Yacht Pania: Blog

The Grand Tour

Sat, 26 Jul 2008 05:10:11 GMT

Having recharged our batteries in Umbria we moved next door to Tuscany on the 5^th July. We had booked ourselves a week at the Agriturismo Diacceroni near Volterra. The farm was beautifully nestled in the rolling Tuscan hills and was in the middle of nowhere. Volterra was the closest place for shops and took about 25 minutes in the car. So, we stocked up on provisions and spent a few lazy days soaking up the sun by the pool, hunting for lizards and meeting some great people from all over Europe. The boys met up with Sophie, Casper and Fredrick from Denmark and spent much of the time hanging out with them. It wasn't all lazing around though and we spent a day in Volterra, a typically impressive Tuscan hill town. The boys liked the torture museum, but it made Maxine feel sick and she had to come out. It was quite gruesome.

The following day we left Jasper at the farm and drove to Pisa. We went into full tourist mode, reserved our place for the walk up the tower and wandered round the Duomo and museum. After our 2 hour wait we walked the spiral staircase to the top of the tower. It's a strange sensation with the steps on one side feeling slightly too steep and the ones on the other side feeling slightly too shallow. It's only five degree lean but it does make a big difference! The view from the top was impressive although outside of the piazza containing the Duomo and the tower, there's not a lot else to Pisa. It makes you wonder what the place would be like if the tower hadn't tilted. It certainly wouldn't be as busy and the stalls selling plastic towers and other junk also wouldn't be there. Still, the buildings are magnificent and make a worthwhile half day out.

We spent the following day around the pool and the farm so that the boys could recover from the trials of sightseeing in readiness for visiting Florence the day after. We got on the road nice and early so as to maximise our time when we got there, but unfortunately got lost on the way (Italian signage not the best, honest) and then drove in and out of Florence three times trying to park. So, three hours after leaving the farm we managed to park up in the Piazza Michelangelo (where the larger statue of David stands) and take in the spectacular view across the rooftops and along the river to the Ponte Vecchio. We had Jasper with us on another leg of his Canine Grand Tour and couldn't go inside many places so we spent the day walking the streets, breathing in the Renaissance, looking up at the architecture and eating gelato (not necessarily at the same time). We also hopped on a tour bus to get some commentary to go with it. It was a long day and by the end the boys were over-Renaissanced, but at least they know that Michelangelo wasn't a mutant ninja turtle. We drove back in half the time it took to get there and flaked out at the farm.

After another day of rest we packed up, said our goodbyes to all the families we had met and left the farm. We had a long drive north and east to get to Venice and by mid afternoon we had abandoned the car and jumped onto a vaporetto down the Grand Canal to get to the Hotel Saturnia. The hotel was fine, just a few minutes from St Marks and was priced accordingly (oh dear!). Still, it was a comfortable base and they were happy for Jasper to tag along.

We spent the next three days in Venice and totally loved it, certainly our favourite city of the whole trip. If it wasn't for the tourists it would be perfect (!) Still, if there were no tourists it would spoil the game of spot-the-Venetian. We did all the essential sights and sounds – St. Marks, Grand Canal, Bridge of Sighs, Rialto Bridge had an evening meal by the side of a canal and we all (including Jasper) went on a brief and expensive gondola ride. The best thing about Venice though was just wandering the streets and seeing what we could find. Not a bad view anywhere and the hustle and bustle of water taxis, vaporetti, gondolas and other assorted boats makes for an unforgettable experience. It was also good to be back on and near the water after a few landlocked days. So, having parted with a well spent fortune, we jumped on the return vaporetto to the car park and drove out of Venice promising to return.

We left Venice on the 15^th July, suitably dressed in our shorts and t-shirts for the 29 degrees of heat. Just three hours later we were high in the Tyrol in northern Italy and it was 7 degrees, cloudy with the occasional spot of rain. For the first time in ages we were too cold. Maxine was starting to worry because we were heading into the mountains with no waterproofs and only one sweatshirt each. Hopefully it would warm up.

We headed through the Dolomites and stayed in the pretty alpine village of Castelrotto It couldn't have been more of a contrast to our morning in Venice if we had landed on the moon. We could see snow on the peaks, see people taking precipitous chairlifts into the mountains, hear cowbells nearby and everyone speaking German.

We stayed in an alpine dairy farm on the edge of Castelrotto. They made us all very welcome and supplied a great breakfast each morning. Thankfully on the second day we awoke to brilliant blue skies and warm air. The main reason for us coming here was to walk around the Alpe de Siusi which is the highest Alpine meadow in Europe so we all jumped on the shuttle bus and headed up to Compatsch in the hills. The scenery was an impressive bowl rimmed with high and snowy mountains with Marmolada (highest peak) at 3342 metres to the north and Val Gardena (for all you Ski Sunday fans) to the east. The air was clean and the walking was relatively easy (we didn't have much equipment with us so a 3000m ridge walk wasn't really on). After a good stroll through the meadow we headed back to Compatsch and took the cable car back down the mountain side to the farm. We spent the evening eating out on a restaurant terrace overlooking the hills we'd been walking on and had an early night ready for a long drive in the morning.

We had already planned that we would spend the last week of our trip by travelling across France to stay with our friends Ruth, Paul, Sophie, Beth and Joe. We've all had many holidays together and we were all looking forward to seeing them and having a real "holiday" before we returned home. Better still, although we'd said we would try, we'd not made any firm plans in case we couldn't make it and so Ruth, Paul and the kids weren't sure we would be coming. So, Edward and Alexander had been over excited for days wanting to surprise Sophie, Beth and Joe when we arrived. The run from Castelrotto to Les Moutier in southern Brittany is 850 miles and takes you through Italy, Austria,Switzerland and across France. We managed it in two days with an overnight stop near Dijon. We arrived at the campsite mid-afternoon. Ruth and Paul were out! So we checked into our holiday home and waited for them to return. Needless to say we had a great reunion and we've spent the last week in true French holiday style, eating and drinking and not much else. The kids have had a fantastic time swimming in the pool and generally terrorising the campsite. We leave tomorrow, but there could have been no better way to end the year.

