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| Approach to Galaxidi |
FINALLY! a decent sail in the Med! We managed to get the timing right to actually have the wind behind us, all day even. After a lovely stop and meal in Galaxidi, we left early for the 70nm run down the Gulf of Corinth, under the massive new Rion-Antiron bridge and into the Gulf of Patras all the way to the Ionian Sea. 25-30 knots behind us was very welcome and kept us scooting along just fine.
And so, after 3 times cris-crossing the Aegean, EQ finally makes some more westward way, now in the Ionians, a favourite cruising ground for the Italians. But that doesn't make it any easier as there are so many boats and not enough decent anchorages. So many lovely little spots are full of boats backed up to the shore with anchors in deeper water. It's like a car park, but it's the only way you can fit so many boats into such tight little bays. We managed to sit on a rocky little mole outside a bay, until the wind switched, our anchor came loose and we had a late day fire drill to resettle in sandy shoal waters.
But the islands are lovely. Beating up into the wind through the Lafkada Canal was interesting. We had to drop anchor near the town and wait a few hours for the bridge to swing open. Once it did, a few dozen boats beat as hard as they could to make the dash through before they closed it again for all the road traffic. We let the madness pass and managed to scoot through at the end of the pack, just as the bridge was swinging back. :)
Corfu is quite the destination as well. There's a huge old fort on the east side. Corfu has heaps of history as well. Even though now a part of Greece, since 1864, they were mostly under Venetian rule since the early middle ages, so there is much Italian influence.
Speaking of Italy and sailing into Venice, just kidding. :) We are a few weeks too late this year as the winds have set in from the north for the summer. So, plan 'B', we sail to Italy around the bottom and take the train to Venice, not to mention Rome and Florence as well. :) Beating into it for 500 miles just didn't get us excited.
So, that's the news fro EQ, where the winds are fair (finally), the seas calm (and behind us) and the crew content.
With Equanimity and Joy...
