20th September Nisos Oinoussa Heading East

Scootered without incident to our Neolithic site on Skiros. What a fabulous site. Arrived down a dirt track, little hillock overlooking the sea, no-one else there except the archaeologists and other workers. One saw us arrive and hurried to open what turned out to be a superb little museum displaying artefacts found at the site, site plans, explanations, etc. We looked for the kiosk and entry, to pay our entry fee. Nothing there, the site was open from 0700 t0 1400, but free to anyone who wanted to browse.

It reminds you that these little islands were inhabited by sophisticated peoples 5,000 years ago, who not only built villages and double fortressed walls with paved streets and water conduits, but also wonderful tools and pottery, large and tiny and delicate, and jewellery. We did the little museum first, then walked around the encircled fortified town, that apparently contained and industrial area as well as dwellings - potteries, tool workshops, processing areas for no doubt olives, grains and other food stuffs. And that's all we had time for. Scooter needed to be returned by lunchtime. Georgio did not comment on the scuff marks on the scooter following our minor incident (proper motorcycles are so much better / safer!).

An eclectic mix of nationalities here, Turks, Germans, one other British, but the throngs are thinning out - there is a definite end-of-season feel about things. We left early on Wednesday, making a poor Greek chap move his boat with engine problems out of the way to let us out, heading for the tiny island of Psara, a "channel crossing" away c. 60nm.
A good sail east, arriving at a civilised time in the afternoon. A really bleak, barren bit of rock, but with a single charming little port / fishing village. The island is really only now recovering. There is renovation continuing of the derelict houses and new (EU) money being spent on the churches and port. It makes you think though. Psara was one of the first islands (along with Spetsai and Poros) to revolt against the Turks in the Greek War of Independence. It's the atrocities we forget about. The Turks apparently massacred vitually the entire population of Psara back in 1824. The few who did escape, founded Nea (new) Psara on Evia Island, and also emigrated far and wide - some of them becoming becoming famously wealthy expats. The island is only now beginning to recover. Whether that can be sustained in this day and age is anyone's guess. We liked it.

On a mere 30nm to the very much larger island of Chios, birthplace of Homer (a lot of places make that claim, but historians generally agree that this island is the most likely). We stopped at an inlet and village called Kardhamila on the north coast, very attractive at a distance, very sheltered inlet. A very, very quiet place - we were the only visiting boat, a typical Greek mixture of run-down shambles and nice stonework, statues and public spaces. A very good live guitarist and singer in the local taverna - we could sit in the cockpit and enjoy.

We are now round the corner, not on Chios, but a tiny island of its eastern side, called Oinoussa. Multi-coloured houses perching on the hill, topped by what now seems the standard, a massive pale blue rendered Orthodox Church. Again, it is deathly quiet, everything is closed - no shops whatsoever, glad we have stocked up for a good few days' worth. Tomorrow we head on down the eastern side of Chios to Chios Town itself - a bustling town with apparently a distinctly Levantine feel to it. Shops for a stock up. And ferries.

We can see Turkey from here! We aim to sit out some high winds forecast for this Sunday/Monday and take the ferry over to Turkey. Just for a look, as it's there. To Çesme. We won't be going in our own boat until next summer, too complicated to explain but the Turkish requirements for stays of 90 days in any 180, and logbooks and agents, and, and, and, make going in and out of Turkey for a short stay with boat both expensive and a bureaucratic nightmare. So cheating is in order. Next instal from there?