As you leave Pyrgos and wind up the hill to Olympia, it is easy to understand why this is thought to be the playground of the gods. From ten kilometres out, the air gets clearer and all the vegetation seems more lush and fragrant. There is a zephyr breeze and the temperature is perfect.
A clear day at Olympia
We first visited the Olympia Archaeological Museum. It covers the history of the site beginning with prehistoric artifacts until the Sanctuary’s demise under Theodosius ll.
One of two beautiful pediments recovered from Zeus’ temple.
James and I watched many videos of Greece recently and now we wonder why we had never seen an aerial of the site as a whole. Olympia is remarkable. Imagine kicking a goal in your city’s biggest stadium and then imagine winning a race under the gaze of the gods and your country’s stadium. The games were “a pole of attraction for Hellenism”*
Meanwhile, it was a men’s only event. Women, particularly married women could not view the athletes compete. Not gods, kings nor husbands want to suffer by comparison with the strapping young nude athletes.
The Phillippeion, a monument to Alexander the Great and his father, Phillip ll
There are 23 separate monuments, including temples on the site. We wished we could see more and next time we would consider finding a guide. To this day, we are inspired by the passion and commitment it takes to take part in the Olympics.
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’.
First, I will explain we are in Zakynthos, which is called Zante in Italian. It is a captivating island with a small marina on the Town Quay, beautiful coastline and an animated nightlife.
Zakynthos Harbour
Cameron, Leeanne, James and I decided an authentic gyro would be the go for lunch. The night before Leeanne and I had walked past a cafe on our walk and the aromas were enticing, enough to convince us for lunch.
The Lavocca (spelling is in Greek letters) gyro cafe is on Maiou St, Zakthynos about three blocks away from the harbour in an area where locals and Athenians eat in delightful cafes, restaurants and bars. There are interesting, arty shops in these streets too.
The owner comes out to take our order, we ask where do you come from in Australia. He laughs and says Melbourne. Then he asks if we saw Friday’s Cats-tastrophe game. We said no but we had read that the Geelong Cats had a bad night. For the next hour, we ate delectable, flavoursome gyros, with John talking to us about The Cats, Australia and His Cats. We were amazed at his passion for the AFL, but I have a few friends- David, Jo and Melissa, who I would like John to meet. They should definitely put the island of Zakynthos on their bucket lists. This island is a splendid mix of natural beauty and magnificent coastline.
The Crew with John & Denise from Zakynthos
John told us we should venture up to the Venetian Fortress (aka Venetian Castle), so we walked up to Bohali – quite a steep walk. Still the views were incredible across the island, indeed across the bay to Kefalonia to the North and Pelaponese to the east.
We visited a fascinating church, the church of Agios Georgios Filikon, icons and murals filled the church.
We walked up to the Venetian Fortress and found it was closed and went down to Diethones, a magical place with porch swings and views over Zante. They have enticing gardens and comfortable chairs and couches with views of the harbour, so you are never bored as you watch ships, ferries, yachts and party boats come into the harbour. Have a look at the photos and tell me if you think Zakynthos should be on your bucket list?
The outlook from Diethones
Big Happy Birthday to Richard (YB), hope you had a great day! We miss you.
Sounds like a couple of celebrity infants or kittens, but no, they are two lovely villages in the Ionians. Like most of the Ionian Islands they were flattened in 1953 by an earthquake and have rebuilt themselves.
Panorama of Kioni
Kioni is a small jewel of a village with a small town quay and yachties laid out in a horseshoe of a small port. Lovely restaurants and a modern church, olive trees punctuated by the exclamation marks of cypress pines, Kioni is a delight.
On of the Colourful Shops in Kioni
We had the mooring next to and meeting the owners of Skylark, Desiree and Chris, who bravely dealt with Somali pirates and Ben the rat and still have retained their lovely sense of adventure. They advise no one to travel near Somali and have detailed instructions on dealing with a rat on board. We will heed their advice and hope that we meet no rats of either persuasion.
We were very happy to see a thriving cat population in Kioni
We left early on Thursday with great anticipation, we were going to Sami to meet with Leeanne and Cameron Dalyell. We were excited meeting old and dear friends, crew of Eventide and fellow Grammar student.
On Monday had a perfect day, with little wind to motor east, past Onassis’ island Skorpios. Further south, we swam at N. Thilla (water temperature 21degrees C). When I say a short swim, you probably get the idea, still seemed very chilly once you jumped in, only the surface was 21 degrees.
Beautiful colours at Papa Nicolis’ Cave
We continued south to Papa Nicolis’ cave, where we were astounded by the depth of the blue water. There are many caves in this area of Meganissi. The island is the whitest limestone at the water’s level or stained a pale pink with iron.
