I didn’t post on Friday, really from boredom. The weather was supposed to be bad. The Meltemi was forecast to blow hard
and there was a suggestion of rain.
We got up late and were lazy as we were not going to leave port. We got the diesel tanker around and
filled up with fuel. I was beginning
to worry about that with all the motoring we have been doing. I turned out to be better at guessing
what we needed than Richard. He
estimated 80 litres, and I said 100.
We took on board 95!
After filling up we walked into the village. It is at the top of the hill up a long staircase. We walked to the very top where there
is a church with a blue dome, very normal architecture for around here. The pilot book suggests that the area
around the port is noisy, but we have not found it so. What is very noisy is the village. It is filled with young people on some
sort of holiday altogether. They
seem to be Swedish, or at least are painted up with Swedish flags and
colours. It is just noon and they
are all quite drunk. Richard thinks we are at least 3 times older than anyone
else in the village.
We do manage to find a café which hasn’t been invaded by the young
people and we both have my new obsession.
Cappuccino Fredo. In other
words iced coffee with frothy milk on top. I’ve quite taken to it and even Richard enjoys one
occasionally.
With the village being so noisy we go back to the port for lunch. We could have taken the bus down, but
we walk. We need the exercise. This is particularly so as we decide to
have one of the evil dishes for lunch.
A pitta Gyros. It is a doner
kebab in a pitta stuffed with tomato, onion, tzatsiki and chips! All for 2.50euros!
We then have a leisurely afternoon on the boat. The weather is not that bad. It is sunny and there has been no
rain. But the wind has been
blowing. At one stage I saw it go
up to 32 knots (force 8). The
professional skipper next to us has not gone out. His charter passengers have two young children and he didn’t
think it was good to take them on a 4 hour trip in these conditions. He believes the waves are up to
1.5meters. A lot of boats are
suddenly coming into port. The
usual piers are all full and we are pleased to see that they are putting boats
along the quay where the ferries dock.
The ferries are going on the other side. Also with a really bad cross wind boats are having a lot of
trouble mooring. I don’t envy
them. One poor boat managed to
pick up someone else’s anchor while trying to put theirs out. Someone else tells us that on the other
side of the harbour they have been hit twice by boats trying to moor! So we feel very pleased to be well
tucked in.
The wind abates a bit and all the boats seem to have got safely
moored. It is time for us to go
back up the hotel for our massages.
When we get there they tell us they are running late and offer us free
drinks at the bar. I have an
Aperol Spritz and Richard has a cocktail.
The massages are nice and relaxing, but it is rather late and cold by
the time we are finished. We don’t
get back to the boat until after 9pm.
I make a quick dinner of steak and onions with grilled tomato.
We have booked our trip to Santorini tomorrow. So we are anxious to have a good night’s sleep.
So this morning we wake quite early. We have showers on board and dress ready to go on the ferry. Richard says that his weather forecast
shows that it is going to be quite cool.
25C max. So I decide to put
on an old pair of white cotton trousers I have had on the boat since last
season and never wore because they are hell to clean. We have thought it would be helpful to find someone to look
after the boat while we are away.
We are directed to the harbour officer, but we cannot find him until
rather late. The ferry is due to
leave at 11:25 and it is at about 10:45 when we finally speak to the right
person. He then suggests it would
be best for us to move the boat!
There is now space at the far end of the harbour where there are pick up
lines and where we wanted to moor in the first place. He says it is safer and less affected by the swell caused by
the ferries. The only problem is
that we have little time to do this and catch the ferry. But Richard is determined to do so. So we slip mooring. We were worried about the anchor, one
reason for moving. However, when I
take it up it is clear there was nothing to worry about. It was very well set and comes up with
a ton of thick mud. The holding
was good and it clearly was well dug in.
When we get to the new mooring, there is no one there to help us with
lines. So it is all a bit of a
mess with Richard having to get off the back to deal with the lines leaving me
to manoeuver the boat! Also there
is no one to tell us which pick up line is ours. The result is that I take the wrong line to begin with,
finding that the one I grab is already on the boat next door. To top it off I get mud all over my
newly cleaned white trousers and have to change before leaving the boat.
With all this going on I am convinced that we will miss our ferry, but
miraculously we make it and within an hour we are in Santorini.
We are staying in the most photographed of the villages on the Island,
Oia. We have booked into an hotel
which is a group of old houses turned into chalets. It is all very sweet, built into the cliff. In fact, there is a huge rock on one
wall in our chalet from the cliff.
You have to be fit here.
The village is hanging on a steep cliff and there are steep steps to get
anywhere including our room.
Richard has counted 90 steps down to our room (and of course up again to
get to the main street in the village).
The place is really beautiful.
All whitewashed with blue domes on the churches. We could have brought the boat here,
but we would never have got up to the villages especially as there is nowhere
safe to leave a boat.
Well, it is now late, so I’ll sign off. We are not sure what we will do tomorrow, so we will see how
it all works out.
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