Spartochori, Meganisi

Happy birthday to W's brother Terry. We've had a few days of rain, a good lightning storm and cooler temperatures. And now it is back to sun - not baking, but very nice. Have had a mooch about some Levkas bays, came across to Meganisi. The top bit is a bit like fingers - so instead of "finger-lakes" as in N America, we have "finger-bays". Popped in and out of most of them and stopped in one for the night. An almost circumnavigation of Meganisi followed in a gusty day, followed by a calm night further south back on Levkas.

Today, we have had it all. First a swimming snake. No, not a water snake - a swimming snake. It looked like a proper grass snake (they are apparently good swimmers) and it swam from one side of the bay to the other, about ½ mile. And quickly too. Then, as we made our way slowly back over to Meganisi to visit some well-known caves, a flappy thing surfaced, disappeared, surfaced and disappeared again. I am convinced it was a large turtle (or one of the endangered monk seals). That's my story anyway and I am sticking to it. On to yonder caves, one of which was reputedly used by a mini-submarine in WWII to evade the Germans. Of the ones we saw, it is hard to believe, but they were quite fascinating geological structures anyway.

And back up the Meganisi channel to Spartochori, where we were ushered onto a quay with tailed lines (luxury) by a friendly chap. There is shore power, water is available over on the other pontoon, we have wifi - all no cost, welcome, welcome! But you will eat tonight in my taverna tonight, won't you? And so of course we will. It is their livelihood, and we do not do it often. (I secretly approve of the practice - we so seldom go out, it encourages us (R!) to do so - and I get a welcome break.

Spartochori town itself is perched high above the harbour - it is a little gem of a village, every house with its pergola of vines or honeysuckle, bourgainvillea and roses, little plots with vegetables growing, little shops and toothless old men sitting out and a beautifully reconstructed little Orthodox Church. Most villages were pretty well decimated in the terrible earthquake of 1953 (an otherwise very good year), so it is lovely to see one so well restored, maintained and genuinely inhabited outside of the tourist season.

The one thing we had not quite appreciated is how close all these islands are. Sailing is a challenge. The genoa comes out for the short downwind hops, but it is only yesterday that we got everything out and had a beat to windward - heavy and laden as we are, we still achieved 7 ½ kn at 45 deg to wind - so not too bad. The short distances also mean that charging the battery is a conundrum. Does one motorsail? Does one do long distances and go the wrong way round just to get both charging and sailing in?
Yet to be cracked.

Fair winds to our sailing friends crossing the Channel and heading for Brittany, love to all and hope the UK weather begins to perk up for you.