Wednesday 26

Luna Begonvil Yacht Club - Orhaniye, Keçi Bükü

We spent one night in Datça which was quite enough.  Whereas it had been lovely and peaceful when we arrived by the evening it was completely full of boats and the nearby bars were competing with each other to play the loudest and cheesiest music.  It did stop at midnight which was a relief.

Kuruca Bükü

We moved on down the coast to Kuruca Bükü, a bay recommended by our neighbours in Symi, and it was very peaceful. Even though a number of boats came in it was large enough for no one to be too close to us and the Captain even managed a swim off the back of the boat.  I was slightly put off earlier when we spotted an enormous turtle come up for air and then disappear again and then again a couple of times.

Today we moved further up the gulf which separates the Datca and Bozburun peninsulas and we are now tied up on a pontoon which belongs to a restaurant (see above) with electricity, water and wifi all for nothing.  We just have to eat there tonight.  Perfect. Weather is fantastic, if a little hot at 30+ degrees, but we are coping. Later: except that it wasn't perfect and the bill did include a fee for the boat - although nominal.

Luna  Begonvil Yacht Club

Thursday 27

Selimiye

We headed for Selimiye which took just less than 2 hours.  There was a great extended pontoon with electricity and water which was the 'town quay'.  Quite a pretty place but the shopping was poor and it was unbelievably hot - now 32 degrees and no respite.  We did, however, find a much better restaurant for dinnner.

This is the plan at the moment -  we are underway and looking for wifi, hopefully from the dongle as we head round the end of the Bozburun peninsula which is very close to Symi and therefore we should get Cosmote again.  We are plannning to reach Ciftlik which is on the way to Marmaris.  We are planning to spend a couple of nights here in the town (and not in the marina which is our final destination) and then go further down the coast to Goçek and Fethiye before heading back again by the end of next week.

Monday 24 

TURKEY 

Symi  to Datça

We had two lovely days in Symi. It is a very pretty harbour but extremely busy every day with at least four massive ferries arriving and then after their departure at about 4 p.m. all the super yachts and numerous other sailing boats would start arriving for the evening and it was pandemonium. It was also very entertaining and we sat on the front of Sequel watching it all going on feeling very smug that we were safely in our spot.  It started again in the morning when everyone started to leave and all the anchors had got crossed over each other

Ferries in Symi harbour

Symi harbour from the top of the hill

 

We walked both days to the top of the opposite hillside and on Sunday down the other side to another bay. Both feeling the need for exercise after far too many meals out - but having walked back up the hill from the other side we managed to find a taverna right at the top just to fill up again.

And now after a very short crossing of about an hour we are in Turkey! We decided to head for Datça in order to 'check in' which is a bit of a rigmarole as you have to check in with the Police, Port Police and the Harbour Master in order to buy visas (as at the airport in Turkey) and a transit log but we are all now paid up and legal. We have reached the destination we set out for from Lymington in 2010 so another excuse to go out tonight and celebrate.

Changing the courtesy flag

Wednesday 19 

Kos

We discovered last night that Kos Town has dedicated cycle lanes and everyone was busy cycling to and fro so we got the bikes out and cycled into town in the morning, enjoyed wandering through the town, which was very busy with many tourists, and found a secluded taverna for lunch away from the main squares - there are a few squares.  We cycled back in the evening and found an even more secluded taverna but right in the middle of the town, in what appeared to be someone's back garden, and ate some really delicious Greek dishes. We have been offered a 'digestif' at the end of meals in most places which is really not drinkable (I would rather have Gaviscon) and hardly anyone does drink it, but here we were given Ouzo.  This time we felt obliged to drink it but it is truly horrible - fortunately we were seated close to a small flower bed.

Thursday 20

Another lovely day so a cycle ride to the Castle of the Knights built in the 14th century, lunch in same taverna and some chores. They had to be done.

Friday 21

Kos to Symi 

An early start for a six hour trip to Symi and lovely calm sea conditions before more strong winds forecast for next two days.  Symi is lovely.  We are on the town quay at €20 regardless of how many days although electricity and water extra if anyone turns up for payment. Many ferries and day trippers from Rhodes but apparently they disappear in the evening and we have already spotted the recommended seafood restaurant.