Tomorrow we head for Belgium and then back to Calais for the ferry home. Watch this space for the final blog entry.

Goodbye Pania

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 19:31:17 GMT

The day dawned bright and clear, the day when we would remove the last of our belongings and say goodbye to 'Pania', our home for the last 11 months. The days leading up to our leaving day had been frenetic with packing, cleaning, arranging maintenance jobs and more importantly making sure Pania looked her best for her first sale viewing. Everybody worked incredibly hard to make everything happen on time, we got everything off the boat and surprisingly it fitted in the car but by far the best news of the day was agreeing a sale on Pania! After a last walk around the decks we left and set off for Igoumenitsa, where we caught the overnight ferry to Ancona, Italy, no night watch this time, sitting back enjoying a drink and watching the waves. It was however difficult to switch off, "What would you say the current sea state is Steve?" "We've never been this fast before even will 28 knots of wind behind us!" It was a nice change for us all to go to bed at the same time on a night crossing!

We arrived in Ancona refreshed and looking forward to a change of scenery, we had a pleasant drive through Umbria to Castiglione Del Lago where we are now staying for a few days. The boys have thoroughly enjoyed having the space to run around and do what they want to do, favourite activities include swimming, table tennis, football and going to the park, it's so nice to see them having the freedom to choose and then go off and amuse themselves. A trip to Cortona fulfilled Maxine's wish, having read Frances Mayes 'Under the Tuscan Sun' she was eager to visit to see if the place was really as nice as the book claimed, we all agreed that the town was delightful and enjoyed wandering the streets rounded off nicely by some fantastic pizzas for lunch. On our return Edward and Steve took part in the football tournament which was taking place, they played five games but unfortunately missed out on a place in the final by one goal, never mind boy's better luck next time!

Tomorrow we are going to the farm in Tuscany where we will be staying for a week; we are really looking forward to this as it promises to be relaxing, swimming pool, nice walks for Jasper, beautiful scenery etc. Whilst there we are going to be well placed for both Florence and Pisa so look out for the cheesy tourist pictures of the leaning tower and other "must photograph" sights.

Goodbye Pania and thanks for a comfortable, safe and unforgettable year.

The last sail......

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 14:01:01 GMT

On leaving Lefkas we headed for Paxos, a very small island just south of Corfu where we planned to spend the week before collecting Grandma and Grandpa. Our first stop was at Mongonisi, a beautiful bay with crystal waters and the only sandy beach on the whole island. Our days here were spent swimming, fishing, playing 'save the citizen' a game which involves throwing the fenders overboard then jumping in to rescue them!

Next stop was Gaios, the main town which was so busy with tripper boats that we gave it a miss and headed for Lakka. Once again a beautiful bay with a small village which was delightful, the boys thought it was perfect because there was a small bar serving 'English' breakfasts which were fantastic. Steve hired us a car one day, although I say car it was more like a trendy golf buggy, the plan was to tour the island, however once we had all piled in the clouds starting gathering and the heavens opened. We stopped at Gaios and sat the weather out in a cafe with a very soggy dog and soaked clothes, we didn't have to wait long until the sun came out and we set off once more, enjoying a walk and picnic in the woods.

Next port of call was Petriti on Corfu, a small undeveloped fishing village on the east coast. One of the local tavernas had a swimming pool which you could use if you had a drink, so the three days waiting for Grandma were spent by the pool, a refreshing change from all the sea water swimming. Friday couldn't come soon enough for the boys, Grandma and Grandpa landed safely and our first evening together onboard was lovely. We left Petriti and made our way back to Paxos, after all this time travelling and seeing so many places Paxos rates as one of our favourite islands. Whilst in Lakka there was an open air concert which was literally just on the shore in front of us in the grounds of the village hall, it was a lovely evening, glass in hand listening to the music, perfect. Our days with Mum and Dad were very relaxing, catching up on news, swimming, nice walks, some fantastic meals and a little bit of retail therapy. Friday saw us leave Gaios, and Mum and Dad transferring from Paxos to Corfu by sea plane, alright for some!

The journey back to Lefkas was our last sail onboard 'Pania' and we were duly rewarded with a pod of dolphins on the bow, our first sighting of dolphins in the Ionian this year!

So here I am in Lefkas marina, Steve and the boys flew back to the UK on Sunday for two reasons, one to collect our new car so we can get home and secondly for Alexander to go to his open evening at his new school where he will meet his teacher and class mates, Edward just went along for the ride! As you can imagine both boys were as high as kites when they left.

Pania is now up for sale with a broker and I am busy trying to condense a years' worth of shells, rocks, sticks, and other junk oops I mean treasure into boxes and bags which will fit in the car. Don't think that our journey ends here though, we are aiming to leave Greece around the 2^nd July and are going to stay on an organic farm in the middle of Tuscany for a while, then onto Switzerland, Belgium and France, arriving back in the UK on the 29^th July.

Keep checking back as we will continue to write our story as we travel from our onboard home to our land based home.

Into the Ionian

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 06:48:50 GMT

Well it's been a while so here goes............

Since leaving Epidavros and working our way west towards the Ionian we have once again experienced the diversity that sailing in Greece offers from choppy seas and high winds to calm crystal waters in beautiful anchorages, small villages that time seems to have passed by and the hustle and bustle of busy town quays.

