Late Summer Break in Ionian

Lefkas – Sivota – North Ithaki – Fiskardo (Cephalonia) – Vathi (N Ithaki) – Filiatro (N Ithaki) – Atokos – Kastos – Meganisi

Summer Break for Purrfect Tale as well as the Lithgow’s!

Having returned from the Royal Southern Summer Cruise we took Purrfect Tale out of the water for some TLC – change anodes, check the state of the copper coat and a general look over. Adam Munday kindly arranged all and we took time out to do a bit of sailing with Marco in the Ionian with Alice and now her husband, Danny, of two weeks plus Jenny and Ben. Before they arrived we spent 4 days in Agios Nikitas on the west coast of Lefkada. We were all set for a peaceful commencement to the holiday and were met by Petros the taxi driver who looked after us last year. However no sooner were wheels down and phones connected then we were hit with a barrage of messages and texts. First Jenny had got an infection beneath her wisdom tooth and was trying to find an emergency dentist, then Danny in doing house renovation had cracked open his head and they were looking for advice from Gillian, finally a note from Adam to say that there were problems with the keel. So – not the quiet start we had been expecting with a multiple phone calls going on to sort out the different problems. Perhaps unsurprisingly Gillian focused on the children whilst I worried about the boat. But as with many mini dramas all was not as bad as it first seemed. Inspiration Marine from whom we bought the boat told us not to worry and they would sort out with Adam and carry cost. Jenny got an appointment and antibiotics and Danny’s swelling despite being egg like did not get worse.

So we took advantage of the lull and settled into Greek Island life.

Lefkada is classified as an Island and to keep its status and tax benefits it is linked to the mainland by a floating bridge. Efforts to replace with a permanent bridge have been rebuffed despite the long queues. No-one wants to loose the tax status! The bridge is named after my favourite person – Maura Roiz d’Sa!

A lovely little village and a great hotel. A tremendously relaxing few days

Walking to Mylos Beach across the mountain track. Gillian looking relaxed but was a little stressed out by the slightly tortuous route and precipitous path

28th August (Saturday) – Lefkas to Sivota

We departed the hotel around 1030 and arrived at the Marina for 1100hrs. This year instead of Istion we used Kavas – supposedly one of the larger charter companies in Greece. We had booked a Bali 41 Catamaran for its additional living space with 7 of us on board. The plan was to pay for early departure – 1400 – then sail/motor down the Leaks Channel (SE) before turning south for Sivota. a trip of around 1.5/2hrs. The rest were not due to arrive till 1800 so Petros would pick them up from airport and drive to Sivota. This plan worked well last year. Sadly this year Kavas is not Istion. Boat was not only not ready but was in a dreadful state, unclean and unkempt with Kavas completely disinterested in sorting out any problems or deficiencies. So Marco took on the task of cleaning the boat himself and preparing for departure whilst Gillian and myself did the shopping for a week from the supermarket in the marina. Instead of leaving at 1400 we left at 1800 after the girls had landed at Aktion. But we stuck to original plan and they had the pleasure of sitting in a very nice taverna in Sivota supping Mythos and local wine whilst we made haste to them.

Sivota is one of our favourite harbours. Marco, Gillian and myself motored down the Lefkas canal whilst the remainder took a taxi with Petros from the airport directly there. They were there before us and ensconced in a taverna into the Greek way of life early

An especially good piece of berthing by Marco into a very tights spot with the entire marina and other boats placing bets on the outcome. In no time at all we were alongside, wine and beer open, family collected, showered and into the taverna for diner. Despite the trials and tribulations of the day, it was a great end to the day with a late night catch up on the boat post wedding of Alice and Danny two weeks ago. But the end of the evening we did begin to think that perhaps we needed to have bought more wine!