Sunday 16 September

Mykonos to Naxos

We were sad to see Matt and Heather leave us soon after 11 a.m. for their flight home and we waited for the wind, which hadn't been forecast, to drop.  By 2 p.m. we decided to stop waiting and head for Naxos about a three hour trip away.  Despite the fact that the wind was behind us the sea was quite agitated and we had an uncomfortable trip, sometimes surfing the waves and other times rolling over them.  We were very glad to see Naxos but in the way of famous last words - when I was fretting about there being somewhere to moor the Captain said 'we haven't been let down yet in Greece' - the harbour was packed. Fortunately a very enthusiastic Harbour Master helped us to raft up against a yacht at the end of the pontoon.  The whole thing went very smoothly until we realised that the anchor hadn't held at all and worse still it had managed to pick up a disused mooring line.  But we had lines going everywhere; on to the yacht and to the end of the pontoon and actually the anchor was holding us very nicely on the mooring line.

Buying bread in Naxos

Monday 17

Naxos to  Amorgos

Naxos town is a very busy port but we really liked it.  It had similar windy narrow streets to Mykonos but nowhere near as trendy and therefore more charming and we would have stayed longer but it was quite hot in the harbour and a bit like being in a goldfish bowl so we decided to move on. 

Amorgos from the boat

We had a lovely smooth five hour trip to Amorgos, a small island south of Naxos and en route to Kos. We decided to drop the anchor in the bay as it was a lovely still evening with a light breeze and we had dinner on board courtesy of Matt & Heather's previously made bolognaise and thought we would have an early night ready for an early start in the morning. But Sequel had a party all on her own and rocked and rolled all night and we were reminded why we prefer to find a town quay.

Tuesday 18

Amorgos to Kos

A long ten hour trip to Kos but safely tucked up in reputedly one of the best marinas in Greece and Turkey is so close it feels like you could reach out and touch it and looking forwards to a good night's sleep.

 

Saturday 15 September

Visit to  Delos - can  you imagine?

We visited Mykonos town for dinner on Friday night - an amazing place full of very narrow streets with white washed buildings everywhere and the well known row of windmills.  Very pretty and absolutely heaving with all ages, nationalities, sexualitiies  etc.  Around the sea front the tavernas were full and noisy so Matt (aka Wally) lead us down a maze of alley ways to find a taverna recommended in the Lonely Planet - think this book may need to change its name as this particular part of the planet was anything but lonely.

Mykonos

On Saturday we decided it was time to seek out some culture again and took a boat trip (seems a bit odd having to visit somewhere on a different boat) to Delos.

The Cyclades, fulfil their collective name (kyklos-circle) by encircling the sacred island of Delos. The  island is one of the most important archaeological sites in Greece and is the mythical birth place of the twins Apollo and Artemis. It was first inhabited in the 3rd millenium BC.

We were accosted as soon as we landed by a Greek guide and along with three other people decided to take her up on her tour of the site but it wasn't long before we decided we wished we hadnt.  She was very knowledgeable but also had a slightly ear-piercing, monotonous delivery. Can you imagine?  We did try to lose her at one stage but she found us. The site is quite run down but nonetheless very impressive and we enjoyed the three hours we spent there (the guided tour lasted a little over an hour). It was also very hot in the sunshine - a typical case of mad dogs and Englishmen.

Ancient Delos

Wednesday 12 September

The (northern) Cyclades - Kea

Finally the wind dropped and after a morning of filling up with water and fuel we left Olymic Marina for Kea, a small island about 15 nautical miles away.  Unfortunately  the sea was still very stirred up after four days of meltemi and it was not particularly comfortable.  However, it was a fairly short trip of about two hours so bearable.  We moored at the town quay in Vourkari which was ideal and within a short walk of a small beach where we were able to have an early evening swim.

