Mark and I were really looking forward to Steve and Elise coming, it was going to be our first real exploration of the Ionian since arriving. The Watsons were in charge of the routes for our nine days away and we intended to get in as much as possible while they were here.
We left Levkas early afternoon after provisioning and sailed down to Spartahouri intending to anchor for lunch in Chri
stina Onasis’s swimming bay. Unfortunately by the time we got there it was blowing such a hooly it wasn’t wise to stop so we continued around the island and headed into Nidri for our first overnight stop. Safely anchored in Tranquil Bay we went ashore. Nidri was celebrating Ionian Independence Day and we thought we were in for some Greek dancing on the quayside but instead were nearly sent to sleep with the Poets so went off for something it eat instead.
Next morning we motored up to Vliho for a quick viewing then out of Nidri to Ambelakia Bay on the north east corner of Meganissi, anchored up and had lunch. That evening we walked over the hill into Vathi for dinner and Steve and Elise’s introduction to Kalua and a very expensive bar bill!! To add insult to injury we got lost in the pitch black on the back to the boat.
Hangovers put aside we sailed off to Kalamos and anchored in Port Leone. Elise and Steve went ashore to explore the deserted village while Mark paced the decks because the anchor wasn’t holding well. Once the Watsons were back on board we set sail for Vathi in Ithaca and had a cracking sail nearly all the way to Vathi. Moored up stern to, got our glad rags on and went in search of dinner. Vathi`s harbour has a small islet which at one time was used as a prison so we included that on our general tour by dinghy of the harbour.
Next stop, just a short hop up the coast to Kioni and our attempt to anchor with a line ashore around a rock. It’s difficult to describe what a pigs ear we made of this and if I did our reputation as sailors would be sorely dented so suffice to say we had to finally give that up and go in and moor stern to on the quay. If it wasn’t bad enough that we were sooooo rubbish, the couple 2 boats down were watching us from up on the hill – oh the shame!!!
From Kioni we sailed up the coast of Ithaca and across to Fiskardo on Cefalonia, probably the
biggest of all the towns we visited and definately in the throes of expansion. Mooring up is stern to on a floating pontoon. It was also the only place we got water. We used the water maker to successfully keep us stocked up. Steve decided to take the dinghy out to explore the bay using the novel propulsion of diving fins. Not sure why, it’s not always clear to those around Steve what’s going on in that head of his. Don’t think its clear to him either but that’s another story! Fiskardo has a new Ice Cream shop so that needed a visit to check the quality of icecream but to my shame I can’t remember what it was like so maybe it was pretty average.
Next day we made a beeline for Assos because the weather was going to be calm and
it needs to be very calm to stay the night in Assos bay. It is the most beautiful little bay on the west coast of Cephalonia as the picture will testify. Assos has a fort on the isthmus and like many of these old places in Greece has a complicated history. We whiled away the afternoon swimming off the beach or to tell the absolute truth one of us was trailed around hanging off a fender by another of us who is training for a triathlon in August. The one being trailed had a knackered knee but was desparate to be in the water. The one doing the training had plenty of exercise that afternoon!!
Plantanos restaurant in Assos serves the ‘BEST’ food and the owner/waiter is a great character, full of enthusiasm for his food and eating and boy did we eat. We could hardly walk back to the boat. Next day we didn’t eat till lunchtime. Assos lived up to it’s reputation and with only one other boat in the bay it was truly an idyllic stay.
It was hard leaving Assos but we still had places to go, people to see, so we motor sailed back to Ithaca and this time to Frikes. Mark and I didn’t think we’d been here before but it turns out we had years ago on Flotilla. The only place we moored up alongside. Why everyone was mooring up alongside was hard to say but when in Rome and all that!! Another very good meal here and what I’ll remember most was the herd of goats running down the sheer rock face when it was time for them to go home from their grazing. These goats defied gravity as they hurled themselves down the side of the cliff with their bells ringing manically.
Next morning Steve and Elise went off to get a few supplies before setting off to Paleros on the Greek mainland and came back with the biggest doughnuts I’ve ever seen, we ate them for breakfast or should I say most of us managed to eat one each, the wimpy eater only managed a small amount. On the way to Paleros we stopped off at the caves on Meganissi and explored by dinghy. Steve and I had a quick swim and Steve tried out a new body surfing technique behind the boat.
We had to motor nearly all the way to Paleros, only the last 3 hours delivered up some wind, but it was good when it came and we had another good sail. Paleros was our last night out and we had to get dressed up in ‘team wear’ to go out on the town. Tonight was curry night, followed by stupidity in the childrens play ground and more Kalua to finish the night off before a slightly wet ride in the dingly back to the boat.
Next morning we were off to a quite bay for watersports activities. Racecraft supplied by Steve and Elise, hot air to blow them up supplied by all of us. Two hours of hilarity enjoyed by everyone, before they all had to be rounded up by Steve in the dinghy. Sadly we had to drag ourselves away from such fun and head back to Lefkas, Steve and Elise had to leave at 5am the following morning.
We did roughly 150 miles, the weather got steadily hotter as the days went on and everyone got brown. It goes without saying we all had a brilliant time.
More Watson/Wycherley photos
here
We abandoned the boat in Lefkas on June 4th and made a hurried trip back to the UK. After being ill for some time Marks mum passed away on June 2nd. We're currently staying with Marks sister Denise leading up to the funeral on June 11th.
