Monomvasia and beyond
07 August 2011 | Today, Kalamaki Marina, Athens
Same as always
Having said our fond farewells to Peter and Renata on Kithera Wednesday we proceeded up the west coast of Peloponisis to Monomvasia. This is a unique place as you can see from the picture of the city. It is an Island with shear faces all around. The city was built as a fortress completely walled in to protect from marauding pirates. There is a causeway linking the Island to the mainland now but in ancient times it wasn’t there of course. There is only one entrance through the wall and cars are too large to get in and the “streets” are too narrow for even one car. Things are moved in and out today by wheel barrow and manpower. Most of the city has been restored and is in excellent condition. The modern city is on the mainland where the Marina we stayed in is also located.
Since we arrived there on a Wednesday we decided to stay until Saturday morning. The logic here is that our eventual destination of Athens Kalamaki Marina is a big charter boat base and Saturdays are when the boats return to be cleaned and boarded by the next week’s charterers. Then typically, on Sunday they leave for their week or two cruise. So starting on Sunday there are lots of open spaces in the Marina.
We left Monomvasia and motored north against the prevailing winds stopping to anchor in the bay at Ermioni on the coast. Dinner onboard and a few rousing games of Dominos, some sleep, and an early start toward Athens was the order of the day. Oh, and a refreshing swim with water temperatures at a pleasant 32.4C.
We are now bedded down in Kalamaki and tomorrow we start the works, shopping, laundry, and a wash down of the boat which is currently encrusted in salt from too long a time without a bath!
From here we head west, one days sail to the entrance of the Corinth Canal. More about that when it happens.
Cris is in her glory since we have unlimited water, and most of all 220 electricity to run things like hair dryers and curling irons that just don’t measure up on 12 Volt power.
Likely as not we won’t make another blog entry for a week now, as we will be in one place and just doing boring maintenance things. So look for more after a week.