I never got a chance to post yesterday because we were far too
busy. We go up fairly early and
saw that most of the boats on the quay had gone and were anchored across the bay. We thought we too had better find a
place sooner rather than later so we did a few chores including topping up the
water (for which they charged us another 3 euros) and off we went. With our shallow draft we were happy to
anchor further in to the shore than the Luries.
Having securely anchored Richard has to finally blow up the dinghy and
put the engine on to see if it works.
It took quite a while and we found the dinghy was very dirty, so I had
to wash it down in the cockpit, where it was taking up every available inch of
space! But we got it into the
water and managed to take it (with a few stalls) over to the quay to go and
collect my laundry. At the same
time we decided to stop for a cup of iced coffee and use a café’s toilets. While we were at the café we looked up
the bus timetable. It was our
intention to use the day seeing the main sights, which is the Chora (the hill
village) and a monastery perched up on a cliff. The problem is that it is now noon and the bus for the
monastery leaves at 1:15! That
hardly leaves us time to get back to the boat, sort ourselves out and return to
take the bus. Also it is very
unlikely the monastery will be open because the general consensus is that it
closes at lunch time until late in the afternoon. While we are contemplating what to do the Luries come ashore
and ask us to have another coffee with them. But if we are to see the monastery it seems like we should
go immediately. While I am chatting to Jonnie and Marion, Richard goes off to
enquire about car hire and 10 minutes later comes back with a car! He wants us to set off immediately
in the hope of getting to the monastery in time. I don’t see how that is possible. In addition I am totally unprepared. The Luries have said they will take the
laundry back with them for us to collect later, but I am dressed like a bag
lady in ancient shorts and tee shirt meant just for doing chores on the
boat. Furthermore, I am not sure
they will admit us to the monastery dressed like this. Also we did not lock up the boat, on
the assumption that we would be back in half an hour. Finally I am unhappy about where we have left the dinghy for
fear that it will be in the way of the rally due in.
Despite all my concerns R gets me in the car and off we go. We have now discovered that the
monastery closes at 1:00pm. It is
now 12:30. We will never get there
and climb the 700 steps up to it in time.
So instead we go to the Chora.
It is like most of the little perched traditional towns we have seen,
but it is rather less commercial, with what looks like lots of local
inhabitants. We have a pleasant light
lunch in the village. It is now
only 2pm and we have until 5 before the monastery re-opens. So we decide to go
back to the port and sort ourselves out.
We park the car at the port near a beach where we will leave the
dinghy. We make it to the boat. All is well there. I put on a more modest tee shirt and my
new light cotton trousers and R gets a pair of long trousers to change in to. We also pack some beach stuff in case
we get a chance to go for a swim.
Then we lock up the boat, beach the dinghy and off we go.
The maps we have aren’t very precise, but we manage to work our where to
go to get to the monastery. There
is a small car park and a sign confirming it doesn’t open until 5. More worrying, it says that women in
trousers won’t be admitted! But I
do have a beach pareo and I hope that if I tie it around me like a skirt over
my trousers it will be OK. I
certainly hope so because otherwise a walk up 700 steps would be a waste!
As we have some time, we go to see the beach. There is a car park up a cliff and a small café. The beach is just large slabs of stone
and it is quite a walk down (and of course up again) so we just have another
iced coffee. The water looks
wonderful, all different colours.
So then we go off to the monastery. We are told it should take half an hour to climb to the
top. We get there a bit early, but
guess it could take us longer. So
we start to climb at about 4:15.
Would you believe it, we got to the top in 15 minutes! So we had to sit there for half an
hour.
The place is very old and strange.
It was built into the cliff in the 700’s to house an ancient icon which
was taken here from Palestine and the place was chosen because it looks like
the monastery in Palestine from where the icon came. So the history was very interesting, but the church itself
is very simple and the icon is so darkened with age it is difficult to
discern. I had no trouble being
allowed in with my beach cover up.
After the visit when we thought we were leaving they invite us in to a
sort of sitting room and give us refreshment. Turkish delight, water and the monks’ home made spiced
raki! They were all very gracious.
So we get back to the boat in good time to freshen up and go to the
Luries boat for drinks. It is only
then I remember all this is in aid of their wedding anniversary. We have a glass of wine and one of
bubbly before we go to the restaurant.
We aren’t taking our dinghy to the beach but to the town quay. We find a place near a fishing boat
which we hope won’t be in the way of the rally. That is odd too.
There are supposed to be 65 boats, but so far only 4 have arrived.
Dinner is very good. Marion
has ordered two large ‘lobsters’ (really crayfish) with spaghetti. It is delicious and costs much less
than I expected. But it is a late
evening and we don’t get back to the boat until nearly midnight. We have decided we must leave
tomorrow. Richard has looked at
the weather and they are forecasting gales over the next few days. So his original plan to hop from small
island to small island, anchoring, does not seem feasible. Our first idea was to go straight to
Kos, but there are two problems.
First it is over 70 miles.
Second the marina is a very busy one and we have been unable to contact
them to confirm we can have a berth.
So in the end we decide to go to Leros, which is on the way. It too has marinas where we can safely
take refuge from bad weather. But
that means a 6:00am start and we have to sort the boat out.
When the alarm goes at 5:30, it is a shock to the system. But we get up. Richard gets the outboard off the
dinghy and back on the boat. He
has decided to tow the dinghy.
I make lunch to eat under way.
We have about 50 miles to go, so that is about 10 hours at sea. We manage to get off by 6:15. We eat a pain chocolat and have coffee
under way. But the journey is not
going to be a comfortable one. For
the first hour and a half (or more) we have ploughing into a force 5 more or
less on the nose and through nearly 1 metre waves. The boat is rolling horribly. I get really fed up.
I have taken a seasick pill (the forecast was for a lumpy sea) and am
feeling OK, but it is cold on deck and I am tired. So I put my head down for nearly 2 hours and then Richard
does the same. We have finally turned
towards Leros and the wind is on the beam so we are sailing quite well. However, by the time Richard re-appears
the wind has dropped to only 12-13 knots and we are not making enough speed to
get to Leros at a decent time. So
yet again we have to motor sail.
We get to the island at about 4pm.
We were advised not to go in to the big marina, but instead to us a
small one nearer the town. We are
directed into a space that looks like it is only half the width of our
boat. But with the help of the
boat owners on either side we get in without mishap.
We are both tired after a lumpy day at sea. We just mooch about on the boat. We have a little walk in to the town and R has an ice cream. We will explore tomorrow. Our neighbour on the starboard side is
English and a member of the Cruising Association. He invites us on his boat for a drink, which is very
pleasant. Then back on the boat
for dinner.
It is now midnight, so must get to bed. We shall see how the weather works our before making any
further plans.
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