Breakfast washed up then the tasks of cleaning begin. Like any home, it accumulates dust and fluff on the inside, while the outside developed scuffs from fenders and marks from bird poo and wet ropes. As ever I tackle the inside, working from the bow forward cabin, backwards I damp dust sweep, polish and put away all of those bits that we forget to normally. I am amazed at the fingerprints found on walls and doors, gathered over only a few days, they occur from suncreams, moisturising creams and eating! I have also planned to hand wash the clothes used till now, this can use a huge amount of water, which we cannot afford to waste. Bedding is by far the hardest to wash, literally too large to even attempt, and as you know, it requires very hot water. For this reason at some point on our travels, we must locate a laundry service. I have brought four weeks worth of clean linen fortunately! Kevin has absorbed himself in cleaning the marks on deck, again we must limit our water usage, sea water can at least be used for scrubbing, fresh water to rinse. His next task will involve climbing into Zoe, having secured her to Kejstral, then slowly making his way around the hull, cleaning and polishing. Not an easy job, worse today with a cold harsh wind to irritate him. By 2 pm we are sparkling, well Kejstral is, we are hot sticky and tired. Siesta time, then off for a walk on this lovely little Island. Zoe carries us to the jetty, where we then takes path up towards a probably unused building. The gate is open but freshly painted, strange, as the building seems unoccupied and run down. The path within is slightly overgrown, with the amount of goat droppings filling this garden, we assume they have munched their way through most of the greenery! The stone building is really old, the once white paint has an orangy brown tinged weathered look. Each window is secured with shutters fitted for protection, the green paint colour reflects the colours of the Taverna building we visited last evening, this building must belong to the same family, yet apparently barely used. The entire garden which covers a few acres, is edged with a dry stone wall, topped with a very prickly layer of spikey branches, clearly in an attempt to keep animals or people out.....Oops! We leave and make our way back through the painted gate, snapping shut the bolt behind us. The only visible path is the stony route towards the taverna, we follow it through the bushes and hedges, clambering over rocks and bumping into goats and sheep. They soon let us know of our intrusion, bleating and calling loudly, no doubt warning each of their herd members. As we near the buildings, we begin to climb larger grey rocks in an attempt to see the stunning views from a higher piece of land. From the top the scene is amazing, on the west coastline we watch waves crashing ferocious against the untouched rocky shore, the dark angry sea sends walls of white water smashing over the rock face, hardly surprising these Islands shrink gradually over the many years of their existence. From the southern edge, the swell created by wind and current, rolls into the little bay where Kejstral floats, the sea is calmer and clearer here, less angry looking too. Up here we have a perfect view of the taverna and the family home, there are three outbuildings nearby and the whole area is surrounded by lush green fields. Goats, sheep and the family donkey coexist on this farmstead, chickens graze and cluck their way around a fenced coup, I wonder if the goats are a little too playful for them! We have spotted a sparrow hawk, gliding and skimming the Island, possibly one of the threats to these chattering poultry. A red tractor with the elder man of this household, splutters it's way through the lanes between each field. A plume of sandy dust following every turn he makes, occasionally he whistles and shouts out towards those mischievous goats, they get everywhere. The two younger men of the family seem to be engrossed in the repair of some piece of farm equipment, an occasional burst of smoky engine noise creates a buzz of excitement, before it coughs and splutters to an abrupt halt, in yet another cloud of grey overwhelming smoke. Up on this hill we manage to locate a signal for our phone, giving us the opportunity to not only let everyone know where we are, but to check on the coming days weather report. With tomorrow seeing sunshine and a diminishing wind, we will take this window of good weather to depart from Levitha and travel north westerly to the next Island, Donoussa.
Our trail back towards Kejstral was somewhat easier than the route up here, mainly due to the lack of goat participation! Once back on board the wind gradually reared its untimely head, this time of the evening can be beautiful to watch the setting sun and enjoy the last few hours of a day. At the moment, it appears to be the favourite time for the wind to escalate, bringing a cold uncomfortable feel to the evening. We head indoors for a few hours of reading and writing.
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Sailing Kejstral AdventuresRetired and following our dream of sailing around the world Archives
April 2019
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