A warm night but with aircon we should have been alright – which we were till the early hours of the morning. Then we all heard this whirling noise with each room thinking it was only them that heard it. Each thought it was aircon and each room turned it off – it wasn’t. Alice and Danny got up and slept on the beds up top, I got up and made coffee, then Marco got up. Eventually we pinned the noise down to a faulty bilge pump that just kept pumping air. Fixed – but after sunrise.

29th August (Sunday) – Sivota – Spiagge Bianche – North Ithaki

Morning in Sivota. Awaiting coffee and pastries from the local shop

Whilst Gillian and Marco continued to clean the boat, the rest went to get iced coffees for the whole crew as well as pastries. We did a last minute shop for stuff the boat did not have and should have had – dishcloths, soap, cleaning material, sieve and something to bake vegetables/meat in the oven before setting off for Spiagge Bianche to get there before the sun rose over the cliffs. Anchoring in around 6m of clear water, with line ashore we had our first swim of the holiday in a very Mediterranean Sea followed by relaxing drinks and a couple of games of backgammon. It has been a bit of a bumpy sail across to the Island with a couple of people feeling a little ill. Ben was probably worst affected – this was his first time sailing and indeed at sea.

Gillian cooked the chicken and sausages we had bought at a shop in Lefkada – with no-one being able to speak a common language – no Greek from us and no English in the shop. So a lot of pointing and holding up fingers for the quantities we wanted. But the sausage summer stew with onion, garlic, tomatoes, cannellini beans and parsley was excellent. There was a moment of panic as the boat rolled in the bay and we thought we were about to loose an entire set of plates. Much diving across to grab everything. That settled how the meal was going to be served with everyone queuing at the cooker to ladle into the bowls.

Our Boat – Kos together with trash bags waiting to go out and shopping hanging on the rails!

That evening was spent in Fiskardho, the Northern point of Cephalonia. We moored beneath the cocktail bar that sits on a promontory of the harbour/town. We arrived early to bag a good spot and spent the late afternoon ashore (minus Marco) walking around the town and ending up in the cocktail bar. Happy hour was from 1800-2000 so we intended to make the most of it. Marco was meanwhile on the phone to Kavas again as the outboard had broken down. They did contact a local agent who did come out and strip the engine down and got it working again. Just in time for Marco to join us for dinner at Ellie’s on the harbour front. It is so close to the water that one family whom came ashore asked if they could tie their dinghy to the leg of the table so it did not float away. The wine flowed, conversation took place as we all caught up with the happenings of the previous 12 months since we last were together in Greece. The girls were eager to shop for hand painted pottery. I stayed behind with Marco to pick up the bill when the waiter returned with 7 pieces of cake as a thank you for having dinner at the restaurant. So sad…. the two of us had to eat them all!

30th August (Monday) Fiskardho – Ay Nikolaos

Marco was keen that having had a bit if a bumpy day on the Sunday and with a forecast of stronger winds we would have a short sail/motor in the morning and spend the day and night at Ay Nikolaos, a small bay on the north-eastern side of Ithaca.

A bit of a diversion! Ithaka is features in the Odyssey written by Homer around 800BC. It is part 2 of an epic Illiad and Odyssey. Odysseus came from Ithaka and the story concerns his attempt to get his men home from the Trojan War. Odysseus brings 12 ships to Troy and after ten years pulls the Trojan Horse deception resulting in the fall of the city. It takes him a further 10 years to return home but is eventually reunited with his wife Penelope of Ithaca. She was clearly a patient wife.

Prior to departing Alice, Danny and Marco went ashore for iced coffees and pastries plus bread, the former of which we munched as we made our way to the bay. Whilst a popular location it is not without it naviagtional challenges, principally submerged and unmarked reefs and rocks. The guidebook summarises it very well – “The position of the isolated reef has been reported at this location (Lat/Long given) but it covers a substantial area of shoal water and rocks, many of which are streaked with antifouling. This is no place to rely on electronic charts and someone up front is needed with a sharp set of eyes. We did not leave any of our anti-fouling on the rocks!

