We have escaped the windy Cyclade islands and after a seven-hour sail, we arrived at the eastern side of the Peloponnese.

Our last night in Serifos was lovely. We had a sensational seafood dinner of fish, shrimp, scampi, muscles and octopus with a fresh salad. Probably our best meal so far. We are enjoying the healthy Mediterranean diet, with lots of fresh fruit and vegetables and seafood.





The Peloponnese is a peninsula located at the southern tip of mainland Greece and is separated from the rest of the mainland by the Corinth canal. The Peloponnese has an indented coastline, so there are lots of bays and anchorages for us to explore. We have had several nights anchored in bays with crystal clear water, often having the bay all to ourselves, once the day-trip boats leave about 4pm. We expected this area to be very busy, due to the proximity to Athens, but this has not been the case. On the weekends there are lots of small boats out for a day-trip but during the week it has been quiet. We are doing lots of swimming, which is good exercise but also helps us keep cool.

We visited the town of Astros, mooring in the town harbour. Astros is a fishing village and tourist resort, although not very busy compared to some of the islands. It is a charming Greek village. High above the town is a Medieval castle. We walked up the hill to the castle in the morning, before it got too hot, (temperatures are currently in the low to mid 30s). The view from the castle was worth the climb. We could see the town and harbour as well as the surrounding farm land and orchards. The area is noted for its peaches.









The second day in Astros, the clouds were building up during the day, which resulted in a large thunderstorm later in the afternoon. The sky become very black, we had strong winds for about half an hour and very heavy rain, which gave SCII a good wash.

We are currently anchored off the town of Khaidhari in a very protected and enclosed bay. The bay is spectacular, as it is surrounded by large cliffs. The town is a holiday resort with fish tavernas lining the shore. Yesterday we took the dingey ashore and had a seafood lunch at one of the tavernas. We had fresh shrimp, a small bream and salad for lunch. Being Sunday lunch, it was quite busy, with lots of locals. Most of the local wore their bathers to the restaurant and went for a swim before their meal and in between courses. Some even sat in the water with a glass of wine or beer, a lovely way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Not having worn our bathers to the restaurant, we had to wait until we got back to SCII for our swim.







Thank you to everyone for your comments on the blog and Facebook. In response to some of your questions, here are our answers.

Life jackets - Yes, in some of the videos we are wearing life jackets. We tend to wear lifejackets when the wind is strong (over 20 knots) or the sea state is rough. Especially if going up to the mast, to bring in the main sail, Glenn will use the lines on the lifejacket to tether himself to the boat. If the weather is calm, we are well protected in the cockpit area, so tend not to use them.

The empty plate in front of Glenn in the last post - had contained dolmades (stuffed vine leaves) and yes they were delicious.

Fishing - yes, we have tried to catch fish but with no luck. We often tow a lure if motoring but despite seeing fish jump in the water, we have not been able to catch anything. Most of the fish in restaurants here is farmed, the locals tend to catch very small (whitebait like) fish.

Time on SCII - This year we will spend about 5 months on SCII. We will be lifting her out of the water in mid-August at the Greek island of Aegina where she will stay until April next year. We will have two weeks in Bulgaria before flying home at the end of August.