We end where we began - Just!

We are all packed and ready for the taxi now. He arrives on time and we recognise him from the beginning of the trip. Shame he doesn't speak English. 

We head off to the airport for a three hour trip. It's not long before we realise this guy is one crazy driver. He spends more time looking at his phone than the road. He is using two phones and an iPad while driving at 130 km an hr. Greg and I pray we make it alive. As he plays chicken with the on coming traffic and overtakes on blind corners.

Greg finally pleads with him to slow down as we want to stay alive; I don't think he's too happy but bad luck.

We do make it to the airport where the fun begins. As we have the yacht for sale we have to remove all our personal items. Now over four  years I reckon we have bought about 400 kilos with us and we have baggage allowance for 60 plus  carry on luggage.  I've packed about 100 kilos. 

We end up with five check in bags weighing about 80 kilos so not so bad until they tell me they charge 59 euros per kilo; you've  got to be kidding me! 

So I quickly re arrange the bags and we are about 10 kilos over. We are asking about charity bins etc as we just can't abandon the bag. After a few minutes she let's us check it  all in for free what a lovely person. Then the last bag breaks and we have to go and get it wrapped in plastic but that's fine. I'm really happy I could bring all this stuff as we already threw so much gear out at the marina.

So we take a breath grateful we arrived safely and that we don't have to pay for excess luggage. We now have time for a bite to eat before we board the plane at midnight. 

The rest of the journey is uneventful and we finish where we began at the Heineken Lounge Dubai airport. 

 

As the bells toll for the last time

I'm awake in time to see our last sunrise in Greece, and it's spectacular.

We had a pretty quite night last night, a few Ouzos in the square and then to one of our grill houses for dinner.  We enjoy our walk back to the marina, as it all sinks in that this could be the last time.

After an awful sleep thanks to the marina dogs barking their heads off; Greg actually threw onions at them to shut them up.  I'm up early and get to work as we have lots to do today.  

You can tell their is a change in the weather as there is some wind and rain early on.  As the day goes on the rain storm builds.

We pull the headsail down and fold it and stow it way.  Then we have to see the marina staff and fix up all the paperwork.  Then we go over to the port police and customs to hand in our transit log, so far so good!

We are then waiting for Vangelis to call by and look at our anchor problem, he will be fixing it for us after we leave.  We have some spare time so take a break at the marina cafe then back to work.  After lunch we have to gain access to our main sail as it's been stored for us.  We then transport it by hand to the yacht, fold it and stow it, it's back breaking as it's really heavy.

In the meantime I'm trying to pack and make room for everything.  We head into town and pick up the washing and Bimini, all done.  I'm struggling to find room in the bags as we have so much stuff to take with us, I think we might exceed our luggage limit, but who knows I'll wait until we get to the airport to decide what else to chuck out.

The taxi is coming at 6pm for us so by 4pm we are nearly done.  It's showers then an ice cold beer to wash away the work.

The skies are looking gloomy now as it's about to pour with rain but we will miss it! 

Ouzo Bay just one more time

After a great sleep we head off from Meganissi around 9am.  It's about three hours to Ithaca for our final night at Big Vathi.  It's an uneventful motor as there are no winds and the haze is back.

 We haven't seen much wildlife this trip apart for all the stray dogs and cats; we have only seen one turtle outside of Messalonghi and one lonely dolphin and some flying fish.

By the time we get to Ouzo Bay it's packer out with many yachts and a large cruiser called Galileo from the Aegean.  Apparently the winds were so bad over there they changed thire route for the Ioninans.

So Greg slows down and I just jump off the back of the yacht to cool down as there is nowhere for us to drop anchor.

We head into town and pull up against the quay and for our final arrival we manage to blow the gear box of the anchor, just out luck.  Now we can put the anchor down but can't pull it up.  Greg goes in search for Spiros who organises for Yannos to call by tomorrow morning to see if he can fix it.  That ruins our departure plans for tomorrow but we'll work around it.  Worse case scenario we will have to pull the anchor up by hand, we will be searching for some muscle ment tonight.  We also pull up next to a large catamaran with eight Aussies on board, some from Sydney and a few from Adelaide.  They are all friendly and chatty.  

So we get ready for dinner and head over to our favouite restaurant for some white bait, garlic shrimp and salad, very delicious.  We then have to go say goodbye to George at the bar on the other side of the quay,  he is very happy to see us and we have a few laughs with him.

