No sooner had we settled in when we got the news that our tenants were moving out. It was decided (I wus telt!) that since we hadn’t inspected the house since our original let in April 2014 this would be a good opportunity for someone (me!) to go home and inspect the house and possibly get to see & vet prospective new tenants.

We did manage to have the “annual” BBQ with the French arsonist before both he & I returned to our respective home countries.

Two days after moving into the house we had emptied the boat of all the cushions, clothes and paraphernalia required to cruise and lifted Camira out the water.

Lily was left to settle in and acclimatize to her winter pad. We think she remembered it from the previous year and seemed quite content, probably glad to be off the boat at last!

Later the same day ,in the afternoon we were driven to an up market restaurant, not at all classically Greek, high up in the hills called Orizontas, which I suspect, means horizons. From here you can see both the Northern town (and old capital) of Karlovassi & the South beach resort & harbour of Marathrocambos at the same time.

The chef obviously is trying to be a bit different from the normal fare and very good it was to. It was here we had our first taste of Vakakis wine, from vineyards not far up in the hills from Karlovassi.

Saturday 9th October:

At 10:30 it was a sad farewell (for this year, anyway) to Silvie. We were off to Agathonisi our 2^nd last stop of a strange season. Just before 13:00 we anchored in the 1^st cove Ay Georgious (waypoint 3) and had a last swim.

Sunday 10^th October:

Next morning we left at 10:00 for a 15 mile motor to Samos Marina. I see from the log we arrived and tied up at 13:30.

Our winter hire car was delivered to the marina and left with the keys in it for us to pick up at our leisure by Yiannis.

Monday 11^th October:

We moved into “Another Day in Paradise”

Sailing season over for this year.

After dinner on Nicolas’s boat on the Thursday night we awoke to a calm bay and just a zephyr from the SW, whooo hoo we’re off, heading for Katsidia bay, a beautiful anchorage and a favourite of ours on Lipsi.

A short hop of 13 miles today saw us arrive at 14:00 in the afternoon. A downwind sail with the genoa only – not fast but pleasant.

There are two tavernas we like to visit when we are here. One is the award winning Manaolis’ Tastes and the other just a little traditional ouzeri on the fisherman’s wharf.

The script is to visit the ouzeri first for, funnily enough ouzo, then on to the main restaurant. The danger is though he keeps bringing meze with the ouzo that’s hard to resist and you spoil your appetite for Manaolis’

Silvie had never been to Lipsi before so it was nice for her to see it.

The walk over the hill from the anchorage to the town takes about 20 minutes just enough time to work up a thirst.

The anchorage – just us and Syeni this time of year

Landing point at the anchorage with a beach taverna behind

Walk up the hill with anchorage in the distance

Cresting the top with views down to Lipsi town in the distance.

and finally arrival ……….. where’s my ouzo?

Aaaaaaah!            there it is

The last longish passage of the season today, just shy of 40 miles, it turned out, originally intending to pick up a buoy at Emborios on Kalymnos.

We managed 5 hours under sail to a waypoint just off Telendos, a big rocky island off the coast of Kalymnos with a channel between them leading to Emborious.

At 12:00 we were forced to put the engine on as the wind had now died and motored with a the full mainsail. It was a moderate sea but the motion had caused Slyvie on Syeni to be seasick.

Given the motion & direction of the swell we thought the buoys would not give a comfortable night so we decided to carry on to the south of Leros and anchor in Xerocambos.

I note from the log arrived at 16.00, 39.4 miles, 10 hours underway, 5 undersail.

Getting there……

We still had the bikes for a day or two so with everyone else gone Nicholas, Silvie, Louise & I explored some more of Astipalaia while waiting for the weather to change to allow us to head northwards. Very strange and irritating weather patterns this year!

Some nice pictures of the days out

You can see the shape of the island in this one our 1st nights stop away in the distance upper right. The North & South of the island is seperated by a very narrow ithsmus.

The weather didnt seem to spoil Lily’s sleep patterns anyway she would curl up at every opportunity