Sunday saw an early start, well unusually for me at least. We had decided it would be best to “trick “Lily on her maiden voyage. If we let her off the boat as usual there was a chance she would not return for hours so I was up sneaking around getting the boat ready to cast off.

It was fairly calm so Louise stayed below with Lily and I started the engine which caused her to bolt for cover under the chart table; the cat on the other hand was fine.

It’s only about 12 miles around to Scala Loutra but it was into the wind and it threw up a bit off chop. There was a bit of meowing and she was definitely a wee bit anxious as she cowered under the coach roof watching the water. We took it easy and didn’t use the big white flappy things, perhaps that would’ve just been a wee bit too much on the first outing.

  

The entrance to Kolpos Yeras

We arrived at 11:45 and Lily settled down for a sleep, probably as a result of using up all that nervous energy.

  

Approaching Scala Loutra

Monday & Tuesday we stayed put only going ashore for a farewell lunch with Nicolas. He will be heading back south down to the Dodecanese to meet his sister and other visitors this summer, and hopefully, as mentioned earlier we plan to go North and maybe, but only maybe Turkey.

 

The brand new dinghy and view from taverna

    

Followed by Ouzo in the sun

   

The inner bay for wee fishing boats and return journey

My birthday was on a dreich April 9^th. It didn’t stop us going out for lunch though. We went back to one of the best tavernas in Epano Skala, the historical port of Mytilini. During the meal I was “convinced” by Louise & Nicolas to go and see about my ear.

    

The local brandy was very good

We had expected to leave early April and had paid our berthing dues accordingly.

However the medical gremlins had set in again! ……. Why is it always at the start of the season? Achilles in Lagos, Tooth in Syracuse, now Ear in Lesvos.

I had gone deaf in my left ear and after two weeks or so of antibiotics there was no change so off I went to a local ENT specialist who diagnosed 75% hearing loss and recommended hospitalisation for 3 days intravenous cortisone which might or might not work. It turned out to be 6 days with no improvement. Albeit I can now turn a deaf ear to Louise when it suits.

  

Admission day and my pet hate “Needles”

After a complete battery of tests the next proposal is an MRI scan of my inner ear which I cannot get until the 16^th May.

Louise will have to go back alone to Scotland for a wedding that we were both looking forward to. She has now had to get connecting flights to and from Thessalonica in the north of Greece where we had expected to be in May!

In the interim therefore we have extended our Mytilini Marina berthing contract until the end of May but will have a shakedown “mini cruise” around Lesvos for 6 days in the interim. It will hopefully let Lily become accustomed to life at sea and the engine which she doesn’t like.

Below are some time based pictures of her since adoption in October 2018 to date. She remained boat bound for a while but then discovered the freedom of the marina and is away for hours, if not a full day at a time, in the lavender beds only to return for food and a quick hello. She has fallen in the water once and came running back soaked only to be showered by again by us.

 

I like this boat can I come along ?  (28th Oct 2018)

 

Ok –  so is all of this mine now ? (4th Nov 2018)

 

First outing in Marina (12th Nov 2018)

I’m soo glad they drink wine. (19th Nov  2018)

Think you’ve made a mistake here (5th Dec 2018)

 

Cat who got the cream & and  I’m hiding (23rd Dec 2018)

  

Of course you know this is my boat now (25th Jan 2019)

 

Just me posing for Dimitri  (26th Apl 2019)

Paul & Lorraine of Freya arrived in Lesvos and are taking out an annual contact at the Marina we had a lunch with them before  Lorraine headed back to the UK for a week. No doubt we will catch up again throughout this coming season.

 

And a farewell lasagne on Camira for Nicolas along with his Japanese Whisky which was very good although I needed a few tastes just to make sure of the quality.

  

And so ends the blog for 2018-19 with a nice April day in the main harbour Mytilini.

 

Bye for now  ………………..