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| Panoramic view of the Gulfo f Patras - Messolonghi Marina on the right hand side |
As I sit and write this latest update, we are riding out yet
another thunderstorm, only this time we are in the protection of Messolonghi
Marina. However, the storm is right overhead and we cannot see across the
lagoon for the rain – ahhh summertime in Greece.
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| One of many sunsets |
To say the weather to date has been unpredictable and
unusual would be an understatement. Not just for us, the Persecuted Perrett’s, but
for everyone we’ve spoken to, wherever they have been in Greece. Everyone has
experienced strong winds, cool temperatures, and sudden thunderstorms. In fact
we were going to leave Messolonghi today and head up into the Ionian, but due
unforeseen circumstances, we changed our mind...although four boats left the
marina before today’s thunderstorm started, included good friends of ours, and
we only hope they found somewhere safe to ride out the storm.
Anyway, I digress. The remainder of our time in the Aegean
was spent meandering back down the Evia Channel, again either ducking out of
bad weather, or motoring along with no wind at all. As I mentioned in my last
blog, we were due to meet with sailing friends, Cha and Wayne on Eclipse, who we
met in Ibiza in 2011. Via the wonders of modern technology (internet and mobile
phones), we arranged to meet in Porto Rafti, a typical holiday town with a
lovely bay. We arrived within an hour of each other, and within half an hour
they had inflated their inflatable kayak and rowed over to us (they don’t have
a conventional dinghy, well they do, but they’ve never used it!). We invited
them over for dinner that night and we spent the evening catching up on what
all of us had been doing for the past three years. It was nice to see old
friends in new places. However, it was short lived, as a weather window opened
up for us and we had to leave the next day.
On our way up the Evia Channel, we stopped and refuelled in
a ‘proper’ marina and had decided to treat ourselves to a night on our return
trip. It is also a convenient starting point to go directly to Poros, our next
stop. It had a good chandlery, or so we thought, it had a good restaurant, or
so we thought, it had nice helpful staff, or so we thought. After refuelling again,
we called the marina on the VHF and they guided us to our ‘spot’. I say ‘spot’;
I should say ‘tight spot’. It would not have mattered how many times we tried
to get into this finger pontoon, we were not going to fit, and the marinara did
not seem to understand. Finally, we were shown to a ‘slightly better spot’. He
took our lines, gave us a lazy line and then left us to it. It took us nearly
an hour to get the boat into a position where we could actually get the passarelle
on the dock. David went to the office to be checked in while I used the laundry
facilities – which were good, or so we thought! He returned to inform me that
we had been charged the handsome sum of €60 plus €3 for electricity and
water... Just so as you know, the chandlery didn’t have anything we needed and
the restaurant was empty and soulless – we left the next day!
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| Poros Town |
The 35 miles to Poros was uneventful and we arrived on the
island of Poros mid afternoon. Here’s the tourist bit, taken from a guide...
The town of Poros is
built in the shape of an amphitheatre over two hills. In antiquity Poros consisted of two islands,
Sphería and Kalávria, but the last explosion of the Méthana volcano in 273 BC
radically changed the morphology of the area.
Sphería was cut off from Méthana, and Póros took its present-day
form. Lush pine trees, crystal clear
beaches, a lively waterfront adorned with shops, cosy cafes and restaurants, a
picturesque capital (it has been declared as a protected settlement) with grand
traditional mansions and picturesque cobbled streets, as well as a wide
selection of entertainment venues are the ingredients of this quiet, yet cosmopolitan,
destination that attracts visitors from all age groups.
Peer into the history
and tradition of the island through a visit to its Archaeological and its
Folklore Museums. Visit also the Temple
of Poseidon (built in around 520 BC; the Athenian rhetorician, Dimosthenes, committed
suicide in this temple by drinking poison, pursued by Philip, the King of
Macedonia); the Zoodochos Pigi
Monastery which remains the most
impressive ecclesiastical monument on the island; the Russian naval base and the Residence of
Governor Kapodistrias. Follow a route
through the narrow streets of the town that leads up to a hill, where the
trademark of the island stands: the historic Clock tower, where visitors can
relax and enjoy a panoramic view of the whole town.
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| Poros - southern entrance |
The southern entrance to Poros is a narrow and very shallow
channel. We worked our way through, past boats tied to the quay and at anchor,
and decided to go round to the west side of the quay. A very nice restaurateur
took our lines and invited us to dine there that night. I went ashore to get
some provisions, and spotted a boat we knew from Nidri, so I stopped to say
hello. They had been there for a few
days and warned us of the ‘7.30 surge’.
