July 2018
I will start on a sombre note, relaying as we all have, our
thoughts and prayers to those who have suffered this month in what seems to be
a never-ending stream of reports of disasters from around the world. As the
world gets smaller and news reaches us faster, every day we seem to be reading
reports of another disaster; heat waves in the UK and Europe, heat waves and
floods in Japan and floods in Myanmar, earthquakes in Lombok, wildfires in
California and Sweden and even the UK.
Sitting here in Greece and reading local Greek news reports
of those who have lost everything in the devastating fires that took hold in
the towns of Mati and Rafina, north of Athens, brings it that little bit closer
to home. Local reports as of today, confirm the number of those
who lost their lives stands at 86, with people still missing. This, along with massive
flooding in Athens and the north of the country (which experts blamed on a
weather system dubbed Nefeli - evoking the name of a cloud nymph from Greek
mythology), and multiple earthquakes, makes it feel as though Greece has
suffered an unfair share of natural disasters in July alone.
Onto our more daily routine and the World Cup, the Weather
and Wobbly Anchorages
Back at the end of June, we left Lakka under a veil of early
morning fog and mist, only to be treated to a very pleasant motor up to Corfu and
the little town of Petriti. Having spent eight days on the quay in Lakka,
waiting out the strong north westerly winds (take note of these words as they
will become familiar!), we decided to spend a few nights at anchor. We visited
Petriti back in 2012, but only stayed one night, so never really got to enjoy
the merits of this small, traditional Greek fishing village.
However, after one
night ‘on the hook’, the boat was sent rolling from one side to the other from
the passing ferry traffic- a very wobbly anchorage. This is fine if it is one passing
boat, but this particular anchorage is on the main route from two of Greece’s major
ferry routes south, so the wobbling and rocking was constant all through the
night. Having discussed our options over breakfast, we made a speedy retreat to
the town quay.
The charming village
of Petriti is idyllically located on the eastern coast of Corfu. In the ancient
times, this village was popularly referred to as Egrypos. The word Egrypos is
derived from the Greek word Evrous that literally means a good river. Today,
Petriti village is sparsely populated with just 700 permanent residents most of
whom are engaged in fishing.
Having secured a good spot on the quay, we headed off to
explore the village. It is very similar to Debden (our home village) in its
feel, differing slightly in that Corfu’s second largest fishing fleet is based
here! It has a village shop, it has a couple of bars/restaurants and hotels,
one in particular that has a lovely pool, which they let you use if you buy a
drink or lunch. This particular hotel was also showing the World Cup Football
matches.
Now as many of you are aware, football is neither mine, nor David’s favourite
sport, but like many other people, every four years we become experts when it
involves England playing. My grasp of the off side rule and unfair tackles
becomes second to none when our boys are involved. It seems, the hotel manager
had put a fairly hefty bet on England winning before the tournament started, so
he was always going to be on our side.
As it turns out, the forecasted weather for the next week was showing increased and strong north west winds
(there are those words again), and we decided that we should stay put in
Petriti. After all, fishing fleets don’t tend to base themselves in harbours
that are not safe. As the F6-7 blew through, Alhambra did not move; the
protection is this harbour is fantastic.
And so it was, that we watched numerous world cup matches,
not just England, around the pool bar. Along with people from Greece, France,
Germany, Italy, Uruguay, Sweden and Japan (to be fair this was just one lady
who was half Swedish, half Japanese and was married to a guy from Uruguay, who
was rooting for England after they were knocked out), and a Brit who only likes
rugby! It was an interesting few days. Finally, they have the cutest kittens.
However, after nine days in Petriti it was time to move
north. Our plan is to visit some of the smaller islands off the northern coast
of Corfu – the Diapondia islands which include Erikousa, Mathraki and Othoni.
We planned to stop at these islands on our way to Corfu from Italy back in
2011, but as with all things sailing, we changed our plans at the last minute
and went direct to Corfu, arriving at 3am.
On 11th July, we head north to Corfu Town, where
we have booked into one of the Corfu Sailing Clubs marinas, Mandraki for two
nights. It’s not a cheap place to stay (€40 per night), but we have stayed
before, and its setting is one of the most beautiful around. Situated directly
beneath the Old Venetian Castle, you have to walk through the old ruins to
reach Corfu Town. Unlike the last time we visited, where we had a nice spot on
the main dock, as it is height of summer, we are now on the outside wall, where
we have to moor ‘bows to’ as there is ballasting and shallow water up close to
the quay.