Early May saw us saying goodbye to the Aegean and going back through the Corinth Canal the only boat this time so no pressure from the canal crew to "Go faster Captain", we pushed on through the Gulf of Patras partly due to 'having been there before' syndrome, we stopped briefly at Galaxadhi, a pleasant town with a great maritime museum and then Missalonghi a small town at the end of a very long canal surrounded by saltwater marshes. With Cephalonia in our sights we continued, this journey wasn't the best high winds and rough seas making us thankful when we finally came into Poros, a fantastic meal in the taverna overlooking the harbour restored everyone's nerves!

The weather forecast for going round the coast to Argostoli was good so we set off, only to change course to Zakinthos two hours later due to the wind changing direction, increasing and gusting to 25 knots plus. We arrived in Ay Nikolas, a small village with a very shallow quayside, exhausted and ready for a quiet night but the weather had other ideas, in the course of an hour the wind had changed direction again so what was a sheltered harbour became untenable, we finally gave up the battle of trying to stay safe on the quayside at 4am and anchored in the bay, this lasted briefly and first light saw us riding the waves heading back to Cephalonia. Arriving in Argostoli was great not only did we have a safe berth at last but we also had a beautiful villa that we had booked for a week's 'holiday'. Thanks to Jan, Steve & Ron (www.villamargaretrose.co.uk) we had a week of pure heaven filled with endless baths, no washing up, no hand washing and best of all for the boys a dart board, pool table and swimming pool! We did manage to drag ourselves away occasionally; visiting the old village and ruins of Skala which was completely destroyed in the 1953 earthquake, eating 'Pukka Pies' for lunch and then buying extra for dinner that night! Going to Sami to see the QEII come into port, and the Arcadia into Argostoli, as Steve maintains "there's always a bigger boat!"

After leaving the villa we stayed for a few more days in Argostoli, riding out high winds of 30 knots plus, thankfully this time we were completely safe and secure. Assos on the west coast was our next destination, a small but very beautiful village with amazingly clear water, lovely walks and good tavernas. Fiskardho came next a large village almost on the north tip of the island, we had been told how beautiful it was but very busy and expensive, and sure enough it was! We thought we would arrive early to ensure getting a berth but on the approach we counted seventeen other yachts, inside the harbour it was even busier with three flotillas being moored two deep on the pontoons, so the fenders went away the long lines came out and we anchored off, we were the first boat to do this but by the end of the day there were at least a dozen more! One of the boats to come alongside us had David & Tom onboard who offered to take the boys scuba diving, both the boys jumped at the chance and the next day saw them in the water, feeding the fish and swimming under the boat, an amazing experience for both of them, which then resulted in Steve and the boys signing up for an introduction to scuba diving course. Cedric and Yannick (www.fiskardodive.org) the instructors were brilliant, patient and knowledgeable which meant that all had a fantastic time and an amazing experience. So huge thanks to David and Tom for inspiring the boys!

We moved to the town quay for our last couple of days so we could get water etc, sitting on the town quay was nice watching the world go by, it was great for the boys because it was half term so there were lots of children around to chat, play and fish with. Fiskardho is very pretty and most of the buildings are original as it was untouched during the earthquakes of 1953, however the 'village' has been lost there are no longer the individual shops that there would have been, only the bakery remains, souvenir shops and extortionately expensive supermarkets. The restaurants were disappointing; a huge selection to choose from but few that offered value for money, The Lord Falcon (Thai) and Tselenti were the best both serving excellent food. This aside Fiskardho was definitely worth the visit and rounded off our tour of Cephalonia.

Vlikho came next, a landlocked anchorage on the island of Lefkas, very peaceful but very green water due to the weed! A quiet night with an excellent meal ashore , once again the boys enjoyed the company of children while we chatted with other holiday makers, we have all been so lucky to meet so many nice people along the way to share time with. Meganisi came next an island with a couple of small harbours but many anchorages, we spent an amazing three days at anchor enjoying the peace and quiet, swimming, bird watching, fish catching and snorkelling.

Island hopping again we are now back on Lefkas moored on the busy town quay in Lefkas town, we have come here to start to organise our return home, we are meeting with a boat broker, organizing a few maintenance jobs on the boat and dropping off the majority of our belongings that are being shipped back to the UK. We aim to be out of here by Thursday ready to sail north for Corfu ready to meet Mum and Dad on the 13^th, Alexander and Edward are very excited about Grandma and Grandpa visiting especially the 'English' treats that they have requested!

Belated April Birthdays

Wed, 07 May 2008 09:05:12 GMT

Belated Birthday wishes to Adam and Zak from us all, sorry boys it was just one of those things we forgot to update. Hope you both had a fab day! Also belated Happy Anniversary to Mum & Dad, 44 years and still going strong. Looking forward to seeing you both in Corfu!

Epidavros Again and Again

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 11:36:56 GMT

April has been a very different month to March. The seasons have definitely changed – March still had a wintery feel but spring has now definitely arrived. Whereas cold days used to mean sweatshirts and jeans, even the coldest days now are still warm enough for shorts and t-shirts (sorry!). We spent most of March travelling from East to West and rarely spent more than two nights in one place. We have spent most of April in one place – Epidavros and have had a brilliant time getting to know the people here – the people who live here and the people like us who are just passing through.

We first arrived in Epidavros at the beginning of the month, stayed for a few days and travelled to Aegina, a large island just south of Athens. We were heading to Athens to meet the Sendalls at the airport and also accompanying the Jan crew for their final sail before storing the boat and flying off to Hong Kong for the final chapter of their year out.

We spent a few windy nights in Aegina, which is not a comfortable place to be in the strong westerly we were having. Nobody got much sleep and we moved the boat one evening to try to find a better place in the harbour. Unfortunately while moving we fouled our anchor on a huge clump of chain and an abandoned anchor and spent a good hour marooned in the middle of the harbour untangling everything. It was pouring with rain and we were all soaked – including Laurie who helped in the dinghy. Thanks Laurie. Still, we provided some much needed and free entertainment for the people of Aegina on a soggy night.

