz ensemble…that was extremely entertaining.


Menton is an extremely visually pleasing place to be..we walked above the St Peter's Basilica…to the highest point overlooking the sea to the cemeteries…extraordinary…several levels of it were allocated to those who died in the various wars..World War 1 and 2…and the monuments built for families there were all made with marbles..granite..pictures..flowers..Porcelain flower displays..Statues..it was quite breathtaking..exceptional since it was located high above the city…
We had hoped to take in another concert this evening..but it was cancelled due to not being able to get set up in time..it was to be a Creole 3 day celebration…it will start tomorrow but we will head further west towards our destination…there is going to be a bad patch of wind headed this way and we want to get into a good sheltered harbor to hunker down..but still be close to the cote d'zure action…

 

ILE DE PORQUEROLLES, ILES D'HYERES

Not much to say about our trip to the largest island out of Hyeres…except we were looking to be able to get a berth in the main marina there…but they were full. As we approached the marina we knew without reservations it was going to be impossible. There were literally hundreds of sailboats/other boats anchored off the various shores. It took us three attempts to anchor as there was a lot of sea grass that we kept getting caught up in. It is obvious by the vastly increasing numbers of boats that we are approaching prime time in the Med.


The island looked interesting…lots of trails..etc..but it was too far for me to do another long swim to shore and back and we didn't have the gumption to resurrect the dingy to go ashore…so a quiet windy nite onboard…then on to our final destination…Toulon.


LE SEYNE SUR MER, TOULON


Gaia made it! Oh happy day for Bob's plan for a destination where Gaia can be refit and hardened up for the winter. We traveled over 1000 miles to get here from Athens and what a trip it's been! We made around 35 stops on the way..all very interesting in their own way. Pierre of Y Yachting was right there as we pulled into the temporary marina so that Bob could meet and make further arrangements with him. Looks like he has a top notch storing and repairing company.
On a sad note…we were having breakfast..when we heard an awful decimating boom and crash..everyone stuck there heads out of their boats immediately to see what the commotion was…well disaster..in a ship yard that we were temporarily moored at..a huge crane toppled over as it was lifting a Benateau to put it in the water. As the family..bags packed..ready to obviously go on their summer vacation ...watched in horror as the boat was cut in two by the crane. Not only that…it crushed the stern of a catamaran..both total losses…


Pierre assured Bob that they would not be transferring his boat in the manner that this boat was handled. We are now in another temporary marina…Port Pin-Rolland..basically taking the boat apart…we will take down the main and jib..working on other things until the wind dies down a bit to make the job easier.
Last nite we had a celebratory dinner celebrating Gaia arriving safely to its temporary disposition. Bob rented a car so we could get around and we were led by one of the marina workers here to a nice private marina..filled with wonderful smelling and looking restaurants…we picked a great one..Bob had a great steak drenched in Roquefort cheese and I had canard with marvelous grilled potatoes/vegies….made for great leftovers too this morning…fried potatoes..vegies..and fried eggs..yumm..great last breakfast here for me…


Alas I will be leaving in the morning…wish we could stay longer and venture further..but Bob is very anxious to get his boat ready and on the hard to start the process of a refit…and to perhaps travel to Germany and other places before returning to Seattle for a rest. He will be giving me an early ride to the Marseilles airport where I will also be happy to be home in Seattle also…at least until the next adventure!

 

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ITALY

 

CROTONE

If nothing else…hanging out in these Greek and Italian marinas have been nothing short of entertaining. We just assisted a Dufour 48 swing in sideways against the dock. Most boats go bow in or the preferred stern in and there are designated permanent anchor ties to keep you in place. It's gusty here in Cortone..our first stop in Italy. We traveled all evening to get here from an Island north of Corfu, Greece. 115 km. My first adventure keeping night watch. Bob and I took 3 hour segments. It was absolutely gorgeous out…can't remember when I've seen the Milky Way so brilliantly. Even got to catch a few falling stars for my pocket. There was a sliver of an orange crescent moon that came up to follow us on our journey west to Italy.

