Friday, 10th May Ionian Marine, Preveza

Greek Cows are so loud!

We have cows in the fields adjacent to our and neighbouring boatyard. They sometimes escape. The boatyards are expanding, with diggers, etc. and the cows are rebelling. And complaining. Loudly! The swallows are swooping madly hither and thither. And the frogs are once again deafening and not confining themselves to their normal habitats - it must be the Greek spring.

But I digress. We have had an entertaining trip back to Myrica, which has survived a very wet Greek winter filled with storms and minor earthquakes (Boat next to us was dis-masted in a November storm). Our English pilot was an amusing chap full of bonhommie and stories about his Croatian wife and how we must listen to the safety announcements or he would not take off, or worse, make us do the briefing whilst the cabin crew looked down at their nails or stared in boredom out the window! Full of jokes and stories, he at least convinced us all that he was wide awake and in control. At one point said we were steaming along, having turned off the autopilot as he could do it quicker - as this was his favourite island! Nice chap and soft landing - what a good start.

We travelled with friends Viv and Alan (their boat Free Spirit), had an overnight stop in Corfu, ferry in the morning to the mainland at Igoumenitsa where we picked up a shared hire car to take us the remaining 90km to Preveza and the boats. And so nice to see a bit of the landscape from the land!

The boats were fine, still standing, not damp, mildewy or anything - just covered in masses of red sand swirled in on the various storms from the Sahara. And so to jobs: fit new solar panel brackets Richard engineered over the winter. Polish topsides and antifoul the bottom, check all the engine bits & prop, re-rig the boat, get all the sails back on, etc. etc. And the rest. We've made a start, Viv and I escaping some of the chores to take the hire car on a food shopping spree. Well hardly a spree, we have just had the Greek Easter long weekend followed on Tuesday by May Day. Everything closed. So when we went, shops had not yet re-stocked and choice was, putting it politely, limited. Hey ho.

But we are here, it is warm and the people as friendly and welcoming as ever and the adventure can start. On Monday, which is launch day. From then it is heading south and round into the Aegean - slowly, lots to see along the way. So we need to get our skates on and get the jobs done so Myrica can be a boat again and do what she is designed to. Roll on Monday.