There is so much antiquity here in Greece, at times it is hard to comprehend that Delphi was first settled in the Bronze Age and it became an important sanctuary or shrine to Apollo around 800 years BC.
Delphi, looking into the valley which was once the sea
Delphi was considered the centre of the world, with an Oracle who would speak in tongues and priests that would ‘interpret’ after gathering all the gossip and chat from all corners of the world and then repeat it back as the message from the Oracle. It seemed all the city-states of Greece had treasuries here, so much wealth poured in as offerings to Apollo.
The Athens Treasury, Delphi
This was our first warm day in Greece, walking up the side of Mt Parnassus in 35 C degree heat (95F). Our idea was to stop in the shade and then finally get up to the Stadium where we were high enough to capture the breezes.
Stadium at Delphi
There must have been six tour buses, including ours so the idea was to stay just behind one crowd and just in front of the next. There is also a museum at Delphi, which we didn’t have time for as we had to make our way to Meteora.
Amphitheater at Delphi, musical competitions were also held here
Earthquakes changed the area and the Gulf of Corinth which once lapped the base of Mt Parnassus, is not as close and there is a fertile valley floor full of olives and pines.
Planning your journey through the Corinth Canal can induce a fair amount of anxiety. If you are assigned behind a large ship, the Canal controllers are very demanding that your yacht get as close as possible to the ship’s whirlpool wake. In fact, they often give the command “full power” and “close the gap” and many different types of hurry ups. There is quite a bit of current in the canal to deal with and shallows on both sides.
Corinth Canal
We were keen to make Monday’s crossing early to ensure the lightest breezes,Tuesdays are usually closed for repairs in the canal. We all smiled in relief when we saw we were the first boat waiting. No ships in sight, so that meant we would be first in the canal. As we waited, another yacht approached under spinnaker in the distance.
James steering , Leanne and Cam
The Canal Controller was very happy that Mercier was there, “standing by”, sails stowed and ready to proceed. Yachts were in the canal coming from the east, so they proceed through and we enter the canal. Nautico*, the yacht behind us was not up to the Controller’s standards and several barks came over the radio to hurry up. As we passed, we could see the auto traffic waiting for the bridge to be raised so they could get across.
The canal’s first spade of dirt was dug by Nero, but even an excess of slave labour could not manage to dig the canal. It took gunpowder to manage that. Wikipedia has the story, so I won’t repeat it here. Interesting reading not only for the history but because of the curses that seem to befall anyone who wanted to build the canal.
Patras is a very commercial port and we have had heard mixed reports. We feel that although it isn’t a garden spot, the city is re-beautifying itself and there are some beautiful spots, but not close to the marina. There is a great ship chandler though and a few good restaurants nearby, there are plenty of cafe bars right at the marina.
There were two delightful spaces near the marina, a small green dog park with some great dogs visiting every day and a small amphitheater, which features dance classes in the evening with a view out to the mainland.
Patras dance class
After much research, we decided to take a Ktel Bus from Patras to Pyrgos, a deluxe coach, for a circuitous trip of 1.5- 2 hours. You get to see other sites on the way, but it isn’t a tourist bus. You alight at a great bus terminal in Pyrgos and switch to a city bus to Olympia, the express bus goes in a slightly straighter line but takes almost as long as it seems to stop more often for passengers. Really cost effective, as a taxi would have cost about Euro125-150. The train does not seem to go into Olympia any longer and if you are going from Athens, it would be worthwhile to join a tour. It is about four hours from Athens to Olympia. It is beautiful and a worthwhile trip, with many rewards for those who visit. Next time I visit, I would like to spend the night
James at the Archaeological Museum, Olympia. A must see
My expectations for Olympia were quite different. It was a Sanctuary and there were many resplendent buildings. Here are some photos and we have more for tomorrow.
Temple of ZeusHermes holding babyJames at the Stadium
From Zeus and Hera and all the gods and goddesses we visited at Olympia, we have birthday wishes to my sister, Linda Doubek. James and I hope your day is wonderful.
We all have our bucket list and one item on ours was to visit Shipwreck Bay, officially Navagio Beach. We were not expecting the right weather to sail to Shipwreck Bay and it is too deep for most yachts to anchor. It has been blowing Norwesters (30 knots) every afternoon, much like a Sydney Southerly Buster and we didn’t want to join the wreck. We tried to book onto a catamaran tour for the morning, but we could never raise the charter company. In the end, we spoke to Yannis and took a car up to the viewing point to get an aerial view of the bay and a tour of Zante Island. We weren’t disappointed with our aerial viewing, we had it on good authority “le water is colder than zee witch’s breast”.
one Bay North of Navagio Beach
The blue milkiness of the bay is from Limestone ‘pearls’ creating a swirl of aqua water, so the water is more translucent than clear. The colour is certainly one we think of when we think of sailing azure seas.
