Greece - Dodecanese
I get it now when people say, “it's all Greek to me”! It is hard. For instance yes (ναι) is pronounced neh and no (όχι) is pronounced ohi. I’m good with good morning (καλημέρα) pronounced kalimehra and good evening ( καλησπέρα) pronounced kalispéra. Hello (γειά σας ) is yiasass but I do sometimes get confused with yamass (γειά mας) which means cheers! I still struggle with my pronounciation of thank you (ευχαριστώ) pronounced efharisto, but no problem with beer (μπύρα) pronounced beera, I think beer is a universal word.
We had a good 8 hour sail across from the Cyclades to the Dodecanese keeping ahead of the predicted wind drop. We planned to spend a month exploring these islands before hauling NOETA out in the Artemis Boatyard for the winter and decided to start with a recce in Leros, to check out what was available but also to share one last drink and meal with Tigger.
Our anchorage just out from the boatyard, airport and local fish hatchery was convenient, picturesque with old wooden fishing boats heading out at dusk but very average holding – hard to get the trifecta. Artemis is a very popular boatyard with Aussies and Kiwis (Rawhiti, Cloudy Bay and Tigger already on the hard) and we can see why – it is impressive - clean, organised, good facilities, warm and helpful staff, busy and noisy, a real family affair - goat bells, sleeping dogs (Bella and Ralph from the chandlery feature high on my list), donkeys, roosters and morning reveille from the nearby military base. It was a great place to get our bikes out and ride around the island.
Lakki is an interesting town - it was built by the Italians as Portolago in the 1930s during the occupation (1912-1943) and it’s deep sheltered harbour was used as the main Dodecanese base for the Italian Navy. Hence the architecture provides really good examples of Italian Rationalist and Fascist architecture.
On the way back just past Agia Marina we discovered a great bottlestore - Bottega – martini rosso €8.60, sorted.
One hour north of Leros is Leipsoi (Lipsi) an 8 km long island with one pretty village, many churches, a great supermarket, easy diesel, and a local fishing industry. Dinner out at Ouzo Asprakis we tried sea figs (Microcosmus sabatieri or grooved sea squirt) bright yellow and orange we ate them raw with lemon juice, quite iodiny, they tasted like a cross between oysters and kina.
One hour north of Leipsoi is Arkoi (Arki) part of a wildlife refuge with the hazy Turkish mainland in the distance, we caught up with Mon Desir in a quiet bay, sheep and goats returning to the fold, bells clanging - had got used to seeing the Greek flag flying everywhere, but I was particularly entranced by a local rock painting.
On Patmos we found several good anchorages, the first east of the main town Skala, and the port - we could easily tender in for a haircut and theological discussion with George the barber, then a 4.7 km uphill walk on the old stone road to the Cave of the Apocalypse (where St John received his visions that he recorded in the Book of Revelation), the old 12th century chora, Monastery of St John the Theologian (founded 1088 AD) and the Patmos windmills where we engaged in yet another interesting theological discussion. There are lots of priests on this island as it is an especially important site in the Greek Orthodox Church. Expecting 35 knot SE, S SW winds we moved to Lampi Beach - good data, 1 closed taverna, 2 wind turbines, a handful of people and goats and a good evening lightning storm. Our last night we were anchored off Livadi Geranou Beach where I took my favourite photo of the season - iconic black goats against a white church on St George Island – sums up Greece for me.
Mountainous Kalymnos, again seeking shelter in the south we anchored in Vlykhadia and visited the Museum of Maritime Life and Findings – 40 years of collecting by the sponge diving Valsamidis brothers - sponges, corals, shells, fish, strange sea creatures, sponge diving equipment, World War I and II findings and ancient amphora, followed by a taste sensation at Paradisos - Nomiki's sea bream ceviche was the best ever and the complimentary yoghurt and grape jam, mmm. The main town and port, Pothia, was an easy 15 minute tender ride – fish markets, narrow streets, busy and hot. Coming into the harbour you can’t but notice a huge Greek flag painted on the mountainside – located only a few nautical miles from Turkey, the local patriotic sentiment is high...
Continuing along the barren, fish farmed southern coastline we stopped for a night at Palionnisos, white and red mooring buoys denoting the two restaurants Taverna Kalidinis on the left and Ilias on the right, although we could have taken a free mooring we choose to anchor slightly out where there was great snorkelling – in addition to the curtains of damselfish and bream I spied a foot long snail Charonia tritonis (Triton’s trumpet) and WW II warship shells, very cool.
Then it was back up to Leros, a final night at Nisida Archangelos and delicious dinner at Stigma Archangelos (fresh sea bass and vegetable soup) where owner Europi gave me a sample of her face cream - almond, calendula, chamomile, rosehip, lavender, beeswax and essential oils mmm. After getting the genoa down and winterising the water maker we headed across the bay to Leros and hauled out on the 14 October.
Back at the yard there were good boaties to play with (A Fine Balance, Blonde Moment II, Roulette and Mon Desir) while we finished cleaning, servicing, removing our antifoul and packing up - highlight was being invited to local Theologos's Sunday BBQ, delicious barbequed lemon lamb, a few of his friends, his goats and horses – needless to say conversation was fairly limited. The next day we flew out of the small casual airport, 1 hour to Athens, too easy.
We had travelled 2,556 nautical miles in 132 days, visited 5 countries (including 9 Italian islands and 23 Greek islands), run 366 hours on each engine, 378 hours on our genset and made 51,850 L of water.