Friday 16^th August 2024

Heading Oinousses

It was blustery in Scala Loutra as we readied for departure.

We left at 08:20 and once clear of the sheltered channel I see from the log at 10:30 we had winds of 21 knots from the NE at first swinging to the NW later. We used the Genoa on its own and “there was a bit of a sea but not too bad “. I don’t know how many miles to this point as the speed log had joined its companions in giving up the ghost, expected though, as the cable had been suspect for a while now. Still a pain so estimated distances only along the way from now on.

I also see at 13:30 we had a bit of excitement. In a gust of 40 plus knots we couldn’t get the sail in and we must have been coursing along at some speed with the amount of water over the gunwales on the port side. However after a bit of swearing, grunting and pain we managed to tame the beast. “ We need a proper solution for this, definitely this time ! “

It was an exhilarating days sailing seeing us arrive at our normal anchorage , a small bay just north of the port. Waypoint 9

Oinousses, and  the small jump across to Xios a week later.

It was very busy with other yachts and about 3 large motor yachts but we managed to squeeze in , as did Marizio & Eleanor who arrived sometime after us. No sooner had his anchor gone down he got himself invited onto the largest motor cruiser in the bay, LOL.

Views to and from the anchorage at various times, Lily on the boom in the moonlight

Views from the corner taverna, on this occasion I had dinghied across for a carry out

Sundry other pics from Oinousses

Thursday 22^nd August 2024

Having spent nearly a week in Oinousses, where it was relatively easy to dinghy into to the port to the free fresh water machine we headed across to Xios Marina where water collection is a right royal pain, being a walk to the next wee fishing harbour, if the public park garden tap isn’t working at the top of the hill! Yet again the Gin & Tonic side of this life rears its head.

We like Xios and so does Lilly because she gets a run about. Normally we berth alongside but there were no spaces! So we took a space on the pontoon in front of Paki’s using the anchor to go stern to hoping the bottom of the harbour wasn’t foul with debris & chains.

Marizio & Eleanor were here as well and although they were alongside they moved next to us the next day.

We had nearly two weeks in Xios. Long walks (even me!) and exercising for Louise while I paid a visit to an Ophthalmologist to get my IOP checked. All of our favourite haunts and tavernas were duly visited.

Xios harbour & one of our favourite tavernas for lunch

We took it turn about inviting Marizio & Eleanor aboard Camira for dinner & vice versa. Except vice versa also meant dinner on Camira due to a broken table on his boat, using Camira’s plates & Camira’s wine ! LOL .At least he did bring the spaghetti.

Marizio & Eleanor

Worried about using the anchors Marizio was keen to lift them.He had found what looked like semi decent lazy lines attached to the pontoon. So the next day between us we lifted both boats anchors replacing them with the lazy lines hoping that they would be OK. It would make it far easier when we were leaving. It involved me diving down and freeing the anchors and Marizio in his dinghy hauling them up.

Anchor retrieval

On leaving we were aware again this might be the last visit. Pity we didn’t see Pakis or Jimmy this visit either.

So good bye Xios

Monday 29^th July 2024

Heading to Mytilini Marina in 10 knots from the NE so motor sailing, in part to listen to the engine.

11:00 back on good old Pontoon C, Lily is off like a flash. Very busy now, full of Turkish boats most of which now use them as caravans and get the ferry to & fro Turkey. 2 dogs and 1 cat for Lily to “get involved” with, LOL.

Mytilini harbourside, a favourite haunt & walk.

Murals by night outside “Nan”

Its nice to see all our friends, Zoi, Vivi , Anastassia from the marina and Myrsini theVet although the visit to have a suspected lump on Lily checked out was a disaster. Myrsini at her dozy best !

These being the latter’s latest rescues.

Garden at the vet surgery

We were to have 15 days here exploring old haunts & restaurants and I completed a full service on the engine, all filters, bled, injectors checked for tightness. On the 5^th August we took the boat on an engine test up to Panaagoudia & back for an hour and a half and 7 miles. All seems OK ?

