From the Corinth canal
Our next anchorage was the village of Galaxidhi, still on the northern coast of the mainland. This place was once a thriving boat building site in the 18th and 19th centuries launching 15 to 20 boats a year. We visited the nautical museum with one of the biggest collection of paintings of commercial sailing boats and naval persuits of the people for 5 thousand years, together with its historical artifacts including carved wooden figureheads from that era. Well worth the visit and we could have spent more time there but they wanted to close so we were hurried along a bit. Along the quay and in the bay there were 4 Australian yachts. Some stay here and get used each summer but one has plans to sail back to Aus. The place to be if you are young was the beach????bar. Had everything, change cubicles, showers, tables, chairs, umbrellas, food and drink....the only thing missing was the beach. Set on the rocks with steps set into them the whole edge was the launch pad for the swimmers. Oh I forgot to mention they have music...very loud music when it is 3am and we were anchored off, not tied up to the quay, and could hear it very well.
We had thought to visit Delphi from here but everyone decided they were ruined out and we have Italy yet to come so with nothing further to see locally we headed off next morning with no wind, flat seas for the trip to Nisis Trizonia which is a small island off the coastal town of Glifadha. It started raining along the way turning into heavier showers on arrival and the lures had a good wash again along the way.
We had the usual trip ashore to check out the local scene and from our side we thought this would be a quick visit. Walked thru' a lane way into very busy tavernas and bars on the other side. Across the water is the mainland with the water taxi doing a very good trade coming and going the short distance. Swimmers and sun bathers fit where ever and lay out on the pebbles. Liz thinks there must be some therapeutic benifit ( like the hot stones in the spas at home) but these must be uncomfortable. They all enjoy themselves and we can see some traits like ours.......loving the water, food and drink. We returned to the boat in time to shut up for the thunderstorm that opened the sky. It didn't last long so we all showered and headed back ashore for dinner. We had a very pleasant evening and again just got back to the boat when the rain and thunder started again. Something about hearing the rain on the roof and as a bonus we were having a wash down of the outside. We have had a couple of tremours through the boat which had us baffled but Glen gave his experience as being when the thunder clapped. No one else around us seemed to be aware of it so we aren't sure if Glen is correct or we have a gremlin or two hiding on the boat.
Early start the next morning planning to go to Missalonghi which is on the mainland but in the gulf of Patras, we are still in the Gulf of Corinth. A change of plan had us anchor off the beach at Navpaktos. There is a harbour here a medieval one and much too small for anything other than small boats. The harbour is bordered by plane trees and was the first line of defence with 5 more levels up to the Venetian castle. It is said that the medieval harbour and castle are the best examples of their type in the Mediterrean. So we decided to walkup to the top, starting on cobbled roads and lanes until we found ourselves on a real road. It was really worth the climb and was open, free of charge and a wonderful place to visit. It has been made into a park are with the walls , turrets and fortress tops mostly intact. In the 17th century the Turks were in control and used the town to refit for the battle of Lepanto (its name back then).. Poor Turks lost.
Lunch was of course a gyros and Gary and Glen had draught beer in cold frosted 600ml mugs. They had eyed them off previously thinking how good the cooold mugs looked. They tasted as good as they looked. Next some provisioning next so Liz and I set off to the supermarket and Glen and Gary brought the dinghy from the harbour to the beach??? so we didn't have to carry so far.
We met a couple of young men on a small yacht in the harbour and they wanted to know where we had been and of course we wanted to pick their brains as they had come from Corfu...just where we are headed eventually. So we invited them over and they called on their way out to Trizonia. Nice young blokes!!!!
Very rolly night with the wind moving around but we were up and at the day ready for the move into the Gulf of Patras under the Rion - Andirion bridge. The gulf of Corinth is 60 miles from the canal to the bridge.The bridge spans a narrow strait only a mile wide, which was once known as 'little Dardanelles'. Started in 1999 and finished 2004 ( those Olympics were responsible for some infrastructure) it is quite impressive. You have to call up Rion traffic for permission to pass, then dodge the car ferries going back and forth. Glen surmised and we all tend to agree that the toll for the bridge maybe so high it is cheaper to take your car across by ferry.
We had a good easterly wind so we change our mind again to take advantage of the wind and go to the island of Ithaca. After 4 hours of great sailing the wind died and we put up the spinnaker....doesn't set correctly but we had some usefull progress with it up. Wind change and now of course it is on the nose and together with other boats we are now motoring our way around the Med.