We try to be quite when we get back on board and crash out.  I have the best sleep ever.   We don't wake till 9am and are very slow to get started.  Greg has to follow up on Yannos and I cook some bacon and eggs with beans.  It really hits the spot.

Around 11ish Yannis drops by and checks out the gearbox, it's dead so we will have to order a new one from the marina.  Yannis, his mate and Greg then hail up 40 metres of chain and Yannis does not even break into to a sweat.  We drop then back off on the quay and are now on our last leg to Messaloghi. We get away about 11.30 so running half a a day behind where we would have liked to be but we can make up time.

It's another stunning day, not a breath of wind and it's a five hour motor so we enjoy the last of the summers sun.  We are both feeling blue as we don't won't this holiday to and.  We also feel it could be the last trip on Moet22 in the Med as she is up for sale.  

There is a big front coming in the next few days so we have been lucky that we had the most perfect weather.  An hour out of Messalonghi the swell picks up and it's a little choppy.  We have been cleaning the yacht in readiness for wintering, the cockpit cushions have been washed, dried and stowed away already and Greg is doing his skipper stuff.

We pull into the marina around 5pm.  We take down the Bimini and gather the laundry and head to town.  We have a small repair to make to the Bimini a and are in search of the upholster Greg used a month ago but we can't find it.  

We ask some random guy in a work shop if he knows but he doesn't really speak English.  He tries to give us directions.  So head off and five minutes later he cycles by us giving us directions.  He shows us where they shop used to be, apart newly it moved last week.  So this guy phones the number on the shop front and organises for Dimitiri the upholster to come down to his old location to see us.  Wow what a great help this guy has been.  I take his photo for the blog.

Dimitri arrives but can't speak English so calls his wife who is Canadian / Greek and then rides her push bike over to talk to us.  It's such a funny thing, the Greeks are so hospitable and very friendly and happy to help us out.  We Are able to pick up the bimini tomorrow at midday same as the laundry, so we are happy.

Next stop is the town square to watch the world go by for the last time.

It's a lazy start to the day

As we can't pick up the laundry until midday we manage a sleep in as it was very peaceful on the quay last night.  I do the final provisioning for the trip and we set off around noon for Meganissi, Abelikie Bay.

It's already hot and the day is clear, and we are looking forward to a few nights at anchorage before heading back to Messalonghi.  

This is our back yard for the next few nights.

We make the most of the last bit of sun for the trip and relax and swim.  The wind picks up a little and we drift off the anchor so we have to quickly pull in the lines and move the yacht to the middle of the bay.  We are safe and secure for the evening.

I make Belinda's receipt of halomui and figs, but it's not as good as hers and we enjoy some smoked salmon and delicious blue cheese and honey.  We also enjoy some anchovy subs for lunch. 

We wake up to another beautiful day, we can't believe how great the weather has been this trip. Again it's a lazy day.  We have decided to go over the Minas for dinner tonight so we row over around 5pm for some ouzo.  

We forgot to get cash out in Nidri and only have credit cards and Aussie dollars.  We meant to check they take cards before we order but we don't.  It's too late now we've already had two Ouzos each before we find out they don't take cards.  I power walk into Little Vathi in search of a machine, but no ATMs on the island.  Guess we'll be washing up tonight.  I head back to Greg and he rows back to the boat to find some loose change at least.  Bingo we are in luck as there is 100 Euros amongst   my Aussies dollars so we can eat tonight.

Back to paradise

After the worst sleep ever and the most outrageous dreams I think I have ever had, we depart Levkas for Nidir, just a little 90 minute motor south.  We farewell our Aussie neighbours  and are happy they have their electronics working.

It's a perfect day weather wise, the haze has lifted and it's just a beautiful setting.  We pull up at the quay this time as the charter pontoons are all full as most of the yachts are in for the turnover.

We head straight to the laundry and negotiate the pick time for tomorrow, she must be busy due to the charter companies,  it's a 12 o'clock departure tomorrow then.  We head back the yacht pick up a few things and then it's off to the beach.  I can't explain how beautiful it looks today.  Greg takes a few pics.

