On Wednesday 10 September we motored round from Lakki to Agia Marina to meet Annie, who was coming from Kos on the catamaran. We tried tying up to the quay, but found it was too shallow, so we went and anchored off. This meant that we greeted Annie with a climb over a wall onto the beach and a climb in and out of the dinghy to get on the boat, which she managed brilliantly considering that she only had a major operation on her back four months ago and now has a rigidly straight spine.
To break Annie in easily we motored for an hour up to the anchorage at Arkhangelos, where we stayed for the night.
The next day, Thursday, we again motored, as there was no wind, and went onto the quay in Arki. The bushes behind the town beach had all been burnt - they had had a fire at 3 am a few days before and everybody had turned out to beat it to death. Nikolas was very tired - Maria, his mother and chief cook, was still in Athens recovering from her operation, so Niko was having to manage the taverna and the cooking on his own. Richard and Ron arrived soon after us and we had a very enjoyable dinner with them at Nikolas's. Annie was able to advise Richard on treatment for his wife's back, which was giving her crippling pain.
On Friday we went round the corner to anchor in Porto Stretto with Richard and Ron, to give Annie a taste of something new. We walked back to Nikolas's for lunch and went back for more swimming and chilling.
On Saturday 13th we motor-sailed to Lipsi and picked up a buoy off Katsadia beach in the South of the island. We rowed ashore for a big and delicious lunch in the taverna and then had an afternoon swimming off the boat and chilling. In the evening we heard live piano music from the taverna, but were eating aboard and it had got a bit windy to row ashore. Annie had a disturbed night with the noise of the mooring lines grating as the boat swung around to the shifting wind.
On Sunday morning we had a good sail down to Pandeli, where Bob and Lidia were due to arrive on Monday morning to stay in the Castelo Beach hotel. Annie slept most of the way, despite the rolling and the noise of the engine. We anchored with a line ashore, then the anchored dragged on the weed so we had to do it all again.
Bob and Lidia arrived next morning. After having coffee with them we motored around to go on the town quay in Lakki, as Annie was taking the catamaran back to Kos the next day. In the evening we took a taxi up to Dmitry's to meet Bob and Lidia for an excellent and enormous dinner.
We had had a great week with Annie and were amazed at how well she coped, with her new back. Moving on each day meant that Annie felt that she had had six different holidays! She took the catamaran to Kos in the afternoon to get her flight home. In the evening we went over to Pandeli to have dinner in their hotel with Bob and Lidia to celebrate her birthday.
We had planned to do some day sails with Bob and Lidia, as Lidia gets quite seasick, but the forecast did not look too promising, with a lot of strong winds. Nevertheless, we managed to take them for a day trip up to Arkhangeli on Wednesday, though Lidia was obviously feeling pretty queezy on the way up. In the evening we went to To Petrino to pig out on their enormous and delicious Bon Filet.
On Saturday 20th we hired a car for the day to give Bob and Lidia a tour of the island. We drove up to Partheni, where we checked out the new marina and went to the church in which political prisoners had painted wall paintings under the Junta. They were rather disappointing as they depicted religious scenes rather than political statements. We then drove round to the little church of Aghios Isidoros on an island at Kokali in Gourna Bay. This is the most photographed sight on Leros, but we had never been there before!
We then went for a slap-up lunch at Sotos, at the other side of the bay. We had a huge plate of mixed shellfish, a bowl of moules mariniere and two portions of Kalamari, all very fresh and collected and caught by the owner.
On Sunday 21st we met Bob and Lidia for another evening in To Petrino - they couldn't get enough of those steaks - and on Monday 22nd we motored up to Arki for a last visit - again no wind. The quay soon filled up and we found everyone very excited because Maria was on her way back from Athens on the Blue Star and would arrive home next day on Nissos Kalymnos.
Next morning, Tuesday, everybody but us left early, so that we were the only boat on the quay, for the first time since our first visit in 2000.
We joined her family in welcoming Maria back - she looked incredibly well considering her recent major operation (sorry the picture is sideways!).
We then walked over to Tiganaki for a swim. Soon after we arrived a RIB came from a ginormous motor yacht anchored off the beach and deposited seven chairs, which they lined up on the beach before driving off. Presumably this was in case their masters wanted to come to the beach, rather than a surrealist art installation.
In the afternoon the wind got up from the south and there was pandemonium on the quay as yachts tried to get in, while others anchored out in the bay. That evening we had a farewell meal at Nikolas's and said our goodbyes, promising to be back next year.