The very nature of the island of Poros means that ferries
and other big craft come in through a narrow entrance before turning and
heading for the quayside to drop off the day visitors. Unfortunately, way
before they even get as far as the quay, they have created a wake directly in
line with where we are docked. As it travels towards the quay, it builds and
builds, so that by the time it reaches us, you can’t see it coming until it’s
too late and then, wallop, boats are rocking and rolling all over the place,
smashing into the dock, crashing into each other – we won’t be staying here
long! We did go to the restaurant for dinner and decided to go to anchor the
next day, as north westerly winds were forecast, which would be uncomfortable
on the dock.
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| Poros anchorages and mainland |
The bay however is very deep, and we had to go quite close
to the shore, but that will be OK, because it’s a north westerly and we will be
lying away from the shore. Nope, you’ve guessed it, the winds were southerly
and we had to re-anchor in much deeper water to be safe. And it blew all day,
all evening and most of the night. The next day, we saw a better spot on the
quay and scooted over to grab it before anyone else got it. We still got the
surge, but nowhere near as bad.
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| The top of Poros Town (nearly) |
The town of Poros, as they guide says, a cosmopolitan place.
Pretty, cobbled back streets, which wind endlessly to the top of the town,
where the view over the channel and mainland are wonderful. Restaurants, bars
and shops line the front and all the back streets. We spent two more days
exploring and relaxing on the island before heading off for Epidavros.
Epidavros is a small fishing and seaside town, which has the
advantage of being on a 30-minute taxi ride to the Epidavros amphitheatre.
However, having got our anchor completely entangled in some old mooring lines
and fisherman’s hooks, we didn’t manage to get to see. It took David over an
hour snorkelling to get the anchor free, it was well and truly jammed in with
all the mess on the sea bottom – I see a theme running through this trip!
However, looking at the website for the Epidavros amphitheatre, I would
recommend anyone to go there, if you get the chance.
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| Galaxidhi Town Quay |
While we have been in the Aegean, we have been watching the
weather (obviously), but for the Meltemi winds which start to blow in summer.
The problem with this particular wind is that once it starts blowing (normally
at about a force 7 upwards), it doesn’t stop for days. People who go on holiday
to the Aegean islands are often surprised how strong the wind is. There is a particular
meteorological set up that causes a Meltemi, with standing ‘lows’ over Cyprus
and a ‘high pressure’ over the Black Sea, so it is easy to see when it is beginning
to form. The last thing we wanted was be stuck for twelve days waiting for the
wind to calm down. Yes, you’ve guessed it, a Meltemi was forming.
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| Galaxidhi view of the mountains |
And so we began to
make our way back. Our planned route changed daily and having visited Korfos,
going back through the Corinth Canal, and Kiato on the side, we were finally
back in Galaxidhi. The day we arrived was lovely, and had been greeted by the
biggest pod of dolphins we have ever seen. There must have been 25-30, all
playing around the boat. After they left, another, smaller, pod arrived. To top
it all, in Galaxidhi we had the best meal we’ve had anywhere in Greece that
night. Greek cooking with a twist of curry and spices. However, the next day –
guess what – the wind blew, so we stayed another night.
Our planned route back was to spend a couple of days in
Trizonia, as we had only spent one night on the way through. It was only twenty
miles, so we didn’t need to leave too early, and for once, we had a perfect
sail for more than two hours. Unfortunately, as Trizonia came into view, and we
looked through the binoculars, we could see there was no room left on the quay,
or in the anchorage. A decision had to be made – should we risk going into the
bay and spend an hour or so trying to find a spot, or continue and go directly
to Messolonghi. I checked the weather, we had the right conditions to continue,
and so we did, arriving back in Messolonghi by 7pm. In the bar that night were
many of our winter friends, some flying home for July, some just returning for
a few days, and some having just arrived back on their boats.
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| Friends for dinner |
We have now been in Messolonghi for eleven days and have
been out a few times for dinner with friends, but had a particularly good
evening when eight of us drove up into the mountains to a restaurant friends
had been to before. The view was amazing, right from the Gulf of Patras over to
Zakinthos. It was a bit hazy, but watching the moon reflect on the Gulf was
stunning, and the night-lights of Messolnghi are very pretty.
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| Night lights of Messolonghi |
This year’s adventure we continue when we arrive back in the
Ionian and the end of this week to meet up with those friends we’ve not seen
this year, visit old haunts, maybe find some new ones, and then await the
arrival of my mother and nephew at the end of August.
As always, take care and stay in touch.
Michele and Dave
On board Alhambra – somewhere in Greece
More photos on https://www.flickr.com/photos/md_sailing/
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