We enjoy a bacon and egg roll for breakfast and they make the best piña colada, just perfect.  We bake as long as we can take it and then head back to town.  After a quick change we head over to deBlanc to try the place out, it's new since we were hare last year, a wine and speciality champagne bar, just my kind of place!

They have Moet so it's an easy pick, plus we order the mixed platter, yummy!

We are being very pathetic about us, our relationship etc, as we know how lucky we are and appreciate every moment; a pinch moment!

We go home to change as it is starting to get cold of a night.  We want to try Roots again especially the garlic prawns that Rob had the other night.  The staff are so friendly and lovely.  We have a great meal and retire early to bed.  We use a blanket for the first time this trip.

Good night to Nidri.

Chill out day...

What a wonderful feeling to wake up at 1.15pm, I feel almost normal for the first time. Greg and I head over to one of the local cafes in the marina and order a full English breakfast with bacon, fried eggs, sausage, beans, toast, OJ and coffee, it's absolutely perfect. We spend a few hours just doing nothing and a little blogging and internet stuff.  We decide to stay for another night at the marina as too lazy to go this afternoon.  We go for a walk into town and hear music and singing and walk straight into a wedding on the street.

All the women are stylishly dressed and dancing, while the men stand around. There is a guy playing the guitar and singing.  It goes for ages.

We head back to the yacht for another siesta ( bad thing) and then go for an early dinner of yummy pizza at a restaurant close to the marina.  I order a Vesuvius (hot!) and Greg has the four seasons.  They are both delicious and the heat just perfect on mine.  We wash it down with one of the Levkas local white wines.  All of a sudden we hear horns tooting and a beautiful lite blue vintage car drives by with another bride and groom as all the cars are bipping their horns; it's fabulous to see.

It's an early night for us thank god!

It's so hard to say goodbye to yesterday

We all awake with far too little sleep from our last night, the grand final.  We are all feeling blue as we know Belinda and Rob will be leaving us this afternoon.  Even Nicolas pops over to say farewell.  Greg is cooking up his famous bacon and egg toasties while Rob and I have our final dance on the pontoon to our holiday's favourite song Budapest. 

We have one more no more Ouzos  before the guys pack up in record time of fine minutes, they don't want to waste a second.

 We all walk them over to the bus stop and say out farewells, we are all trying to be strong.

Nicholas walks us back to the marina and we say our farewells and maybe we'll see him tonight as he has a DJ from Athens mixing the music so could be fun.

We walk back to the yacht and it's looking a little shabby so guess we better work bitch!

Then we head over to Daltons for a chicken gyros pie as we are hungry by 4pm.  Then it's siesta time. We both have a deep snooze and wake up around 8pm.  We are feeling pretty slow but manage to get ready and walk into town and see what happens.  We immediately bump into Nicolas and then walk around the square and have a few chilled out drinks which we enjoy with the local meza plates.  We head over to the G Spot around 11 as the DJ is starting at midnight.  It's pretty busy and we enjoy the friendly banter of the locals and Nicolas joins us for a few drinks as well.  Have to admit I prefer Chris the DJ from last night, his music was more my thing.  After too many shots we head home around 2am.

We end where we began

Everyone has a great nights sleep and I enjoy a skinny dip first up in the morning, it's perfect.  Belinda chops up the peaches, melon and bananas for our fruit salad with Greek yoghurt and honey, yum it makes us feel very healthy for once!

We head off around midday after a lazy morning, the skies are looking grey and rain is coming. An hour into our journey back to Levkas it starts to pour with rain. We are all on deck in our wet weather gear sipping on our last bottle of Moet how perfect!

Rob and Brlinda wanted to end the journey where it began at Levkas, which is a great sentiment.  We picked Rob up at the bus stop 8 days ago.

Just as we tie off at the marina the lightening strikes and the thunder roars, it's teeming down and we have arrived, look out Levkas!  We end up next to an Australian clue  from Mona Vale, they have been here a while as they are having electrical issues.

The crew have been amazing and we are all feeling sad about the end of the trip although we are not talking about it.  Belinda and Rob head off to buy their bus tickets for tomorrow, they are catching a bus to the mainland then a ferry over to Corfu.  They will love it in Corfu.  Rob still has another four weeks holidaying in Paris, Rome, London and Berlin lucky guy.  Belinda is heading off to London to her family for another birthday celebration then back to Sydney.  Greg and I have another week on the yacht then back to Mesalonghi to winter the yacht and hopefully sell her.

