Greece - Evia and Sporades
Before I forget - Greek potatoes are delicious, very much like our Agria back at home - firm, and buttery, best in Europe so far. And the kleftiko we had at Mihalis’s Taverna on Skiathos was delicious – lamb, potato and horta dish, not unlike a boil-up with puha!
The decision not to linger in Poros was based on forecast medicane Ianos which looked to track across the Ionians, Peloponnese and Saronic Gulf - as it turned out the Ionians did get a hammering, but the landfall seemed to suck energy out of the wind and it turned southwards towards Crete. Crossing the Saronic Gulf, keeping a sharp lookout and cursing those ships without AIS, we spied an island to east – Agios Georgios, population 0 wind turbines 23, generating 73 MW, delivered 46 km to Athens, it is the largest windfarm in Greece. Heading up the east coast towards Evia (Euboea) the further north we went, the fewer boats we encountered, antío Athenians.
Evia is the second largest island in Greece (after Crete), population 220,000 and, thought to be at one time joined to the mainland before an earthquake separation, so to get to the Sporades you can travel up the west or the east coast of Evia – the west takes you up through the Euboean Gulfs with strong 6 knot tidal currents and two bridges, the east an exposed coast with few anchorages. Although the wind was coming from and predicted to continue from the WSW we decided that the channel might be more interesting, and after a phone call informing us that the second (Khálkis) bridge would be shut the next day, made haste.
The south Euboean Gulf was shallow muddy water with an industrial shoreline and hundreds of Cotylorhiza tuberculate jellyfish, it took us about seven hours with a following sea, dodging logs the closer we got to the first bridge (Evrípos) - headroom 34.5m (NOETA draft 22.2 excluding antennae) then through to the south harbour Notios Limin, sheltered and convenient to go ashore for our second bridge permit €35.
I had called ahead so we knew the process, go onshore to find the port police and port authority to get the OK and pay our dues, straightforward? We could not make contact with the port police – and they are the ones who call you up on VHF when it is your turn to go through –there were two doors at the port police, both with signage but locked, we went back to ask the port authority what to do, he shrugged, he had his euro, but we were determined and third time lucky – we discovered a third unsigned hidden door down an alleyway, unlocked. So the tide turned, the bridge was unlocked, we cruised through the narrow gap, bright lights, the banks lined with people waving and cheering, surreal, so I gave a little bow, smile, and a wave….
It had been a long day, up at 0500 for Harry’s live streamed funeral, it was 2300 by the time we exited the bridge, the wind was still blowing, a little thunder and lightning, a superyacht cut across our bow and we still had an hour across to the best anchorage for the night, but that’s how it is and waking up in the morning it was like we had emerged in a different world – the North Euboean Gulf – so green! Ah but the excitement was not over yet - another four hours were spent hugging the western Evia coast, along the National Park - clean water, forested green hills, the odd wooden cottage (it felt very North American) and strong 50-60 knot katabatic winds rushing down the slopes on top of us – and why didn’t we move further out into the Gulf? Well the rain, wind and waves didn’t look that much better, so we kept going, saying to each other – look there’s a calm patch perhaps we’re past it, ah, no. Finally rest time in sheltered Órmos Yiali, close to the faded spa town/fishing village of Loutra Edipsou and onshore walks past walnut, quince, persimmon, and apples trees, grasping roadside blackberries, large home vegetable gardens and pruned olive groves.
We were keen to get up into the Sporades, Mon Desir had talked the islands up, so after a couple of recuperative days in Órmos Yiali, a lovely morning cruising around the Ak Lithada sandy spit reminiscent of Waimakariri River mouth fishing and a night in Plantania (plane trees) we were off northwards!
The Sporades, meaning sporadic or scattered, are a group of 24 islands (five inhabited) and the loveliest islands we have encountered thus far– remote, green hills, golden beaches, few houses, translucent Grecian blue water – and in late September, COVID days – hardly anyone at anchorage, on the beaches, anywhere – we felt like we were visiting the Greece of twenty something years ago. And because these islands were not part of the main trade route, more a stop off place for pirates, there are considerably fewer significant ancient towns, forts, castles, museums,… the captain was well pleased.
Skἰathos, population 6,000 - we anchored in Koukounaries – a southern golden beach with mostly empty sun loungers, backing onto a rich green biopark, estuary behind with swans, ducks, geese, and kingfishers, so green, so blue, so quiet. Behind the estuary is Mihalis's Taverna, oh Mihalis! Aged 79 or maybe 82, he left the island in 1958 to sail the seven seas – what stories! Returned home and has been running his rustic, ramshackle taverna for 28 years - delicious Greek salad and lamb kleftiko cooked in his clay oven, firewood stacked beside and around - pure Grecian soulfood. Fun fact - Dionysus was the god worshipped on this island, so we did. And finally we got out our ebikes for the first time this year! – three hours undulating hills and steep slopes to Evangelistria monastery, calm and peaceful in the forested mountains, fruit liqueurs steeping in the afternoon sun - belieing its past when in 1807 Greek freedom fighters met and swore an oath on the first Greek flag - a white cross on a blue background, woven at the monastery, loom displayed.
Skὀpelos, population 3,090 - the island of Mama Mia fame – mostly filmed on the west coast which is forested down to charming little sandy coves and beaches, clear blue water lapping. Our first night we found the perfect anchorage and just as I was about to swim to shore - damned Pelagia noctiluca jellyfish - pretty but painful, sort of like stinging nettle, a welt and stings for 15-30 minutes. Dolphins in the morning though! Main town dinner and diesel stop - umbrellas in a thunderstorm…
Alónnisos, population 2,750 - probably my favourite island, chilled and unassuming, it sits in a National Marine Park established in 1992 to protect the flora and fauna – in particular the endangered Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) of which there are 6-700 left in the world - 50 in this park.
Favourite anchorage so far? Kokkinokastro (red castle), the site of the ancient town of Ikos, red cliffs and a harvest moon - silent, calm and bright.
Heading up to Steni Vala we had hoped to visit the Monk Seal Rescue & Rehabilitation Centre, but it had closed down, so disappointing BUT on our morning kayak across to Peristera a monk seal appeared, followed us, then the same one (or maybe another) spent the day sunbathing on our beach, could the day get any better? Yes! Dinner with the Mons at Diver Kalymnia restaurant (Georgios and Aphrodita) we shared a delicious meal (the fried zucchini, roasted aubergine, and smoked fish superb), complimentary drinks, Greek dancing, stories and more drinks! – it was a perfect day.
Kira Panayἰa, population 1 priest and perhaps a few helpers - only five nautical miles north of Alónnisos, the island is owned by the Megisti Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos which established a monastery in 963. The new 16th century monastery is a great 2-3 hour return morning hike up a valley past 500+ year olive trees, up, up and along a graded, then donkey track to be greeted by the priest with refreshments, stories and a vegetable garden tour - tomatoes and zucchini finishing, peppers still ripening… upon return I felt the need to close the circle so clambered up to the original 10th century monastery ruins, abandoned in favour of the site with better spring water supply.
It was time to say farewell to the Mons - Captain Stuart and mate Lesley, we had had a lot of fun playing together in the Sporades, but they needed to start heading south and we had to duck back to Alónnisos (where we knew we had reliable data) to book our isolation accommodation and airfares back to our other home, then it was up north to the Khalkidhiki Peninsula and Mt Athos.. …