Bisou de partout: GREECE - On our way in 2016

Finally we were ready to set off – heading south first to Levkas, as usual, we motored the first leg of the journey as it was morning and there was no wind. This time, approaching the Levkas bridge was a little less daunting as the bridge was working at its full potential and in fact the waterway had been widened (they were working on it last summer when we were there) to a straighter channel. This enabled boats to travel south and north simultaneously, supposedly lessening the waiting time for the vehicles wishing to cross the bridge. When I looked back at the incredibly narrow passage that Tad squeezed Bisou through at the end of last season, I suppressed a shudder – I couldn’t believe that not only had we dared to try it, but succeeded!

A short stop in Levkas to source some parts and provision with a few items not available in Preveza, and we were on our way again to Nidri for the night. We were surprised at the number of boats in Ormos Vlikhos this early in the season but there is always plenty of room and we had no trouble finding a place to anchor the boat.

That night we enjoyed a return to our favourite restaurant on the shores of Ormos Vlikhos, Elena’s Taverna where delicious food is always in abundant supply. We were pleasantly surprised when we were welcomed by the waiters as returning guests.

The next morning we headed further south to Ithaca and anchored in the harbour of the capital, Vathi. It was the first time we spent the night there but our third visit so we were familiar with the shops and the layout of the town. Tad and I had a lovely evening walk along the waterfront of this quaint town, which has plenty of tourist shops but still manages to maintain an ‘authentic’ atmosphere. Dark clouds loomed and thunder rolled in the nearby mountains but they did not amount to anything and we slept well.

Our next stop was on the other side of the ‘inland sea’ of the Eastern Ionian as we slowly made our way towards the Gulf of Patras. We had chosen a spot that attracted us because of its relative isolation as well as its shelter potential should winds come up. We motored the whole way as, once again, the morning breeze failed to materialize, but it was a lovely crossing and I put my line out the back of the boat in the hopes of snagging a fish to fill our freezer – no such luck!

Surprisingly, the ‘isolated’ anchorage apparently attracted others as well since there were half a dozen yachts in there when we arrived. On the lee side of Nisis Petalas we anchored in fairly shallow water and so were able to distance ourselves from the ‘crowds’ and enjoy an incredibly peaceful evening. The wind kept up a steady blow from the west all evening and into the night, but it was not strong and we had a good hold.

From here we had a motor sail to our next destination, Mesolonghion on the north side of the Gulf of Patras. This interesting harbour is part of a huge limnological ecosystem – low-lying salt marshes, which are home to birds, shellfish and other creatures. The entrance to the harbour is via a long (about 2nm) channel that has been dredged to a depth of 6m and is fairly wide as well. The entrance is dotted with fishing huts on stilts (now holiday homes) and long, low docks from which children jump into the water and adults board small fishing boats. The harbour itself is almost circular with a marina, as well as a town quay. We chose (as usual) to anchor off the marina in good holding – as we had arrived in good time, we spent the afternoon attaching new cleats to the aft hulls of Bisou. This took some time but we were pleased when it was completed as it now gives us better holding when we have to moor stern-to at marinas or town quays. The next day forecast rain and thunderstorms so we wanted to have that job done. We did go ashore for a bite to eat for dinner, but unfortunately did not venture into town and just ate at a taverna on the harbour.

The next morning I went ashore to stock up on some fresh veggies and fruit (the one thing that needs to be topped up every few days) and check out the town. I was pleasantly surprised – most people, especially the young adults, seem to ride bicycles everywhere. The area is completely flat so it makes sense, but the streets all have bicycle lanes and the cobblestoned streets of the old town are closed to vehicular traffic and so the only access is on foot or bike. Lots of restaurants, cafes and shops, very clean and the people friendly and all with a little English. I didn’t linger as rain threatened and the town is about 1km from the harbour; I didn’t relish a soaking.

Tad spent the afternoon working on a saltwater pump which will ultimately have an outlet at the aft of the boat as well as the anchor locker. Many of the anchorages have a mud/silt bottom, which means a very dirty anchor and anchor chain when they are raised. Most of the time we just fling a bucket or two of water over the lot but it really needs a good rinsing at the time of raising so the mud doesn’t stick and dry hard.

A lovely sunset ended that day.