Mercier motored north to Porto Spiglia, Meganissi a well situated bay on the north of the island. A welcoming party was waving from the dock and we moored stern to along a pontoon, On a pebbly beach there was a large open structure with showers, food and a bar. What a hospitable, industrious family, who never seemed to stop looking after their guests.
We walked up the hill to the village of Spartakhori, quite a steep climb, but with a promise of views.
Panoramic views from Spartachori
The day had finished a bit cloudy but the views were still spectacular. There is a lovely little cafe, with great views, again the patio was just covered with an open air awning. The hand painted sign over the door said Algida, so I thought that was the name of the cafe. Sharron saw my mistaken Facebook post and let me know Algida is the brand for Streets ice cream in Greece.
We are second from top right
We had a wonderful dinner on the beach, surrounded by watchful Guard Geese. The pontoon was fully subscribed and the voices of many sailors could be heard in many different languages. As the ouzo came out and the night wore on
Guard Geese
We left for Sivota and found a beautiful little bay but it was fairly shallow. Great Tavernas lined the waterfront, we stayed on the pontoon with the Stravos Taverna, chatted with Phyl and John, who had been visiting Greece for 21 season. They gave us great tips about Kephaloni and Ithaca.
On Friday, we found ourselves motoring to the mainland port of Preveza. This is a non-tourist town for the most part, a working city of Greece. For us it was the right place to purchase a new Manson Supreme anchor. For other sailors, we are finding the Ionian Islands to be a well spring of ship chandlers. We were able to moor alongside the Town Quay and easily lift the anchor onto the boat.
a beautiful Lefkada bridge
Back to Anthony and Cleopatra, about 64 BC, Mark Anthony and Cleopatra came to these isles to fight Octavian Caesar and Agrippa in battle. Despairing of defeat, Anthony and Cleopatra lost their nerve and raced back to Egypt, ultimately to commit suicide. Caesar commemorated his win by building a fortress, Nikopolis about six miles from Preveza. Aptly, the largest marina in the Preveza area is the Cleopatra marina in Aktion across the harbour from the Town Quay.
Earthquake-proof Clock Tower
Lefkada is an unusual ‘island’. It is surrounded by canals, which separate it from the mainland and nearby salt marshes. There are a surfeit of bridges, some are artistic and others look very industrial.
Lefkada is like other Ionian cities and towns with small lane ways and alleys even in the newer areas. Housing is remarkably different in Lefkada. In 1953 there was a huge earthquake, many towns in the area were leveled. Here in Lefkada, they continue to build the first floor of houses in stone or brick but all of the second stories are built using corrugated iron. There is even an earthquake safe town clock. Between rust, a myriad of colours and graffiti, Levkada certainly has its own style.
Corrugated iron house
Yesterday found us motoring over to Lefkada in almost no breeze. We had to arrive at the canal which separates Lefkada from the mainland, in time for the opening of the “floating bridge” coming past ruins of castles and shallow silt dredged canals. We were very happy for the lack of the wind in these shallows, we had all sails stowed before we attempted to file into the ‘waiting room’ of yachts.
St Maura Fortress at Lefkada canal Northern entrance
This canal was begun by the Corinthians in the 7th Century BC, according to Heikell. Augustus improved it during the Roman occupation, the Turks and Venetians added a bridge and its ruins are nearby. To draw breath here in the Ionians is to absorb history.
For two days in a row, we have seen dolphins feeding and one day they seemed to be circling their dinner and then all popping down en masse to grab fish. It was spectacular to watch. They were almost Dervish in their tight circles.
Leaving Corfu early on Thursday, gave us superb light by the time we sailed past old Corfu Town. We passed the Venetian Fort and then the New Port and Fortress on our way to Paxos. We were enthralled with brilliant colours reflected in the water.
Corfu Old Fort from the water
Corfu Town is a modern town with traffic, cricket, shopping areas and Marks and Spencer. Corfu is full of hustle and bustle until 2:00PM Paxos is not a commercial island. Gaios is the harbour Mercier went into on Paxos. Gaios seemed to be a genuine fishing village with geese flying over head across the breakwater to the islet Ay. Nicholas and fishermen cleaning their nets.
Fishing boats in Paxos
We strolled past the fishing boats to the town quay, passing cafes, restaurants and a few shops till you get to the center of the village. You would not have been surprised to see Zorba or Shirley Valentine come from a little back street or alley.
Downtown Gaios
We sat at a lovely cafe and watched the ferry head back to Igoumentsia and charter boats come to the town quay and endeavour to moor ‘stern to” early in the season. We consider how pink English tourists are – no interest in sunscreen, while Aussies and many Americans always have their hats and sunnies on.