Mytilini Fortress from boat on engine trial run to Panagoudia

Panoramic one including the town

Thursday 8^th August 2024

We hired a bike and headed of for the day to Kolonis, Molivos & Sykamenea. This was the 1^st time we had visited Sykamenea , passed it plenty of times by sail though. It was very pretty, if a tad touristy.

Kolonis on the other big lagoon on Lesvos for a coffee stop

Molivos , another coffee stop

and finally Sykamenea

Tuesday 13^th August 2024

We are now headed back to Scala Loutra to await a suitable window to start going back south again. I see from the log it was a lovely sail underway just over 4 hours and just about all of it sailing.

Thursday 15th August eating on board in Scala Loutra, blowin a hoolie , the night before our departure.

Given that there is talk of this possibly being our last year in Greece. This indeed may be the last visit to lovely Lesvos. Who would have thought I would have said that after my comments on our first visit to Mytilini all those years ago before Covid.

Me:

“ Mm!….. I’m not sure about this place”

Louise:

“ Give it time, you will love it”

Well, she was right !

A few days and pics from Kolpos Geras an old fav LOL

Friday 26^th July 2024 – Scala Loutron

Gordon & some new pals

The famous bus stop

Picture of the bay from said bus stop

Grub up at the main taverna

Saturday 27^h July 2024 – Loutra village

Busy Saturday night up in the Taverna at Loutra, maybe Strictly is coming on ?

Sunday 28^th July 2024 – Perama Ferry Taverna

I suppose just what it says on the tin Perama Ferry Taverna , LOL

They are doing all this eating what do I get ? Not impressed!

Monday 29^th July 2024 – Fish Farm Bay

Early morning at “Fish Farm” bay where we had moved to to escape wedding noise, just prior to heading Mytilini Marina

Monday 22^nd July 2024

After 8 hot days visiting Skyros it’s time to go.

We have decided on Lesvos a trip just shy of 90 miles if we make landfall at Kolpos Koloni

We left at 10:30 and two hours later saw us abeam Tres Boutes Bay approx Waypoint 2 – the valley ashore being where Robert Brookes tomb is.

Motor-sailing at the moment and the engine misfiring a few times but by 12:30 we were sailing at last , albeit slowly.

17:00 We have covered 28 miles, slow progress and hot but at least sailing on course.

22:30 We begin to cross the busy shipping lanes & I need to call up once just to be sure we’ve been spotted

01:00 The wind is picking up as forecast, 60 miles covered just another 30 to go !

07:30 Anchored at our usual spot at Apothekes in Kolpos Kolonis, Lesvos

Dawn Tuesday 23^rd July 2024

The rest of today was spent catching up on sleep and basic checks on the engine connections.

Wednesday 24^th July 2024

Heading Skala Loutra early at 05:00 becoming far too windy here. Reefed main and foresail gave us a brisk passage to Scala Loutra where I note from the log we anchored at 13:00

Piloting our way out of Kolpos Koloni

Saturday 20th July 2024

There are some places you visit that it becomes too easy not to move on from, becoming a “Port Velcro”.

Skyros is such a place. Maybe it’s just because it was a new place for us this year.

It is certainly a lovely island .

Well it must be a week or more since we arrived so we probably should start planning our exit and more importantly our destination , given we are in the middle of the Aegean!

And what better place to plan than in the cafe above our “swimming pool” berth.

These will probably be the last pictures from Skyros. …………….. this time !

Good bye Skyros

Thursday 18^th July 2024

Being an old biker I can’t get enough of two wheels so I took the bike on my own for a ride around the south part of Skyros.

What a difference – mostly treeless & far more rock with a desolateness that I quite like. I have tried some panoramic shots to try to give the atmosphere

There is in effect only one road suitable for the scooter though there are routes up into Mount Kochilas in the centre. I don’t know what I would’ve done if I had had a puncture!

