September 8-16, 2023

As is often the case after a trip, I quickly returned to the rest of my life and got distracted from finishing my last blog entry for Greece, so here it is, more than a month after I got home.

After leaving London, I returned to Athens and spent a week on a 46’ sailboat exploring the Northern Ionian Islands with my friends Lynn, Sue, Monica, and Shoshana. On the boat, even more than the rest of my trip, days ran together and if not for date stamps on photos and notes on my phone, I’d have no idea where I was or what I did on any particular day. 

Each day we ate breakfast (typically yogurt with fruit, almonds, and honey) and lunch (sandwiches) on board, and went ashore for dinner. (I can eat wheat in Greece without getting an upset stomach; avoiding nightshades is a challenge).

We typically stopped at two coves each day to swim and paddle board, then in a third to spend the night. I didn’t bring my waterproof camera, which is just as well since there were only a few small fish to be seen. The water was clear and the seafloor was mostly pebbles and seagrass, sadly more dead than alive. 

We hired a captain, Andres, and had intended to help crew the boat, but the lines were too thick and the winches were too weak us to help with them. Instead, we took turns lowering and raising the anchor, and swimming ashore to tie and untie lines.

It was a very relaxing week spent in a swim suit and shorts. 

Friday, 8 September – Back in Athens

My early flight from London was delayed (they had to swap planes due to a mechanical problem), but was otherwise uneventful. Unable to sleep with non-reclining Wizz Air seats, I finished listening to my audible book, Circe. We arrived about an hour behind schedule so I’m glad I didn’t have a connecting flight. 

I took the train from the airport to central Athens. The 40-minute ride is supposed to run every 36 minutes; I stood and waited more than that. Flagging taxis was a challenge, and the first driver took a look at my destination and shook his head. I picked up the Airbnb key from a restaurant then wandered up and down the street several times, lugging my luggage, before I found the right door.  By then it was 19:00. Lynn and Sue arrived later, having spent many hours waiting to get into the Acropolis. We figured out how to turn on the washing machine labeled in Greek, then met the others across the street for dinner – bread, olives, a yummy salad, house rose, and a large piece of tuna (which I finished eating for breakfast the next day).

Saturday, 9 September – Getting to Port

Our clothes dried overnight on the windy balcony. We had a few delays getting out of town; the driver initially went to the wrong destination and we got stuck in a bit of morning traffic. It’s about a four-hour drive to Preveza, the port town where we boarded our boat. 

At our first rest stop, we walked across a bridge over the Corinth Canal. This narrow shipping channel, built about 80 years ago, connects the Aegean and Ionian Seas. At another stop, we picked up food for lunch and ate in the van (our driver was worried that he wouldn’t get back to Athens in time for his next ride).  

We reached Preveza around 14:00, and hung out at café while waiting for the boat to be ready. Lynn dealt with the paperwork and we learned we needed to pay more than anticipated and it needed to be in cash. Andres, our captain, gave me a ride to an ATM on his scooter, and when we got back, he took Shashana there too. We unpacked our provisions and luggage, and walked to local restaurant for dinner; it was Lynn’s turn for a ride on Andrea’s scooter. I shared my overcooked chicken slovakia with a few cats. We took a different route back to the boat and discovered a lively street filled with shops and restaurants. The pharmacies were open and Lynn was able to get more medicine for the cough she’s been struggling with for weeks.

Sunday, 10 September – Sailing Day 1 – Preveza to Sivota Lefkada

The island of Lefkas is connected to the mainland by a floating bridge, which moves aside once an hour to allow boats to pass. We started motoring at 7:45 so we could get there in time for the 9:00 opening. (Most sailing trips through the northern Ionian Islands begin on Lefkas, but we started Preveza, a mainland port, since that’s where the boat Lynn selected is docked).

After motoring through the channel, we sailed a bit with Lynn at the helm. We stopped at two coves on Lefkas, somewhere near Lefkada and Poros, to swim. Thinking we were done swimming, I changed into dry clothes and later regretted now joining Lynn and Shashana for a swim into Papanikolis Cave, named after the submarine that hid there during WWII. 

We docked in Sivota Lefkada for the night. Sue and I took a walk through the small town and picked up a few provisions, then met the others at a Stavros Taverna for dinner at the end of our dock. Since this town specializes in fish, three of us ordered sea bass. 