When the weather settled we set off for Athens, a short trip of just a few hours. There was little traffic although in theory this should be the busiest stretch of water in Greece. We saw the Acropolis from a distance as we came in but that would be as close as we got – no time for sight-seeing. We were heading for Zea Marina, which is a big commercial concern and very different to the quiet places we've been used to since Marmaris. In addition, we were now in downtown Athens and we took immediate advantage of the big city attractions – Dunkin Donuts, Dominoes Pizza, the Carrefour supermarket and Marks & Spencer!!!!

Having stocked up on provisions and too much junk food Steve took the brief taxi ride to Athens airport to pick up Sue, Ben and James. Tired from lack of sleep in windy Aegina he fell asleep in the taxi. The taxi ride was timed to perfection and Steve got to arrivals just as the new crew J arrived. The plane had been delayed a few hours and by now it was about 10pm local time. Everyone went back to the boat and talked and talked, catching up on nine missed months.

The following morning saw us bidding an emotional farewell to Laurie, Vicki, Laura, Isaac and Anna. Laurie was hoping to get Jan stored at Zea and if he could sort it out then they would be marooned in Athens until it was time for them to leave for Hong Kong. We had plenty of photographs and hugs and kisses and sailed out of the marina as the kids sang "We'll meet again".

The sail back to Aegina was calm and still, which was just right for a first trip for Sue and the boys. We talked in the cockpit for the short trip back and listened to "Scouting for Girls" blaring out of the speakers. We dodged a few cargo ships on the way out of Athens and sat back to enjoy the sun.

Aegina was miraculously and unusually calm when we arrived and moored alongside our usual rickety pontoon. The boys played on the rocks, fished for tiddlers and generally ran around the harbour. We spent the afternoon and evening drinking wine and chatting and then went out to "Tchias" (pronounced cheers) for a typically Greek meal in the evening. Perfect.

The following morning we left Aegina to sail back to Epidavros. We wanted to get there for the boys so that they had room to run around. The trip was quiet and uneventful until we were a mile off AND a large pod of dolphins appeared and swam around with us for about an hour. We followed them all around the bay, taking photos (mostly of splashes in the water) and generally doing a lot of ooh-ing and aah-ing. This was the biggest group we'd seen in the Med and we were just so pleased that the Sendalls were lucky enough to see them. We all pulled into Epidavros wearing the cheesy grins that dolphins always seem to put on people's faces.

The four boys spent the first day playing in and under the trees, playing football and visiting the park. In the evening we settled into Aktis, our favourite bar in Epidavros, and had a long and lingering meal. While we sat, Sue spotted Jan appearing in the harbour and Laurie, Vicki and the kids all came over to see us!! The boat was fixed, but Zea couldn't find them a berth so they left Athens and came back out to "Hotel Epidavros" – so called because you can check out but never really leave.

The days in Epidavros with Sue, Ben and James were spent on the beach, with the boys in Jan's dinghy terrorising the fish, playing football and just generally enjoying the sun and the outdoor life. We didn't do many (any!) touristy things, but had a great time in the warm fresh air. Thanks for coming out to see us guys, it was fantastic to see you out here and we had a great time being together and catching up.

Sue and the boys caught a taxi to Athens on the 11^th and the following day we went out in the dinghy with Alison and her son Harry, who are travelling around in a camper van for a while. We had intended to go around the headland to the other side where there are some ruins of ancient Epidavros actually under water in the bay. We just got out into the bay when the dolphins reappeared (assuming they were the same ones) and we spent another hour chasing them around the bay, in the dinghy this time and so on a level with the water and the dolphins. They didn't let us get too close and we think they had some babies with them, but still we watched them jumping and pirouetting around us. It was a great surprise for Alison and Harry and far better than the expected underwater ruins (which in the end we couldn't find anyway).

The following day we sailed back to Aegina to say a final final goodbye to Jan and true to form the weather in Aegina was not good. Also Maxine had pulled something in her back and was hobbling around in agony.

Still, we had a last supper in a tasty restaurant and the following day steve went with Laurie and Laura to take Jan round to the boatyard on the north of the island where she was lifted out and stored. We then had another tearful farewell and left them all (landlubbers now!) to catch the ferry to Athens for their "planes trains and automobiles trip" to Vietnam via London and Hong Kong.

We sailed again back to Epidavros (Pania is now able to find the way on her own). We've been here now for a few weeks since we left the Lowther's in Aegina and we become more and more part of the town furniture each day. We're glad to have stayed because we are now getting to know the people of Greece a bit better, rather than just the ancient sites and the harbours. Edward and Alexander are always off the boat and their freedom level goes up every day. They spend time in and around the town, being with Harry and the local children and have been known to go to the internet cafe on their own, order drinks and a meal, pay for it, leave a tip, surf the internet and then come back to the boat before it goes dark. They are going to get an unfortunate shock when we get home and normal service is resumed.

They have met some local boys, George and Spiros. AJ and Edward spend a lot of time with them in the town or visiting their house. George and Spyros's mother keeps them well fed! The boys Greek is coming on well and they like practising on the waiters in the bars and restaurants.

Last week was Easter in Greece (some years the Orthodox Easter is at a different time). Easter is a big festival here involving church services, light processions, fireworks and feasting. Unfortunately the weekend was a bit wet but it didn't seem to dampen the spirits and the whole town still turned out for the late night service (11pm) and the fireworks that followed. The boys though couldn't stand the pace and fell asleep. We tried to wake them when the fireworks started but they were too exhausted.

At Easter every family roasts a whole sheep (or two!) on a spit, the combined result of which fills the town with smoke and mouth watering smells. AJ and Edward had some food at Spyros and George's and their mother sent some food back to the boat for Maxine and me. The lamb was fantastic.

Other than the Easter excitement, we have spent time wandering the walks through the orange groves and spring-filled fields which surround the town (the smell of the blossom in the morning is amazing), visiting local beaches and generally exploring.

