Mia Hara's voyages: Family Holiday!

Sorry it has been so long updating - we have had lousy internet connections. We now have a very slow one so it is taking hours to upload this lot.

Becky, Andrew, Kai and Charlie flew out on Sunday 29th. After flying from Birmingham to Athens via Munich their flight to Samos was delayed. The previous flight had been unable to land because of strong winds and had had to return to Athens, so their flight was delayed while Olympic found a larger plane. The flight hit a lot of turbulence, Charlie bouncing out of seat, and wobbled all over the place as it came in to land. But they arrived safely.
As soon as they had settled in we went out to dinner in a garden restaurant - top rated by Trip Advisor. The service was over-familiar, the food second rate and the prices excessive, but Charlie enjoyed it.

On Sunday morning Kai's Italian friend from Agathonissi last year, Alexandros, appeared at the end of our gangplank, asking for Kai. It turned out that his family had been making their way down from Thessaloniki and had just arrived on the overnight ferry from Chios and were now waiting for the afternoon ferry to Agathonissi. Needless to say Kai could not wait to get off to Agathonissi, but we decided to stay in Pythagorion on Monday for shopping and getting sorted out.

Charlie went off to the beach, where he was not over-enthusiastic about going into the water!

In the afternoon Charlie decided to do some housework

So we bought him his own dustpan and brush.

On Tuesday morning Kai and Andrew went up by taxi to explore the ancient tunnel of Eupalinos, completed in 524BC to supply water to the town, a 1 kilometre tunnel cut straight through the rock.

As soon as they got back we were ready to go.

Charlie settled down, hooked on by his harness point.

We had a gentle sail down to Agathonissi with a dying wind behind us,

where we tied up to the rocks in town.

Kai’s Italian friends Alessandro and Katerina were waiting for us as we came in and Kai and they were soon jumping off the boat into the sea.

We pumped up our new kayak and Becky and Andrew took Charlie out for a ride.

In the afternoon Charlie went to the town beach

That night we had spaghetti Bolognese on board.

The next day, Wednesday, we chilled, swam and had ice creams.

In the evening we went to dinner at Yanni’s,

though Kai was invited to join his Italian friends to walk over to a tavern on the other side of the island. When they got there, they found that the owner was ill so it was closed, so they had to walk back to have dinner in a little tavern in Megala Hora, up on the hill.

Dinner at Yanni’s with Charlie was a bit of a nightmare because his greatest pleasure, once he had stuffed himself, was running away. Although not busy, it was still a road so we had to keep chasing after him.

We had promised Kai that Alessandro and Katerina could sleep over on the boat. Fortunately they were tired out after their walk and went straight off the sleep.

On Thursday morning Becky, Andrew and Kai went round to Spilia beach in the kayak, while Lin and Simon walked round with Charlie.

Charlie made friends with some young Greek girls

Charlie walked back

While Kai Andrew and Becky came back in the kayak.

Charlie was not too keen to have a shower

But was happy to get to bed

On Thursday morning we decided to move round to anchor in the peace and quiet of Spilia.

Simon climbed up to the ridge with views down to spilia

And to the nudist beach on the other side (so-called because it has a battered notice saying that nudism is prohibited).

We left Agathonissi on Sunday 5^th, with a good force 5-6 northerly wind giving us up to 8.5 knots. We soon reached Arki, where we went onto the quay.

Kai loves the café in Arki

And their little dog, which he tried to buy from them

And the square, where he can ride his bike and play football,

and we all love Nikolas’s taverna.

Charlie went cycling in the square with Andrew

On Monday we all (except Kai) had a hot half hour walk over the island to Paradise beach, though the sea was a bit choppy this time.

By the time we got back at lunchtime we were very hot and ready for a drink at Nikolas’

On Tuesday 7^th we had to leave Arki for Lipsi because we needed water and supplies. We had a gentle downwind sail and arrived in time to get one of the last places on the more sheltered inside of the quay.

We had missed high drama the night before. A Turkish gullet had reversed at speed onto the quay. When the skipper put the engine into forward to stop the boat the gearbox detached from the engine and the gullet hit the quay at about ten knots, smashing in the stern and injuring the passengers, two of whom had to be taken to hospital in Leros and all of whom had to be evacuated because the boat was no longer seaworthy, now tied to the end of the quay till its fate is determined.

Kai had the bike out as soon as we were tied up.

On Tuesday night we had a cheap takeway – tavernas in Lipsi are not the best!

On Wednesday morning Becky, Andrew, Charlie and Kai took a taxi over to the beach at Kapsadia.

Kai was soon moaning that he was bored, so they came back before lunch.

In the afternoon we went round to the Lipsi town beach, which is shallow, sandy and warm, though Charlie insists on trying to run away up the road. Charlie’s other favourite activity on the beach is collecting stones from the top of the beach and taking them down to throw in the sea to make a splash.

Charlie almost swam – a bit of yelling but some big smiles too.

In the evening we had spag bol on board. Kai disappeared after dinner. We next saw him on a Turkish motor yacht, watching the tele in their huge lounge.

On Thursday afternoon a fishing boat came alongside the quay and the fishermen unloaded three swordfish. Kai was after them in a flash, following them into the Calypso restaurant where they had gone to sell them.