Collected car 9am, happy to see some sights and dodge the wind for the day 😁 We headed out to the south side of Samos passing the airport on our left. We are still seeing helicopters carrying water over the hillside to the fire damaged site. Saw a sign for a monastery but it had been left to ruins and vacated a very long time ago, what a disappointment. Continuing around the south coast we stumbled across a honey shop with bee hives overlooking a stunning bay. The hives were full and worker bees were busily buzzing back and forth with their hoard. A small nest could be seen on the back wall of the shop, once inside the wooden shop, a glass fronted hive could be seen, awesome, all those bees creating a little piece of sticky gooy yummy honey 😁 having stared like a proper tourist would, I wanted my own little cute, string tied pot of deliciousness. Kevin rolled his eyes, 'you will sink the damned boat!' Naa, I will have eaten it long before that point 😁 Amazing little find on this stunning landscape with the views out over the south coast. Following the road to Kampos , we came to a small fishing town called Marathokanpou, this little port has been updated in the last 18 months. Sailing vessels can take a mooring on their newly created harbour where each berth has facilities for water and electricity. We have been here before all of the work was completed, and what a great job they have done. We called into the local well stocked mini market for an ice cream and water. Thought we should ask around about the new facilities and met a very nice British couple who live in France but leave their yacht in Leros for the winter. With free water and no harbour fees, they were rather impressed too! We do meet some very interesting people on ou r travels, all willing to share their experiences and stories. Onwards to port Karlovassi, this is the business end of Samos, very industrial with car ferries bringing goods daily to the Island from further afield. Which had me thinking, in very bad westher, how do some of the smaller Islands cope, their reliance on deliveries is quite scary. Some islands are without their own water supply! Most survive on produce grown in the farmlands, tomatoes in abundance, peppers aubergines and potatoes grow in hillsides overlooked by the wandering goat population. These animals are unbelievable, we have seen them perched precariously on the side of sheer cliff faces, quite happily munching on the greenery. If you reach the top of a particularly steep slope in the car/ moped, you can almost guarantee a goat will be balancing on the ledge above, chewing whatever is on the hilltop menu 😁 Onwards following the stunning coastline and stopping regularly to take pictures of the surfers perfect waves, the sound of the sea arriving on shore from their travels far in the distance cannot possibly be captured perfectly on camera, it is wonderful. The aqua green waves with white foamy tendrils wash over the pebbles, changing their pattern with each sweep. The sun is hot, yet the wind reduces our ability to notice just how hot and crispy we are becoming. So we move on reluctantly leaving surfy haven behind. Kokkari is our next and favourite place on this Island. We actually found it by chance on our first trip on our motor boat two years ago. I will return to this story a little later. Kokkari is also on the north of the Island which means strong northerly winds are very common, these winds provide Kokkari with a surf lovers sanctuary, the waves are awesome, each one rolling in and crashing beautifully onto the pebbly beach. The colours are perfect, pale blue crests rise high above the deep blue ocean, sweeping and rolling over creating that frothy white descending splash. My camera wants to capture each waves as the momentum gives rise to yet a greater more spectacular shot. ibcurb my my desire to fill my memory card with bubbles and foam as Kevin is hungry! Lunch we decide will be at the 'long beach hotel'. This establishment drew our attention a couple of years before. We had booked into a small pretty pansion for a few nights which was delightful. Elena our hostess must have been 90 years old, but what a friendly smiley lady. Our room was simple but beautiful with white linen and carved wooden furniture, white lace curtains billowing in the gentle breeze of the window trying hard to dapple the ferocious sunlight. We had a perfect two days there. The hotel a few hundred yards away 'long beach hotel' was our dining facility. When mealtimes approached we wandered past the pretty gift and souvenir shops to taste some culinary delights, in this fabulous location. It faces the sea and those fabulous waves, once seated, we found it very hard to leave the setting. Just to add to its privileged position this hotel had a very special, if not fussy guest. He would lay brazen and outstreached on the pebbles regardless of his fatty rolls of belly. He had an audience, cameras snapped him as he rolled over without a