Greek Easter

 

After two years of lockdown during Easter, this year's celebration promised to be extra lavish. So, on Saturday night, my crew, Elisa and I walked to the village of Vathi to watch. And yes, we were not disappointed - the celebration was bigger than I had ever seen, even though the village is so small.

We lit our candles and said our prayers for those who have died  then returned home and made the traditional cross over the entrance with the soot from the candle.

Sunday was a glorious day and Elisa went swimming. She checked the anchor to make sure that it was not trapped under another boat's chain. All seemed well.

And then, on Sunday afternoon we joined a couple from France for a beach bbq.

Καλό Πάσχα!

Mother nature doesn't like to be seen at her worst.

So she saves her worst rages for the night.

The wind and waves increased between midnight and 3 a.m. and that's when I began to worry about my boat. The concrete quay was no match for the plastic fenders, even when I had them protected by a wooden plank. Soon they were flattened to a quarter of their size and I had to use life jackets, water bottles, and pillows to protect Eidos' hull from getting shattered. I even prepared sail bags as last effort.

Note to self: buy new fenders.

Yes, the harbor is safe but only if you have old tires and big fenders for protection and don't stay on board through the storm. 

Inside, the noise of the wind, the waves and the squeaking of the fenders and mooring lines prevented me from getting any sleep. And of course I worried about what was going to happen if the protection failed. Visualizing my boat and home at the bottom of the sea was not conducive to sleeping.

My sister supported me emotionally from Hawaii through the night, for which I am grateful.

I finally fell asleep at about 3 in the morning, but slept fitfully and kept waking up, my ears pricked up for any sign of increasing wind. 

Early morning, I woke up to calm seas and light wind. Mother Nature did not want to be photographed at her worst.

The sailing season has begun

The first yacht flotilla arrived in Little Vathi as the locals rush to open up the sleepy port. 

A bit of old fashioned paving near the harbour.

Since early morning, tables are ready for tourists.

My job for today - I varnished the cockpit table.

According to the latest news, plans are underfoot to open the Corinth Canal again from July to October of this year. I have wanted to go through for several years. My younger son, Justin will hopefully join me on this voyage.

Good bye Chló

Chló will be leaving soon, so we are having a farewell beer in the cafe near where Eidos is moored. Meanwhile, the leftover pizza is warming up in the oven on board. 

Lone fishing boat tied up for a few moments, while the owner picked up his coffee. But by nightfall, there were three yachts in the inner harbour.

Farewell photo of Eidos with the skipper.

Here is Chló ready for another adventure. Bye, Chló, it was lovely to have met you. 

Here are a couple of photos from Chlo's trip.

The Rio bridge.

View of Acropolis. 

All alone!

It is early in the season and this afternoon Eidos is the only yacht in the inner harbour. 

Earlier, two tripper boats full of school children came but so far no other yachts. 

Chló sewed a rip in the main sail and polished the stainless steel,

while I made tiramisu for desert  and pizza for lunch.

April showers

Today, mother nature couldn't make up her mind. It seemed that every five minutes it either rained or the sun shone. I managed to catch a bit of dry weather to wash the Sahara sand off the deck just before we had a downpour.

And in the afternoon, I went for a quick walk and caught a few images while the wind pushed aside the clouds for a quarter of an hour.

The rest of the time I spend knitting and eating.

A bit of nasty weather coming.

The forecast for the next few days is strong southerly winds, rain and cold. Ugh! Luckily, we are moored in a safe harbour for these conditions with shops and cafes close by. Hopefully, it will not be as bad as it sounds.

This morning's sky.

So far, it is calm and not raining.

The wind came in the afternoon  and blew all night but way above us. I heard it howling through the hill behind the town. But at sea level the harbour was calm. I think I will stay here for April. 🤞😃

Meanwhile, in Lefkas, my friends reported 40 knots with strong gusts and white caps in the marina.

Lefkas marina to Little Vathi, Meganisi

Good bye, Lefkas Marina. We're off to Meganisi, two hours away.

Chló at the helm, heading down the Lefkas canal.

My turn to steer.

We are tied up at the town quay in little Vathy. There are only five yachts here so far.

Relaxing in the cockpit while the crew cooks lunch.