We left Didim last Sunday for Kos, Greece, after a very nice "Last Supper" at the Yacht Club with all our Didim friends - some of whom may be still there or returned there when we get back early May for our annual haul out. The weather has been freezing and we actually had snow on the Friday night before we left!

We arrived in Kos (from where we left Greece last year) after a good trip to find that the customs dock is not ideally located on the seaward exposed part of the harbour and tying up would have been damaging if not impossible. We managed to communicate that to the officials with a lot of arm waving as their VHF radio was not working properly to hear them. After a phone call to the Port Police they let us pull in just around the corner in the actual harbour. Here at least it was sheltered but a bit of a jump to the dock for someone with an unreliable knee (me). Two port officials, rather over enthusiastically I thought, helped me down as we all had to be fingerprinted. I'm not sure if that is new or not as we certainly weren't fingerprinted in or out last time. It could just be part of the randomness of some of the authorities we find from place to place.

We've been here a week picking up some items from a contact here that we couldn't buy in Turkey: air fryer, pasta maker and cast iron crepe pan along with few boat things. The weather has continued foul - very cold and very windy so it's been good to stay inside and experiment with the new galley toys. Cora has the pasta maker and air fryer under control already! Peter and I did go out to the check in agent's office to pick up our transit log and sundry paperwork and nearly got blown off our bikes. We had one nice day with no wind so Kiki and Cora went exploring and as we had been here before we occupied ourselves with hairdresser, watch battery search (not easy) and lunch. We heard from the Didim Yachties that they had all been off to a St Patricks Day bash. We were a bit sad to have missed it but changed our minds when we heard health reports of the following day!

One night I (the others slept through) was woken by cats fighting in the cockpit! By the time I got out there one had run off but I did see the other one leaving and gave it a chase. We got left with a "calling card. There are a lot of stray cats in Europe and it is an ongoing problem for marinas and harbours especially with the restaurants and people who think they are doing the right thing by feeding them. The marina office when I told them said that the local Municipality had a new service where they come and remove them starting next week. Goodness knows what they do with them - didn't ask. I suppose on the one hand they keep away rats and mice that get attracted to these areas too. We have been spraying around with vinegar and it's good to leave the cockpit lights on at night as it doesn't seem so enticing to them.

Tomorrow we head off to Nisos Simi as there is a break in the wind, where we will find shelter to anchor for a few days or so. Back to masks and vaccination certificates here for now.