Before you read this week’s blog, we’d like to remind you that our new book comes out later this week (Thursday 4th June). There are more details on the home page, but here’s a link to the publisher’s website if anyone would like to preorder it at the special offer price!
We’re super-excited about this little book, and there will be a launch event at The Secret Bookshelf in Carrickfergus in late July (details to follow).
We are making our way up to Corfu from Meganissi to collect our new crew member, our eldest daughter, Katrina. She is starting a new job and we suggested to her that she delay her start date by a week, so that she could visit us in Greece. She did not take much persuasion!
It was two days sailing to Corfu, so, as Kerry mentioned, we stopped for a wee break at Lakka Bay on the island on Paxos, just south of Corfu Island. We were ‘checking it out’ for Katrina and ‘testing the food’. Several taverna meals later and a few posh seafront coffees later we decided that everything was well up to standard and should meet with her satisfaction. We then upped anchor and headed to Corfu town itself.
The forecast was for strong winds, but in the right direction for a change, so as soon as we got out of the bay we hosted sail. OK, we are a bit rusty and the sea here has a big swell that can build up all the way from Italy. I’d made sure that our nice, new electric oven was all tied down, but we had forgotten a few other things that soon started to bounce and rattle around down below. We’d also forgotten our lifejackets and Kerry had to risk going below in the turmoil to dig them out.
It took about five hours to get to Corfu town, but once we got into the shelter of the island the swell settled down and we had about three hours of pleasant, downwind sailing under genoa. We had booked into Mandraki Port, while is part of a historic fort that dominates the town. It’s a very dramatic location, but a big climb from the port into town. Although the port is sheltered, there are large ferries passing close by and you need to be alert to their wash or you get your feet (and even shorts, in my case) wet if you are standing on the quay and not paying attention.
The other downside of Mandraki is that it’s a bows-to mooring, which means having the front of the boat towards the quay. You pretty much risk life and limb every time to get on or off the boat from our high bow, along our steep, narrow, wobbly gangplank.
That evening we felt that we had to test more food, so we caught the bus to a taverna called Zorbas, which is infamous for it’s portion sizes and a mixed grill that no one can finish. We had been there two years ago with our son Patrick, but we needed to check it out again, just in case the standards had dropped; they hadn’t. Kerry ordered the pork chop (again) and once again it overlapped her very large plate. She did not get close to finishing it and she loves pork chops! Not sure what a Greek pig looks like, but they must be close to the size of an elephant.
The next day, Sunday, we met Katrina at the airport. It was a very short bus ride away. She had been ‘on the go’ since about 2 am, but looked to be coping well with the early start. Since she had a very large bag (mostly stuff we had asked her to bring), we got a taxi to the old fort. Although it’s a big tourist attraction and very busy at the weekend the taxi driver thought nothing of driving all the way though the fort (the ticket booth had to raise the barrier specially for him), past crowds of tourists, dropping us off right at the port.
We spent a lovely afternoon exploring Corfu old town, with narrow streets and endless tourist shops. We visited the church of Saint Spyridon, where I got scammed for €2 from a lovely Greek woman who convinced me that there was an entrance fee to the church. A fee which varied, depending on how much money you produced.
We were tired out by the evening so went to the Mandraki Sailing Club restaurant, just next to Barberry. They specialise in fish (as do most of the tavernas!) which keeps Katrina very happy. The next day, Monday, we had an early start and headed all the way back to Lakka Bay. We were under engine as the wind was light, so Katrina did not get the invigorating sail that she yearned for. To be honest we don’t sail much in Greece, not that we don’t want to. It’s just that the weather is fickle here and by Sod’s Law it’s nearly always too light, too strong or in the wrong direction.
We decided to go on Monday as the wind was too strong on Tuesday and Wednesday. So much so that we were nervous about anchoring, but Lakka looked well protected from the forecast wind direction. We had a lovely swim when we arrived. The sea colour in Lakka is an amazing turquoise, although a little chilly in Katrina’s opinion. She took a while to get in. We took Katrina to our favourite restaurant in Lakka that evening, Alexandros. This is family run, with a brother and sister serving the tables. We felt very welcome there and the food was great.
We loved the chocolate biscuit cake, which we believe is made to the same recipe as the late Queen’s favourite; perhaps because Prince Philip was from Corfu? They always like to give us something ‘on the house’ and this time it was an amazing liquor called Pelargonium Graveolens. This was made from geraniums, and had the strangest, perfumed flavour ever.
Tuesday was the day the big winds were forecast, so we made the decision to lift anchor and moor on the little town quay. Maybe this was a mistake and we would have survived better at anchor, but a least on the quay we were in easy reach of the luxuries of shore (shops, tavernas, cafes, showers, toilets). We tied up next to a giant catamaran, thinking that it would maybe give us a bit of shelter. We were wrong. As the wind got up it started to move towards us and literally squash us against the boat on the other side. We were sandwiched! There was no-one on the catamaran so Kerry tried to phone their charter company, without much luck. Their boat was now starting to receive damage as it was hitting the concrete quay. Their anchor was dragging and not holding them securely. A common issue when not enough chain is put out. We have 30m out. The crew on the other side of the sandwich had 50m out (the skipper had 45 years experience!). We had no idea how much the catamaran had out, but obviously not enough.
Just when we thought things could not get any worse, another big catamaran broke free of its anchor out in the bay (there were 30 knot gusts now) and was blown towards the quay, landing right on top of the already stricken catamaran. Neither had crew, but action needed to be taken. Fortunately a greek local in his speed boat did the heroic thing and jumped in the second catamaran (the one on top of the pile), managed to start the engine and took it out into the bay to re-anchor. When he raised the anchor there was a large tree branch attached. No wonder it dragged!
One catamaran down, but the other still being a hazard. The crew eventually turned up (I think Kerry may have had success contacting the charter company to alert them). They were clearly worse for wear and had taken several too many. This did not stop their enthusiasm though. They jumped to action, revving the engine and untying lines. Nothing they did seemed to make sense though. It was worse than the worst seamanship ever. These people did not know what to do, which is okay in itself, but they also fully lacked common sense and furthermore, they were intoxicated. We were getting really stressed and could not communicate as they seemed to only speak some unidentified language.
They eventually got their anchor reset, but had to go out and in from the quay a few times to do it. By some random fluke they ended up back on the quay but then tied lines in the strangest way. We were very unsettled by this point and did not want the leave Barberry. Our stomachs got the better of us though and we sought food at the nearest taverna. We took turns to go back and check Barberry every few minutes, but fortunately all was fine. The wind did not drop until after 1am though, so we did not have a great night’s sleep.
Kerry will pick up the tale again, as we experience a second day of strong winds, but try not to let it lessen our zest for adventure.