Wednesday 23rd October 2024
Lunch at Nektarios’ Taverna in Ireon with Gabby & Joseph
Sunday 27th October 2024
Good -bye dinner(s) with Mark in Pythagorio – two of rather! – the latter quite merry !
Wednesday 30th October 2024
Having all the gear off the boat and stowed in the wee house, the boat was ready for her annual maintenance, which I actually enjoy but I thought before I stated on that I would square up the garden at Paradise for Corinna & Ton. Little chance of Christos making an appearance which seems to be down to one or two 10 minute visits between October & April, LOL.
I had really gutted the place and it was looking good. My intention was to to little and often to keep it under control over the remainder of the winter.
It was not to be!!!
Friday 1st November 2024
We also had our now annual Paradise BBQ with the usual gang .
Nicolas had brought along some very dubious “testicle” type things that in the end turned out to be something’s kidneys – not for me thanks
There’s a lot of eating going on .
Thursday 7th November 2024
Camira lifted out today. She’s not looking to bad
Monday 18th November 2024
I had been getting some inflammation & pain on my erstwhile repaired Achilles and now two definitive lumps had emerged.
To cut a long story short after an initial visit to an orthopaedic guy in Vathi, he recommended me to a specialist in Athens, who immediately advised getting the weight of it so I bought some crutches having carried a set for years on the boat.
I visited him in Athens & he recommended a debridement & a big toe tendon transfer. Not cheap but all was arranged.
The ferry trip was interesting visiting some of the places we had sailed to earlier – but a lot quicker .
Approaching Piraeus Athens
Hotel views in Athens
The night before departure to Athens it emerged he had changed venues for his operations from one hospital with excellent reviews to one that was downright worrying. So we agreed I should cancel and return to Scotland for treatment. Turns out to be the same surgeon that initially repaired the original rupture and, although just as expensive, the surgery was going to be less invasive to clean out calcification that had attached to the old sutures and replace them with dissolving ones.
So my garden plans went by the wayside and flights were booked for Scotland.
Sunday 24th November 2024
Nicolas had invited us all to Aghios Konstantinos for a farewell lunch. He had now sold his boat to another French guy who has a house on Leros. Only the final agreements and insurance works to be carried out and a hand over in Kleanthis’ yard next year at the start of the season.
It was a lovely but sad day saying goodbye (for now) but added to which his mother was extremely unwell and not likely to see the year out.
At the end without us knowing he had paid for everything !
This marked the end of our catch up with sailing pals for the winter
Danny & Stella off to Switzerland, Nicolas to France and Mark & Sonia to Karlovassi.
And I would be off to Scotland for about two months – not the actual plan for the winter!