We have a late lunch then get organised for our last night.  I have already arranged the laundry and it's ready to be picked up at 7pm so I dash out before we are all ready to hit the town.

We head back to our favouite lane ways and of course start with a few rounds of Ouzo at Boschetto Bar, then head over the the Vintage Bar.  Belinda asks the owners to recommend a taverna and they show us one just around the corner, it's a real family restaurant.  Mama invite us into her kitchen and opens all her ovens and pots to show us what she has been cooking all day.  We settle for dolmadies , stuffed tomates, octopus with potatoes, lamb klefkita, beef Stifado and beef with garlic, wow what a last night feast, it's all fantastic! 

After dinner we head back to the lane way  and find the G Spot Bar and it's going off! It must be midnight by now so we spend the rest of the night dancing the night away.  Chris the DJ is awesome as he plays all our favouite music from the past, we are loving this place.  We meet one of the owners Nicolas and the Romanian crew from a 100. Ft yacht, we are all a having so much fun.

What a great last night and we have all had the best holiday EVER! 

Next stop is Fiscardo

After very little sleep we enjoy a yummy spinach pie at the local bakery and depart Big Vathi around 11am.  We are all a little weary today.  The boys come over to say goodbye as they head off as well.  

Rob is on the helm and does a great job, he is a natural.  We loose a fender along the way but Rob calls it out so we practise our man over board and retrieve it without an issues.  We arrive at Fiscardo around 2 pm and get the last possie on the wharf, right next to the Swiss people who helped us at Ithaca.  They are really nice people.

We are staying two nights here as Belinda wants to celebrate her birthday dinner here.  It's a special place as Belinda and I were her in 1998 and loved it.  We order in the lobster for her special birthday meal tomorrow.  It's really hot so we jump in the water at the back of the yacht just to cool down, it's crystal clear.  Then the bubbles start to be poured as we savour the delights of the beautiful town of Fiscardso.  

The forecast is for some big winds tomorrow so we are happy to be tired to the wharf.  The skipper of a cruiser ties us off to his boat as well as he has a lazy line.  So far we have met the nicest people at every town we have stopped at. 

After numerous bottles  of bubbles we get ready for dinner.  First stop is for ouzo at one of the local tavernas who provides a delicious meza with the ouzo.  Then we head to the other side of the harbour for dinner at Apegio.  Ole is our waiter and he is really fun.  We are all in our Moet  yacht shirts.  He gives me some purple chillis apparently the third hottest and it is hot, but I love it.

It's already midnight so officially Belinda's birthday so we start the celebrations.  Ole can't make out Belinda's nick name, Barp Barp so calls her bum bum which is hilarious as he wishes her happy birthday bumbum.  Just as we finish dinner, Jacob, Martin and Christoph find us and invite us for some drinks.  All of a sudden Belinda and I are back in the room as we were feeling pretty tired. 

We meet the guys at the Greco Bar for numerous rounds of drinks and party tricks.  We laugh the night away.  I get to record Jacob and his Jack and Jill joke, he has the best accent.   No sign of Mike as he is still getting over the previous night with the boys.

Belinda and I head off to bed around 4am as Rob and Greg head back to the boys catamaran to continue partying, thank god they are anchored away from the Quay.  The stories they tell us the next morning are outrageous as Rob and Greg arrive back at about 6.30am with Jacob and finally Jacob departs our yacht at 7am.  They are heading south to Zacinthos in the really big weather. Luckily they have a few skippers on the cat.  Rob is speechless for the first time and the helicopter has expanded  to Europe.

Happy birthday bum bum

As we slowly arise for breakfast for Barp Barp's birthday, we are all tired and weiry from last nights shenanigans and grateful the boys have left for Zacinthos.

Greg, Belinda and I head over to Melinas for breakfast. Belinda has a savoury omelette and Greg and I have a favouite cake, orange pie, it's so moist and delicious.  The cappuccinos are also very good here. We slowly make our way back to the yacht and no sign of Rob as yet.  We pop our first birthday bubbles.  It's really hot and the wind starts to pick up.  I snorkle at the back of the yachts and check on everyone's  rudder, we only have about two inches so need to move forward a tad as we are getting pushed around a little by the wind.  The other yachts are all OK.  We also have to use the tender as a plank as the plank won't reach to shore.