The days have been passing so quickly…haven't sat down to record our island hopping adventures. But yesterday Bob woke me basically saying that 'we have a problem Houston' His computer crashed and we had no navigational aids to get us on this long overnight journey. Fortunately Bob was able to download his backup program on my computer. It took several hours to accomplish this before we could get moving. Now I have the map of the world….guess I can get anywhere on the water!

The other good news is that Bob gave his computer a rest and what do you know…it came to life again. So now we have two computers to help us navigate our way to Marseilles France. Our next step will to get to the tip of the Italian boot..then decide to go up the straights of Messina or around Sicily.

 

ROCCELLO

'Things could be worse'…I am quoting a statement my daughter made years past about a time she spent in PA with some new friends there. But here we are stuck in a not so glamorous marina harbor…very few accommodations…no electric or fresh water hookups…plus minimal provisional facilities close by. But still..as always..you meet interesting other wayfaring individuals..dealing with the same circumstances no matter which way they are headed.
Most folks/boats that we meet are headed out of the Western Med traveling east..to Greece..Turkey..etc. to spend the summer and then to winter up there. We are one of the few boats headed to the heart of the Med…Italy and France..where I think that it will be extremely crowded..but we will have the opportunity to do more land based exploring.

 

REGGIO CALABRIA


We made it around the boot of Italy..up the Straights of Messina…and it took a lot of doing….hit again with on the nose breezes of up to 30 knots…lot of banging around….but we are finally back in calm seas and weather….
In the Italian pilot book it mentioned a guy…Saverio…a taxi driver…ormeggiatori…who could help with provisioning…etc…well true to the written book…he showed up promptly….with an ever smiling face…offering goods..a bunch of bananas….a huge chunk…I'm talking pounds of excellent parmigiano reggiano cheese….a bottle of his homemade blanco vino…and an offer to take us out to dinner with the 'family'….all gratis….

He also helped us with our dilemma of not being able to refuel the boat's propane tanks for cooking. He wasn't able to get our tank refueled but came back with another tank that we can have refueled here in Italy if needed. Of course he brought it to us filled…so I think that we should be good for the remainder of the trip…and now have one that can be filled using their systems…

The dinner with his family and friends was delicious as well as enlightening….we picked up his friend Christina…she is Polish..and visited with other friends at the restaurant..some other Polish friends..and we had a great dinner on the water…it is amazing..with the acute language barrier..how you can commute with hands and simple words….we had a terrific time…even enduring the crazy ride around town…people drive crazy here…there are no rules/speed limits/etc…that we can recognize….you just hold onto your seat and roll your eyes once in a while and say amen when you get to your destiny…


TROPEA


I LOVED THIS PLACE….could of stayed here a few more days…weeks…months…one of the most beautiful ports of call yet. Flowers everywhere and a new modern clean marina…surrounded by clear beaches with the most amazing sand…meant to put some in a baggy…it had shiny little specks of which looked liked diamonds in it.

We walked the 200 + steps up to the city..which arises from a great stone mountain…the inner city buildings look like they were made from that big monument of stone. Passageways can only be made on foot or motorbike. They have filled every nook and cranny into either a shop or restaurant. We found /were recommended to a restaurant that was a courtyard snuggled between buildings. You could visually see what the many horrific earthquakes that have happened here do to these buildings….cracks and rough edges everywhere…but it still remains enchantingly aged..and other worldly.

The dinner was great..little English is spoken in these parts by the Italians..so we relied on watching what other people were ordering. Had a nice bottle of Chianti great beefsteak…homemade pasta …and eggplant, zucchini…drenched in oil and braised on the grill…YUM…not a drop left on our plates!

