Goodbye to Crete

Hi from Clare, Friday 10/9

Photo 1 - Taking it easy Photo 2 - Monastery at Panormitis Photo 3 - Peaceful anchorage

We left Spinlonga last Saturday and sailed to the township of Sitia, the last stop before saying goodbye to Crete. The township is not a tourist attraction but a great place to stock up before moving on. Main attraction, it has a Lidl supermarket, known throughout the cruising community for the sale of good quality wines from many different countries at 'clean skin' prices. So now we have wine from South Africa, Chile, Italy and California. We are also well stocked with a Dutch beer at a cost of 29 Euro cents for a 330ml can.

When we arrived at Sitia our Swedish friends (Ulf and Irma) were alongside the wharf and as space was at a premium, we moored against them for three nights. Along with their usual good company and delicious food, they introduced us to Lidl's wine and beer - what are friends for?

We are now on the Greek Island of Symi which is only sixty miles from Marmaris. We are faced with the reality of the season ending - not good news. We love the cruising life and the thought of arriving at Marmaris Turkey and packing the boat up, is something we really don't want to consider.

The weather is still good and today has been magnificent. We are at the southern end of Symi at Panormitis. It is a well protected bay which has a large monastery, an old people's home a few shops and not much else. The monastery bells chime on the hour and half hour which adds to the peaceful atmosphere. There is a lovely well lit concrete walkway around the bay which is easily accessible for some exercise. Ferries carrying tourists come twice a day and stay for about an hour. The water is clean and a pleasant 24.8 degrees.

We will stay here for a few days as strong winds are forecast. We hear on the radio each morning that the wind is gathering and the seas lumpy, but tucked in here conditions are perfect. We have been for our morning walk, Andrew is currently in the water washing the sides of the boat, the washing is flapping on the foredeck, the birds are cheeping, all is well.

love CANDY

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Spinalonga Lagoon and flat calm

Hi from Clare, Friday 3/10

Photo 1 - Spinalonga Lagoon Photo 2 - Venetian Fort at entrance Photo 3 - Leper Cemetery

We left Iraklion last Sunday and sailed 30 miles east to Spinalonga Lagoon. We were delighted to find flat calm water and total quiet except for the occasional bird singing. Each night the water has been like glass, we can see a perfect reflection of the hills and town lights on the far side of the lagoon. It is so pretty and peaceful, late at night I sat in the cockpit and soak up the view, the breeze is warm and sky is full of stares.

Our Swedish friends (Ulf & Irma) have been in the same bay so we get together at sunset for a drink and a chat. Ulf belongs to a choir and has a rich baritone voice. He sang for us each night which was a treat except I have been humming 'You Fill up my Senses' for about three days now - I wish they would hurry up and "fill"!

On Wednesday we took the boat into the township of Agios Nikolaos to get diesel and go to the fresh market. The farmer's markets in Greece are fairly disappointing. The prices are high, the quality is average and the selection is limited. In Turkey, the selection is brilliant, but in Greece I firstly go to the farmer's market and then to the supermarket to get the veges I couldn't get at the Farmer's market.

The town of Agios Nikolaos is full of tourists and tourist shopping. I spent a hour running around trying to buy an international phone card, eventually I was told that the phone cards come from Israel and the last delivery hadn't arrived. We called into the marina and bought diesel and had time to caught up with a English couple (Rod and Margaret)we have meet along the way. The marina was full of rally/race boats that came from France and were heading for Istanbul. Each race leg is about three days and then two days rest in a marina. After doing the EMYR I think the French rally/race would be pretty hard going. After refueling we said good bye to Ulf & Irma and sailed back to Spinalonga Lagoon.

Yesterday we went over to a fort which stands on Spinalonga Island at the entrance of the Lagoon. It was first occupied by the Venetians in 1200 for five hundred years, then in 1700 the Turks owned it for two hundred years and in the first half of the 1900 it became a Leper Colony for Crete until 1957 when modern medicine started treating the disease at hospitals in Greece. We saw photos of the victims with hideous deformities and there is a large leper cemetery with many cement slabs and no headstones or identification. The cemetery is high on the hill in the most idyllic setting which seemed only to magnify the sadness of it all.

Today we had hoped to leave Spinalonga Lagoon and move east 18 miles to the town of Sitia. But at present the wind is blowing 30-35 knots from the south. So we will wait here safely anchored in six metres of water and see if the wind comes around to the west as forecast.

love CANDY

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