Poros again

We had a beautiful 3 hour sail out of Kithnos…17-20 knots of wind power.  Then the wind starts to die down and John pulls out “The Beast” (our assymetrical sail for light winds) and we lose ALL wind, only to motor the remainder of the day into Poros.

But once we arrived, our visit of four years ago started returning to the old memory banks and I find it still a very scenic and awe inspiring port.  The old fort greets you as you enter showing its powerful position in battles long ago.  The town seems to be built up so that it surrounds the Clock Tower at the very top.  Jay Sea Dee is safely docked at the town dock #66.

 

We went to Poseidons Taberna across the street for a nice cold one…kind of a tradition when we arrive in a new port.  It was only 5 euros for a beer, a soda, and a bottle of water.  We then walked the town looking for the laundromat we were told existed here but found it to be only a laundry service so we’ll do load by load on Jay Sea Dee’s machine.  By the time we walked the town, stopped at the Harbor Police to check-in, bought the postcard I took a photo of above, we were hungry and decided to eat at Poseidon’s again since they were cheap.  I had the fish, John the meatballs and the Greek Yogurt with Honey dessert was on the house.  They always hang the Octopus out to dry after beating it to death on the rocks…what a sight (see photo #2 of the drying octopus)

Then came one of the best sunsets I have seen in a long time!

 

Oh yeah, our plants have sprouted…Cilantro soon to come!

Somebody had a really bad day

Today was a very nice sail from Siros to Kithnos…but then we saw black smoke on the horizon.  We don’t have any information on the fire…just pictures:

 

We saw a tanker pass by, we saw the ferry pass by (photo #3), we saw a helicopter fly over (photo #4) but no Coast Guard…no May Day, no distress signal, no Chatter on the VHF so we were a bit curious as to why no emergency measures took place.  They just let it burn itself out…it took a long time…over an hour.  And what is that small rubber dinghy doing so close to a fire?  A lot of hmmmmm.

We came to Ormos Ay Irini on the West side of Kithnos.  It is very crowded with lots of charter boats and Captain John is a bit concerned with their anchoring styles or lack of should we say.  As long as we don’t get hit with the Meltimi Wind, we should be just fine.  We had the water maker running all day so I could do a load of laundry.  I put a load in and off in the dinghy we went.  We stopped at the “Taberna” (yes, it is spelled that way) and had a post cruise drink.  Then we went to the other part of the bay where all the action is…just more crowded.  Came back to the boat to the bilge pump pumping away and found that the water maker had sprung a leak.  John spent an hour doing repairs, I hung laundry and now he is off chatting to another Island Packet couple from London. 

Au Revoir jusqu’a plus tard mon amie’s See you in the Canary Islands

Today was our departure from Paros as we start heading North.  Last night we enjoyed the company of Jean and Evelyne from “Yapuka”aboard Jay Sea Dee.  John knows them from Hammamet Marina in Tunisia.  This morning we went to their boat and enjoyed a few more hours of companionship.  They will be crossing to the Caribbean in January and so we will probably see them in the Canary Islands in December, if not before here in the Med.

On our way out of Paros, a ladybug landed on me…good luck is ours for the day.

What a beautiful lighthouse we saw as we exited the bay.

The seas were so calm and the wind light that we motor-sailed the 23 miles to Siros.  We were warned not to go to the main port of Ermoupolis so we ventured to Finikas on the SW coast.  In the 19th century, Siros became the main stop for ships sailing through the Cyclades as it was a very important refueling port due to its coal supply.  Today it is mostly known for its production of Turkish Delight.  It is proving to be a bit rolly here so one night is all we will stay.

Still Here...Becoming Horticulturists

We are enjoying the Island of Paros so much that we are still here.  We spend half our day doing some boat chore and the other half heading to town or just enjoying the scenery.  The weather has been wonderful until around dinner time last night when a front came through and the wind shifted and decided to come from the South while we were in the perfect spot protected from the Northern Meltemi wind.  Up the anchor came and we headed across the bay, laid anchor again in much calmer waters.  Not more than a half hour later all our fellow yachtsmen had also pulled up anchor and joined us in our protected area.  John says they all trust the "American Boat"...I don't know about that.  This morning it is dead calm here and just heavenly.

