Amorgos and Kalymnos

Contented cat in Chora on Amorgos

 

After five days on Naxos the weather improved, so on 21^st September we set off south east across the Cyclades, to the island of Amorgos.  Soon after we left the harbour a pod of six dolphins joined us, entertaining us as they dived under the boat and did graceful leaps out of the water. Then it was a peaceful, six hour motor sail with hardly a boat in sight until we arrived at Katapoula, on Amorgos.

We knew we would only have one night on the island as more gale force winds were predicted, and we wanted to do the 70 mile crossing to Kalymnos the next day before they arrived. Once we were safely moored we looked to see whether we could get a bus to the monastery of Hozoviotissa, one of the key attractions on the island. Unfortunately, we had just missed it. Never mind, we had heard the old town of Chora at the top of the hill was worth visiting, so we jumped on a bus there instead.  

Chora on Amorgos

It is a lovely old village, all whitewashed houses in narrow, Bougainvillea-covered alleyways. We walked through it to the top of the hill, and when we got there I spotted a sign by a gate saying ‘Hozoviotissa Monastery, 40 mins’.  Great, I thought, we can see the monastery after all! As we walked through the gate, we found the path took you almost vertically down the side of a mountain to the coast below, where it joined a road that (we assumed) led to the monastery. At that point we had a small disagreement. It was 5pm and the bus back to the port left at 6.30, so Cliff wasn’t keen on doing the walk as he thought we wouldn’t make it there and back in time.  I thought we could (just) make it.

Stunning view from the top of the path to the monastery

 

Eventually we agreed to disagree. Cliff stayed at the top of the path while I did a speedy hike downhill and jogged along the road. Suddenly, as I turned the corner, the monastery was above me, a magnificent, towering white building literally built into the cliff face. The sun had already dropped below the mountain, so the monastery was in the shade, which wasn’t great for photos, but the view was still breathtaking. I sat for a few minutes taking it all in, then turned back to face the gruelling uphill climb.  I kept up a good pace and eventually reached the top at 5.50, so in the end we had time for a drink before the bus came!

The monastery of Hozoviotissa

 

When we got back to the boat we found that the inter-island ferry had moored alongside us, right over our anchor. Clearly we would be going nowhere until the ferry left! A quick check of the timetable told us that it would be leaving at 6am the next day, just before our planned departure at 6.30am.

We were up early the next morning and hauled anchor as soon as the ferry left. But as we did so we found the neighbouring Norwegian boat had laid their anchor over ours, so Cliff spend a frustrating 15 minutes untangling the chains until we were finally free.  We had light winds for our journey but the currents were with us, and we sailed into Pothia harbour on Kalymnos just 10 hours later.

Pothia on Kalymnos

 

Kalymnos is in the Dodecanese islands, close to the island of Kos, and only 10 miles from the Turkish mainland. The island used to be famous for its sponge fishing, but in 1986 a mysterious disease killed most of the sponges in the area, so now the islanders rely on fishing and tourism for their living. We stayed there for a couple of days and found it a friendly, peaceful place. However Turkey beckoned, and on the 26^th September we said goodbye to Greece and sailed across to the town of Datca on the Turkish mainland.

Naxos

Naxos town

On 15^th September we left Paros and set off towards the neighbouring island of Naxos. Once we were outside the bay we tried to raise the sail but the halyard jammed with the mainsail half up.  After some jiggling we eventually managed to pull the sail down again, but we were concerned, as it was the second time this had happened and there was no obvious cause for the jamming. 

A couple of hours later we were tied up in Naxos harbour and had called in a rigger to help us. The news wasn’t good, inside the top of the mast there is a plastic ‘divider’ which stops the different halyards becoming tangled. The plastic has split with age and the main halyard has tangled with the topping lift.  The long term solution is to replace the plastic divider, but to do this we will need to have the mast stepped (taken down) so it will have to wait until Sandpiper is hauled out of the water for the winter. Meanwhile, the rigger untangled our lines and told us to try and keep the lines tight to avoid the problem recurring.

The Portara

Our mooring gave us a great view of Naxos old town, which is a jumble of Cycladean and Venetian buildings, as Venetians ruled the island between the 13^th and 16^th centuries.  Beyond it we could see the little island of Palatia and the marble Portara (all that remains of a 6^th century BC temple to Apollo) which features in every postcard of Naxos.  After the rigger left we walked out on the causeway to the island then back into the town, where we managed to get completely lost in the maze of narrow streets.

