Mykynos did not disappoint. A short bus ride (we were in the
bay next to the town) saw us in the town proper and we walked down the very
narrow streets among the throngs of other tourists. We saw the classic line of
old windmills and made our way to the waterfront – literally it is the
waterfront with some shops inaccessible from the seaward side- and the old
harbour. Had lunch in a pleasant café where pita gyros are 10E (Tinos 1.60E).
Mykynos town is an expensive place to visit. Took ¾ of an hour waiting in a queue
at the post office to post one small parcel.
Thankfully the town is very picturesque and small so it is
easy to wander around, enjoy the contrasting blue and white architecture which
is all very old, and make our way back to the restaurant at the head of the bay
we were anchored in. The restaurant is
populated by under 25,s from the adjoining hostel. Many young and beautiful
bodies were lounging around enjoying the sun, swimming, and gaining strength
for another late night disco.
We headed for Tinos and were excited (not) to experience
39knots with waves breaking over the bow. It was a short trip so thankfully did
not last long. In Tinos we Med moored in the harbour with free electricity
(mooring 10E per night) and good freshwater. Showering, washing clothes and the
yacht became a priority. In the afternoon we walked up the pilgrim’s way to the
church of the Panayia. There is a carpeted section of the road where pilgrims
crawl to the church. At the church there is red carpet everywhere. A full day bus tour of Tinos was arranged and
the next day we drove first to a convent where 30 nuns lived (the island is
very catholic). Despite reassurance by the bus company that ¾ pants were ok, my
“pantalons” were denied entry by the martinet on the gate who looked as though she was concealing an AK47
and knew how to use it. So Raewyn (wearing a shawl) gained entry to view the
Spartan sleeping quarters of the resident nuns. Small, hard bed, wash basin and
a couple of recesses in the wall for personal items. Raewyn has thought
Moondance luxurious ever since that visit.
Meanwhile I waited and walked in the outside grounds along with most of
the other men. I had never considered my ankles and lower legs as possible
titillating objects. Continuing on we
went to a “traditional” village – Volox with 25 permanent residents who seem to
make their living by tourism. A short stop in another village we experienced a
long wait for milkshakes with no ice that were full of extra ice. Late lunch
was at Panourmos – a bay on the far side and opposite end of the island.
Leaving Tinos on a windless day, (one of the first) we
headed for Porto Rafti – 60 miles. About 1.5 hours after leaving, the engine
alarm showed overheating and hot fresh water in the bilge. Plans changed and we
sailed to Siros (about 8 miles with little wind) We motored in to the “marina”
– no power, no water, no charge and at the opposite end of the harbour from the
town protected from the north wind by one wall. However, it was adequate.
Manalos from Nautilius yachting has two boats in the marina and was most
helpful in arranging for the Volvo agent to call and take the heat exchanger
away with its blown frost plug. The motor was fixed within 24hours and we planned
to go to the town quay with the yacht. That is until we visited the town – free
bus – and saw how the visiting yachts were rolling with the swell and fast
ferries coming into the harbour at speed. Siros town (Ermoupoli) is built on
two hills and typical Greek. Restaurants on the foreshore, city at the rear. It
was very pleasant and we walked up one of the hills to the church at the top. A
bloody long way all up steps. But the view was worthwhile.
We have been haunted by the meltemi since we have been in
Aegean, and leaving Siros was no exception. With the wind increasing, we have
got smarter and decided to go to Kea island on our way north. We found a very
good anchorage and were happy to stay another day. Most of the anchorages so
far have been on our own or with very few other yachts, apart from town quays.
We are pleased with the solitude. Kea had a few other yachts in the bay and it
is becoming obvious the closer we come to Athens, the more yachts we see. Kea
is a broad reach from Athens so I guess that did not help.
Leaving Kea, we stopped for lunch at Makronissi – on our own
again and spent several hours there before getting hammered in the late
afternoon making for Porto Rafti. We are slow learners. Again it was only a
short 2 hour passage, but we are sick of the strong winds that blow most days –
most of the time from where we are headed. To be fair we have had some
wonderful sailing as well. Just not in large enough portions.
Porto Rafti is a delight. Smallish village with good shop, tavernas
and a regular bus service 1.5hours to Athens. Additional battery charging is
required and we set off for Pireus (suburb of Athens where most ferries leave
from) to buy a solar panel. The journey involved changing buses at Markopolou,
transiting to the underground in Athens and a train to Pireus.
On the underground someone decided they needed my wallet
more than I. Did not feel a thing. My shirt was over my shorts pocket, but the
wallet left my possession. Someone else now has a NZ drivers licence, Auckland
Library card and 3 credit cards plus about 30E for their trouble. Their need
must have been greater than mine. The
main nuisance is that I now have to wait 10-15 working days for replacement
credit cards. Porto Rafti is not a bad place to wait and we will sail around
this area and visit Athens again to see the tourist sights. It is still bloody
windy. If only I had bought a wind generator – then the wind would be sure to
have died. One positive affirmation about the wind at night is that the
mosquitoes cannot pay us a flying visit. On nights when it is calm, they
delight in finding the yacht some distance from shore. We are now armed with
citronella candles (useless), Raid coils (hard on the nostrils), Raid spray,
and a fly swat.
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| Anchorage Mykynos |
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| Siros |
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