This area is a Sunsail destination…we wanted to go to the Aeolian Islands that people frequent from here…with live volcanic activity…heard it was an awesome sight at night…we could see the smoke as we made our way up the coast…but this is Italy's version of our Bermuda triangle..got it's name from Aeolus…God of the Winds…but after our past 3+ days in very foul winds and weather..we are choosing to continue the journey north along the western Italian border which is warm and dry…but unfortunately the winds do not remain in our favor…so we are motor sailing……

CETRARO

Oh…how I hated leaving Tropea…it was so beautiful…with great beaches…it was so good to just relax with the other tourists. Cetraro was just the opposite. However, it was safe and free mooring. And we had the pleasure of squaring up next to 2 Belgium boats…one with a youthful retired couple…the other..a mom, dad and 2 year old. They happenstanced to meet each other headed south to the Aeolia Islands…so were choosing to travel together.
We really lucked out meeting these friendly folks as the girls came on board and we went though the pilots together. They shared all their favorite places to explore..plus gave some very helpful info into which marinas…anchorages…to head for. My only regret was that I didn't get out my camera to take pictures of the little 2 year old boy…Simeon..who I shared some of our fresh cherries with. His face was covered with cherry juice…as well our cockpit (it cleaned up very well). His mom said that was the very first time that he ever had any and he couldn't get enough of them. I tried giving him some fresh apricots…but he resoundly refused them.

Anyways…not much other to say about this stopover…except that there was this huge hospital situated on the hill above us. I am just very happy to say that we had no need to visit it.

SALERNO

Ya gotta love this place…somehow I talked Bob into making a stopover so that we could do some on land touring to Pompeii for a day. He wanted to make a bee line drive to Capri…and anchor there..The most reasonable option…as they have the most expensive mooring fees on the Italian coast…over 130 Euro for one night.
Anyways…we sure lucked out into quite the evening. The US's version of the fourth of July!! As we were getting settled in on our dock space..we noticed that boat after boat where being piled up with people and leaving around 9-10 pm at night. We thought that that was a little bizarre..thinking that they were charter boats..and leaving that late. Then we started hearing the boom boom boom of the fireworks in the near distance. Great show!...It is some kind of saint's holiday here..and people are out celebrating like crazy.

As the hundreds of boats returned…and can you imagine…. the one that pulled back in next to us was named RITA ~~~~/)~~~~ The surprising part of this whole affair is that the main fireworks did not even start until 12pm….ending around 1pm….which brought all these folks back on dock well after 2pm. Are we getting old or is the rest of the world getting younger?! I stayed up for it as Bob slept through it.

Everything is done late here…most people do not go dine at the restaurants until 9pm or later. And then they show up fancy dressed in high heeled shoes in the harbors….this is truly the new tourist attraction of the European culture. All the travernas..pizzerias..shops are all concentrated on the coasts.

POMPEII

This is a not to miss ancient Roman ruin! We spent the day walking around this city that has been excavated after the Mount Vesuvius eruption in 79AD. The volcanic destruction buried the city under 15-20 feet of ash. It remained buried for over 1600 years when in 1748 the excavation and restoration of Pompeii began. To add to the wondrous trekking through these ruins…it was thundering and lightning all around the coast…we got a bit of sprinkling but nothing that we couldn't handle..ie..protecting the camera….it all added to the mystery of this place and how it was doomed…first with a major earthquake in62 A. D….that reduced the city to a heap of rubble…rebuilt..then decimated from the volcanic eruption. There were approximately 20,000 inhabitants when this occurred.

The excavation teams were able to preserve many artifacts and bodies by pouring plaster of Paris into the places left by the organic substances that remained after the volcanic ashes solidified. This was kind of fascinating but creepy looking at these exhumed bodies huddled in their state of terror as they were trying to protect themselves from the onslaught of Mt. Vesuvius.

CAPRI TO BAIA

Wish we could see all the fascinating sites here in Southern Italy..but we have to pick and choose..which meant bypassing Capri and heading a little further north towards our destination. We are just north of Naples..provisioning…interneting…catching up. Baia was one of the most famous spots for travelers to come and soak in thermal waters. Many ancient buildings and temples remain here today..but they are so spread out..we have seen only the few in the harbor town here. We had hoped to do one of the glass bottom boat tours that take you over the underwater city..but arrived too late today and we want to head to out early tomorrow to a harbor near Rome.