Like all boats, Alhambra can moor stern or bows to the quay,
however, she is not really designed for ‘bows to’ when the quay is very low and
we have to attach a wooden plank to get off. All fine and dandy, apart from the
quay itself is a very ancient and rocky structure, which has had cement poured
into the cracks over the years and is not very flat or stable. Added to that,
when we looked at the power supply stations, they were all wrapped in plastic –
why we wondered?
The answer became very clear as one of the numerous ferries
left Corfu town and its wake sprayed 2-3 feet into the air, over the
wall, over the electricity stations, and over you if you are walking past. It
also does not really quell the swell from any passing boats, which makes its way
into the marina, making it a quite uncomfortable spot to stay. But hey, we’re
only here for two nights to see the sights of Corfu town – oh and watch England
in their final game in the world cup (well done lads for getting as far as you
did).
Here is a little insight into Corfu Town.
Corfu Old Town lies between
the Esplanade Square and the new fortress. The square of the Esplanade (also
called Spianada) is the central square of Corfu Town and the largest square in
the Balkans. It became a public square during the French occupation and was
designed according to the French garden architecture; with many organised trees
and flowerpots. It is surrounded by sumptuous buildings, imposing monuments and
an old Venetian fortress, which marks the beginning of the modern town.
One of
the most beautiful buildings bordering the square, is the Liston building and
was built during the French occupation. Its superb arched terrace was inspired
by the architectural style of the Rue de Rivoli, in Paris.
One evening an entire parade of different dancers filled the promenade in front of the Liston building.
Many other interesting
monuments adorn Corfu Town, such as the Old and the New Venetian Fortresses,
the Town Hall Square, the Square of the Saints, the Ionian Academy and the
Palace of Saint Michael and Saint Georges: This impressive neoclassical
building is situated at the centre of Spianada square. It was built during the
British occupation in 1824. It was first used as the official residence of the
commissioner.
Square of the Saint:
Around this square are located three of the most important churches of Corfu.
These are the church of Saint Spyridon, the church of the Blessed Virgin of the
Strangers and the church of Saint John.
Saint Spryidon - Patron
saint of Corfu - Spyridon is the patron saint of potters (from the purported
miracle of the potsherd) and the island of Corfu where he is called:
"Saint Spyridon, the Keeper of the City" for the miracle of expelling
the plague from the island. It is believed by the faithful that the plague, on
its way out of the island, scratched one of the fortification stones of the old
citadel (Palaio Frourio) to indicate its fury for being expelled. This scratch
is still shown to visitors.
St. Spyridon is also
believed to have saved the island at the second great siege of Corfu which took
place in 1716. At that time the Turkish army and naval force led by the great
Sultan Achmet III appeared in Butrinto opposite Corfu. On July 8 the Turkish fleet carrying 33,000 men sailed to Corfu from
Butrinto and established a beachhead in Ipsos. The same day the Venetian fleet
encountered the Turkish fleet off the channel of Corfu and defeated it in the
ensuing naval battle. On July 19 the Turkish army reached the hills of the town
and laid siege to the city. After repeated failed attempts and heavy fighting,
the Turks were forced to raise the siege which had lasted 22 days.
There were also
rumours spreading among the Turks that some of their soldiers saw St. Spyridon
as a monk threatening them with a lit torch and that helped increase their
panic. This victory over the Ottomans, therefore, was attributed not only to
the leadership of Count Schulenburg who commanded the stubborn defence of the
island against the Ottomas but also to the miraculous intervention of St.
Spyridon.Source: www.greeka.com
Bearing in mind all these wonderful things St Spyridon did
for Corfu, one surprising thing about him, is that he never actually went to
Corfu until after his death and his remains were taken there - When the Arabs took Cyprus, Spyridon's body
was disinterred and taken to Constantinople. The relics were found to be
incorrupt, and contained a sprig of basil, the "royal plant," both of
which were taken as a sign of divine confirmation of his sanctity. When, in
1453, Constantinople fell to the Ottomans, Spyridon's relics were removed
again; this time, to the island of Corfu by a Corfiote monk called Kalohairetis,
where they remain to this day, in Saint Spyridon Church. Source: www.greeka.com
NB: Ipsos is still
frequented by thousands of people during the summer months and is known as one
of the party resorts of Corfu... perhaps the Turkish fleet knew something back
then?
