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Oinoussa: Skala Loutron was at its prettiest in the early morning haze as we sailed out and headed for Oinoussa, a tiny island between N Chios and Turkish coast. Expecting strong winds, we were disappointed to have to motor at first. Approaching land the winds picked up as usual and we had a fast and exciting sail into the Oinoussa channel - followed by a large ferry which kindly stood off so we could turn into calmer, safe waters.
Mandraki harbour on Oinoussa is sheltered and very pretty, lined by colourful boats and with blue water clear enough for swimming. There is an assortment of large, somewhat dilapidated mansions that once were the homes of ships captains, with many now in the throes of restoration. We anchored in the lee of the offlying island that protects the harbour - a little too close for the seabirds who were feeding their demanding young, they screeched at us and circled the boat for a long time!!! (...no direct hits tho'!). There is a grand-looking merchant marine academy and also a very good nautical museum with a priceless collection of model boats and pictures donated by founder Antonis Lemos, a shipping baron.

Chios: The first serious blow of the meltemi was due, so after a couple of days on Oinoussa we sailed slowly over to Chios under just the yankee (front sail). Chios marina is yet another unfinished marina with no water or facilities - but sheltered and free to tie up (between the old ferries that lie abandoned and fishing boats). The meltemi was blowing a hoolie whilst we were there but gave us no problems - just a nice breeze to cool us down (temperatures by now are soaring to 34C in the afternoons!). We moored on the breakwater close to the entrance and the water was clean enough to swim and cool off in, in fact we could swim over to a nearby beach from the boat.

A German single-handed sailor arrived and moored behind us and we became firm friends. Ulf has circumnavigated the world twice and is an avid football fan. He showed us a photo of a 'great Englishman' that he had watched the England/Germany game with in Bulgaria, and to our surprise it was Clive from the yacht 'Jane G', friends from Finike!! Small world!!
Again we were invited to watch more football with Ulf, so we gathered at a local taverna with a group of German, French and Greeks and watched Germany's defeat - poor Ulf! We also saw the final with them - more football than we've ever watched!! ...but it was good fun and we sank a few beers and ouzos!!

We hired a car on Chios and explored first the south of the island then the north. One highlight was the striking fortified village of Pyrgi, where the houses are decorated in a unique ancient style called 'xysta' - intricate grey and white patterns, many geometric but also some based on flowers, leaves and animals. We wandered through the vaulted narrow streets marvelling at the patterns and taking lots of photos. On a house near the square there is a small plaque claiming that Christopher Columbus lived there and was Chios-born, not Italian!! So many countries claim him as their own!
The next village to Pyrgi, Mesta, is like a mini traffic-free Rhodes with thick defensive walls and picturesque narrow cobbled streets and alleyways shaded by intricate flower strewn balconies. We shared a delicious Greek salad in the main square before continuing our tour of the beautiful verdant hills. South Chios is the only place where mastic (a kind of gum) trees grow. There is a burgeoning tourist trade involving Masticulture, and the mastic is reputed to have all sorts of health-giving properties.
The north of Chios is mountainous and provided stunning vistas as we wound up and down steep winding hills. We stopped on the outskirts of the hillside village of Amades where lots of cars were parked, and walked in toward a hubbub of voices and chanting. In the village square, tables and chairs were set out next to the church under a spreading tree and we enquired what the occasion was. A friendly local told us that it was the local churchs' saints day, and asked would we like to stay and join them in their feast? Hard decision!! ...so we stayed and were seated with an English-speaking ex-sea captain, Matthew, and treated to salad followed by goat, rice and chips! It was tasty, plentiful and well organised and Matthew told us that many of the people present came from other villages for the feast day! He himself came from a nearby village and often travels to other saints' days to join in on the fun! We were made to feel very welcome and really enjoyed our lunch, ....and before we left we were careful to make a small donation to the church by way of thanks.
The far north of the island is rugged and wild; in a remote spot the road overlooked a bay with blue water and a white beach so we drove down a signposted concrete track to take a look. The road soon ended abruptly and as we were unable to turn around we had to drive over rocks down to the beach hoping not to damage the car! Two other cars had ventured down there and there was a family enjoying the beach almost to themselves - a lovely spot if a little difficult to access! We used the car to do a Lidl run and also to ferry enough water in containers to replenish our tanks before returning it, so it had been very useful as well as fun.
A large catamaran sporting a NZ flag arrived in the marina and we soon got chatting to its crew. Bruce and Lesley owned 'Midi' and had two couples aboard visiting from NZ. They invited us for drinks one evening. Wow! What a lot of space on that Cat! It's like a flat with a patio!! ...and such great people! They are heading north to the islands that we've visited so we swapped anchorage tips along with some books, and vowed return sundowners should we meet again!

The strong wind was set to abate for a while (after 10 days!) so we set a course for Samos, 65 miles to the south, and set off at first light, initially encountering little wind. We motored for a while then a zephyr of a breeze sprang up so we quickly pulled out the sails and goose-winged (one sail out each side of the boat) downwind for much of the 11-hour trip. Samos is well known for its strong gusts off the high ground and despite reefing the sails in as we approached it was still a very bumpy and blowy ride around the east end of the island, so we were relieved to drop anchor once again in Posidonion. We had anchored here 3 months ago in early May and had the place to ourselves, now there were 5 yachts at anchor and the water temperature 10 degrees warmer at 29C!!!

Only a week to go before we fly back to the UK for a few weeks, so it was good to be in such a lovely anchorage just a few miles from Samos marina where we will leave the boat. There is little on shore - just a cafe, taverna and some holiday apartments, the water is warm blue and clear, and the scenery terrific - a lovely bay and great views across to the mountains of Turkey!

Whilst enjoying a morning coffee ashore we met Tom and Anne from the Scottish flagged ketch 'Alba Voyager'; they were also taking time out before they met friends later that week. We invited them for sundowners and looked forward to an evening swapping cruising notes and stories. In the afternoon we were delighted to see the ketch 'Birvidik' - Bob and Liz, friends from Finike come in and anchor closeby, so that made six for sundowners! We spent a great evening and met up again next evening aboard Alba Voyager for a return bout! Friday night was 'Greek Night' at the taverna so after an aperitif on Birvidik we all went ashore for dinner. It was good fun and we were entertained by Captain Ioannis and his crew from a tripper boat performing traditional Greek dance, singing and plate-smashing! After that social whirl we bade goodbye to the others as they left, and made our way around to Pythagorian, only a mile from the marina. This is our last night at anchor and we will tie up tomorrow and pack up the boat, put it to bed, and empty the cupboards before flying back to the UK on 23rdJuly. We look forward to the cool of the UK as it is VERY hot here now (34C in the boat as I write) and difficult to keep cool. ...but a brilliant seasons sailing so far!!