ROME

'When in Rome'….I am so glad that we are getting to spend a few days here…it is greater than my expectations…St Peter's Basilica was fantastic…more splendid than most other cathedrals that I saw last year throughout Europe. Hordes of tourists here visiting the Vatican….we even met a group of people from the San Juans….Friday Harbor!
We are feeling a little tired tonight…we did an overnighter from Baia to get here. It was another beautiful overnight passage however….and finally we got in a 6 hour sailing…yahoo!!! The night was awesome again…the moon is ¾ full and was a burnt orange color as it sank into the horizon….which was good because it helped show off the wonderful stars and milky way…..

With the help of a German…English speaking Med student..Tina…she helped us navigate from our marina to the center of Rome. We are experts now! The metro system is so efficient…why can't we learn from these masters of human transportation?!


We are going to spend another day in the city tomorrow…perhaps taking one of these jump on/jump off tour buses. Everything is so spread out..might save our hurting feet from putting on too many pavement miles. We hope to start at the Sistine Chapel and work our way around the city.

ROME…DAY 2

Well the jump on/jump off bus didn't work out so well…long waits between buses..and our timing was not right most of the time. They did offer lots of info through their media system on their double Decker buses however… and lovely European classical music in between. We spent hours going through the Vatican museums that culminated at the Sistine Chapel. It was funny… there were security guards everywhere that in every language possible told people to be quiet and to not take pictures. Well….that didn't seem to be working so well…it was noisy and everyone and their brother where taking tons of pictures..Including using their flashes. I stand guilty as charged as doing the same.

The other sites visited were interesting…the Plaza Novona (the most typical Baroque square of Rome..graced with three breathtaking fountains…. one in which has a high granite obelisk decorated with hieroglyphics representing the gods of Egypt. On the top of this monument is the biblical message of the dove bearing an olive branch which is a symbol of the pact between God and mankind after the Great Flood.

Then we moved onto the Pantheon. Incredible building..the entrance looks square..but when you enter this church (used to be a pagan temple) it is actually round inside. It was Saturday…and wouldn't you know it…they were about to have a mass…they hurriedly got rid of most 'tourists' and blocked the entrance. We decided to stay for mass…and even though we didn't understand the Italian version..it was identical to a typical mass in the US…including reciting the Our Father…and the customary greetings and exchanging of peace amongst the church goers. I wondered who started that mass custom..the US or Italy…but it felt the same…wishing the people around you with peace..and it didn't matter what language it was in..it was heartfelt. I still get a giggle over the joke that it is one thing to shake hands then moved onto the

Fountains of Trevi…incredibly impressive..but extremely crowded…took in the site..took a few pics…had a nice glass of vinco..and caught the bus towards the Colosseo.

Because we spent so much time at the Vatican museums and attending mass at the Pantheon (one and a half hours)…we got to the Colosseo too late to go inside…but we did walk the borders and got to see some of the Foro Romano (roman ruins) …which was also unfortunately locked up at that hour.

There is simply no way see all of Rome's treasures in a few days..but I think that we picked and chose some of the best sights to see…leaving more for possible visits to come……it was a late trip back to the marina…a late dinner..not for the Italians….the marina was intensely crowded…Saturday nite…the restaurants and stores were busy. We provisioned in the morning..then headed for an anchorage north…outside the Santa Marinella marina.

Everywhere we go…marina wise…there have been fireworks…and in this marina that we have traveled to 20+km's from Rome…another spectacular display….and with a full moon on the horizon…can't get better than this. We were able to sail most of the way up to this anchorage outside this quiet sweet marina…and there is only one other boat anchored beside us. Music is drifting in these wee hours of the night…would be fun I'm sure to go ashore..but too much work to set up the dingy…it's ok..cause it's so fine from here too!

