To log in some schengen credits I have exited Grcece and headed for Albania, six miles away.
Leaving Greece
I had a serious health issue with eating dodgy chicken. This persisted for at least 4 days with lack of energy, aching joints, and the obvious dysentery. No fun at all. On the positive side I probably lost weight.
I had unknowingly broken a cardinal rule of not buying my cruising tax before going in the water by quite a few days. Punishable with a 796E fine minimum. It was with some trepidation I organised to face the authorities to check out.
The yacht yard kindly printed off the necessary forms the night before. I find them a nightmare to negotiate.
7.30am The Post Office opens. I borrowed a bike for the day and headed there to queue before opening. A lot of transactions are paid at the PO and queues can be long - It was the first opening day after 5 days of Easter closing and I was already 2 days later leaving than planned.
That completed, I pedalled off to the Port Authority. First stage completed - then Immigration for the all important Exit stamp. Back to Port Authority for more paper work to satisfy Customs. Then off to Customs and finally back to Port Authority. The bike was a godsend. And all this just to get the exit stamp. No questions were asked regarding the whereabouts of Moondance. I had moved back to near the yacht yard to be able to say it was at the yacht yard if necessary.
How the superyachts get their lamb Easter Sunday
Next day I headed to Kassiopi to recover.
Festival at Kassiopi.
In the evening I was feeling a little hungry so went in to the village (Kassiopi is delightful) to find a party atmosphere and folk dancing to be had in the evening.
Having misssed the traditional lamb on the spit Sunday lunch I really felt like making up for it so headed for a restaurant visited the previous year that probably had Kleftiko (slow roasted lamb) A little early I decided to try on the harbour. What a sight - Spit roasted lamb with bread. Sandwiches. Just what I wanted - ready in 1/2 an hour. Good oh - I can wait that long and did.
The first lamb carcass came off the spit and I joined the queue with anticipation of a hot meat sandwhich. What I got for 20E was an aluminium tray (weighed) full with hot meat. Not neatly sliced as expected, but chopped in best butcher fashion right in front of me. Bones and all were loaded in. People before me were ordering whole trays full - chops, leg, anywhere that could be chopped - enough to feed large families. I felt like a tourist.
Folk Dancing
The sky was threatening and some large drops of rain had fallen while waiting for the folk dancing and I did not feel like getting et going back to the boat, so I watched a few rounds of young children moving in a circle to music with variations of hand holding, but not much else. Typical of other displays we have seen in earlier years. Still delightful in original costume.
I chickened out and headed back to Moondance before the next older set. Of course the sky lightened.
Albania
Sarande has been a delight. Far from the Communist country I was evicted 3 times from in 2005. Check in with an agent was easy. A one stop shop E65 compared to E30 in Corfu and do it yourself with much walking.
We had been back in 2016 and take the Butrint tour from Corfu.
Buildings now are all painted, people well dressed with modern scooters and V8 Audis. (Previously stolen to order in Italy) Roading infrastructure is being modernised with the help of migrant labour - same as everywhere else in the world. The promenade is wide and extensive with shops and restaurants everywhere lining the beachfront. Beach is marble chip.
Supermarkets are well stocked with Greek and Italian products, at prices less than both those countries and NZ. 1/2 trolley of average shopping including vegetables (no meat or alcohol was $NZ66)
Not convinced of how good the holding in mud in the harbour is I have 50m of chain out. Apparently a few yachts have dragged recently.
There has been thunderstorms nearby the last two days and I have elected to stay in Sarande for the last 2 days and leave tomorrow.
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