I digress. Not wanting to spend too much money in a marina
that was uncomfortable, we took the advice of a friend and moved to what is
known by sailors as ‘Airport Bay (Garitsa Bay for the non sailors among you),
as yes you’ve guessed it, strong north west winds were forecast to blow. The
advice given was ‘anchor under the castle in north west winds, and in the south
of the bay in southerlies.
My advice to sailors is don’t bother with anchoring
under the castle, it gets too much wake and swell from passing traffic and
makes for a very wobbly anchorage! We finally moved to the southern part of the
bay (still wobbly, but nowhere near as bad) to meet up with friends and watch
the world cup final.
...and then we found some really cute kittens...
As I stated earlier, our plan was to go north to the islands
– change of plan. More strong north west winds forecast (F7, possibly F8).
We’re not playing that game anymore and are going back to Petriti to ride them
out in the safety of the harbour.
Once back there, our friend Steve joined us,
and all three of us took pleasure in watching the local fishermen catch
numerous sea bream off the end of the quay with just a hand line. We enjoyed
gyros round the pool bar, and generally had a pleasant time while the strong
north west winds blew around the island.
Having left Petriti, we spent a night in Mongonisi – a lovely little spot on the south of Paxos, before heading to the mainland and Preveza on route to Vonitsa in the Gulf. We stayed a few days in a new, old marina! Preveza town marina has been taken over recently by one of the larger boat yards in the area and they are redeveloping it. To stay is cheap (€20 per night), due mainly to the fact that you are in the middle of a building site. However, it is safe and a ten minute walk to Preveza Town. (Unfortunately on our return they have hiked the prices massively and wanted to charge us €51 per night, negotiated down to €46 – we will not be returning).
Another of the areas we wanted to spend more time in is the Gulf of Amvraki on the mainland. The gulf takes its name from the ancient city of Ambracia located nearby. Its alternative name comes from the medieval city of Arta, located in the same place as ancient Ambracia – if that makes any sense!
Vonitsa, another place we visited here many years ago, and this time, on the advice of friends, we anchored behind the island known as Koukoumitsas, which houses a pine forest and the chapel of Agios Nektarios. The island is attached to the mainland by a very impressive, recent addition of a Japanese style bridge. Before this was built, locals used to have to walk through the sea to get to the chapel.
Touristy bit - Amvrakikos
Gulf is one of the biggest wetlands in Greece, both in size and importance. A
wetland of big aesthetic and ecological value. The Gulf covers an area of 400
km2 and it is an enclosed sea that is consisted of many smaller wetlands. The
rivers of Louros and Arachthos empty into Amvrakikos gulf, carrying great and
important amounts of debris, contributing this way to the development of an
extremely complicated and unique, for Greece, wetland ecosystem.One of the last
healthy bottlenose dolphin populations of the Mediterranean Sea lives in the
waters of Amvrakikos gulf. As stated in the “New Scientist” magazine, their
population seems to be stable, approximately at 150 dolphins.
We spent a week in Vonitsa which is a sleepy tourist town,
which lets life pass by under the watchful eye of its Venetian castle, (yes
another Venetian castle, those Venetians got everywhere back in their day! On
our second night, we were once again visited by enormous thunderstorms.
Fortunately, our anchor was set securely and we could sleep safe at night. We
even had a film night on board!
The following night, in order to ‘get off the boat’ we
headed into town early evening for a cheap night out of a beer and gyros (costing
€4 large beer, €2.50 gyros, I really can be a cheap date). Whilst watching the
world go by, a procession of church leaders, dignitaries, towns’ folk, and the
school brass band, came down the main street, with all manner of saintly icon paraphernalia.
After turning onto the main road, they stopped and a reasonably short sermon
was delivered by the head of the church. We asked the waitress “is it the
Vonitsa Saint’s day?” her reply was unexpected, “well one of them, we seemed to
have loads, they just bring them out when they fancy it”.
The procession seemed to break up and we went for our gyros.
Whilst enjoying this local delicacy, we noticed that very low clouds had
descended over the gulf and the sky had turned a very nasty shade of black –
time to go back to the boat. This was also the night of the full, blood,
eclipse moon, which of course we didn’t get to see, due to the thick black
clouds!