For future reference, if it was warmer and you wanted a swim, our mate John from Zante suggested we drive to Porto Vromi and take a small boat to nearby Shipwreck Bay. If you are 21-30 take a party boat, but take sunscreen and a hat because it’s a long day.
Heikell says the Shipwreck was a cigarette boat, a smuggler’s boat to bring in tax-free cigarettes, which wrecked while evading the Coast Guard in a storm. John, Greece’s biggest Cat’s fan, says it might have been set-up to glamorise the most beautiful bay in Greece for tourism. It is so stunningly beautiful, it is hard to imagine they needed to improve the story line.
We came back past olive trees, that were almost 200 years old, rustic villages and pine forests. We stopped for coffee at the top of another wonderful bay. The view and colour of the water were remarkably brilliant.
Another beautiful bay at Kambl
We finished the day at the Venetian Fortress at Bohali. We expected the Fortress/castle to be a small hill-top ruin but it is extensive and both the British and the Nazi’s had taken the Venetian’s work and reused it. We saw evidence of a British football pitch and the Venetian’s garrison prison and many wells. There was a large bastion overlooking Zakthynos Town but from every side of the formidable fortress walls, the views were extensive. It is well worth a trip.
Bastion of the Venetian Fortress
We went for a walk after dinner and said goodbye to our friend, John. He asked us to let the Cats know he was barracking for them. So for John, ‘Go the Cats’.
We left Sali after a beautiful dawn and we thought we would go to Iz. No not Oz, IZ.
Sali – early morning light
We thought we might get a swim in on our way and we sailed into a beautiful uninhabited bay, called Vodenjak. There are moorings, the water is so deep, but we can see the block of concrete and unchafed lines. Perfect. We have lunch and a swim and we read about Iz, which sounds very nice but Vodenak is perfect at the moment.
There are a few boats on moorings but many smaller boats are leaving, the perfect little bay is getting quieter and more wonderful by the minute. A quick vote, Vodenjak – 3, Iz – 0.
Vodenjak – photo by L. Sommerville
The water was clear. The clarity was such that you could see sea cucumbers inching around on the bottom 4 metres down. Lesley had brought some ingredients for Thai Green curry sauce, so we made a wonderful dinner and enjoyed the stars.
The next morning, we motored over to Zadar, through the Prolaz Veliz Drela passage. It was very calm and there was just a bit of current.
We sailed into Zadar and we were met by the ferries going in and out and by the traditional ferry man of Zadar.
Traditional boat man of Zadar. Photo by L. Sommerville
Alex Crevar, in the NYTimes, has a great headliner, “After 2000 years, a Croatian Port Town Still Seduces” and he has some great facts. There are Roman ruins, the main being a large area called the Forum and various columns throughout the town, Zadar is home to the oldest university in Southeast Europe – over 600 hundred years old.
Probably the bit we enjoyed most was the Sea Organ and Salute to the Sun, both designed by Nikola Basic. Wikipedia describes the Sea Organ, as an architectural object located in Zadar, which uses the sea waves entering tubes underneath the large marble steps creating a musical instrument played by the wind and sea. The music was sonorous and clearly made children happy. Dogs weren’t as lucky, many dogs were clearly unhappy with some of the sounds.
Greetings to the sunset
While parents are happy to sit and stare off into a sunset, children aren’t always happy to be so still. With Basic’s Greetings to the Sun, children and adults were interacting with the sunset and then dancing on the photovoltaic solar modules with no need to stop moving.
Greetings to the Sun
More on Zadar tomorrow, Alex Crevar picked the right title, Zadar does still seduce.
We sailed through the confused seas off of Capo Santa Maria di Leuca, the point where the Ionian Sea and the Adriatic Sea meet. It was confused for several hours and not terribly comfortable.
The large yellow moon was so bright that the stars were very hard to see. Louise and I thought we would take photos. All the caveats for photography of night skies were broken – what good is a tripod on a lurching boat. We could barely keep the moon on the screen, our cameras turned into game consoles. We were giggling and shreiking as the red globe careened over the camera frame.
The Beach at Bar
Midday the next day, we sailed into the Port of Bar, Montenegro. It is a very picturesque harbour and town, mountains coming down to meet the sea. The biggest activity seems to be a passeggiata at sunset, the whole town is out for a walk. During the afternoon it was very quiet but by night Bar comes alive.
Yesterday we left Bar and sailed northwest for a swim in Uvala Canj and then lunch. It was a beautiful spot for a swim and Mercier makes it easy to get off and on the boat. The water is very deep, so has a beautiful warm float on top of a very chilly pond of water.
Island Church, Montenegro
Frosty’s towel must have blown off the rail and you could see it so clearly, he thought he would just be able to swim down and grab it. He realised once he hit the cold water and was no closer that it was 9 metres below us. That towel is Frosty’s gift to Montenegro.