Last week we hired a car and made a trip out to Mycenae, which isn't too far. The boys enjoyed a tour of (yet more!) ruins and learned a little on the way. We then drove around the surrounding countryside, which is spectacular, beautiful and amazingly green and made an impromptu stop at the caves of Dirou (see pictures) and stretched our legs on the stroll to the biggest cave.

A few days ago we took Alison and Harry on a day sail over to Vathi, had a bite to eat and then sailed back again. No dolphins this time, but we did see a turtle bobbing along on the way. We spun round and went back to it but it dived as we got close so no photographs unfortunately.

We left Vathi in brilliant sunshine but by the time we'd got back to Epidavros it was thundering and lightening and throwing it down with rain. It was blowing 25 knots of wind as we got into the harbour and the place was chock-full with charter and flotilla boats. We managed to squeeze into a tight spot that everyone else had left because it looked too thin, but we pushed our way in and nudged the boats to either side out of the way. Six more boats came in after us and rafted up five deep off the quayside. Amazingly, only a few weeks ago Pania and Jan were the only boats in here, now it's full every day. We've joked with the Jan crew that it got busy as soon as they left!

Yesterday we said good-bye to Alison and Harry who are heading north in their camper to get to Croatia via Albania. Good luck guys. Safe trip, let us know how you get on in Albania.

Last night Steve, Alexander and Edward had a lads night out at the local bar watching Man. Utd. beat Barca. (you can take a man out of England, but you can't take England etc etc etc.) and that brings us finally up to date.

At the moment our plan from here is to head back through the Corinth Canal and for the Ionian where we will stay until it is time to pack up and return to reality. We've rented a villa in Cephalonia for a week in early May so that we can get off the boat for a while (we need a holiday J) and we've started working out how to transport ourselves and all our belongings back to the UK from Greece in the summer, but more about all that in the next exciting episode...

Best wishes to all, the Faireys.

Dream for Sale!

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 14:45:17 GMT

Reality has started to slowly creep up on us and we are starting to think about taking our old lives off the shelf, dusting them down and starting them up again. It's not a pleasant thought (!), especially given the weather reports we keep getting from home, but we always said it was for a year and the boys want and need to get back to school.

A sad reality for us, but maybe good news for somebody else. There's not much room for 41ft yachts in Loughborough, so Pania is up for sale. So, if you think that a sun-drenched life cruising the Med., eating lunch and drinking wine on deserted islands, watching dolphins at sunset, following Ulysses' epic wake, chatting with local fishermen over lunch, watching tuna being landed, visiting Gibraltar, Rome, Pompeii, Athens, Epidavros, Delphi, Ephesus, ballooning over Capadoccia, paragliding over crystal clear lagoons, sleeping under a million stars 100 miles from land, meeting new friends from every corner of the globe and seeing the kids learn to sail, fish, play football with the locals, learn new languages, experience new cultures and just smile an awful lot is something you might be able to try, then let us know.

It's a hard sell, but someone might be up for it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you want the full details for Pania, take a look at www.pania.co.uk.

Naxos to Epidavros

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 09:31:33 GMT

Naxos – Delos – Mykonos – Tinos – Syros – Kythnos - Hydra – Poros – Epidavros

We've had a whistle-stop tour of the Cyclades since leaving Naxos, some of the places we have visited before & some were new to us. Our original intention was to head straight from Naxos to Mykonos and spend a few days there, but we decided to try and visit Delos first and see the sights. In the end we were unable to land and so just saw the ruins from the distance. It is a peaceful spot (there weren't many tourists) and the ruins we could see from the boat looked impressive. It's hard to imagine though that this tiny island was arguably once the most important harbour and trading centre in the world.

We sailed on from Delos to Mykonos but were foiled again because the marina was packed full of fishing boats. We turned around and left the harbour just as two huge ferries were arriving. Take a look at the pictures of Jan playing chicken to get some idea of how close we were. It's never as dangerous (or as close) as it looks in photographs, but it does get the adrenalin going. We sailed on for another ten miles to the island of Tinos, which wasn't originally on the agenda. We were glad that we did – it would have been a shame to miss it. Tinos is a significant place of pilgrimage on account of a miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary which was discovered by St. Palagia. The icon is reported to have healing properties and so every year on 25^th March and 15^th August pilgrims crawl on their hands and knees from the ferry to the Church of Panagia Evangelistria as a mark of devotion and often to seek a cure. We missed the 25^th March procession by a few days but did manage to catch a Sunday parade for the start of Lent, complete with brass bands, priests and people carrying a long line of icons.

We stayed a few nights in Tinos, moored to the old town quay, and then left for Syros. Amazingly, after nearly three weeks, we finally saw another sail (apart from Jan!), which shows how early in the season we had left and how uncrowded everywhere is at the moment. What makes it even more difficult to understand is that the weather is as good as an English summer, but nobody seems to want to sail. Oh well, more sea for us.

Syros is not a huge island, but its main town, Ermoupolis, is affectively the capital of the Cyclades. The town is pleasant enough although it suffers a bit for its size – there is more graffiti here than in the rest of the Cyclades put together. Regardless, it's not an unpleasant place and "Market Street" is a wonderfully colourful place first thing in the morning with all the fruit, vegetables, flowers and meats on display.

It was a bit "rolly" in Ermoupolis and we didn't get particularly good night's sleep, so after a couple of days we moved on to the island of Kythnos. We visited Kythnos last year so this time around we headed for a different harbour (Loutra on the east coast). The marina here is relatively new and quite safe and sheltered which always helps. Greece is dotted everywhere with new marinas, built with EU money, which have all the infrastructure (water, electricity etc) installed, but nobody to run them. Consequently the marinas are invariably free to use but the facilities are all turned off. On the one hand, it's frustrating because the taps and plugs and everything you need are there but they don't work, and because a lot of money has been spent on something that is just rusting away, but on the other hand, it somehow adds to the "Greek-ness" of the places and means that your mooring is free!