Playing the tsabouna

The next evening we walked up to the Venetian castle for an open air concert of local music and dancing. It was run by a folk music society and each act was introduced with a talk about the origins of the instruments and the different dances.  It was interesting to see how similar musical instruments have developed across Europe – our favourite performance was from a man playing the tsabouna, a form of bagpipe made from goatskin, with pipes made from horns.  We also had the chance to sample a range of local ‘home brewed’ wines and spirits, which Cliff particularly enjoyed!

Timewarp - window of a village store

Naxos is a big island with lots to see, so we decided to hire a car.  We really enjoyed our two days exploring the island, it's a fascinating mix of remote inland villages which don’t appeared to have changed much in the last century and modern resorts nearer to Naxos town which have white sand beaches to die for.



Venetian fortified mansion beside Greek church at the mountain village of Apiranthos



One of our highlights was seeing the ‘Kouroi’, huge, ancient, unfinished marble sculptures lying on the hillsides where they were originally carved.  Naxos is famous for its marble, which is still mined there today. In the 7th and 6th Centuries BC the island exported sculptures to other parts of Greece, famous examples include the sphinx at Delphi and the lions of Delos.  Sometimes a sculpture would be almost complete when a flaw was found on it so it would be rejected and remain near where it was being worked on and these are the ‘Kouroi’ that can still be seen today.



The Kouros at Flerio...

 

...and its feet!

The Kouros at Apollon, which is over 10 metres long

Back to the Cyclades

Ermioni restaurant looking across to Dhokos

It was now almost mid-September, and time for us to be thinking about crossing the Aegean towards Turkey, where we would be leaving the boat for the winter. Our route would take us through an area known for high winds and confused seas, so we needed to find a window of calm weather for the crossing. We decided our departure point from the mainland would be Ermioni, an easy day’s sail from Porto Heli.

Sandpiper on the south quay at Ermioni

We arrived at Ermioni on Sept 12th and moored off the south quay, it was a bit bouncy with the choppy waves, but it was a pretty spot with views across the bay to the islands of Dhokos and Hydra. The town is built on two sides of a peninsular and the end of the peninsular is the site of the ancient city of Hermione, now covered in pines and protected as a public park. We had a lovely, late afternoon walk through the park, enjoying the shade of the pines, the views out to sea and the random discovery of parts of the original citadel walls, tombs and the ancient harbour. After a fish supper at the taverna a few yards from our boat, we turned in for an early night as the weather looked good the next day to start our crossing  to the Cycladean island of Serifos.

Cliff was fascinated by this face in the rocks...can you see it?

 

Taking a break on our walk round the peninsular

We motored out of Ermioni before sunrise the next morning through still, windless waters. By 9am we had enough wind to sail and were making good progress, but by midday the wind had dropped again and the engine went on. At 5pm, after an 11 hour crossing we finally dropped anchor in Koutoula bay on Serifos, a peaceful spot surrounded by bare, ochre hills topped by an ancient hill fort and the more recent remains of iron works which had been the island’s main industry until the early 20^th century.

Parikia on the island of Paros

The next morning we set sail again, this time for the island of Paros. We had fond memories of Paros as we visited it 37 years ago on an island hopping honeymoon.  There were gale force winds forecast for most of the following week, and we planned to moor in the well protected harbour at Parikia, the capital , then stay for a week to rediscover the island while the winds blew through .



The small harbour at Parikia

When we eventually arrived at Parikia we managed to grab the last space in the small harbour, but after we had tied up we noticed a sign announcing that our space (and most of the others along the quay) belonged to a charter company and could not be used between Thursday and Sunday. A second sign announced that visiting boats were only allowed to stay for a maximum of three days. It was now 5pm on a Sunday and there was no sign of the charter boats so we decided to chance it and stay put.  But it was clear we would either have the brave the storms in the anchorage, or find an alternative harbour before the bad weather arrived.

Sunset at Parikia

That evening we wandered along the harbour and through the narrow back streets of Parikia.  Very little has changed in 37 years,  the bay is still very pretty and the town is busy as ever, but progress means you can now stock up with provisions at a  big supermarket and buy a decent Americano coffee!

By the next morning we made the difficult decision to leave Paros and head instead for the neighbouring island of Naxos.  We had heard great things about the island, and with a well protected harbour it looked like a good place to weather the storms.



Nafplion and bit of ancient history

Bourtzi fort at Nafplion

On 5^th September we sailed past of the Venetian fort of Bourtzi into the harbour of the lovely old town of Nafplion. The town sits  at the very top of the Argolic Gulf and was briefly the capital of Greece after the Greek war of independence.  Its impressive 18^th and 19^th century buildings still give it a rather grandiose feel and its become a popular spot for artists.