Back on board, the thick black clouds where clinging to the
mountain behind us, nearly to the ground, it was a very eerie night. Looking
back toward the town, we could see a bright white light being directed straight
up into the sky and clouds, we the heard the priest start another wailing
ceremony and we wondered if we would see the ‘Saint’ rising up towards the
heavens! Now at this time, we still didn’t know the name of the Saint, but
further Googling for ‘Greek Saint Days, 27 July’ gave us Story of Saint
Panteleimon, who didn't have a great time of it, it has to be said!
St. Panteleimon The
Holy and Great Martyr Panteleimon was born in Nicomedia of a Christian mother,
Eubula, and a pagan father Eustorgius. He studied medicine as a young man. The
priest Hermolaus befriended him, instructed him in the Christian faith and baptized
him. Panteleimon miraculously healed a blind man who other doctors had treated
in vain; he healed him by the name of Christ and baptized him. From jealousy,
the doctors denounced Panteleimon as a Christian, and he went before the
Emperor Maximilian for judgment. He stood before the earthly ruler in the body,
but in his mind he stood before the Heavenly King. He freely declared himself
to be a Christian before the Emperor, and in front of his eyes, healed a
paralytic of a long infirmity. This miracle brought many of the pagans to the
Christian faith. The Emperor put him to torture. When he would not abandon
Christ for the idols, he was stretched across a rack and burned with candles.
Then he was thrown into a pit of fire and then to wild beasts. He was thrown
into a river with a large stone tied to him, but it floated. When he was
retrieved, he was sentenced to beheading. Condemned to death, St. Panteleimon
knelt in prayer. At that, the executioner gave him a blow on the neck with his
sword, and the sword broke as if made of wax. The executioner could not kill
him until he had finished his prayer and had himself given the word to behead
him. Panteleimon was beheaded under an olive tree, which after that became
laden with fruit. "Panteleimon" means all-merciful. God the
all-merciful received his righteous soul and glorified him among His greatest
saints. His relics remained incorrupt. This wonderful martyr suffered with honour
as a youth for Christ on July 27th, 304, when he was 29 years old. Source http://www.panteleimon.org/pante.htm
Again, I digress. Having been kept awake by the St Pants (as
we know refer to him) party, which went on until 06:30am, we decided to stay
another day in this peaceful(?) anchorage. After a couple of hours sleep, we
woke to see the clouds still clinging to the mountain behind us...no point
moving today.
However, Sunday in the Hungarian Grand Prix, we know just
the bar that has it showing back in Preveza and we motored into unforecasted
(there’s a surprise) strong north west winds, into a pleasant anchorage just
outside town. The winds died down, we had lunch, the race starts at 4pm, we’ll
head into town at 3:30pm. All was well, coffee ordered, race under way and then
looking outside I could see boats on the town quay start to rock, I went
outside only to see the sky over the anchorage was black, and wealding yet
another thunderstorm – 8 laps in and we have to run back to the boat. We missed
the rain by minutes, but sat as the strong north west winds blew, and blew and
blew. The storm eventually passed and all was calm again. We finally managed a
night in Preveza town on Monday, it did rain early on, but thankfully no
thunderstorm!
We are now sitting back in the ‘what was cheap but is now
expensive’ unfinished marina. Please pass on to any sailors that they have put the prices up 150% and today we have sat here with no power or water, just waiting to fill our tanks... not happy people.
Hopefully we will head south and back into the familiar territory
of Lefkas, Nidri, Meganisi and other favourite spots.
Lets hope August brings the Greek summer!
David
and I decided to leave Greece early this year and having rebooked our lift out
date, and having finished our excursion to Corfu, we headed down to the more familiar ground of the South Ionian islands.
August can be a difficult month
around this little group of islands. The Brits tend to go home as it is too
hot, and the Italians arrive, as it’s their holiday season. 
In fact, we don’t know what beholds us in the coming
months and years and I quite like that uncertainty, the acceptance that you don’t
necessarily know what is round the corner, what other exciting opportunities
await you. For me, I am excited about getting a new job; having really enjoyed
my time at my last job, I want to get something that excites me as much as that
did, so I am working hard at that. My mum is keeping David very busy, and he has
thrilled me by talking about getting back into gliding – watch this pace! 