Loutra is a strange place. It has a number of hotels (some quite big) and some holiday villas, but only twenty permanent inhabitants. There's only one child – a girl of maybe two, and the overgrown children's playground is home to a vicious looking dog who is tied to the swings. Consequently, out of season, it feels like a Wednesday afternoon in November in an English seaside town – shut! Having said that, there are a few tavernas and supermarkets open and there are enough fishing boats coming and going to keep the activity levels up. Even so, it's hardly rush hour. Loutra's one tourist attraction is a thermal spring which comes out of the ground near the church and streams down into the sea. Where is comes out of the ground it is scolding hot and even by the time it gets to the sea it is too hot to keep your feet in for too long. The patch of sea it runs into is pleasantly warm and the boys went for an impromptu swim in their clothes. They were fine while in the water, but getting out into the late afternoon, March air was a bit of a shock. Hot showers all round when they got back to the boat.

Once you've done the spring there's not too much left to keep you in Loutra although we did stay for three nights. Finally we made an early start on a sunny morning and headed for the island of Hydra. It was an uneventful trip, although there was plenty of cargo traffic (we are getting closer to the mainland, Athens and Piraeus all the time). We had pasta and meatballs en route and arrived in Hydra mid afternoon. We moored up on the town quay between the fishing boats, water taxis and trading caiques.

Hydra is an interesting place. The harbour and town are very picturesque, helped by the fact that there are no vehicles allowed on the island and everything is moved around by donkey and cart. The town is all narrow lanes and passages between whitewashed houses and churches. There are photo opportunities everywhere you look. Hydra has attracted its fair share of artists over the years and you can see why. Unfortunately though, being just a short ferry trip from Athens, Hydra is constantly visited by a tide of tourists, washed in and out on the ferries. Apart from making the place very busy (especially in season I would imagine), it's made Hydra very touristy and the shops are all full of fashion – clothes and jewellery.

While we were there the weather blew up quite a bit and the harbour is not particularly sheltered. We started to bounce of the quayside quite a bit and then a trader turned up saying that the mooring line we were using was his. In the end we had to give him the line but he agreed (very reluctantly) that we could tie up to his boat. We stayed tied to his caique for two very uncomfortable nights but thankfully escaped without any damage despite chaffing through two mooring lines and bursting a fender.

We were determined to stay in Hydra despite the weather and the poor mooring because there was a precession taking place on 25^th March for Greek Independence Day. The Rough Guide and anything we could find on the internet suggested that the Hydra procession (along with Tinos) was one of the best, not to be missed. On the morning of the procession the weather was still very bad and the sea still rolly. Hundreds lined the quayside in front of us and we had a grandstand view. Just as the procession was due, a big swell came in and Pania and Jans' masts clattered together with an almighty bang. Everyone waiting for the procession turned round to see what had happened and there was much murmuring and discussion. As it turned out, that was the most exciting part of the whole procession, which amounted to ten minutes of children and sea cadets filing past. Hopefully we have passed into Hydran folklore as the foreigners whose masts clanged together at the start of the 2008 procession.

Despite it being so pretty, in the end we were glad to leave Hydra and the grumpy trader. We set off to head for Epidavros on the Peloponnese. Unfortunately Jan's spreaders (the bits that stick out from the mast!) had taken a bit of damage when the masts collided and so half way to Epidavros we decided to pull into Poros to see if they could make some repairs. Poros is (as always seems to be the case) a beautiful setting - a small island separated from the mainland by a narrow channel. The quayside runs along the side of the island opposite the mainland coast and it is full of fishing boats, ferries and yachts. We had a one night stop in Poros and managed to replace the burst fender and broken lines as well as buy a new inverter (the old one having strangely died in Hydra). Losing the inverter would have been a maritime disaster – it powers the DVD and computers!!!!

The following day we completed the journey round to Epidavros and the mainland. Everyone was glad to be back – this was probably the boys favourite place last year – there is plenty here for them to do, trees to climb just beside the boat, grass to play on, a football pitch close-by and plenty of local children to mix with.

On the second day in Epidavros the weather got up again and our berth on the quayside became very difficult. We had to move round to an anchorage in the dark, wind and rain. It wasn't a pleasant experience, especially since the bay is full of shallows, but we made it, and it was worth it just to get under the lee of the land and feeling the sea and wind calm right down. The following morning was flat once again so we up'd anchor and went back to our old spot (where, so far, we have been ever since).

We are spending the next few days in Epidavros with the Jan crew. We will make the most of the time because unfortunately they are heading off to Athens very soon. They are then flying out to South East Asia (Vietnam first) to spend the last few months of their year-out there before heading home to New Zealand. We will miss Laurie, Vicki, Laura, Anna and Isaac very much.

On a happier note we are all looking forward to 7^th April when Sue, Ben and James Sendall are coming out to visit us for a few days. Maxine and I are looking forward to catching up with Sue, and the boys are high as kites waiting for Ben and James (they count down the days every morning). We'll let you know what we all get up to in the next instalment.....

Love and best wishes to all,

The Faireys.

Astipalaia to Amorgos

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 19:59:40 GMT

After an early start on Saturday morning we were rewarded with a beautiful sunny day which meant the 8 hour passage to Katapola, Amorgos was spent soaking up the rays in the cockpit. This time we decided to go North around the island as the winds were more favourable for sailing but also because the scenery and approach would be different to our previous visit in October. As we have come to expect of the Greek Islands the views are amazing and we never seem to tire of the beautiful landscapes, once again our journey was highlighted by visiting dolphins.