care in the world. His security, a man and women were on constant alert for interference or intrusion, he was oblivious to all lolling around basking in the heat. The seal Argiro, is a well known guest at this hotel, he arrives every summer for short periods, almost like a tourist. He has been know to clamber onto sunbeds optimising his chance of a suntan. Maritime conservation teams are with him constantly every change of position is documented. When he takes off for a swim, he has company his entourage stick like glue. Following his every movement. In the evenings he does a 'swim by' of the bars and restaurants, probably enjoying the attention and camera flashes! We have lunch, a perfect Greek salad with crusty bread to soak up the delicious oil and vinegar mixture. Crunchy pepper and cucumber red onion and tomatoes with a taste like none we have had before. Olives decorate the dish, we leave those where they are. We are not great olive eaters despite our Turkish / Greek travels! Perfect meal in a perfect location. From here we head back to Pythagorea to check 'Kejstral' as still coping with 23 knot winds, she is fine, bobbing around but secure. Back in our car to the town of Vathy for a walk, and drink. We have been to Vathy twice now, on each visit we left unimpressed and for very different reasons. Our first visit three years ago was aboard our motor boat, we traveled from Pythagorea north around the Island. The wind was rather fierce and the sea became increasingly rough. As we rounded the headland into Vathy we entered the large open harbour area. The swell must have been 3 meters and quite daunting for us. We moored against the harbour wall, yet the swell continued to batter us around. In addition to the conditions, the town was very disappointing. Our view was of a building site 😢 The town was having a makeover, the whole seafront had been dug out and was being replaced, what a mess. We did go ashore for a look around and were rather shocked at how buildings were left abandoned probably but the financial crisis in Greece. How sad to see so many businesses just come to an abrupt halt. So much so that dust has settled thickly onto goods lying in each tired old window. It was very eerie and so heartbreaking. Some little businesses were struggling to stay afloat with some very old sun damaged stock, other more affluent stores continued on around their sorry surroundings. We had had enough, therefore collected our boat and left to a small harbour with more protection and with a more pleasant view! We left Vathy on that occasion, feeling cheated as we had been told what a lovely town it was. That is when were first found Kokkari a totally unexpected piece of gold. So today we return with hope of an improvement to Vathy, were were not disappointed it looks so much better, the promenade which had been totally demolished now shone with marble and polished stone. The shops and old buildings look amazing, painted in lovely yellow and orange hues topped with rustic terracotta roofs. Freshly replaced oak wood windows with delightful shutters, all dressed in fine cotton whispy curtains, draw us closer for glimpse into their lives. We are so happy that we returned to this now vibrant colourful town. We stop for coffee in one of these refurbished cafes, sitting watching the Greek lifestyle drift by. The harbour to our right side is where the harbour master, customs and port police reside. Ferries come and go regularly transporting their many guests to the many Island destinations. This area looks equally different from our last visit. Only a year ago, we witnessed to arrival of many illegal immigrants to this port. Having been transported from Syria by whatever means, these very unfortunate families, many with small children and very old relatives were now awaiting the ferry to a better life. Very sad to see. Back to Kokkari for the evening so, a quick change of clothes in the car, then a fabulous evening meal by the waterfront, a massive mixed grill and wine to celebrate Kevin's birthday. We drove back to Pythagorea to return the hire car and meet some friends. Edward and Anna have been in contact through social media, keeping each other updated on weather changes, moorings and our different plans for sailing. They arrived in Samos a week or so before us.Their boat Catalina 36 which was in the Marina nearby, had alternator problems and were stuck awaiting replacement. They too had hired transport for the day, so we had plenty to discuss and laugh about. We listened to their tales of near misses and great sailing, they reciprocated while we shared a few drinks and a lovely warm balmy evening together. Very nice couple, who I am sure we will meet again. And so to bed after a brilliant day, happy birthday Kevin 💝
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Sailing Kejstral AdventuresRetired and following our dream of sailing around the world Archives
April 2019
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