I followed the road right over to the other side of the island at the brilliantly named Schinochorti before returning the same way but turning off to see Rupert Brookes’ Tomb.

It sits alone in a wild, remote place and evokes quite melancholic feelings.

Rupert Brooke (1887–1915) was an English poet best known for his idealistic war sonnets written during the early stages of World War I, especially “The Soldier”

that begins:

“If I should die, think only this of me:

That there’s some corner of a foreign field

That is forever England.”

Ironically, Brooke never saw battle. In 1915, while en route to the Gallipoli campaign with the British Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, he developed septicaemia from an infected mosquito bite. He died on April 23, 1915, aboard a French hospital ship anchored off the Greek island of Skyros.

Because of the urgency and difficulty of wartime logistics, Brooke was buried hastily but reverently in an olive grove in the hills of Skyros, far from the battlefield and his home. His grave sits in a remote and peaceful spot in the Tris Boukes Bay area, surrounded by wild herbs and nature—echoing the bucolic peace often found in his poetry.

The Poet’s Tomb on Skyros has become a symbol of the romanticism of wartime sacrifice, despite the brutal reality that followed in Gallipoli and beyond. Brooke’s early death enshrined him as a tragic figure of promise unfulfilled—his grave a quiet sentinel overlooking the Aegean, far from the carnage that claimed so many of his generation.

His resting place is now part of pilgrimages made by literary admirers and historians, and it stands as one of the most touching war memorials in the world – not for its grandeur, but for its serenity and isolation.

Tuesday 16^th July 2024

Scooter Day #2

Today saw us heading up the left hand side (north part) of the island effectively tracking the brown road out of Linaria along the west coast then clockwise across the north and back down past Skyros town on the east & back down to Linaria again.

Early morning we visited Pefkos bay just over the hill to investigate both the taverna for later that night and the moorings we had seen while transiting the short cut.  We didn’t even stop for a coffee, being too early into our road trip.

Pefkos Bay moorings ?

Pefkos bay  and the short cut gap in the distance

Linaria way back in the distance

Our next stop for coffee was Aghios Fokkas in a beach bar Kantina type of place, boasting beach beds and a massive luxury yacht at anchor.

Aghios Fokkas

Then it was north again through Klouthros & Atsitsa

before rounding the north just in front of the Aerodrome and heading back down.

There were some lovely spots and equally remote and challenging countryside that I would imagine would be hard to cultivate, but lovely to travel through.

2 days however on the back of a bike begins to cause Louise a bit discomfort and today was more of a distance than yesterday with not many stops until back Skiros town side. Late afternoon found us back in Linaria looking forward to dinner locally in the port that night.

And so ends Scooter Day #2

Monday 15^th July 2024

We had decided to hire a scooter today from “Scoot Scoot motorcycle rentals “

Having just signed the papers provided driving licence etc. Penelope Pit-stop on leaving the office walked into a low framed rock door.

She was carrying her crash hat – pity she hadn’t put it on ! LOL.

After triage and waiting for her to stop seeing stars we set off.

There are lots of walking trails some that were used for years by Skyrian shepherds for their sheep and some others lead to historic chapels whose festivals are still celebrated by the islands inhabitants. If you had a lot of time it would be a great place to get off the beaten path.

As you can see from the maps the island is very definitely geologically different North to South and the rentals guy suggested we stick to the North.

That was fine by us. Today we wanted to visit Skyros town and the castle atop it. Penelope isn’t the best pillion passenger at the best of times and an epic wouldn’t have been a good idea ! So today was limited to the middle right portion of the island.

First ride was out on the coast road as far as Molos & Pouris where the road peters out and then we turned back into Skyros town proper and the climb up to the castle.

Skyros town in the distance and arrival below the castle

Many mythical figures such as Theseus, Achilles, Neoptolemos & King Lycomedes have been linked to Skyros. According to mythology Achilles departed from Skyros for the Trojan war from a small harbour called even today Achilli.

I’ve got a soft spot for Achilles and his pal Susan Whiteford – a bog in Ireland, LOL.