After lunch we sailed a few more miles to the most photographed island in Montenegro, Sveti Stefan. Financed in the 15th Century by reclaiming loot from pirates, a family was able to buy the island, fortify it and build a church. In 1952, the whole island was converted to a luxury hotel. No cajoling could tempt James into leaving the boat, but the resort does look historic and luxurious at the same time.
Sveti Stefano
We anchored off nearer to the swallow’s island and had a lovely barbeque. Along the way near U Canj, we came across two different rock formations abutting each other, this is a visual record between the Triassic-Jurassic Boundary. (Crne, Weissert, et all)
Red rock meets gray rock = Triassic meets Jurassic
Finally, to John and Jenni, so sorry to hear about your bingle, glad you are safe and sound in Italy. Recuperate quickly, enjoy being pampered and then enjoy Italy.
One of the highlights of travelling with an iPad is the use of Google translate with the iPad being passed back and forth so your conversation can be read if they can’t understand your Italian. This worked remarkably well with the Douane (Customs) in Imperia.
Vittorio Emanuele, Rome
Over the last few days we have downloaded Katie Parla’s Rome, an app about finding food in Rome. Today we took it for a trial run. We went to see a store, Spazio Sette, in a part of town we hadn’t been to. It was quite a walk from the train station as we when we walked out, we typed in coffee and right around the corner was a wonderful traditional Italian coffee shop, Caffe Camerino. In the cool old traditional space, we enjoyed our Lattes.
A Glimpse into a Courtyard
We walked over the Tiber River to Trastevere and passed by a very old house with the name Dante’s house on a plaque. We strolled on viewing very old working class neighbourhoods. Eventually, we jumped on the tram which took us back to Argentina, near our starting point. We had typed in Creative and Ecletic for lunch and Parla’s app sent us to Roscioli at the Centro Storico (historic centre) for lunch. The food was rich and perfectly cooked, Roscioli’s is a deli and wine bar and has tables so you can enjoy the food and wine right there. You might get the impression of casual dining as it’s in the deli, but the napkins and tablecloths were linen and the service was professional.
Roscioli's Deli and Restaurant
While we were waiting for our food, a very dapper gentleman came in and had a glass of wine, while he ordered and waited for his prociutto and burata to be packaged up. He watched as the prociutto was expertly and finely sliced. Norton Street deli sales would go up phenomenally if you could have a glass of sangiovese while you waited.
We proceeded to Villa Farnese, thinking we would be going to a museum with perhaps a garden, so we could escape the heat. It is now the French embassy, so we sat in the square and watched a lovely girl feed her bread to the pigeons; a very Roman scene.
Even without an App, it is easy to get a great cup of coffee, which you need to keep moving up and down these cobbled stone paved streets, shared with motorcycles that sound like a swarm of mosquitoes and dodging taxis. Just when we thought collapse was emminent, we found a perfect cafe and sat and people watched. We tried to figure out were we were but we miscalculated, now it would be hard to find it again. Somewhere close to Parliment, we think.
After all the beauty of the Cinque Terre, we eventually made our way to our next port, Livorno. After the wonderful berth at Mirabello, Livorno was industrial, rough and mainly rocky and rolly. Every kind of ferry and cruise ship comes into Livorno, aka Leghorn, as well as fishermen and small boat pleasure craft. The marina staff were very nice but this would be a marina to miss, next time.
Livorno wasn’t without its excitement, shortly after we berthed another yacht came in without an engine. The neighboring yachts had crew trying to toss lines across but the exhausted owner was having trouble and it’s hard to give instruction or manage your line when you use your hands to make a point. The words and the hands were working triple time and finally …success and they managed to get the yacht in. The instant replays began on the dock, thanks were given and bonhomie was enjoyed by all involved.
We were lucky, about 11:30 pm the wash stopped and we were able to sleep until about 5:00am the next day. We left and in a very short time landed at the beautiful fairly new Marina Cala de Medici. In a heartbeat, we secured the yacht and walkied 2 kms to the train station and we were on our way to Lucca.
Lucca Street
Lucca has seen people of the millenia, Etruscans, Romans, Lombards and is very famous for being enclosed in its medival wall. There are several beautiful Piazzas, narrow streets, lovely churches and two towers. We walked the up the 207 stairs of the watch tower, in a very narrow confine on a very hot day. You can tell who the view junkies are, they are the ones climbing up these hundreds of stairs. Luckily for us, not only views but incredible breezes over the town made the trip up the pigeon infested bird tower worthwhile.
View from the Tower
Monday we went to the local Coop and provisioned for the next week on Mercier. Then we went back to catch the train into Pisa. The train schedule was different to the one posted online, so we had lunch at Rosignano, a piece of bruschetta each, four euros. Did we mention how cheap food is here?