Rob finally pops his head out around 2pm. Belinda and I see the boys bring our fresh lobsters in for our dinner, can't wait for that!  We walk around to the beach but the water is no good due to all the weather so we try another spot in the harbour which is very refreshing. On our way back we go off for one more Piña colada at the roof top bar, which is really relaxing.

We have booked a table for 9pm at the Captians Cabin where we are having Belinda's  birthday dinner and it has been  set up beautifully for  dinner with fresh flowers for Belinda, the staff have been amazing.  I dropped off a chocolate ice cream cake earlier on for dessert.

We receive our complimentary ouzo at the end of our meal but can't drink it as we are so buggered. But Rob and Greg manage to help us finish them off. Belinda and I take a walk and the boys converse with the waiting staff.  We are able to take home all the spaghetti for dinner tomorrow night and we hit the sack around midnight.

It's a slow start to the morning as Greg and I am up earlier as the swell rolling into the quay is really uncomfortable all night long jerking the yacht.  The Swiss couple  have left for Corfu already.  We head over to Melinas for breakfast and Rob and Belinda join as an little later on.  It's really hot already. We enjoy crepes and coffees in the sun.

I do our final provisioning while Greg tops up the water then we are off to another anchorage.  We head into a rolling swell north to Meganissi.  Robs on the helm again and does a great job.  We stop off for a sunbake at a private beach on Meganissi for a few hours, it's just perfect.  I get stung on the butt by a wasp which really stings, luckily Belinda has some stingoes for me to use.  I organise lunch and we enjoy the sun.

We arrive at Port Athina around 5pm, just in time for ouzo on the mats and sunset, it's beautiful and not really packed out as we get a good spot and Rob swims ashore and ties off.  All of a sudden Bob calls out to as from the shore and we are surprised to him him as we met him a while ago in Monganisi. 

We eat spaghetti meatballs for dinner with a tomato, basil and mozzarella cheese salad it's really delicious.  We set up candles on the deck which look great and spend a lot of time lying on the deck looking into the Northern stars looking for shooting stars, it's beautiful and tranquil. There is no moon tonight.

Greg and I crash early as Belinda and Rob grab blankets and chill out on the deck for the evening.

Ouzo Bay - the Original

We depart Meganissi around 9am for a three hour motor south to Ithaca as we want to stop for lunch at Ouzo Bay.

It's a really hazy day with high cloud cover but it doesn't take long for it to warm up.  The trip is smooth and we drop anchor in the bay just before you get into Big Vathi on Ithaca. We are the only ones around so happy about that.  The water temp is perfect as we float around the bay, bubbles in hand.  There are plenty of fish to eat all our stale bread as we just relax and soak up the sun and the landscape.  Everyone is in heaven as we have another pinch moment.

As we are expecting a change in the wind direction we head into the old town of Little Vathi, a beautiful historic town.  We have a near perfect arrival as we are helped by some Swiss yachties on shore.

Anchor beer in hand Greg can relax as do the crew.  I'm  heading for the first bar that has a TV so I can watch the F1 and  Rob comes with me.  Greg is in need of a ciggy so borrows a bike from a local and goes in search of a shop.

We find a local bar and they set up the TV for us. I'm really looking forward to seeing my adopted son Daniel Ricciardo race today in Singapore.  It's a good race and Daniel comes 3rd and yes I'm sure some of you are saying buttermilk!

After the race we head for one of a favouite Tavernas for a very late lunch or very early dinner.  It's a feast of seafood; sardines, grilled octopus, Greek salad, dips and a kilo of wine, yes that serve it by the weight.

After our yummy meal Rob and Belinda take a stroll through the back streets as Greg and I head back to the yacht to close the hatches. It looks a little like rain.  We meet up later for our Ouzo at a lovely bar on the other side of the Quay and we are served by George who is really lovely, we laugh our heads off all night long and he enjoys our banter.

We head back to the yacht and continue to have a few drinks on the boom, soon enough some of the crew from a cat come over and join us for a drink, the boys are from Europe, there's a very hilarious loud Scot, a Pol and a few other races.  They are extremely funny.  As we are making too much noise the boys go and join them on their cat for a few more laughs.  Belinda and I enjoy our first girly time which is great and we head to bed around 4am. 

We were expecting the 1am ferry but it didn't show up.