Fri 23rd Sept Gouvia, Corfu
The quiet before the storm, or awaiting the next invasion

We beat the weather and had a good crossing from Leuca in Italy to a tiny little island 20nm west of Corfu called Othinoi. A lovely little place for our first experience of Greece. Then on to Corfu itself, to the village of Kassiopi, up against the town quay with an anchor out. A thriving little fishing come tourist resort and attractive - a bit too much in the way of English about, but I think that is Corfu - it was after all a British protectorate in the 19th C.

But here we had the most spectacular storm, thunder and lightning and absolutely torrential rain. Thankfully, not as much wind as further south, but sufficient to make us put a second anchor out, worry about bouncing our keel on the shallow bottom in the surges and putting the engine on for a bit to keep our stern battering against the quay. Our neighbouring boat was a kind local who had 3 tailed lines of ground tackle for security and offered us the use of one of his lines. So after attaching ourselves also to him, we managed to get some sleep. The whole sky lit up over Albania all night long in a remarkable display. In a bay further south on Levkada, apparently several boats were broken up and one person tragically died trying to keep their boat from smashing in Force 11 winds. Precious they may be, but it is only a boat and let it smash, it is not worth a life!

A couple of wonderful little coves later (Kalami pictured was home of Lawrence Durrell) and we are in Gouvia, near the marina, awaiting the arrival of Jane and Clive (friends with an identical HR to ours, Talisman). A small world, we had dinner last night with yet other fellow HR (HR42 De Vreiheid) owners, Martin and Issie, who keep their boat here and were preparing to fly home today.

Corfu is beautiful, smells of pine and dryness, yet is very green and mountainous, in complete comparison to Albania across the strait which is very brown, bleak and mountainous. This is going to be good!! Gotta go, J & C just texted arrival, need to go pick up!