ISOLA DEL GIGLIO

We had hoped to find marina anchorage at the Giglio marina..but they were full up…we did manage to get some fuel there however…next to the big ferry terminal. It was so shallow there…Gaia's keel stuck in the sand…but we got fueled…provisioned…but had to move on to a safe anchorage. We were extremely fortuitous as we found an incredible anchorage site on the NW part of the island….experienced one of the most spectacular sunsets yet…and an awesome sunrise here. The waters were calm throughout the nite..and we are headed north now to Isola d'Elba


ELBA

Beautiful island...Had a nice walk today to the top of the town…walked by Napoleon's temporary home here…'he was a fool to leave this place'….at least in his time…Now it is filled with tourists..loud music…expensive restaurants…in other words…a tourist trap….however.….after a decent..expensive night's moorage...and a grand dinner out..at a restaurant

called Lido…well recommended…we had local fish that was covered in salt and baked…it was awesome…Bob spent the morning touring Napoleon's home and then we spent part of the afternoon cleaning up the boat..top to bottom..and Bob tried to figure out what was happening with the obstruction between his fuel tanks….

But the island remains very welcoming..the first thing that we noticed was the fragrance emanating from the verdant hillsides…pine…eucholipitos .sage…and we were still a mile out to sea…

 

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GREECE

ATHENS

So starts the journey of Bob, Charlene and Rita in Athens, Greece. Charlene arrived on May 30th just as Bob's brother and Phyllis were leaving. Phyllis is moving on to other islands in Greece and Turkey and will continue with her exciting and wondrous accounts of her sailing adventures. We will assist Bob in delivering the J-109 to Marseilles for a refit. I know it is a tough job..but somebody has to do it! We are busy planning our route so that he can arrive in Marseilles around the first week of August. We will continue to keep all informed of our progress and the places that we get to visit on the way.

Charlene has been working very hard on organizing and provisioning the boat..she has lots of experience in this area and I am very happy to be learning from her and Bob is very appreciative of her expertise and efforts. I must admit that I added to the work by arriving at Athen's airport on June 3rd…it was so great to see Bob and Charlene there to greet me and help me to the boat. What they didn't expect was I arrived with a duffel bag that was soaked with Racor biocide diesel additive! Bob had asked me if I could bring some from Seattle but one of the bottles broke on route and we left the airport with my dripping oily suitcase..it was a mess! Somehow we still managed to board the bus to the Marina Zea..even hailing a cabby for the last stretch..good thing that Bob put my bag in his trunk or he might of objected!
It actually wasn't as bad as it seemed. I had a divided duffel bag and the oil didn't reach my clothes..just smelled up some. So now they are being cleaned in a local laundramat before our very anticipated departure from here.

We have spent the last few days working on tedious tasks and it will be time to play tomorrow..visiting the Acropolis and the Parthenon. Saturday we will finally be leaving this way too busy and noisy marina in Athens. Athens and the Greece mainland are quite breathtaking but the harbor is way too crowded with millions of cruise passengers and boats. We cannot wait to experience the great blue azure seas and islands and some peace and tranquility….


Our plan is to sneak down to the Corinth Canal that connects to Western Greece Isles..the Ioanians…spend some time there..and then head over to the boot of Italy. We will swing around the Straights of Messina and then decide whether to hug the western Italian coast for awhile then head over to Corsica..then decide from there.

It is spookily quiet here tonight. It's Saturday night and although there are still many people strolling the boulevard above the marina…there isn't as much of the loud noises. music… screaming and laughing until the sunrise… that we have experienced late at night these past few days. Makes you wonder if it was a frenzy build up that we experienced in the past several days…to the elections that occurred yesterday…in the end there were tons of fireworks..but subtle cautionary celebrations being held throughout the area. I'm hoping to find an English written newspaper to see what this obviously important election meant to the Greek populist.