The trains are mainly airconditioned, mainly on time and very comfortable but trying to work out the schedule seems to be beyond us. Once in Pisa, we had read about the Red or Rosso bus which will take you to the Tower, Museums, Duomo in Miracolli Piazza. The buildings are beautiful and the area is small and 98.9% of tourists, all taking photos of each other holding the tower up. In groups or with their one finger, but every photo seems to be of the Leaning Tower, oh, except one. In the Duomo, a lady of a certain age was doing a fully lean on the column tussled hair sexy pose, in the church.
The IconPiazza dei Miracoli
Today we are off to Elba – a Tuscan Island, we’ll talk more then.
Thursday we left Santa Margherita and sailed out the harbour to pass several hours and 20 miles to reach some of the most amazing villages we have seen from the water. Cinque Terre is an Italian National Park and spans through 5 villages: Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore. The villages were accessible only by boat for many years and so have been protected and have remained unchanged over centuries.
We would slow down as we came to a village and get as close as we could to the rocky shore, take a few photos and then go onto to the next.
At Vernazza, we stopped and had lunch and then a swim in the 26C degree water. Mercier is the best yacht we have been on for having a quick or a leisurely swim off the stern.
Our Lunchtime view at VernazzaRiomaggiore
On Thursday night we went to the best restaurant in town where normally bookings are mandatory, however, the restaurant was almost deserted as Italy was playing Germany in the semi final of the Euro Cup 2012. It was quite obvious who the winners were, with car and ship horns blaring at full time.
On Friday we visited each of the villages by land and each one has a different look and feel, with most of them having gardens and vineyards going up the hills behind them in terraces. Pastel houses on verdant hills against bright blue water and sheer slate grey cliffs.
The Beach at MonterossoManarola
Two of the villages had massive damage on the 25th October 2012, when flood waters from the steep hills behind coursed straight thru buildings and into the sea. Some of the trails are still are closed, but the resilience of the people of the Cinque Terre shines through and many businesses are rebuilding or back to normal.
Mudslide Aftermath
We finished the day’s travels at Porto Venere – another town nearby with lots of history. The town flag is the flag of St George (the English flag).
Porto Venere
Hope you are all well, ciao bella James and Gaila
PS: Happy Birthday to Matt and Adelaide, whose grandparents might be reading this and pass them our birthday greetings. Also Simon Jenkins and Ivan Wheen, we had a little drink to you on your birthdays. Hope you had great days.
Success today, so we are sitting on a rocky shore, inches from the water with a balmy sea breeze and a feeling of relief. Relief that comes from spending the entire morning with lovely Italian customs and having completed all the formalities, & having all the correct paperwork in our hands. We feel like students that have received the coveted gold star. Va bene!
Italian documentation
We departed Menton on Saturday morning and motored twelve miles to Sanremo. It was a picturesque coastline and lovely on the water. We moored amongst the huge motor yachts at Porto Sole. We went for a walk and thought since it was Saturday afternoon and all the shops were locked up, it would make for a very quiet weekend. We strolled on looking for the lone gelato shop that might be open and stumbled onto Via Matteotti. We were in the lively quarter of San Remo and far from being a deserted town, we got the last table at Caffe Ducale and sat and watched San Remo go by.The activity was amazing and at least three generations were taking part.
San Remo
Sunday morning, we explored the old part of San Remo called La Pigna with the obligatory hundreds of stairs, but the view from the hill was spectacular. We then set sail for Imperia, had a very pleasant motor sail, again 12 miles.
We arrived at Imperia about 1.30, and decided that as it was Sunday, the port would probably be closed for lunch. We anchored for a swim in the 25 degree water, very refreshing until a jellyfish swam right by, James made a quick exit from the water and waited until all was clear until returning.
jellyfish
We then found a berth in the harbour, and went to the office and were advised that the annual feast of Sant Giovanni was going to take place in the adjoining town of Oneglia with fireworks later. We found ourselves in the square in front of the church where the parade of the Feast was getting prepared, with lots of colour, pomp & ceremony (and lots of statues being carried aloft). There were some firework explosions around 7.30 in the daylight, but we thought that would be it. But we were awoken from our slumbers at 11.30, with a full display.
Monday we accomplished the formalities described above, but arrived back at the boat to find quite a strong wind blowing and that the boat had scraped the dock a little. Someone had come aboard, attached an extra bow line, and put an extra fender on the stern in our absence. (Thank you to our good samaritan) We were planning to move on to a new port, but the wind was coming from the direction we intended to travel, so once again our plans are modified by Huey. Our gain, because Trip Advisor told us there was an utterly perfect restaurant – Nero Di Seppia, just over a kilometer away. We are off to dinner. Ciao Bella!