Monday, 11 September – Sailing Day 2 – Lefkas to Ithac

I was up early and went to the bakery for bread and a pastry, took a free shower at the restaurant, and finished breakfast before the others were up. (The pastry was so good that I unsuccessfully tried to replicate it at other stops). Then, with time to sketch, I couldn’t find my sketching supplies. (I thought maybe I had left them back at port, but later learned they were gone for good, lost somewhere between London and Preveza). 

Our first stop was a small cove east of Frikes on Ithaca (Ithaki to the Greeks), our second a small beach near Paralia Gidaki northeast of Vathi. There I tried paddle boarding; the boards were very tippy, I fell off multiple times and couldn’t say up. We docked in Vathi for the night. Lynn, Sue and I wandered through this cute port town. I bought a shirt and we enjoyed another yummy fish dinner. 

Tuesday, 12 September – Sailing Day 3 – Ithaca (Vathi to Filiatro)

I went for a short walk before we left port, and picked up bread, pastries, and water. Our first stop was a rocky coastline near Vardiola Beach, close to Vathi. Lynn and I both successfully stood on the paddle boards; I stayed upright from the boat to shore and backsyno. I also painted a watercolor (borrowing paint from Sue and paper from Shoshana). At our next stop, Talaros on the southeast coast of Ithaca, I sat on the paddle boat and paddled like in a kayak so I could take me phone to the coastline and take pictures. We anchored near Parlia Filiatro and motored ashore for dinner, a small scenic spot with one restaurant. My meal was delayed so long that I canceled when the others finished eating, having nibbled enough from other’s plates to sustain me. 

Wednesday, 13 September – Sailing Day 4 – Ithaca to Kefalonia

The sunrise was beautiful. After breakfast, we motored a short distance to a lovely small white sand beach. Taking a clue from another swimmer, I gave my skin a sand scrub, and the other women followed suit. It felt wonderful. 

After lunch, we again used the paddleboards as kayaks, this time to explore a cave near Fiskardo on Kefalonia. The others walked through it. I paddled around to pick up Lynn and Sue on the other side. We docked in Fiskardo, a lovely port town where we took walks and enjoyed yet another yummy fish dinner. 

Thursday, 14 September – Sailing Day 5 – Kefalonia to Kastos

Early in the morning, while the light was beautiful, Lynn and I walked up to the two lighthouses, a Venetian one built in the 16^th century, and a Victorian one build in 1892. 

We sailed much of the way to our first stop, a small beach on the east side of Kastos, where I paddle boarded along the shore for quite a distance. 

The mistral winds were favorable after lunch and we really sailed for the first time, Lynn at the helm most of the time, with Andres prepared to grab a line if need be. We opted to keep sailing and skipped our second swim spot.  

Friday, 15 September – Sailing Day 6 – Kastos to Preveza

After another pretty sunrise, we began our journey back to port, stopping at Plagia Cantina on the way. Lynn, Sue and I took the dingy ashore and walked along the small beach. We were hoping to buy ice creams but their refrigeration was out of order. On the way back, a line got tangled in the rudder and before Lynn and I figured out why the engine stopped, a nearby sailor spotted us and towed our dingy back to our boat. 

We motored back through the Lefkas channel, waited for the floating bridge to move aside, then sailed a bit on way back to Preveza. Once docked, we collected our luggage, toasted with champagne and a bit of cake to celebrate Lynn’s birthday. It was a special one, months ago, and the reason for this trip.

Saturday, 16 September – Flights Home

My flight left Preveza at 9:30, so I was the first one up. I walked to a bakery we found last night, but alas, it wasn’t open. A taxi picked me up at 7:45 for ten-minute ride to airport. I flew to Frankfort where I had a six-hour layover, almost enough time for a museum visit, but considering how long it took to get my luggage, and the complexity of the airport, I opted to stay nearby. (Why don’t airports provide seats in baggage claim areas)? I ventured across a sky bridge to a quiet restaurant for a sit-down lunch, then wandered in search of electrical outlets and sat on a cold tile floor while my devices charged. 

Fortunately, I had a seat in Economy “Plus” so I wasn’t as uncomfortable as I otherwise would have been. I didn’t sleep much on the 11-hour flight, instead watched a movie and sorted photos. Customs didn’t take long at SFO and I didn’t have to wait long for the 20:30 Airporter. Linda picked me up an hour later and Sage was happy to see me when I got home, about 24 hours after I departed the boat.