FEELING AUTUMNAL, PIGS, WASPS and HARMONY IN BEING – DAYS 123 to 128

FEELING AUTUMNAL, PIGS, WASPS and HARMONY IN BEING – 6 to 11 SEPTEMBER, DAYS 123 to 128

Anita spoke one evening about the many wonderful places we visit, and beautiful photos we share with you showing  paradise after paradise but more important is how you feel yourself. When you are “connected” any beautiful place can be heaven on earth when you are in balance, heart, body and spirit, together. Be fully present in the moment, and only feel this moment through your breath and heart. Just observe the thoughts which come to you, and be connected in the “here and now” to be very happy.  Otherwise you can consume one paradise after another and never feel satisfied.

Five yachts left  Astakos on a quiet Thursday morning now that the winds promised to be less severe. 

Five is not many but not many yachts visit this lovely little town on the mainland.

The sea was like a mirror until we reached the southern tip of Kastos Island then as we turned the wind slowly came up so we had a pleasant sail over the two miles to the sheltered bay of Port Leone, with it’s tiny village deserted after the 1953 earthquake. The church is kept in good repair and one expensive looking holiday home has been built where boats can tie up.

It is such a beautiful place with steep wooded slopes, and indeed the whole island is one small mountain after another. As usual we find some very old olive trees, perhaps planted 500 years ago by the Venetians, and the occasional goat, or we hear the goat bells.

Care is needed at the sea edge as there are many sea urchins. If the spines get into the foot or hand there is much pain. Many fish swan round the boat in the clear water.

We stayed for three nights and  each night the place has different energy depending on the boats which visit. One night can be peaceful and calm, another can have laughter from groups enjoying their cruise. On the second night were many Germans, mostly in chartered boats.

Wanting to charge computer etc. we left on Monday morning  and sailed slowly across to Atokos Island to anchor in One House Bay. This is an almost deserted island but popular with yachts and we could count about 35 as we came close. There was not much room in the shallows for us to anchor, but we found a spot close to other yachts and went to swim. I watched through my swim mask as a gust dug the anchor in deeper as the west wind of the afternoon kicked it.

Back on board we noticed two black pigs walk down the beach and cool off in the sea, then they lay on the stones just above the waterline. They seemed like an old couple and were following their daily routine.

We set up the camping shower bag from the boom over the cockpit for Anita to wash her hair. She had barely started before I noticed that we were much closer to another boat and clearly our anchor had dragged in the gusts. The shower ended abruptly and it was action stations, getting motor into slow forward and raising the anchor. As we circled around the bay we noticed that others had dragged too. Some left, others looked to re-anchor. We did not see a place where we wanted to risk dragging again where the anchor might not hold, so we made the decision to leave.

Once outside the bay and with slow forward on the motor Anita took the shower and we considered options as we had intended to spend the night there. It was possible to sail close hauled towards the north but the sea was building. We are cruising so we opted for a comfortable  beam reach back to Port Leone, two hours away. 

Once there we anchored in a different part of the bay from before to avoid the many wasps which had be a nuisance during our stay and enjoyed a calm night.

On Monday we left Kalamos Island once more and motor sailed to Sivota, on the south side of Levkas (Levkada). 

There were so many yachts at sea in the light winds, it seem like a regatta was taking place. Here we are close to yacht charter bases and the yachts are busy with adults now that school holidays have finished.

Some tavernas have pontoons for their clients but we opted for a private pontoon on the north east side of the town with laid mooring lines so tied up for safety as well as to use electricity and to have easy access to the shore.  Again gusty winds were expected in the late afternoon so we could go ashore without worries.

Evenings are getting shorter and cooler.