Being Busy Resting

Spending a rest day in Fiskardo is no problem at all as there is so much to see and do, and that is without my favourite past-time of boat and people watching.

We bimbled about a bit in the morning writing postcards, relaxing in the sun and trying the fresh pies from the bakery (the marrow pie was a great hit)

After an early lunch we went exploring on paw, and were soon off the beaten track and away from the tourists (in truth there weren't as many about as the local shops and tavernas would have liked).

We climbed up to an abandoned village. We could see evidence of lots of abandoned houses, but it was such a lovely spot, that none of us, especially Greek bear Louis, could imagine why anyone would want to leave.

Mind you, we did note signs of regeneration amongst the ruins and could imagine that it won't be long before this is a thriving community again.

The village was on a high point and it was a lovely downhill romp to the bay of Dafnoudi for a swim. This was a real gem and only reached on foot by a lovely stoney track. It would have been a long way round the top of the island by boat, but on paw, crossing over a narrow neck of land, it was no more than a hour's walk.

Back in Fiskardo we enjoyed a frozen yoghurt ice with as many fruit and chocolately toppings as we could manage, then we looked round some of the back streets away from the waterfront.

There was still water though, but looking at how well these Koi carp were doing, it certainly wasn't salt water. The frog statue was great even though he wasn't spouting water. Patrick wondered whether there wasn't a slight resemblance between his dapper profile and that of the frog - any thoughts readers?

All us bears appreciated the artistic merits of the lumps of old olive wood and the old olive press. We all took care to stay topside of that heavy plate which could easily crush the stuffing out of us if it dropped.

Before we left, there was one time honoured tradition which needed to be observed. This was a visit to the old Venetian lighthouse, sitting on the headland which marks the approach to Fiskardo.

We climbed to the top, a journey we'd made twice before and looked out to sea for ships and to check for pirates. You can always tell me, Eddie, from my big eared profile.

The coast was definitely clear so we could go off duty and enjoy another fine evening of wining and dining at Nicholas' taverna.

Lots of love, Eddie and the crew of Analipsi xxx

Wind, Waves, then Calm

Our first big sail, where we would need to cover quite a few miles (nautical of course) came towards the end of our first week. We had to sail from Port Atheni on Meganisi across a wide stretch of water to reach the popular and very famous island of Kephalonia.

There was an added complication which we learnt at the previous night's briefing. Some strong winds were forecast for the afternoon, so our lead crew were keen to get us across the big stretch of relatively unsheltered water before the winds got too strong.

This meant an early start in the morning, and we needed to be underway ideally by 9.00 a.m. Now this might not sound that early, but in Sailing Holiday terms it was. We were first away, in good time and there wasn't that much wind about.

We did hit some very heavy showers though, and after the rain came the wind. The seas started to get quite big, but we got our reefs in and we were fine. In fact it was quite an exciting sail. At one point our lead crew radio'd through to take sails down, so we complied, even though I like sailing with my genoa out, as it helps smooth our passage.

By this point we were getting close to the channel between Kephalonia and its neighbour Ithaca, so we were getting some shelter. We could also see our destination of Fiskardo, marked by the old Venetian lighthouse. We were soon circling in the harbour awaiting our turn to be moored. This is never easy in Fiskardo as it is always so busy, so it was just as well that we were there early. Our lead crew took advantage of our shallow draft to squeeze us into a corner which other boaters no doubt thought wasn't usable.

The bad weather didn't last, and it was a beautiful afternoon which we spent visiting the local beach about a mile away.

As you can see from our first photo, it was also a lovely calm evening  ...

We'd been to Fiskardo on our previous flotilla so knew exactly where to go for our evening meal. We bypassed all the restaurants on the quay and climbed up to a personal favourite, Nicholas's Taverna which gives us this superb view which we simply love. You can sit out on the terrace and drink in this view while enjoying superb food and good wine, and the congenial hospitality of the host, Nicholas. 

It's definitely an experience not to be hurried, and Fiskardo looks great as darkness falls and all the lights come on ...   

If it gets cold as it gets dark, you can always retreat indoors and enjoy one of the delicious puddings - on this occasion we went for some scrummy baclava ... 

... and the great thing was that the next day was to be a rest day, so we had 2 evenings to enjoy the delights of this great taverna. 

Lots of love, Eddie and crew xxx