Anyway I digress. After a further medical stop the get Penelope’s heid dabbed wi ointment at a Farmakeio ………….

…………………. we set off up to the castle through wonderful old winding alleyways.

Almost there

At the top fabulous views northwards of the island.

Then the climb back down

………………. for a welcome coffee

Back onto the bike again heading past Aspous to a deserted, part finished “marina”. There was one German catamaran that had managed to get in despite depth warnings and they seemed to like it but there was absolutely nothing there , no water, mini market or tavernas for miles. I see on the map the name Achilli so it could be built on top the the famous harbour but I rather think its a smaller bight a wee bit further over.

The “marina”

Next was turning inland to visit Mouries Farm near Kallikiri, a Skyrian horse breeding and conservation centre. The Skyrian horse , native to the island is one of the rarest & most ancient breeds in the world. It is considered to be a descendant of the horses Achilles took to Troy, and the horses of Alexander the Great

Mouries farm was created a few years ago by Manolis Trachans and currently hosts 43 Skyrian horses. The starting point of this project was the gift of the mare Astrapi to the then young Manolis 25 years ago. The main goal of the centre is the reproduction of pure Skyrian horses through controlled breeding.

One of the horses on the farm whose name is Elpida (Greek for “hope”) was born with serious problem with a hind leg. In 2013 she received the 1^st artificial limb ever made for a horse in Greece, manufactured by Dr Prerkles Nikopoulos who declined any payment. His unique gift has enabled Elpida to walk with the other horses.

There are educational programmes, volunteering, riding, traditional exhibition of the  threshing of the split peas for Fava by the horses

Threshing split peas

…………  and my favourite Hippotherapy, which is a therapy centred around interaction between the horses and children who face mental & physical challenges. Skyrian horses due to their particularly calm and friendly character are ideal for this.

After a welcome beer in the taverna we headed back in the direction of Linaria via Kalamitsa bay.

Approaching the said “welcome beer”

Kalamitsa and over the next hill we came back into Linaria from the opposite direction

That evening on the recommendation of Scooter Scooter we headed back Skiros town direction to a fish restaurant on the beach, called Istories Tou Bharba.

It was OK but a bit expensive, views fabulous though.

Istories Tou Bharba.

and the views

And so ends Scooter Day #1

Sunday 14^thJuly 2024

Ashore exploring the port of Linaria and a circular walk around the outskirts of the village up to the church on the hill and ending up at back the café bar above the boat.

Church overlooking the bay

The “short cut” away in the distance

View back across the bay to the buoys

The port from the exact opposite side from the church – now in the distance

and back to the café bar above Camira

Then after swim in “the pool” it was out for a meal in the evening.  We choose a simple typical Greek looking one right on the front, turned out to be our preferred eatery for the remainder of our stay in Linaria

Linaria port at night

Evening views from the boat

Lazy 1^st day

Scooter hire tomorrow.

Friday 12^th July 2024

It’s a long one today, just shy of 50 miles.

Skyros has been one of our planned destinations for a while but the weather and distances from pretty much everywhere else can make it difficult to get to or leave.

The corollary of having very calm weather allowing us to get there means a long hot motor.

Its not ideal given the vagaries of the engine at the moment but it is exciting to be finally going there.

Well it was indeed a long 9 hours but at 18:40 we were anchored in the 1^st bay at the NW of Skyros

Approaching Skyros.

The next morning Saturday 13^th July 2024 

After a small passage through a “short cut “ Waypoint 3 above.

Steno Valaxa short cut in the distance

and through………

we arrived at Linaria the main port of Skyros . We were helped to tie up by the harbour master, Sakis,  in a beautiful spot on fore and aft buoys just below a cafe / bar / taverna.

Wow our own swimming pool

What a beautiful spot

………………. and relax !

Each arrival of the ferry was met with the theme from 2001 A Space Odyssey blaring out from the Taverna above, apparently been going on for 20 years , LOL