Even though we'd spent nearly a month in Lefkada in 2009, we hadn't seen much of the interior of the island. This time, we were determined to get beyond Nidri's tourist strip. But first, the "de rigueur" stop at George's Chandlery where, after weeks of searching, we finally find a replacement for our man-overboard pole. If you need something for your boat, drop in to see George. If he doesn't have it, he will find it.



The next order of business is renting a motorbike. We drop in at a rental agency to ask about prices, and the proprietor is looking as glum as an undertaker. He asks what we think about the crisis in Greece, then launches into a torrent of complaints about the economy, the government, and Germany. Like many Greeks, he is worried about the future and angry with the government. His tirade goes on too long and we make our escape. The next day, we rent our motorbike from an agency further down the street.

It's handy to have wheels. We snap on our helmets and head for Lefkas town, where we hoped to find a replacement for our stereo. After 10 years, and a long period where it would alternately play only on the speakers in the cockpit, then only on the speakers in the cabin (but never where we wanted it to) our old Blaupunkt had finally given up the ghost. A bit of searching leads us to a car stereo shop on a back street, where we order a Clarion stereo from a young man named Alex. For an extra 30 euros, Alex will bring the stereo to the boat and install it. Unfortunately, the stereo won't arrive until Wednesday, the day that our friends Donald and Victoria are arriving, but Rick assures me that it won't be a problem. "He'll probably just have to plug it; it should be a quick job".

Happy at the prospect of having music onboard again, we head for the Lidl store to stock up on provisions. Our enthusiasm for the great bargains makes it a little difficult to carry it all on the small bike, but somehow we manage it. Back at the boat, we have bags covering every surface and Rick is defrosting the freezer, stripped down to his underwear to beat the heat, when Roger and Pam (Cap d'Or) drop by to say hello. Obviously we can't invite them in, but we ask them to come back later to have a drink with us. We immediately hit it off, and end the evening with promises to get together again for a rubber of bridge, but our plans are derailed by the storm in Vlicho Bay. Later, we hear that Roger has broken his arm when he was thrown across the cockpit during the storm. Link to Rick's blog posting about the storm

Meanwhile, Finalmente has pulled in, and the next day Ni and Krissy decide to join us for a motorbike tour of the island. Our first stop is Vassiliki, a renowned wind-surfing location on the south of the island. We first head for the ferry dock, where we hope to get information on the schedule for departures to Cephalonia for Donald and Victoria. Finding the ticket office deserted, we have iced coffees at a café on the waterfront and ask the waitress about the ferry. "Umm....is finish" she replies....a dreaded phrase we are well familiar with, having heard it many times before in reference to the supply of cold coffee, a special of the day or our choice of wine at dinner. For a ferry, though, the meaning isn't quite as obvious. Is the ferry finished for the day? For the season? Or forever? Eventually we realize the service has ended for the season, which will be a big disappointment for Donald and Victoria.

Back on the bikes, we head up into the hills and cross toward the northwest side of the island, where Lefkada's most beautiful beaches are located. Our plans change a bit when Ni waves us over and tells us the fuel light on their bike has come on. Surely there will be a fuel station soon. Thankfully, our bike still has half a tank...or does it? A few minutes later, our fuel light comes on too. The bikes are guzzling gasoline on the steep hills, and it is a huge relief when we see a sign pointing the way to a petrol station near Agios Nikitas. At least we're mainly going downhill now, and we're coasting on the fumes when we finally arrive at the station. The owner is also selling large jars of honey, with an amazing flavor. We buy some, planning to bring it back to Nova Scotia, but are unable to resist opening it to eat on our toast the next morning.

At Agios Nikitas, we walk through the pretty cobblestone village and have lunch at a fish taverna with a view of the beach.







Rick looks out over the water and wonders if he can see Corfu in the distance. It's a dream location, and although we linger at our table for over an hour, we cannot possibly eat all the food we are served. Before we leave, the waiter takes us behind the counter to see a photo of an angry sea on the beach during a winter storm. Although lovely in summer, it must be very bleak here in January.

Now we are off to Karya, a mountain village near Lefkada. We follow a sign to the Folklore museum, where an elderly man is sitting outside with an elderly dog. They greet us eagerly, and although we hadn't fully decided to go inside, we quickly realize that we will cause great disappointment if we do not. The elderly man is Theodoris Karapodis, a former folk dancer and the driving force behind the creation of the museum, which is located in his family home. He speaks little English, but walks us from room to room, giving us a snapshot of rural Greek life.



One unique piece is a dowry letter from the year 1765, in which a father, on behalf of himself and his dead wife, permits his daughter Angeliki to marry Kostaki, to "take care of him day and night". Many of the displays in the museum feature the embroidery of Maria Koutsochero, a one-armed woman who created a type of embroidery unique to Lefkada and established a school to teach the village girls the technique. We can't imagine how anyone can embroider with only one arm, but Theodoris gives Krissy and me a lesson and it all becomes clear.



As we leave, we pass a table where samples of the embroidery, made by Theodoris' sister, are on display. Krissy and I buy small handkerchiefs at a shockingly steep price, but we remind ourselves that embroidering with only one hand is very time consuming!

The Karya village square seems a world away from the tourist bustle of Nidri. A massive plane trees shades the large courtyard where old men sit drinking coffee. Most of the seats are empty-perhaps because it is late afternoon, or perhaps because the tourist season is winding to a close.



An old woman dressed in traditional black shops for groceries, and as I furtively snap a picture I realize that we are observing a way of life and style of dressing that likely will not exist in 20 years' time.



We wonder why the women never seem to be with their husbands in the coffee shops, but as we drive out of town we see a group of women, gathered at a table in the shady courtyard of a small house.

On the steep ride downhill to Nidri, the white-knuckle switchbacks and the views from the look-offs are breathtaking. As we snap this photo of Vlicho bay, we have no idea that this will later serve as our image of "the calm before the storm." Three days later, we will be hit by hurricane-force winds while lying at anchor here.



It is twilight when we arrive at the crossroad to Nidri at the bottom of the mountain. After only one day of exploring, it's clear why Lefkada is considered to be one of Greece's most beautiful islands.