Anchored stern to the shore with 2 solid lines ashore, we settled in for the day. 1st on the to do list was to visit a very small island – essentially a lump of rock – with a church upon it. With the exception of Jenny and Ben, the rest of us climbed into the tender and motored across and then snorkelled and swam around the island and rocks. The other two paddle boarded out with Jenny swimming most of it and Ben astride the board. Coming back I decided that it did not too long a swim but there was clearly a lack of confidence in the remainder of the crew who spent nearly the whole trip back trying to pretend they were not looking out for me or worrying about me. I had forgotten that swimming in open water can be quite hard work.

Who says you cannot snack chocolate and swim at the same time!

Following the swimming in the morning Gillian pulled together a lunch of cheese, ham and bread. The afternoon an exploration party went ashore and walked to the small town of Frikes. Gillan, Alice and myself stayed aboard to prepare the evening meal of chicken in herbs, beans and tomatoes. At this point I should make clear that my sole responsibility was to ensure the glasses were topped up with suitable alcohol whilst Gillian did all the hard work.

Even in the bay is was very gusty and around late afternoon there was a lot of manoeuvring of boats to get in the right position and lines ashore. Once did leave some antifoul on the rocks. The evening meal was lovely. The first time we had cooked aboard in the Greek summer cruises. It was enjoyable and relaxing as well as making a dent in the ‘wine cellar’.

Two views of the bay with the small island in the background with the church on it from which I swam back.

We all had a good nights sleep with the aircon turned off.

31st August – Tuesday. Ay Nikolas – South of Ay Ilias – Vathi – Sarakiniko – Filiatro

Sunrise. It became a bit of routine on the boat, with Alice, Danny, Jenny and myself getting up each morning before the sun rose to watch it rise above the horizon. My role was to make the coffee!

We knew this would be a windy day so the intention was to leave early, find a sheltered bay for swim stop, head into Vathi and finish up at Sarakinoko on Ithaca. All were up for the sunrise which was spectacular. About an hour before sunrise is due the sky turned a rich red, then fades to pink before the sun appears. The speed at which the sun rises in the sky is astonishing – literally 2 minutes to it being sighted to it being above the mountains. Everyone was up with the exception of Gillian. There was a little banter with Ben as to whether he had ever seen a sunrise – he is not an early morning person. We departed around 0830 and made our was south down the eastern coast of Ithaca to a bay we had not previously visited. It was not marked on the chart as an anchorage and was very small, we were the only large boat there with a couple of locals in small motor boats visiting. We had breakfast of bread and fried halloumi plus yoghurt, honey and peaches.

During late morning we were visited by a couple of mountain goats who seemed to manage the perilous slopes with ease.

You can just about see the goat in the background!

Why we come to the Ionian – peace and tranquility with stunning views

The intention was then to make our way to Vathi to top up with water, a lunch stop and some shopping. Vathi is the ‘capital’ of Ithaca and is described in the guide book as a little chic. Very popular with flotillas where it is often a mandatory mid-week stop. The town was virtually rebuilt from ruins after the 1953 earthquake. Our experience did not mirror the optimistic tones of Rod and Lucinda Heinkell. IT was blowing 30 knots down the channel as we came in. We berthed for water without too much difficulty – which was remarkably inexpensive – Euro15 for 400 litres. But when it came to the Town Quay this was a bit of a struggle. Both swell and wind was blowing us on and it required fine judgement to get the distance just right and for Danny and myself to jump ashore. The first attempt was not a success – Danny got ashore – but with out the line. Second attempt faired better with a local taking the line on my side and Danny taking the line from Alice on the other. It was a bit of a leap of faith as I bridged the gap and in hindsight perhaps a little foolhardy! Anyway we had two lines ashore and were soon secured.

Entrance to Vathi. Photo belies the strong winds gusting down the channel

Alice, Danny, Jenny and Ben went off to find lunch – giros. While Gillian and myself went shopping for the next days breakfast, lunch and dinner. It was mid-day and there were few people around, but the combination of a strong wind, empty streets and fierce sun made it feel a very forlorn town. We had clearly not seen it at its best and were eager to depart.