On Wednesday morning, 24 September, we motor sailed back to Lakki with a decent following wind and went into the marina to start preparing the boat to lift out at Partheni on Monday 29th. At the moment the forecast is for very strong winds on Sunday and Monday, so we may see if we can lift on Saturday instead. Then we fly to Athens on Thursday, to stay with Lena, before flying home on Saturday October 4th, Kai's birthday.
To break Annie in easily we motored for an hour up to the anchorage at Arkhangelos, where we stayed for the night.
The next day, Thursday, we again motored, as there was no wind, and went onto the quay in Arki. The bushes behind the town beach had all been burnt - they had had a fire at 3 am a few days before and everybody had turned out to beat it to death. Nikolas was very tired - Maria, his mother and chief cook, was still in Athens recovering from her operation, so Niko was having to manage the taverna and the cooking on his own. Richard and Ron arrived soon after us and we had a very enjoyable dinner with them at Nikolas's. Annie was able to advise Richard on treatment for his wife's back, which was giving her crippling pain.
On Friday we went round the corner to anchor in Porto Stretto with Richard and Ron, to give Annie a taste of something new. We walked back to Nikolas's for lunch and went back for more swimming and chilling.
On Saturday 13th we motor-sailed to Lipsi and picked up a buoy off Katsadia beach in the South of the island. We rowed ashore for a big and delicious lunch in the taverna and then had an afternoon swimming off the boat and chilling. In the evening we heard live piano music from the taverna, but were eating aboard and it had got a bit windy to row ashore. Annie had a disturbed night with the noise of the mooring lines grating as the boat swung around to the shifting wind.
On Sunday morning we had a good sail down to Pandeli, where Bob and Lidia were due to arrive on Monday morning to stay in the Castelo Beach hotel. Annie slept most of the way, despite the rolling and the noise of the engine. We anchored with a line ashore, then the anchored dragged on the weed so we had to do it all again.
Bob and Lidia arrived next morning. After having coffee with them we motored around to go on the town quay in Lakki, as Annie was taking the catamaran back to Kos the next day. In the evening we took a taxi up to Dmitry's to meet Bob and Lidia for an excellent and enormous dinner.
We had had a great week with Annie and were amazed at how well she coped, with her new back. Moving on each day meant that Annie felt that she had had six different holidays! She took the catamaran to Kos in the afternoon to get her flight home. In the evening we went over to Pandeli to have dinner in their hotel with Bob and Lidia to celebrate her birthday.
We had planned to do some day sails with Bob and Lidia, as Lidia gets quite seasick, but the forecast did not look too promising, with a lot of strong winds. Nevertheless, we managed to take them for a day trip up to Arkhangeli on Wednesday, though Lidia was obviously feeling pretty queezy on the way up. In the evening we went to To Petrino to pig out on their enormous and delicious Bon Filet.
On Saturday 20th we hired a car for the day to give Bob and Lidia a tour of the island. We drove up to Partheni, where we checked out the new marina and went to the church in which political prisoners had painted wall paintings under the Junta. They were rather disappointing as they depicted religious scenes rather than political statements. We then drove round to the little church of Aghios Isidoros on an island at Kokali in Gourna Bay. This is the most photographed sight on Leros, but we had never been there before!
On Sunday 21st we met Bob and Lidia for another evening in To Petrino - they couldn't get enough of those steaks - and on Monday 22nd we motored up to Arki for a last visit - again no wind. The quay soon filled up and we found everyone very excited because Maria was on her way back from Athens on the Blue Star and would arrive home next day on Nissos Kalymnos.
Next morning, Tuesday, everybody but us left early, so that we were the only boat on the quay, for the first time since our first visit in 2000.
We joined her family in welcoming Maria back - she looked incredibly well considering her recent major operation (sorry the picture is sideways!).
In the afternoon the wind got up from the south and there was pandemonium on the quay as yachts tried to get in, while others anchored out in the bay. That evening we had a farewell meal at Nikolas's and said our goodbyes, promising to be back next year.
On Wednesday morning, 24 September, we motor sailed back to Lakki with a decent following wind and went into the marina to start preparing the boat to lift out at Partheni on Monday 29th. At the moment the forecast is for very strong winds on Sunday and Monday, so we may see if we can lift on Saturday instead. Then we fly to Athens on Thursday, to stay with Lena, before flying home on Saturday October 4th, Kai's birthday.
Hurry home cos we missing you xxx
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