Jerri:
The past week spent with our daughter, Elizabeth, and her friends Tina and Zosia was an absolute blast. The itinerary worked well, the weather cooperated, and fun was had by all. Things have begun to pick up here in Greece, but it’s still early season so crowds weren’t bad, music not too loud, and anchorages not overly crowded.
Elizabeth arrived earlier than the others so we had two nights to catch up on family things and wedding planning. We rented a car giving us additional flexibility for provisioning, airport pick ups and dining out. It was fun to have that freedom and it made things easier (especially provisioning). After Zosia’s arrival we toured the Acropolis and spent an entertaining night in Athens. The following day we did get caught in a hailstorm while walking around the old part of the city, but despite some Birkenstock damage, got through unscathed. Tina arrived Sunday night and we departed the following morning for a quick stop in Sounio (Poseiden’s Temple) then off to Kea where we were surprised to find plenty of room at the town quay to Med moor. We were all on the same page regarding eating out whenever possible – typically sharing a Greek salad and grilled fish. The most shocking development of the week was me staying up past 1:00 a.m. for several of the nights. I think we were all having fun and doing stuff until mid-evening and by the time we showered and got out, our dinners often didn’t begin until after 10:00, making late nights easier to handle.
Mykonos was the second stop where we spent two nights, did a fair amount of shopping and had a fabulous day on the beach. Mykonos is so beautiful. Some people complain about the party atmosphere and the night we went out was a little bizarre, but it was fun to people watch and see what goes on with that scene.
To balance things out, our final two nights were spent at our favorite anchorage in Paros. It’s a fabulous place with a network of hiking trails, great area to swim and paddle board, and nice small beaches. That was the final late night where I managed to squeeze into bed at exactly 1:00 a.m. I was beginning to tire out.
The next day was a 9 hour motor back to Sounio, but at least the weather was warm and seas calm. The trip back north can be unpleasant so we lucked out. A boat nearly hit us at anchor (Tim and I already in bed, scared Elizabeth quite a bit when a flashlight shone on her face and she looked up at a boat 3 ft away), but after that drama we got a good nights rest prior to an early morning departure for the “kids” (aged 27-29). Tim and I then went back to Lavrio for fuel and provisioning (of course a Sunday making it more challenging than normal without the supermarket being open, but after 90 minutes, 2 butchers, 2 small markets, and a produce stand a taxi fortunately stopped right near me and I made it back to the marina with a solid week worth of food). The best part of that was Tim cleaning the exterior of the boat while I was gone. We ended up back in Suonio by noon making for a LONG day. It was gloomy, rainy and breezy adding to the heaviness of the guest departure so we binge watched Sons of Anarchy and went to bed at 9:00. I did manage to prepare an excellent weird dinner – a tomato pesto sauce chicken dish on top of zucchini topped with cheese – a lasagna of sorts. Tim asked me what I was making, I said something experimental, he mentioned it smelled like lasagna, I was inspired and a miracle happened!
Currently, Agility is smoking along at 9-15 knots with the screecher up on a southern passage to the Pelopennese. We got up at sunrise and should make our destination by late afternoon. It’s a little bouncy, but not bad. We’ll hang out at what appears to be a gorgeous quiet anchorage for the next weather window then continue to head towards Croatia. We decided to go this route rather than the Corinth Canal since we have done that before, wanted a change of pace and not have the hassle of waiting to get through the canal.