Greek waters Pilot by Rod and Lucinda Heikell (aka "the Book")is a travel guide that we use to figure out where to go with the boat. It shows us where to anchor or tie up and a few notes about what the port is like. We also use some programs and websites that have notes from people that travelled through before. The book gives a paragraph, a drawing and maybe a picture of each port. Methoni was a port that didn't fit into the itinerary, but we ended up making good time and decided to go a little further. We had a cursory look at where to anchor and none of the details, so we were surprised when a large Venetian fort came into view. Colleen said it was straight out of her romance novels. It was no Diagon alley and had closed for the night so we did a walk around the perimeter and enjoyed a sunset over the ramparts.
Katakolo only served to cement Colleen's deep abiding hatred and mistrust in med mooring. We managed to drop anchor, backup successfully, the helpful Greek guy patiently took the lines from Colleen, and we med moored. We were backed up to a large parking lot that pre covid served as a an area for buses that were taking passengers from the cruise ships on tour. Unbeknownst to us, the large parking lot also serves as a gathering spot for local hoodlums with souped up cars. Picture Fast & Furious with Tokyo drift maneuvers going on. We were basking in the glory of a successful med moor and eying the local tavernas for dinner when the first group of little cars pulled up a few feet from the stern of our boat and started revving their engines and backfiring. They quickly multiplied into a large group, revving, smoking, drinking, and backfiring. Once they reached a critical mass they all hopped in their cars and thankfully roared to the other side of the parking lot. From a distance it was a lot less stressful and actually good fun to see them doing donuts, drag racing, lighting flares, and cheering each other on.
"The book" describes Killini as a dusty little place. For us it was the best best place to meet up with Brielle our daughter. One of the guides recommended a taverna with Home cooking and it was great, they served greens like Tennessee greens and roast beef that melts in your mouth. Brielle ended up coming in at 2 am and found us tied amongst the fishing and work boats. While we waited for her the local dock cats kept hopping on the boat and exploring around the deck, you can definitely see how you could get a stowaway. It was great to see Brielle, she brought us some extra gear and parts that we had ordered from Amazon that we could not get here, so it was a lot like Christmas. She had come from Los Angeles through Munich and Corfu to Athens, then a 4 hour drive.
The next morning when we cast off and we let Brielle sleep in. She ended up waking up in the island of Zakinthos later that afternoon. She popped out of her bunk and led us on a forced march straight up the cliff that surrounded the city. That night we sat in a a cafe that straddled the sidewalk, half the tables were near the building the other half near the road. The sidewalk cut through the middle and the waiters carried trays around strollers and groups of people passing through, there was a constant stream of people going by. After being in the relative backwaters of Greece, Zakinthos was very cosmopolitan. The people were all dressed like they were going clubbing with short dresses, strapped high heels, white shirts and gold chains. Our waiter was like sugar water to bees, the girls would all saunter by and give him a hug, a knowing caress on the arm, making plans to meet up later. Peter and I faced the parade, and Brielle would laugh as our faces betrayed what was going on behind her. Oh yeah, the lamb in the oven I had was delicious, with roasted potatoes. We rented a car and drove around the island, Brielle made a route that had us see every beach. We stopped at one that had sulfur in it, and Peter of course had to wear out the fart jokes as we descended from the cliff down to the beach. The water felt great and we all smelled like egg salad, but were invigorated by its restorative powers. We sped past a winery in the middle of the island, and ended up backing up, as Brielle who has a well trained eye for wineries, declared this one as good. The powers of winery divination are powerful with this one. The olive tree in the courtyard was over 500 years old. Later I saw other trees that were even wider. You realize that the trees were not really owned just tended to by different farmers over the centuries. The winery "Ktima Gouma" was delicious, except for a smoked rose that tasted like a camp out.
The top of Zakinthos has a harbor that is the poster child for Greek tourism. A rusty old ship wreck on a white beach with cliff walls that are so vertical they seem to tilt in a bit. It was beautiful, but once checked off the list not a redo, I would much rather spend a day in the sulfur beach.
We find ourselves now on the Island of Kefalonia awaiting the arrival of Andrew, Brielle's boyfriend. We are in the little harbor of Agi Evfimia having pounded against a heavy wind that ran directly at us the whole way. We rented a car & with Brielle's navigational skills I (Colleen) managed to handle the hair pin turns, vertical inclines & drops in a manual car & feeling quite proud that maybe next time I could join the group of young fast & furious driver's and show them my skills.
Next stop Ithaca, probably, which is just across the strait. It is supposedly the Island described in Homer's book the Odyssey. I have been reading up on all of it, and there is much debate by the experts. The debate is interesting either way. I am excited, but I am sure Peter and Brielle are getting tired of me talking about Homers book.