Simon and Noelia cooling off.

July 3rd saw Di celebrate a significant birthday and we were thrilled that Simon and his girlfriend Noelia arrived on the day to help celebrate and sail with us for nearly a week. We left the marina in Ayvalik and spent the next 4 days sailing further north as far as Baba Kale which is only about 60kms south of the Dardanelles. We had a couple of good days sailing with settled weather and gentle northerlies. Our guests enjoyed swimming, exploring in the dinghy and cycling the hilly terrain around Baba Kale. We also took the opportunity to sample some more local cuisine in the little villages beyond Ayvalik which can sometimes be a challenge with our limited Turkish, it's amazing what gets lost in translation! Simon and Noelia left for Lesvos this morning which is a large Greek Island just a 3 hr ferry ride from Ayvalik where they will spend a few days before flying out of Istanbul. We plan to put the boat in the marina on Tuesday and take a bus trip to Cannakale for two days and tour the sites of Galipolli.