After two nights in Aghia Efimia we were off again, this time
heading east for brand new for cruising grounds. The Ionians faded into a lilac
haze as we ventured into the Gulf of Patras, the channel leading eventually to
the Corinth Canal and the entrance to the Aegean. For most of the journey, the
sea was delightfully calm, but after we'd passed under the Patras Bridge, which
is famous for something (aren't all bridges?) but I can't remember what, things
chopped up a little. No great problem, as it was on the stern and giving us an
easy ride until the last part of our journey when we approached the tiny island
of Trizonia. No, we'd never heard of Trizonia either and I agree, it does sound
like a made-up name for the baddie's lair in Thunderbirds, but it really does
exist, honest. Frank brought Zaffina in well despite the wind and the slight
obstacle of a sunken yacht in the middle of the marina, serving as a reminder
not to pull the plug out when you're on a boat, and a very grumpy Scotsman who almost
scuppered our efficient arrival by tugging ridiculously hard on the bow rope
I'd thrown him. We were already being pushed rapidly onto the berth and could
have done without the extra impetus, but despite his "help", we tied
on successfully as he retired ungracefully to his yacht grumbling about
motorboats under his breath.
Once we had made fast, we ventured out to explore our
surroundings, and the tiny port turned out to be very picturesque, with a
handful of tiny cafes on the quayside and a ridiculous number of stray but
well-fed cats gazing in rapt adoration at anyone likely to throw scraps to
them.
The wind was relentless throughout the night and despite the
shelter of the marina, it was a noisy stay with waves slopping against the
hull, but by the time we rose in the morning, things had calmed down a little
and we were able to get away without too much ado, and fortunately without the
help of the grumpy Scot. We only had a short trip ahead, and although conditions
weren't bad, neither were they that nice, so it was a relief to arrive at our
next stop Galixidhi - and not only a relief, but also a delight when we saw how
pretty the place was, with a harbour-side of multi-coloured houses and tavernas
backed by a small hill with an elegant church at the top. Although we'd worried
about getting a berth, we were lucky enough to find a spot on the quayside
where we could moor starboard-to, and then relax and watch the comings and
goings from our great vantage point. Later that day, we realised how lucky we
were to have set out early - other boats, which came in later, told of unpleasant
conditions and rising wind. We ended up with a yacht rafted alongside us that
had set off from the same port earlier in the day, battled against the winds
for five hours and eventually turned round and returned to their starting point
after encountering winds of 55 knots.
With the forecast for more wind, we hired a car and drove to
Delphi, home of the Oracle and site of impressive ancient ruins on Mount
Parnassas. Our arrival unfortunately coincided with a couple of coach trips,
but once we managed to bypass the crowds, the site was breath-taking and
brought to mind the gods of ancient Greece. Apparently Zeus sent out a couple
of eagles from either side of the heavens, and announced that wherever they met
would be deemed to be the centre of the world. They met in Delphi. Joanna
Lumley explains all this stuff better than I do - I wish I'd concentrated more
when I saw her wonderful programmes on Greece recently. The stadium at the top
of the site, where the Delphi Games were held (foreruners - in every sense - of
the Olympics) was simply amazing and almost deserted as the guided tours
finished at the amphitheatre below.
At this point I would like to advise you never, ever, to eat at
the Delphi Museum Cafe. It is beyond horrible.
We drove further up the mountain to see what was there and found
ourselves in a ski resort. It seemed rather incongruous after we'd just been
wandering around ancient Greece in the sunshine, and positively wintery as well
with the temperature around 10 degrees cooler than a few miles below.
On Saturday we finally departed from Galixidhi and continued our
trek up the gulf. The sky was grey and the sea had rather too many white crests
for my liking, but we'd been in port long enough and according to the forecast,
the worst of the wind had passed and this was a good time to be moving on.
Although the sun kept promising to break through the cloud, it failed to
deliver until we were almost at the entrance to the Corinth Canal, when finally
the skies cleared to a pristine blue and we were able to cast off sweaters and
enjoy the sun's rays.
We had been apprehensive about the time we would have to wait to
go through the canal, as the pilot booked warned that waiting times can be up
to three hours, but as luck would have it, as we approached we could see the
yachts that had been milling around the entrance suddenly line up and
disappear. Frank called the control when we were still a mile out, fearful that
we were too late and would have to wait for these to get through and then the
westbound traffic to take a turn, but to our surprise they kept the gates open
for us and with no delay whatsoever, we sailed into the Corinth Canal.
And what an experience it was! The sun was beating down on us, the
sky a jagged line of blue high above, sandwiched between two towering
sand-coloured cliffs. It is impossible, I think, to sail through here without
thinking of the feat of engineering that created this pathway between two seas,
and imagining the ancient peoples who had to make the trek overland, with carts
and livestock, before the creation of this canal. Several bridges spanned the
gash through which we sailed, and viewers peered down at us, taking photographs
and watching our progress, as we savoured the short journey into the Aegean.
And then stopped at the Canal office to pay an eyewatering 375 euros for the
pleasure!
After a brief stop for lunch and sunbathing between the Corinth
Canal and Athens, we entered Flisvos Marina, a modern development and
apparently Greece's only 5 star marina, where we were expertly guided to our
berth and helped to tie up.
And more on Flisvos and Athens shortly…
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