Crete to the Peloponnisos, Methoni and Ithaca

We were slightly apprehensive about this leg of our voyage....we'd read and heard so much about the "twin capes" Malea and Matapan and the changeable weather patterns where the prevailing winds and currents from the Aegean meet those from the Ionian.  About the time we were due to leave Crete we'd had an email from friends that they'd been battered when they sought shelter sailing north from Nisos Kithera.

Cape Malea was the cape where Odysseus was blown south to the land of the Lotus Eaters!  And Cape Matapan was the scene of the World War Two famous Battle of Matapan!

Off Nisos Kithera - "fast moving island"

No wind when we went through!

We motored on through smooth seas and followed two other yachts through the Methoni Roadstead into the beautiful sheltered harbour of Methoni with a Venetian fort and Turkish tower where it is said that Cervantes had been imprisoned.  Dinghied ashore, shopped for supplies and the owners of the shop drove us back to the harbour!  Very beautiful spot.....although everywhere shows signs of an economy slowing down.

A couple of seasons too late for this restaurant!

Juxtaposition

As we voyaged north past Ormos Navarinon (scene of the Battle of Navarinon in 1827 when Greece was effectively freed) we saw on the AIS in Pilos Marina, HMSTC (Her Majesty's Sail Training Craft) Dasher.  Finally we had some wind and furled out the genoa.  It wasn't until we weighed anchor at Katakolon that the wind filled in from the west and we were sailing!  Gusty conditions between Akinthos and Cephalonia but nothing much above 20 knots.

"Kinabalu" is stern to the quay, centre of group of yachts

Crystal clear water

View of the harbour early afternoon before the charter boats arrived!

Susan and Philip's "best ever" anchorage was Port Kioni on Ithaca, the island home of Odysseus and so we decided that we had to make a stop there.

Rod Heikell mentions that the school roll has fallen from 600 to 20 in the last twenty years because most of the population has emigrated to Australia and the US, but they still own many of the quaint white-washed houses.

Never want to leave :)

NZ yacht, girl in red dress jumps straight onto the board and paddles the stern line ashore!   The way to go ;)

Rabbit!