For the last three years, we have sailed this Mediterranean Sea and have not found any decent salsa...and we LOVE salsa.  John has taken up the duty of making his own and has become quite adept at it.  Our only problem is finding cilantro.  There is none to be found.  You would think that we would find it at the markets where they have bins and bins of fresh spices from Northern Africa, India, etc.  We took the matter into our own hands.  I brought over some pots and seeds and with Johns engineering, we have created our own terrariums.  I will keep you posted once we see something sprouting through the soil....yummmmmm...fresh Cilantro in our Salsa!

Naousa, Paros

Today we took the dinghy across to Naousa.  It has recently become more of a tourist destination and is still working on its infrastructure.  There are many boutique shops, tavernas, and bars.  On the edge of town there are ruins of a  14th-15th century Venetian fort.  On our way home there was a nice waterpark along the shoreline…but is was still deserted.  What a nice outing from the boat.

Just Hanging in Paradise

While checking the weather report on our Great Internet connection, we noticed some wind heading this way and decided to start moving West to avoid the brunt of it.  We have heard horror stories about the infamous Greek wind, called the Meltemi.  After a rocky start of motoring, sailing, motor-sailing, more motoring, the wind finally decided its direction and strength and gave us one of the best afternoons of sailing we have had yet.  We really didn’t want to stop but night was falling and we were heading to Paros at an anchorage called Ormos Ay Ioannou.  We have had lots of neighbors and even another American vessel.  This is the perfect anchorage:  good holding, great protection from the northern winds, clear turquoise water, a taverna on shore and gorgeous scenery!  We have been here three days now and are getting most of our “to-do” list done and maybe will go explore town today…have some fun!

 

Internet…what a luxury!

I know you all think I’m crazy but I haven’t had good internet service for about three weeks now and let’s just say…”It was time”.  Actually, I had to pay some bills and get some laundry and bedding washed (they too had been neglected for three weeks now).  We headed to Katapola which is still on the Island of Amorgos but a small, cozy town looking for GOOD internet.  I found it but the water and electricity situation was another story.  They would deliver water to the boat and you could get electricity if you wanted to pay dearly for it.  We opted out of both and are enjoying our Free internet service immensely!

Gunkholing at its finest!

Today we left Santorini and headed northeast to Amorgos.  We got to sail for a bit before having to turn on the engine as the winds were under 3 knots.  As we approached we could see that the island is very rugged and mountainous.  While not really a tourist destination, it is a backpackers dream and a wonderful diversion from the very crowded Santorini.  The Island is mostly known as the setting for the film, “The Big Blue” where they compete in free-diving. 

We headed directly to Ormos Kalotaritissa, an enclosed bay on the SW end.  We set the anchor in 5m clear emerald green waters on a sandy bottom.  There are a few local boats here but the activity is minimal.  I don’t see a soul around and only hear the cawing of the seagulls or the ring of the bells around the goats necks…very peaceful.

 

The Break Room :)

Before leaving this place, we took the dinghy and checked out the area.  There are many caves and then we found a shipwreck.  It was pretty creepy actually.  The name of the ship was called “Inland” but later became known as “Olympia” in the movie.

 

Beach, Beach, Beach

Today is Beach Day.  It is rainy and dreary.  We started at Red Beach.  It is a bit of a hike to get to the beach but very doable.  The beach has red lava rocks which is different from the typical black volcanic rock on most beaches here.

 

Our next detour was the Southern tip of the island to the lighthouse.  I ventured out onto the “point” and felt on top of the world.

The Akrotiri Lighthouse is among the oldest lighthouses in this part of the world and was constructed way back in 1892. The lighthouse of Akrotiri is conspicuous by its square shaped tower that looms above 30 feet from the lighthouse warden’s house. Initially, the lighthouse was operated by petrol fuel. But with the introduction of electricity in the year 1988, it has been operated electronically and reportedly emits a radiant white light at intervals of 20 seconds.

Beach #2, Vlychada.  This was a recommendation from Maria, the owner of our Cave House.  This is a beach where you really have to go into the water, turn around and look back at the cliffs.  They are sculpted by the wind.  I bet it would be a sight to see at night.

Beach #3, Kamari.  This is an organized beach full of restaurants, gift shops, beach umbrellas (for a fee).  We had a delicious lunch of Grilled Sardines and White Eggplant, yummmm!!!

Last stop of the day, Sagalas Winery.  This vineyard produces 13 types of wine and you can taste them all for 14 Euros.  It was a beautiful spot to enjoy the sun and be surrounded by the vineyards, colorful flowers and cacti.