Freya & Us

Evdhilos is a fishing village on the north coast of Ikaria. It has a huge harbour wall for such a small place, almost hiding it from the sea, to stop the meltemi but it was very calm while we were there. We stayed 2 nights and really enjoyed exploring the steep village streets and views as well as the tavernas around the quay. We had a bit of an adventure in the dinghy. Firstly, the beach we thought we'd paddle to was much further than it looked and secondly the wind blew up just after we left blowing us back making it very hard work! But we got there had a swim and at least the wind would be the right way to help going back....... while relaxing on the beach it suddenly became cloudy and then windy. We thought it was time to head back and, of course, the wind changed direction making the return journey even harder - I even have a blister to prove it!

There were some strong southerly winds forecast and so we needed to find somewhere with more shelter. We went to Agios Kirikos, Ikaria's capital on the south coast which has an unadopted marina which is, although south facing very sheltered. We usually moan about motoring but on this occasion the journey around the island was spectacular. The sea was glassy still and the coastline like something from The Lost World - so steep and rugged with deep gorges down to the sea. Lovely. We've been to the marina before and so knew what to expect. Except it wasn't, there was a huge, 40m, super yacht in the corner using lots of the spaces so that it was almost full. It also blocked any air behind the sea wall making it stiflingly hot and uncomfortable. A French boat followed us in and as we'd taken the last place struggled to find a spot and then complained very loudly about the way other boats were moored. Plus a guy came around asking for money for the sailing school, as the marina was free perhaps we could pay him! We had no idea whether he was genuine. All in all it didn't have the same feel but a wander around town and a visit to a taverna until the sun went down and the marina was cooler made us feel better.

The winds were a little late arriving and weren't too much of a problem but the huge sea that came with them was impressive. We'd read that there were hot springs on a beach 2 km west of Kirikos and so after a visit to the supermarket and coffee we went to find them. The 2 km was more like 2 miles but it was a lovely walk along the coast road and we eventually found a small blue and white sign pointing down to a rocky beach. We found an area in the rocks that had orange deposits and was a little damp but no heat - very disappointing! We walked back and found a beautiful beach with comfy rocks where we sat for ages watching the waves crash on the rocks. We had to move a few times as the sea nearly caught us until we thought we should get back and check on Freya. She was fine, just a little rocky in the marina but as the evening progressed the waves were started splashing over the 5m wall we were hiding behind. The noise of them crashing on the rocks behind the wall was a bit scary. By morning the wind had died down but the sea still looked somewhat uncomfortable!

Kirikos has a proper launderette! Amazing the things that excite live-aboard yachties. We washed all the blankets and cushion overs, very satisfying, if a bit sad! We've walked east along the coast to Thermi before and it's a stunning walk and so we did it again. Thermi is a bit strange with it's various hot spring bath houses and huge derelict spa hotel but also quaint and has a sandy beach where you can swim in and out of hot water. A glass of wine in our favourite bar (with a view, of course!) and a souvlaki dinner completed our stay.

In the morning we had a gentle sail the 9 miles to Nisos Thimainia. A tiny island with a real Greek fishing village. It was so peaceful - apart from the shouting! No one seems to need a mobile here as they just shout from one end of the village to the other! Very strange. We went ashore in the afternoon and walked through the village. Not the prettiest and not designed for tourists but nevertheless interesting. Walking up to the road we climbed hundreds of steep exhausting steps and then walked to a church on the end of the island for spectacular views of this and the neighbouring island of Fournoi plus Ikaria and Patmos in the distance even though it was a grey day. We felt we'd earned our ice-cream in the small bar on our way back. A lovely peaceful evening onboard, apart from the shouting, and a peaceful night.

Next stop Fournoi just 2 or 3 miles away depending which anchorage we chose. Fournoi town itself didn't look good with very little space on the quay, poor holding and very deep. The wind was forecast to change direction overnight eliminating the next closest anchorage. We headed for the next option 3 miles away - a lovely motor through the islands. But when we arrived we realised it was too deep to anchor anywhere that would provide the necessary shelter. The next bay looked possible and so we tucked into the corner. We wanted to visit Fournoi town but this was now quite a distance away and, we could see, would be a very steep walk! The dinghy would be the only way and so off we went with our recently repaired 2.5 hp outboard, very slowly, on the 2 mile journey which took 25 minutes (each way) but no problems. The town was smaller than we expected but very pleasant although it didn't take long to explore. We were hoping to fill our petrol can for the long journey back but the petrol station was a mile out of town up the steep hills! We thought maybe a taxi which was just as well as we discovered we would have found the petrol station closed at 1.00 pm if we'd walked! We had a lovely lunch and headed back getting soaked on the way as the seas had picked up and thankfully without running out of petrol!

The swell was working its way into the bay and it looked as if we would have had a rocky night and so we decided to move on to Patmos 20 miles due south. We left the bay with Paul quickly putting a route on the plotter - although we could see the island. Patmos is a group of small islands and rocks and so we needed a plan. Once in the right direction we had a lovely sail arriving just before sunset. It was very windy though and the first few anchorages we looked at looked very uncomfortable until we found Meloyi bay which was flat and sheltered. We had a lovely evening with the almost full moon shining over the sea and Pink Floyd playing in the background. It had been a very strange day with our plans changing all the time!