Entry to Vathi. I felt a little sorry for the town as we clearly did not see it at its best.

We had booked dinner at a taverna run by a German couple in Sarakiniko. We had been there last year and had their slow roasted lamb which was delicious. it was very basic, from memory we drank out of plastic cups and fairly rough tables but the food was great. Last year I had a conference call with a US them on ‘Deal Review Boards and Quality Assurance’. This year could not have been more different having retired. We were keen to visit again. However as we entered and made our way down what should have been a very sheltered bay it was clear it was anything but sheltered. One of the boats whose anchor had either dragged or not been set correctly was drifting very close to the rocks – 5m away. The owners were not on board and we did have a discussion as to whether we would rescue. But that meant either Marco or myself going aboard whilst the other looked after our boat – which put us at risk. In the end we decided there was not anything we could do.

Mike and Gillian – looking relaxed. Gillian clearly in better shape than me!

So a change of plan was required. We hastened out of the bay and to one Marco had used last year – Filiatro – just north and in theory should have been less sheltered. There was a bit of a race to get there which required a fair bit of slamming into the waves so we would find a decent spot. As soon as we entered the bay and as many sailors will have experienced, the wind dropped and it was like being in a different world. Another bay that is not in the guidebook but which has undergone a bit of a transformation. A beach bar and a taverna. The bay was fairly full with the Romanian Flotilla but we had a perfect position. We had enough time before dinner for a swim and drinks.

With the exception of Gillian and myself, the remainder went shore for a drink before the meal, and we caught up with them later. Whilst sitting in the bar outside, Marco was greeted out of the blue by his partner’s best friend who was sailing in Greece and in the same space of water as us. A total surprise to both of them! The meal was lovely, beach front, very nice staff. The ‘boys’ had a meat fest – stakes, knuckle of lamb and chops. The remainder of us opted for something a little lighter. I had ‘ewe’ – lamb/mutton. The trip back across the bay with the stars overhead was one of those moments you remember and enjoy.

Evening drinks before we had dinner at Kirki. Great staff one of whom was a local artist and tried persuading us to stay to view his gallery the next morning

1st September – Wednesday. Filiatro (Ithaca) – Atoko (Cliff Bay and One House Bay)

The usual crowd was up for sunrise with Alice and Danny huddled beneath sheets up top and Jenny joining them with the role of coffee maker allocated to me. There was some discussion and review of different weather apps to determine the best time to leave as the wind was due to rise later in the day. A decision was made to slip at around 0900 and head East to the Island of Atoko – one of the forgotten islands.

Whilst a small island it rises to an impressive height of 1,000ft and is easily recognisable from the sea. Privately owned Greek shipping magnate and administered by Ithaca municipality. With the exception of pigs and goats the island in uninhabited.

About an hours motor relatively good conditions we arrived at the first stop of the day Cliff Bay. At first it looks like a normal bay but as you get closer in there are different nooks and crannies into which you can anchor boat. We ended up next to a French catamaran with two women and one man. They looked seasoned cruisers. After 3 attempts to get the anchor to hold we eventually managed it in a patch of sand surrounded by weed. As the engine died we could hear from the boat next door the sound of flute music being played live by one of the people on board. It felt quite surreal, surrounded by high cliffs, blue sea and the echoing sound of a flute whilst we swam and breakfasted. The snorkelling was one of the best locations we had been to probably had something to do with the dream like quality of the music in the background. Breakfast was the ham, cheese, bread, honey, yoghurt and peaches we had bought the day before. It was devoured by the hungry crew with rapidity. The intention today was to be self catering which placed a lot of pressure on Gillian. Each day we increased quantities as it became obvious that no matter how much you placed on the table – it would all be eaten.