Katapola is just as beautiful in the spring, the local people friendly and the bar in the square still inviting. Maxine, Edward & Jasper spent Sunday morning exploring the rest of village previously unseen which has resulted in some different photographs, which as soon as we have internet we will upload. The time on Sunday afternoon was whiled away in the cafe in the square with Vicky & Laurie and finished off nicely with a barbeque. We decided to stay an extra day as we all love Katapola so much, so we didn't set sail again until Tuesday morning when we were blown out of the harbour with 18 knots of wind. The journey to Naxos saw us battling with the wind head on for much of the way so getting in to harbour was a welcome relief.

Naxos is a very lovely island, lots of trees, vine terraces, mountains and beautiful flowers. The town has a fantastic array of shops, restaurants, ice cream cafes and bars which we have enjoyed. We hired a car for the day and managed to see most of the historic sites around the island, the highlight of the trip was seeing a group of vultures feeding on the hillside and then taking flight and gliding through the air above us. We are planning on moving to Mikonos on Friday weather permitting.

On our Way...

Fri, 07 Mar 2008 17:59:19 GMT

We left our winter home at 8.00am Tuesday morning with a resounding send off from all of our friends in Yacht marina there were many hugs, handshakes and tears but memories of good times that will last for many years to come. It was especially difficult leaving Mark, Emma, Tom and George the Cowrie crew who have been our constant companions and cruising buddies since last July but as we are trying to remember it's not goodbye it's see you later.

So we are on way the weather has been good so far and the winds favourable. We arrived at Simi on Tuesday afternoon after a great sail and moored alongside the town wall everybody was eager to go and explore and as usual the boys found the local park and the shop selling Cadbury's Dairy Milk while we concentrated on finding the best restaurant for that evening's meal. Due to being early in the season much of the town was closed but it was still very pretty and worth a look. Our brief stop in Simi satisfied everybody's cravings for bacon, sausage, English chocolate and Greek food!

Wednesday's journey couldn't end soon enough for Maxine, the boys and Jasper who all spent the day just laying in the cockpit the long break from the motion of the waves over the winter hadn't helped the sea legs at all, to be fair the sail was good but the sea was very rolly. The afternoon saw us arriving into Palon harbour on Nisiros where we rafted alongside 'Jan' a New Zealand yacht who are travelling a similar route, they have onboard Vicky, Laurie, Laura 13, Isaac 10 and Anna 7, once again the boys jumped ship to explore and set up den in a disused dredger! Palon is a sleepy little village the most exciting discovery was that the local souvenir shop was called 'Pania'

Thursday was a great day all round the sun shone and everybody felt well we enjoyed a good sail and celebrated the fact by having bread and chicken for lunch in the sunshine. Our first anchorage this season sees us in Vathi on Astipalaia it is quite different from our last visit, the grass is lush and green and the wind is howling across the water! Going on the current forecast we are planning to leave on Saturday but for the time being the boys and Jasper are enjoying the beach and we are enjoying the peace and quiet.

We’re Off!

Mon, 03 Mar 2008 20:22:50 GMT

After being put back a few days by the weather we are finally leaving Yacht Marina in Turkey tomorrow morning, we have had a really busy day preparing the boat and ourselves for the departure. We have had a fab time in Turkey thanks to all of our friends in the marina. Best wishes to you all.

Spring Cleaning

Sun, 17 Feb 2008 06:18:46 GMT

The last few weeks have seen us hastily trying to get ready to leave Marmaris by the end of the month (we're getting very itchy feet). All those last minute jobs that we could really have done back in November are now piling up on us. We've...

fixed the dodgy switches on the distribution panel (caused by a bit of a leak which we have since plugged)
replaced a few sorry looking ropes
serviced clutches that had seen better days
sent the sails off for cleaning and repairs (they look great – thanks Moby Sails)
sent the anchor chain off for galvanising (hasn't reappeared yet – fingers crossed it will be here before we leave!)
had new stainless steel work done on the pushpit so that we can fit an outboard motor bracket
installed a new pulley system for the passerelle (see pics of Edward doing the flying trapeze act)
put a new cover on the wheel (well done Maxine)
had the teak deck replaced where it was lifting (mega-mega-bucks!!!!!!)
had new dodgers (look it up) rope bags & new companion way doors made
had the lazy bag re-stitched
polished and polished and polished – the boat looks great (well done Maxine again)

But, we have still found time to enjoy the ongoing social life in the marina. The first Monday in February is Rosen Montag in the German speaking countries and so a big party was held in the marina. Fancy dress is the order of the day (again!) so the boys dressed up as pirates (Jack Sparrow seems favourite) and swash buckled the night away (see pics).

Most Friday nights are karaoke nights (oh dear), but on the last outing, Edward sang a song of his own composition which got a huge round of applause. Provided I can work out the technology, there should be a video on the front page of the site very shortly.

We owe lots of people an apology. Due to the vagaries of the Turkish internet, we've not been receiving emails from the steve.fairey@enabis.co.uk & pania@enabis.co.uk email address for a few months (we just found out). If you sent us an email and wondered where we were then sorry sorry sorry, we've now got all the back-dated mail and will reply shortly.

Best wishes to all. The next blog will hopefully be from Greece and we will be heading west for the first time since Pania left Falmouth.

The Faireys.

Edward's 9th Birthday

Sun, 03 Feb 2008 18:04:09 GMT

Edward had a great time on his birthday, lots of nice cards and presents including a remote controlled yacht which he is really enjoying.

We had a full day which started with a swim in the indoor pool at the Grand Azur Hotel in Marmaris followed by lunch on the sea front at the hotel's beach restaurant. Once back at the marina it was time for the launch of S/Y Horizon, Edward sailed her very well nobody was lost overboard and the coastguard had a quiet afternoon. Edward's friends here in the marina joined us for cake which was nice, lots of lovely singing and endless crumbs in the cockpit!

