Merry Christmas

Kalamata

We had to wait over a week at Argostoli for fair weather to take us to the Southern Peloponnisos.
While waiting we thought we might hire a car for a day’s sightseeing.

I called at the local hire shop to enquire about prices, and although it was shut, a young man was sitting outside smoking. He said he was the assistant, and volunteered that a small car for a day would cost us 30 Euros. We returned early the following morning to be told that the price would be 50 Euros. The boss looked very grave as we explained we were expecting to pay only 30. He got on his mobile phone and shouted a bit, then turning to us, explained that he couldn’t work the computer, so please would we wait a minute. In due course the assistant turned up, all was sweetness and light, the boss remembered how to work the computer, and we got our car at the lower price.

We drove to Fiscardho in Cephalonia’s far north and looked across the strait to Ithaca, the island home of Odysseus. A beautiful looking place, and one I would love to visit.

Lunch time aboard Sula

On the afternoon of November 25th we set of on our final passage of this year. It was very misty with little or no wind, and most frustratingly, the sea was still quite lumpy, which made an uncomfortable motion. We passed Zakinthos in the dark, and entered the channel between the island of Sapienza and Methoni in the early morning. We escaped the swell, the sun shone, and the scenery was lovely. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We even managed to do some sailing.

We arrived at the magnificent fortified harbour of Koroni just before sunset and anchored for the night just off the town. It occurred to us that Koroni is within easy sailing distance from Kalamata, so is a place we could re visit at our leisure during a settled period in the winter.

We sailed the fifteen miles to Kalamata in bright sunshine over a slight sea. We were on a fine reach, with one reef in the main and a few rolls in the jib. We hove to (stopped) for lunch and admired the spectacular Taygetos Mountains below Kalamata, the highest of which is 2,400 metres high. That clinched it. Unless Kalamata proved completely unsuitable, we would base ourselves there for the winter.

The Taygetos Mountains

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Entering the harbour as the sun set on Thursday 27th November, we were met by helpful staff who seemed taken aback by our arrival: curious this, since we had radioed ahead to ask for a berth. But then we are in Greece. After helping us to moor, we were told the office was now shut, but that we should report there in the morning. In response to our asking at what time he said “Oh, any time, perhaps after your breakfast”.

It turns out that Kalamata marina can supply all our simple needs at about half the cost we were expecting. We have a berth with free water and electricity on tap. The shore side showers have a powerful supply of piping hot water. Good local shops are on our doorstep, and the natives and other yachtsmen and women seem friendly. We were soon invited to the regular Sunday lunch time barbeque, in the company of French, German, Dutch, Catalan and English sailors.

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The Marina breakwater

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The only fly in the ointment is that once or twice a year the harbour is subjected to a heavy swell, driven by strong south easterly winds, far out in the Ionian Sea. So although we may be experiencing only moderate force four or five winds. (Landlubbers may care to follow this link for an explanation of the Beaufort scale) All the boats in the marina are bobbing around like dickens. Spray and the occasional deluge of water come crashing over the breakwater and life becomes a trifle difficult. We have been here a fortnight now and have experienced this phenomena twice. Everyone says “it’s most unusual, it only happened once last year”. Hmmm we shall see.

Pippa and I have discovered the remarkable truth, that sitting on a boat for months on end is not the best preparation for climbing mountains. We have made three excursions into the beautiful Taygetos Mountains so far, and each time have returned happy but exhausted. We will persevere, things can only improve.

Pippa in the mountains again

Yesterday we took our folding bikes and cycled (or pushed them) for seven kilometres to find an ancient paved track heading into the hills. Leaving the bikes, we then walked for another three kilometres to a small hill at 1,300 metres above sea level, called Al Lias. We were rewarded with spectacular views of the Taygetos mountain range. This was supposed to be a light training walk, but we were very tired by the time we got back to Sula. However we soon cheered up when we realised we had climbed to nearly the height of Ben Nevis.

Yet more mountains