This morning we head over to the mainland to Preveza to collect a new Manson Supreme anchor. Once again the dolphins are off our bow.
We have been in Corfu for a few days, mainly going through the formalities of entering a new country. Yesterday, was to be our day to go sightseeing in Corfu Old Town, but we were starting out with a coffee at our favourite cafe, so we could access wifi. James looked up to see our mate and yachting legend, John Valentine, approaching. We were expecting to see John and the crew of Tainui, but somewhere further east. What great luck to see them while we all are still in Greece as they were leaving the next day for Montenegro. We met Maxine, Pasha and Tatiana, all of whom we had heard about from John in Sydney. We have been looking forward to meeting his formidable crew, who had sailed the Volga with John on Tainui. You can read some of their exploits on Tainui.org, John’s blog. For any sailor thinking of sailing the Belomorsk Canal, the Volga, the White Sea, Black Sea and other Russian Waters, these are people to read.
Catching up with the Crew of Tainui: John, Maxine, Tatiana and Pasha.
We chatted for awhile, about Montenegro and Croatia, enjoying our coffee and telling them about a book called 777, which an excellent cruising guide to Albania, Montenegro, Croatia and other points along the Adriatic Coast. John gave us some information about ports for us to visit in Greece and information about Marmaris too. He introduced us to Marty, at the next table, who was sailing Canty, with husband Paul and son John from their home port in Camden, Maine. We decided to meet for dinner that evening to discuss sailing. James and I went off to visit Corfu Old Town, the Liston and the old fortress. This town has been influenced by hundreds of years of Venetian rule, a decade or so of French rule and influenced by time spent as a British Protectorate.
Looking out over the bay at Old Corfu
The Liston
Outlook over Old Corfu from the Old Fort
We walked through the Old Fort and visited the church of Saint George and enjoyed vistas over Old Corfu Town, the Greek Mainland and also Albania, under heavy cloud, in the distance. We saw young cricketers checking out the cricket pitch between the Liston and the car park. The night saw the crews of Tainui, Canty and Mercier tell sailing stories until the wee hours of the morning. Paul and Marty have sailed extensively in New England, Scotland, Ireland and Scandinavia, much chillier climes than we are used to. Fascinating to hear about sailing in such different circumstances.
Before we leave Vieste, we should say that we were welcomed by several of the Italian Coast Guards’ finest, including the handsome Captain, who was there with his wife and their adorable son. We have mentioned it was a feast day and even though he had the day off, he was just checking that everything was going well at the office.
When he found out we were from Sydney, he told his wife and she asked if we knew her first cousin. She said he lived in Sydney. This happens quite a bit.
She said “His name is Joe Tripodi.” James said “Oh yes, he is infamous.” I quietly kicked James in the shin and smiling said “ We do know who Joe Tripodi is, but we don’t know him personally. He was a politician for a very long time.” She nodded demurely and we can see she had been told Joe was famous and important. What is that line about not being able to pick your relatives?
Vieste by Night
Even though the weather in Vieste was nice, by the time we got to Bari, the weather was a bit grayer. Bari is a big city, with some beautiful old buildings and Centro Storico, but very busy and a bit rough around the edges. We walked quite a bit, found Nespresso, also a great supermarket – Numero Primi and Eataly.
Eataly (we have also been to the one in New York)
All of these made provisioning for the boat easier as the meat, cheese, condiments and pastas were fresh and at Eataly, we were able to have a wonderful lunch with the nicest salad we had eaten for weeks. Eataly also had a terrific wine selection of wines from all over Italy, so we think Bari is a good place to provision.
The Main Piazza in Centro Storico, Bari
We decided that even though the wind was strengthening, it should be safe enough to dash down to Brindisi on Wednesday, because Thursday’s weather was raising red flags. The front came in a bit early and we had 2 meter seas following us on Wednesday, but it was manageable because we were running with the wind. It wasn’t comfortable, but it was safe enough.
The natural harbour of Brindisi, is famous for being at the end of the Appian Way, famous even before the Roman times. It is such a narrow entrance, it was easily protected. The Brindisi citizens decided that Mark Anthony was going to start a civil war in Rome, so it chained the harbour and denied his war ships entry from Greece.
The End of the Appian Way
We were thankful that Brindisi’s grand seawall offered immediate safe haven and protection from the rolling Adriatic waves. We had two days to repack and sit out the storm before we would head off to Greece (via Otranto).
Windy Weather in Brindisi with the Sculpture of a Rudder in the background
We sailed to Otranto, a medieval walled city and then left early the next morning for Greece.