We missed the firework display …although we could hear them…from our fantastic visit touring the famous Acropolis/Parthenon area of Athens. It was a wonderful day of walking and experiencing these ancient sights. We spent the whole day climbing up and down the semi rugged terrain..Touching and feeling these rocks and ground that were such an incredible part of the earth's history.


We lucked out..Keeping with the celebration of Earth's Day…there were no entrance fees. Yet it was strangely not too crowded. What not to miss if you tour this sacred ground is the museum filled with incredible artifacts..Painstakingly put back together for our public viewing. We enjoyed a long evening's repast at a restaurant there…slowly watching the incredible sunset…and THEN…the lighting of the temples and other stone structures on this mountainous hill. It was an awesome and worthy sight to see! We all agreed it was a moment that we would never forget.


I am going to digress here…I'm sitting in the cockpit typing this in the wee morning and having fun watching the flotilla of small fishing boats taking off to the seas to catch the days fresh fish. It is possibly one of the best experiences that I have had staying in this marina. Yesterday we spent working hard again getting the boat ready to venture on …to more exotic spots…my scrubbing the deck..and Bob cleaning out his V-berth and tending to all the mechanical details that need attention to.

Charlene has made a decision to return back home. We will miss her..She made an enormous contribution to Gaia in organizing and preparing for the continuing journey and delivery of Gaia to Marseilles for a refit.


OUT OF ATHENS

Out of Athens! The trip to the Corinth Canal was fairly uneventful. Found a nice place to spend the evening and headed over to the E Canal entrance in the morning…expecting a wait up to 3 hours. We found ourselves tied up to the canal wall..with exactly one other sailboat. The hard part was the exorbitant fee that was charged to shorten the trip to the west Greek Isles. If you have to ask how much…as they say..you can't afford it. The Corinth Canal is one of the most expensive canals per mile in the world.


It was incredibly interesting however. The canal is 3.2 miles long, 25m wide…has two hydraulic bridges across the canal at each end. In between you would expect just plain carved out limestone..but over the years it has refurbished itself with lively wildlife and fauna. As we past over one of the bridges crossing over the canal..it felt a lot like being at the Chittenden locks…with lots of tourists waving and taking pictures.


After passing through the canal we swung northerly to Itea. What a treat. Home of Delphi..one of the most spectacular and beautiful classical sites in Greece. Delphi was regarded as the center of the world. It is situated high on the side of Mt Parnassos..admist ravines, rocky bluffs and sheer clifts..

NAVPAKTOS

Traveling through the Ionian Greek Isles was very relaxing. Making short jumps..30-35 km between Islands. Met up with several boats that were on the Blue Water Rally that Bob & Phyllis traveled with. Bunch of fun people. Had a great evening socializing with the crew of Fine Fleur..a French yatch..in Navpaktos, Greece. This was in the west end of the Gulf of Corinth…next to the second longest cable span bridge in the world. From here we headed to Kiona, Ithaca. According to Homer this is the island home of Odysseus. We stayed in this quaint quiet harbor with it's attractive huddle of whitewashed houses that are protected by the slopes at the head of the bay.

It was here that I had one of my first experiences …very comical and entertaining at times..to watch boats anchor out and then tie in stern first to the quays. We witnessed a number of not so elegant landings..full of people running around yelling…grabbing lines…and giving instructions in many different languages.


CORFU

A magical place in some senses…virulent green…opulent flowers and trees.. more so than any other Greek islands…while touring around Corfu Town…visiting the ancient castles….we ran into an outdoor market with loads of fresh fish vegetables and fruits…made us want to purchase it all…except for the problem of trying to keep items salvageable in tight quarters….

We met up with a boat from the BWR….the Happy Wanderer…it was Mary's Birthday…so a group of us had a great BD celebration at a wonderful restaurant. It was outdoors with flowing fountains…nice sunset…could not of been a nicer ending to our stay in Greece before heading out in the morning for the Italian coast.