A week with Annie

We motored up to Arkhangelos after giving breakfast to the refugees on Saturday 5^th September. We found a nice spot to anchor, 

had a light lunch and swam off the boat. In the evening we put the outboard on the dinghy and motored over to the taverna, Stigma, where we were greeted warmly by Dimitra and her family.

We drank rather too much wine to get comfortably in and out of the dinghy, with Simon with his hip and Annie with her back Annie decided we should put a disabled badge on the dinghy. However, all went well and nobody fell in.

On Sunday morning we motored up to Arki, with no wind at all, arriving about 10.30 to find plenty of room on the quay, where Richard and Ron were already moored. As we backed onto the quay we saw three more yachts coming up behind us, apparently from nowhere, so we had got there just in time. Richard and Ron took our lines and we moored up. Lin and Simon immediately swam off the boat, while Annie, who was doubtful about her ability to get back on board with her rigid back, stayed on board and read. We went for lunch at Nikolas’s with Richard and Ron and after lunch Annie and Lin went to spend the afternoon on the beach.

In the evening we were entertained by a dispute between a couple in a small French yacht and some obnoxious people in an enormous motor yacht. The Frenchman thought the motor yacht had laid its anchor over his chain and wanted them to move it to let him leave, but they refused. In the event he left next morning without any problem. We went for dinner with Richard and Ron at Nikolas’s and dropped into bed.

On Monday we said goodbye to Richard and Ron, who were going up to Fourni, and walked over to Tiganakia to spend the morning on the beach. 

On the way there the path under the tree was occupied by some large goats

so we walked round!

We came back for lunch at Nikolas’s and in the afternoon Lin and Annie went round to the town beach, while Simon read and swam from the boat, having done enough walking in the morning. Late in the afternoon big groups on charter boats came in and rafted up. We went for dinner at Nikolas’s and said goodbye to everybody.

Just as were going to bed, loud music and raucous cheering came from Tripas Taverna – probably a group of charterers having a party. The loud music went on till 4 am, keeping us all awake – Annie used the time to work on her novel.

We left Arki for Arkhangelos at 8.30 on Tuesday morning, expecting strong winds, but in the event there was very little wind. We managed to anchor in our favourite spot in Arkhangelos a couple of hours later. Soon after we had anchored there was a terrible grinding noise. When Simon investigated he found that the anchor chain had wrapped itself around a wreck on the bottom. After some diving, with Lin letting the chain in and out, we managed to disentangle it and re-anchored to be clear of it. We then went in for a cooling swim. We had a delicious lunch at Stigma tavern before lazing, dozing, swimming and reading, for the afternoon. We ate aboard in the evening. Many of the boats left in the afternoon, so there were only half a dozen overnight. Arkhangelos is the perfect anchorage, sheltered, peaceful and now with a wonderful friendly taverna.

After breakfast,

we left Arkhangelos to come back to Lakki at 09.00 and moored in the marina.

We went to lunch at Poppy’s with Richard, 

who was leaving for Turkey with Ron, and after lunch went round to Merikhia to spend the afternoon on the beach. 

In the evening we took a taxi over to Pandeli to meet Bob and Lydia for dinner at Psarapoula.

On Thursday morning, 10^th September, we said goodbye to Annie, who took the 11am catamaran to Kos to catch her evening flight home.

We then had three days for shopping, cleaning the boat and getting ready to lift out. We will go to Arkhangelos on Sunday or Monday, lift out on Tuesday, fly to Athens to stay with Lena on 19^th and home, after the Greek election, on Monday 21^st.