Sunset at Kea

For our evening meal  we decided to set off on foot  for  a taverna we had seen advertised cooking typical Greek home food.  We had to walk up a very dark road and just as we were deciding to turn back a woman arrived on a scooter and ushered us along giving us some light for a '10 minute' walk to her restaurant.  She tried to persuade Heather to get on the scooter but Heather wasn't having any of it. We were able to choose our food which was displayed in their kitchen and the whole lot arrived at the same time including Matt's  very evil looking sausage - and it certainly proved to be the next day.  We decided that 'typical Greek home food' was food which could have been cooked about a week ago. The best bit of the whole evening though was the lift the proprietor gave us in her van.  I sat in the front and the others sat on stools and an upturned crate in the back.  

 

Thursday 13

Siros

Siros town square - and Heather scattering pigeons

Had a great trip to Siros with perfect sea conditions. Siros is the capital of the Cyclades and the harbour was quite busy.  We found a great place on the town quay but within less than 5 minutes of tying up a ferry came in, did a 180º turn and sent a wave towards the quay which had us rocking and rolling all over the place.  Within another 5 minutes we had left the town quay for a marina across the harbour which reminded us very much of Trizonia, the graveyard marina. It was an example of what we have experienced a few times now in Greece of projects not being completed and left to decay and possibly a sign of the economic times - or are they just not bothered?

Friday 14

Mykonos

We left Siros this morning despite the fact that a southerly wind this time had been forecast and headed for Mykonos from where Matt & Heather are due to fly home on Sunday.  We have found a mooring in the 'new' marina and, despite the fact that no-one else seems to have any, we have found a supply of electricity and water - for the time being at least.  And for the first time since we arrived in the Greek islands in May it is now overcast and there have been a few spots of rain.  Matt & Heather have gone to the beach anyway and the Captain is having a lovely time washing salt and dust off the boat and playing with the lines.  We intend to head into the town this evening which has quite a reputation for being a very lively spot.

Monday 10 September
Olympic Marina - Lavrion - still

Matt and Heather arrived safely and by 3.30 p.m. on Friday afternoon in time for the wind to really start to pick up and by Sunday it was blowing up to nearly 30knts - force 6/7 gusting 8 - so too windy for us to go anywhere. But the sun is still shining and it is plus 25 degrees.

 

Visited Lavrio on Saturday for a frappé and lunch and on Sunday afternoon Matt & Heather got out the bikes to find a beach, which they did and it helped make up for not being able to go anywhere.

 

Today we decided to visit Athens and the Acropolis and went by taxi to the metro and the metro into the centre -  and then had to stop for coffee before we climbed up to the Acropolis.  Fortunately the wind, although nowhere near as strong, had come with us and made the 29 degrees bearable.  Really pleased we made the effort although I was slightly more in awe of the whole of Athens sprawling around us.  

At the Acropolis

Back on Sequel relaxing and then one more day of wind forecast for tomorrow before we can set off to our first stop on Wednesday which is a small island only 25 nautical miles away called Kea.  

 

Matt and Heather sharing frozen yoghurt.

Friday 07 September

Olympic Marina - Lavrion

Arrived at Athens airport at 8 p.m. Greek time on Wednesday evening and spent the night in the Sofiitel Hotel 50 metres from the exit door of the terminal. It was actually very nice and much better than the last hotel we stayed in before we returned home in June - which wasnt difficult - and possibly the best buffet breakfast I have seen anywhere.  We had the 'express' breakfast which meant orange juice, some bread and croissants and coffee so a little wasted on us.

 

Sequel  back in the water by 11.30 a.m. yesterday  and all appears to be well  so far. Except while we are sitting here relaxing waiting for Matt & Heather to arrive in just over an  hour the wind is already on its way to being a force 5 and is forecast for 6 to 7 near gale, possibly 8 over the weekend and lasting for almost all of next week.  We may have to hire a car and go sightseeing - at least we will have Matt here to organise us otherwise we would probably sit here doing nothing until it stops blowing.  It is still hot and sunny though. Feel  really disappointed for M&H as we had such great plans for all the small islands in between here and Mykonos.  

 

We stocked up on food this morning all the same and went to Effie's very own shop - MyMarket. So  we can always just enjoy the warm sunshine and eat lots.