Me by our 'quiet' mooring (photo by Gina)

We had been warned that the main quay could be rather smelly and noisy, so we were very pleased to find what seemed to be a quiet spot moored alongside the commercial quay. We didn’t take much notice of the giant dredging barge moored to one side of us, but it made its presence felt the next morning when we were woken at 7am by the roar of an industrial diesel engine and the clanging of giant chains as it began dredging mud from the harbour.

That evening our friend Gina arrived to stay for a few days. Our main reason for coming to Nafplion was to visit the local archeological site of Mycenae, and it would be a bonus having Gina with us as she studies archeology and has become a bit of an expert on Mycenaean history.

Cliff at the ancient citadel of Mycenae

We decided to set off early the next morning for Mycenae before it got too hot,  and when we arrived 8.30am we had the site to ourselves for a very peaceful half an hour before the coachloads of tourists began to arrive. There’s not a lot left of the original citadel, but as we wandered around the ruins set high on a hill above the plains, we did get a sense of a rich and sophisticated civilization had lived here in the Bronze Age.

Gina by the tomb of Agamemnon

The highlight for us were the royal tombs, including what some believe is the tomb of Agamemnon. These giant, majestic structures looked as though they belonged in Egypt, and we couldn't help but be impressed by their size and the skill that went into building them.

After Mycenae, at Gina’s request we drove down to the far side of the Argolic Gulf to visit a tiny Bronze Age site called Lerna, which features the ‘House of tiles,’ the earliest known instance of using terracotta as roofing tiles. There wasn’t a lot for us to see, but Gina was in her element exploring such an important site.

A welcome break for lunch

We had a welcome stop for lunch at the fishing village of Myli, then drove round the Gulf to Nafplion and up to the Venetian fort of Palamidi, which sits on a rocky bluff high above the town. The fort is an interesting complex of buildings with wonderful views down over the Gulf, but we were all pretty tired by this time and there were rain clouds gathering, so after a quick walk round we beat a hasty retreat back to the boat.

The Venetian fort of Palamidi

After Mycenae and Lerna Cliff decided he was ‘ruined out’, but there was one more site - Tiryns -  that Gina and I wanted to see, so the next morning we left Cliff doing boat jobs while we  jumped on a bus for a quick visit. At first sight Tiryns is very impressive as many of the thick, towering walls that surrounded the ancient citadel are still standing. Once inside we found that most of the ruins are at ground level, but having Gina as my personal guide helped to bring it to life, and we spent an enjoyable morning exploring the site.

One of the gates through the massive walls at Tiryns (photo by Gina)

Gina on the helm

We had just a day and half to go before Gina had to catch the ferry back to Athens from Porto Heli, so as soon as we got back from Tiryns we cast off and sailed back down to Vivari. We put Gina on the helm and she did a great job negotiating  some of the trickier parts of the course where there are channels between the rocks.  We eventually anchored in the bay in the late afternoon, just in time to introduce Gina to a shoal of the fascinating, 'fried egg' jellyfish.

Gina relaxing at Korakonisia

The next morning we sailed on south and had a lunchtime stop for a swim at a bay on the tiny island of Korakonisia, where the water is a wonderful turquoise blue.  Then it was on to Porto Heli where we anchored out in the bay and dinghied ashore for a final farewell meal. We ate at Ostria, a waterside restaurant which serves Greek food with a modern twist, and it turned out to be one of the best meals we’ve had since we’ve been in Greece.

Vivari

Cliff looking good in his kilt

 

We had a wonderful few weeks back in the UK catching up with family and friends. This included a trip to Scotland to attend Cliff’s nephew Alan’s wedding, which was held near Falkirk in a lovely old church next to Linlithgow Palace. The men in the family all wore kilts and Cliff thoroughly enjoyed showing off his knees! On the way back we stopped at Whitley Bay in Northumberland and had a great evening catching up with our friends Alison and Tony from Reveller, who were also having a break from cruising the Med.

Sunset at Kilada

On August 28^th we flew back to Greece. Unfortunately a combination of a delayed flight and an hour and a half’s wait for our rental car meant we finally arrived back at the boatyard in Kilada at one o’clock in the morning. When we left the boat there had been a boatyard ladder tied to the stern so that we could climb up to the deck, which was about 12 feet from the ground. When we returned we found that the ladder had gone, so we had to creep around the yard in the dark trying to find one, hoping we wouldn’t wake the guard dogs. No such luck, within minutes they were in a barking frenzy, and with visions of Rockweilers snapping at our ankles we ran round like mad things until we finally found a suitable ladder and were up and onto the boat in record time!

A couple of days later the boat was back into the water. The weather had been hot and sticky and our launch was accompanied by a thunderstorm. As we motored away from the yard the lightning was putting on a very good show and we had a difficult decision to make, should we anchor in the bay and wait for the storm to pass, with the risk of the mast being struck by lightning, or should we press on towards our planned anchorage further north, where the sky looked clear? We decided to make a run for it and two hours later we were anchored in brilliant sunshine in the pretty bay of Vivari, just south of Nafplion.

