LAKKA

After Syvota we decided to move across from the Greek mainland to a tranquil little bay on the island of Paxos,  Lakka. The 3 hour sail was calm and steady with a 9kt headwind into which we made 4kts.

 After searching for the opening we found the most amazingly sheltered cove. When we arrived just after lunch we were surprised to find only one or two other yachts anchored, but by mid afternoon another dozen arrived, scattered across the 3m deep, bright aqua, crystal clear water. It was an incredibly eerie feeling floating above the clear sandy bottom.

We took the dinghy into the tiny wharf and town at the end of the bay, had the usual coffee/Amstel and explored the few narrow streets surrounding the port.

 Lakka is a little beauty in the Ionian that is much loved by passing yachties.The streets are beautifully kept with bright bougainvillas on just about every fence and wall.

Tavernas ready for the summer crowds

We stayed just one night, gently rocking to sleep in peaceful silence.

SYVOTA

Leaving Plataria had mixed emotions. It was sad to leave such a pleasant comfort zone but we were rewarded with a very pleasant sail to Syvota.

The wind was slight, the swell non existant and the sun warm. We arrived in Syvota after lunch where we tied up at the quay and set off for our usual coffee. This time we headed for Michalos's restaurant as we needed to catchup with the owner to thank him for his generosity in giving us a lift to Igoumenitsa the day before. 

A generous plate of taramasalata and fried aubergine later and we were ready for a nanna nap.

One of the many, many examples of bougainvillas

Syvota is a beautiful town on the Ionian coast, not overly 'touristy' but well endowed with tavernas, supermarkets and bike hire shops. My Australian bike licence came in very handy as David had let his expire over the years. For the first time we were able to explore past the immediate town port and so spent some hours riding around the coast road.

The small bays and coves were just like the postcards, aqua blue transparent waters, idyllic cafes and restaurants on the sands and thank goodness only a handful of early season tourists. Heaven!

ADELAIDE TO GREECE 2014 - The journey begins..............

Being sleep-deprived and jet-lagged is such a small price to pay when you eventually arrive at your destination. Every year the journey is the same, airports, long flights and so much time wasted going through the painful process of boat registration.

Our first few days in Greece were spent taking in the sights and culture of Corfu. 

The Corfu coast road

The Liston Volta in Corfu town

 
 

A typical family holiday activity at our hotel

  

Corfu butcher shop

Usually we rush to go sailing, this time we decided to explore the town, relax and start the registration/boat entry process. Big mistake! The bigger the town, the more pedantic the process.

Being non-EU aliens means our every move is documented in triplicate, on paper (using carbon paper to copy), authenticated by local customs and port police then sent to Athens just to be absolutely sure. The costs (8E + 15E +30E) along the way are trivial, but the process is tedious. 

Thank goodness the new laws about boat tax (400E/yr) are still to be passed by the Greek government. As usual, govt and port officials were totally confused about transit logs – maybe non EU boat owners are a scarce species?

Fruit shop in Igoumenitsa

 

Plataria bay

Waiting for summer in Plataria

 Plataria is a small fishing port near Igoumenitsa on the Greek mainland. Each year we base ourselves there as it is not so touristy, is utterly beautiful and now feels a bit like home. The locals say that summer hasn’t arrived but we think it’s perfect – 24C, cool nights and light winds. One small issue about being based in Plataria is that virtually no-one has credit card facilities. As we needed to stock up on supplies we headed off to catch the local bus to Igoumenitsa. After an hour of waiting at the bus stop a friendly Greek couple from Syvota picked us up and took us to town. Last year it was the local orthodox priest who took pity on us – we must look old and trustworthy!

There is nothing like messing around in boats; we sleep well, make new friends and generally slow down