Morning music from a flute playing French sailor

Photos do not do justice to the wonderful anchorage

As we had only been able to put down a short scope of chain for the anchor we moved late morning to the other side of the bay where we had lunch of prawns and rice. Followed by a swim in the warm water of the bay.

Cliff Bay was not suitable for an overnight stop, so motored around to One House Bay. It was looking fairly full so we tentatively looked into a small bay next to it which had some appeal as we would be the only ones in there but if had no beach. So we decided to go back to One House Bay and were pleased we did so. It was quite crowded with the Romanian Flotilla which we had seen for most of the week and it looked as if it might be a struggle to find a location. However there was space near the beach – very near the beach – which we grabbed. A fantastic anchoring position. As we looked across to the Chapel just behind the beach, we noticed that there were a group of pigs and piglets on the shore line. A most unexpected sight. Wallowing in the sea, digging holes in the peoples to lie in to keep cool – even swimming beyond their depth! The children from the flotilla were fascinated by them – as indeed were we! Bread and biscuits were taken out on paddle boards and the pigs would swim out to take them from the squealing hands! It was a great place to swim.

Gillian and myself sent the early evening on the foredeck with red wine reading. Whilst the remainder played monopoly cards in the saloon. Gillian cooked diner of pasta and mince with various herbs and tomatoes. We wondered about the quantity of pasta and in the end used the entire 500g which was just about enough.

The evening was quite as everyone had started to feel that the week was catching up on them.

A really nice day on what may be one of the forgotten islands but to us will be very memorable.

2nd September – Thursday One House Bay – Kastos

A spectacular sunrise again which was captured on video. It is 3 minutes long which is the length of time it took from the sun just peaking below the mountains to rising above the horizon. I did send to Susan and Steven who are due out in a couple fo weeks as a teaser of what to expect. However the response was that they did not expect to be us this early to see the event! We left around 07:45 to make our way to Kastos. The wind was still quite strong but this did enable us to sail most of the way. The Bali can cope with making way with the wind 60deg to bow but has a fair amount of leeway.

This is a 3-minute video but peaceful to watch

We arrived around 0900. Given the strength of the wind and that the proposed anchorage for the evening was still full of boats yet to leave we found a small bay to the North of Kastos town. Jenny and Ben went for a walk to the village – 6km round trip in baking hot sunshine – but they did find somewhere to drink and have some nibbles. Their departure was not entirely uneventful as Marco slipped getting into the dinghy with the outboard in his arms. As he was sinking under its weight he held it aloft in the hope someone would grab it before it became soaked in water and rendered inoperable. Danny was close to hand and saved the day!

Whilst Jenny and Ben were ashore, Alice and Danny got to grips with the Verifly App and taking the on-line Lateral Flow Test in this now post Covid 19 world. Video call on the phone whilst their tests were overseen.

Lunch was a bit of a mash up as we were running low on food. But Gillian pulled together roasted peppers, couscous, olive oil bread and the last of the ham and cheese. The afternoon we spend swimming and reading

This was our last night on the boat and for the evening we moved closer to the harbour to make a shorter dinghy ride and get a little more shelter. At 1800 4 of us had our own video call for the Fit to Fly Certificate. Ashore we made our way to the cocktail bar at the windmill. It was a little fraught! Signal kept dropping in and out and we were all concerned we would miss the allotted time in the queue. Eventually we logged onto the bar’s internet and in the end it turned out okay. Gillian did her call on her mobile which would have been hassle free except she did not have audio on speaker till the end. Jenny spent her time listening and then telling Gillian what to say. By the time the others arrived we moved spots to get a better view albeit a lot more windier.

Dinner was at the fish restaurant we had used the previous year. Really excellent. Nice staff, great fish which you selected before they were cooked and the bills done by the owner with a calculator in the back office. Discount for cash! They might be compelled to accept cards but the habit of cash dies hard in Greek Islands.

Back to the boat for drinks and to complete Passenger Locator Forms and uploading to Verify before bed. It was at this point that I realised that I had left behind my beloved Panama hat at the Windmill. Never mind it had served me well over a number of years.

