National Parks – Sailing Azure Seas

Kos and the Castle of Neratzia

On Tuesday, we left Kalymnos and motored right over to Kos. You could see the island from our spot on the Town Quay and as soon as we sailed out of the harbour we saw several islands and Turkey. There is a small barren island just a stones’ throw from Turkey and both Greece and Turkey have their large flags facing each other.

We wandered the streets of Kos Town less than a kilometer from Kos Marina, which we think is one of the best marinas in Greece. Certainly it has the nicest showers, which is a very important criteria.

On Wednesday morning, Kate and Mike Rider, friends from Noosa, came into Kos on a cruise ship and visited us on Mercier. We were able to sit and chat, in a beautifully cool breeze and sip our coffees. Mike is always a useful font of Beneteau knowledge and we appreciate his advice.

Gaila and Kate at the Fortress of St John, Kos — Gaila and Kate at the Agora, Kos

We stopped for lunch at H20 on the way to visit Hippocrates’ Plane Tree, the Agora and the Castle of Neratzia, which is full of ruins from the Knights of St John, as well as Turks, on the foundations of an ancient city. The castle is mirrored on the Turkish Coast by the Halikarnassos Castle, so the Knights of St John could control the Straits between Greece and Turkey.

Mike and James exploring the exterior of the Keep. Looking at the Port of Mandraki

We scrambled over and through both keeps and into tunnels, looking at antiquities, Turkish writing carved into plinths and many heralds over the tops of arches and upper walls.

Kate and James watching Mike disappear into a tunnel

Neratzia is the Greek word for ‘Bitter Orange” according to one website but we only saw capers and pomegranates growing and of course the beautiful views.

At long last, a blog post

We have been travelling for a month and first we were so busy with friends and family in the States, we didn’t blog. Recently, when we tried to blog, WordPress was having problems. Today we have had the information and time to get back on track.

We arrived in Dubrovnik on the 30th April to the news to Mercier was going to be held up in getting back into the water. Up to ten days was the likely new timetable, but luckily there were some Poms who were desperate to get their boat into the water and they persuaded ACI to get both yachts into the water on Sunday, when they wouldn’t be working on the hard stand. They literally had to dig a channel out with the bobcat, so Mercier could motor through.

Second attempt at excavating, after we touched on initial launch

We had a few days to get organised and then we left for a night at Calypso’s in Polace on Miljet and over to Ubli on the island of Lastovo, where we checked out of Croatia and sailed across to Vieste, Italy on Wednesday.

The island of Lastovo is one of the most westerly points of Croatia and we spent our last night in a tiny cove with a submarine bunker on a perfectly quiet night, not even a wave against the hull.

Vieste, Italy was a lovely, if long, day sail from Lastovo, almost entirely without use of the engine. If Lastovo had been quiet, Vieste was lively with the feast of Mary of the Merino being celebrated and the whole town out for the procession of the statue of Mary.

Celebrating the feast of Mary of the Merino

The next day, we started our Italian provisioning strategies in Vieste. We circumnavigated the entire town looking for Sim cards, cheese, spices and wine. The Fornaio or bakery rivaled any on Arthur Avenue, tremendous bread from old large woodfired ovens.

The day was beautiful and we saw a sign offering Spritz by the sea, James and I understood at once, Spring was in the air and the season was starting.

Mir to Sali

It sounds like the weather is divine everywhere, but we have had a week of beautiful weather here, after only two days of rain last week. We are swimming every day, as the days are still warm but the nights are beautifully cool. Frosty and Louise, we try to convince Lesley that we melted on those hot August nights, she hardly believes us.

There was no shop in Mir and we were shy of a few things for dinner, including bread. However, no sooner had we finished our swim, the fruit and vegetable man came to visit us. Toni’s supermarket visits us just before we start dinner, so his timing is impeccable. It is a whole new meaning to ‘having the groceries delivered’.

Home Delivery? — Toni’s Home Delivery at Mir

We sailed the full scope of Luka Telascica, a large natural harbour at the Southern approach to Dugi Otok. We moored at Mir, very close to the entrance and we wanted to see the whole harbour so we went on a tour of the whole bay. We sailed past one island with wild donkeys, who became very alert when we yelled out “donkeys”!

To get to Sali, we had to go through a narrow passage between Dugi Otok and Otok Kornat. The Prolaz Proversa Velachannel is 2.2 metres at the shallowest point with an east going current. The Thompsons pilot book says never to be attempted in a bora which blows strongly here or a sirocco, which creates big seas.

Passage between Kornat Island and Dugi Otok

We had a swim at a little island before lunch and then sailed into Sali. Lesley, James and I went for a swim again later in the afternoon, but there were a surfeit of black sea urchins (read stingy urchins), so I held back. James went back to Mercier. Lesley and I continued around a wonderul seaside path until we found a rocky beach with a handhold and no sea urchins. We were swimming and talking and the lady next to us asked where we were from. Her name is Marijan (spelling?), she was born in Sali but emigrated to the US with her parents in the late 60’s. Her parents have moved back to Sali. She lives in New Jersey and loves to visit them and swim here. We had a lovely chat, and she showed us the way over the hill into town, past her parent’s bouganvillea covered home.

On our travels we passed a tiny chapel, so beautiful dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary who looks after fisherman and we hope, sailors.

Krka Waterfalls

We sailed a windy path to Skardin and found it is a delightful town. The ACI Marina is just a few hundred yards away from the main square of town by path and bridge.

Swans sail in the harbour and in the waters nearby. They are regal, graceful and just as cheeky as seagulls.

One of the many swans here, they are very entertaining and graceful

We needed a view fix and walked up to the fortress, which is not very steep and took photos of the town from the hill. The town is small and a mix of old and new buildings.

It is the pick-up point for the boats that take you to Krka National Park. People either drive or come by boat to Skadrin to take the boat up to Krka and its incredible waterfalls and system of paths through rushing water and ponds under a roof of pines, chestnuts and figs.

Skradinski buk - a travertine waterfall — Skradinski buk – a travertine waterfall

The falls are majestic, a waterfall at one end (see in the photo) and a clear pool running into cascades. We walked up to the source and various look out points. There are rushing flows of water and the paths take you under a canopy of chestnuts, figs and pine. Pine and flowers and figs are all aromatic, very fresh and uplifting.

There are also historical artifacts – old churches and mills, rushing water or mill ponds everywhere you turn.

Lelsey, James and I wandered for hours.

We finished up by taking another excursion boat to the Franciscan Monastery on the man made island of Visovac. It was a small island, entirely picturesque and we enjoyed the grounds as well as the building. They only give you thirty minutes which is simply not enough. We’ll leave you with a photo of this tiny jewel.

Category: National Parks

Kos and the Castle of Neratzia

At long last, a blog post

Mir to Sali

Krka Waterfalls

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