The village of Vivari

Vivari is a peaceful spot in an almost landlocked bay with cliffs rising sheer from the water. The water is very clear and perfect for swimming and the village has a few tavernas and a small store, which was all we needed. We planned to stay there for a couple of days then sail round to Nafplion, where our friend Gina would be joining us on the boat.

The fried egg jellyfish

Later in the afternoon, after a swim off the back of the boat, Cliff spotted a shoal of jellyfish floating past. Once we got over our initial horror we were totally fascinated, as we hadn’t seen anything like this before. Some of them were as big as a dinner plate and from above they looked like a large fried egg, then underneath they had a mass of curly tentacles that looked a bit like hundreds and thousands.  A quick search on Google confirmed that they were Cotylorhiza Tuberculata, a type of jellyfish that can propel themselves so aren’t reliant on the current, and often have small shoals of fish swimming with them. They can grow to up to 35cm in diameter, but aren’t dangerous as they have a very mild sting. Needless to say, after this we took a very good look at the water before diving off the back of the boat!

 

Back in the Peloponnese

Looking out from Ermioni towards the island of Hydra

 

On 23^rd June we finally left Andros and had a great downwind sail to Kea. We moored overnight in the village of Korissia then set off early for the seven hour sail down to Poros, our first stop back in the Peloponnese. I still had a chest infection and although I was coughing less, breathing was now painful so I decided I had better see a doctor. He diagnosed a lung infection and prescribed antibiotics and an inhaler.



Leonidhion Plaka

 We were keen to sail south and explore more of the Peloponnese mainland, but we only managed  to see Ermioni and Leonidhion Plaka – both lovely, unspoilt villages - before I began to feel unwell again. Another visit to the doctor revealed I had pneumonia in both lungs. We were due to fly back to the UK the following week, so we anchored in Porto Heli and rested up until it was time for the boat to be hauled out at a yard a few miles up the coast.

Porto Heli

Sandpiper is now out of the water on the hard at Koiladha and we are enjoying catching up with family and friends in the UK. We will update the blog again in September when we’re back in Greece.

Andros



Batsi harbour on Andros

From Evia we headed back to the Cyclades. Our first stop was Vouraki on the island of Kea. It’s a small, relatively undeveloped island with some lovely sandy beaches and unspoilt countryside, but it’s also the nearest Cycladean island to Athens and Vouraki has become a favourite spot for Athenian sailors.

We arrived on a Thursday when the port was relatively quiet, but by Friday evening the place was buzzing and we were squeezed between two super-yachts which were both belching smelly fumes from their generators.  I had just started a chesty cold, and this was the last thing I needed. Then the yacht next to us decided it was party night and set up a disco on deck which was so loud that the restaurant opposite came over to complain. They turned the music down, but the partying continued all night, and the next morning we decided it was time for us to move on to our next stop, the island of Andros.

Early evening in Batsi on Andros

A cruising couple we met on Evia had told us that the small resort of Batsi on Andros was one of their favourite places, and as we sailed into the bay, we could see why. The picturesque village still boasts some of the mansions built in the 19^th century when Andros was home to wealthy shipping magnates. The village sits on the hill around the harbour, and there are a series of sandy beaches running along the bay. We quickly found a mooring in the harbour and were given a warm welcome by Ioannis, the harbour master.  As we explored the village we were struck by how friendly and helpful the locals were – this was more like the ‘old’ Greece we remembered.

Exploring the village paths

Unfortunately after a day or so my ‘cold’ developed into a full blown chest infection and we decided to stay in Batsi until I felt better. Strong southerly winds were forecast and Ioannis came to tell us that our current mooring wasn’t safe as waves would break over the wall and on to the boat.  “But don’t worry, I have a special place for you” he said, and he pointed to a wonderfully sheltered spot tucked right inside the fishing harbour.  

The local 'swimming pool'

We soon discovered that our new mooring was next to a corner of the harbour that the local children had adopted as their ‘swimming pool’. They were very friendly and they kept us entertained as they competed to see who could jump the furthest into the harbour.



The chapel of the 'Virgin Mary of the Sea' at Chora

 

When I began to feel better we hired a car for a day to explore the island and visit the capital, Chora. This was a lovely old town built on a rocky headland. We spent an enjoyable morning exploring its winding streets and then walked down to the old wharf to visit the chapel of Panagia Thalassimi which is dedicated to the Virgin of the Sea, who protects sailors. Hopefully she will keep her eye on us as we continue on our travels.