3rd September – Friday. Kastos – Meganisi (bay in North East corner)

Up for the last sunrise of the holiday! Our minds already turning to next year. We departed at 0730 and headed for a small cove on the northeast corner of Meganisi. We anchored on a shallow ledge for the last of our time on Kos. Weather was beautiful, wind had finally calmed.

Breakfast was based on that which Alice was able to buy in a boutique supermarket shop on Kastos – prices to match! The highlight was scrambled egg which Alice made in the frying pan minus butter but plus olive oil. Definitely a must for the menu next year.

After the last lunch we made our way back to the Lefkada canal. There was a stream of boats heading for the refuelling point and we were early! There was an unfortunate lady who was wearing a very loose top and was clearly excited on the boat. It took her around 10 minutes to realise that the the top was a bit too loose leaving her with what we seem to call a wardrobe malfunction. Perhaps readjusting quietly would have attracted less attention than the squeal that most boats in close proximity heard.

Berthing took a little while as one of the returning yachts had got their keel stuck on the mooring lines. It is not an easy berth to enter. The gap is narrow between pontoons and the bow lines are very tight that do down to holds on the seabed. unless you are dead centre the monohull keels catch the lines, loose momentum and then are blow against the bow of neighbouring boats which requires a tender to pull them off. However we managed to get in with little difficulty and celebrated with a a couple of drinks. Whilst Kavas was not a great charter company, George who looked after the boats was quite a character. He had previously spend 11 years as a harbour master on one of the Islands and had seen it all.

Dinner that evening was at Ey Zehn in Lefkas. Down a little backstreet, slightly tucked away and had great reviews. Table was booked via Facebook. usually when I use this medium it results in nil response, but Ey Zehn were excellent. We had a table in the back garden, peaceful and with a great ambiance. We had invited Marco’s parents who were originally from Mozambique and hence had Portuguese nationality. They had moved to S Africa and also had a home in Lisbon. They were both extraordinary experienced sailors and had kept their boat in Greece (Nidri) for the last two years. However they had just sold it and were in the process of taking off 4 years worth of equipment. So a break for dinner with Marco and ourselves was a very welcomed.

Post dinner Petros took Marco’s parents back to Nidri. We went back to the boat with the exception of Jenny and Ben who were attracted by the bright lights of Lefkas and the bars.

4th September – Saturday Lefkada – Home

Saturday morning we were up at 0730 to pack the boat. The last day is always a long day. We needed to be off the boat for 0900 but our flight back to UK was not till 1855. Marco was off to his next charter so no break for him at all. He was taking out a family of 4, vegans and non-alcoholics. Almost the polar opposite to our trip.

Before breakfast I had to sign off the boat back to Kavas. Given the state it was in when we took it over there was an expectation that there would be some form of apology or even the offer of a small refund. But not so. There was clearly some embarrassment but not sufficient to try and retain a client! So next year it is likely we will go back to Istion.

Breakfast was a hearty meal before we went off to find a cafe for coffee and refreshment to while away the morning whilst the remainder went to explore the town. Lefkas is quite large, and heavily dependent on tourism. It is exceptionally clean, very pretty and lots of shops, cafes and restaurants to look around. We went to one of the squares and had a relaxing and enjoyable morning. The plan was then to meat up at Mega Gyros for lunch! It is what it says on the table and they did not disappoint. Post the meal we found a table at our favourite cafe in the marina before Petros picked us up for the journey back to the airport.

The flight back was both on time and not too much hassle. There was a moment’s panic at the airport when we were asked for the certificates – I mangled to bluff my way by showing the Verifly app which was completely un-decypherable but which they were willing too accept I had ‘conformed’. Danny was not as successful and with an exacerbated Alice had to stand aside whilst he searched his phone!

Back in Heathrow we all met up to say farewell before we made our way home after another very successful holiday.