The day was rounded off nicely with a lovely meal in the restaurant and a nice cake from the marina which Edward shared with everybody he knew in the restaurant, lots of careful slicing by Maxine ensured nobody was left out! A nice surprise to end the celebrations was everybody in the bar singing happy Birthday.

Time flies when you’re having fun.....

Fri, 01 Feb 2008 01:24:37 GMT

Well another month has flown by, days filled with good company and almost constant sunshine.

New Years Eve saw Fiona, Simon, Nick and Ben flying in heavily laden with goodies & treats for a week of celebrations and sightseeing, seeing in 2008 and Maxine's 40^th birthday!

Highlights for the week included visiting the ancient sites of Letoon and Xanthos, playing in the snow in the hills around Fethyie, laughing as Ben and Edward were bribed into jumping into the villas swimming pool which was absolutely freezing, being interviewed on the beach in Olu Deniz as the boys and Jasper played in the sea by two sets of reporters for Turkish TV and then watching it on TV that night with everybody jumping about excitedly and screaming! (Will try to upload onto you tube!) Maxine having a fantastic 40^th Birthday with lots of nice cards, presents and a lovely cake. Getting completely lost on a Steven & Simon shortcut back to the villa which resulted in the hire car looking like it had taken part in an off road rally, the local villagers not really understanding why anybody in their right mind would be driving down tracks that ended in fields, Maxine almost completely losing the plot and crying hysterically that the light was fading and there really was no shortcut, Fiona feeling very sick due to anxiety and planning how we would all keep warm because she was sure we were going to be spending the night in the van! The boys of course had a fab time throughout the entire journey enjoying the amazing scenery, hairpin bends which had the car sliding around the corners on the gravel and the sheer drops either side of the road! And of course laughing at their Mums!

The end result was an absolutely fantastic week which went by far too quickly!

Maxine's parents Sally & Derrick joined us for our second week in Fethyie so once again we were thoroughly spoilt with 'English' treats.

The boys were so excited to see Grandma & Grandpa, Grandma got into the swing of things straight away a water pistol fight running around the pool, which then saw her getting a hole in her knee stitched at the local medical centre! Must say though the care was excellent. Fortunately the rest of the week went by without a hitch; we enjoyed a great walk on the 'Lycian Way', explored the ruined remain of the Roman town Kadyanda, swam in the sea and played on the beach, had a trip back to Marmaris to see the marina and visit the town. Once again the time flew by but a great time was had by all.

Our return to the boat has seen us working our way through the list of jobs and maintenance that we need to do before we leave here at the end of February so it's not all play and no work! The boys have continued with their school activities and have joined together with Tom & George and designed a children's website for the Porthole magazine that comes out each fortnight here in the marina see www.freewebs.com/portholekids

Steve's birthday which he shares with Emma (Cowrie) saw us bowling, we are improving slightly but we still get beaten by the boys! The day was rounded off with a nice meal and some lovely cakes.

Must apologize to friends and family who had birthdays in December and January, we forgot to update the website so Happy Belated Birthday!

Christmas Day in Turkey

Tue, 25 Dec 2007 10:17:15 GMT

Merry Christmas everybody!

We enjoyed a great Christmas meal and party last night here in the marina, Edward entertained everybody with a few christmas songs on his cornet while Alexander helped Santa give out presents.

This morning the boys have opened lots of pressies (see pictures) Edward has tested their new kayak and has given it the thumbs up. Once again the sun is shining and the temperature a warm 18/20 degs so lots of sitting in the cockpit planned.

Lunch this afternoon is a traditional Christmas dinner with all of the trimmings which we are really looking forward to, followed by homemade Christmas pudding made by another friend, Yippee can't wait!

Hope you all have a lovely day!

We are still alive!

Sat, 15 Dec 2007 14:32:08 GMT

Hello Everybody, yes we are all alive and well. Sorry for the break in updates but we feel there is a fine line between keeping the site updated and everybody reading and getting fed up with hearing about our everyday life now we are settled in Turkey for the winter.

We enjoyed a week with Steve's Dad in November which saw us visiting Ephesus which besides Pompeii is the largest and best preserved ancient city in the Med (see pictures) the rest of the time was spent enjoying time with Grandpa Nev.

December came around really quickly and saw us hunting around for school uniform as we enjoyed a 60's 70's 80's evening in the marina restuarant. The social life here is very hectic and even Steve has been joining in with the karaoke every Friday night!

Christmas has arrived onboard Pania and we have managed to find a tree, tinsel and decorations which was a relief because we weren't sure that we would find any.

The boys are getting very excited and maintain that now school has finished in the UK that we should stop school onboard so they can play all day with their friends, hard life they have here.

Christmas is going to be spent here in the marina with friends and their children that we have met along the way, we are getting out of the cooking by eating Christmas dinner in the restuarant.

Will update over Christmas but want to wish Everbody a Happy Christmas from us all.

Cappadoccia

Sun, 18 Nov 2007 09:12:09 GMT

After another fantastic breakfast we said our goodbyes and left Cappadocia behind and headed home to Marmaris on Friday. Lars one of the balloon pilots had given us an alternative route back which was 3 hours shorter but also took us past another one of the amazing sights of Turkey that was on our list of things to see Pamukkale and the site of Hierapolis. Pamukkale is an area covered in travertine terraces which are all shaped differently they are caused by spring water saturated with calcium bicarbonate bubbling up to the surface which once cooled precipitates as hard chalk. We arrived just before sunset so ended up fast walking the ruins of Hierapolis to get to the terraces before the light faded then strolled back taking in the the ruins. A whistle stop tour but worth it.

Arriving back at the marina to Pania really did feel like coming home, although we had been thoroughly spoilt with the services of the hotel it was good to be back onboard.

Last night the boys and Maxine enjoyed a star gazing trip with the other families in the marina, Hugh a fellow cruiser talked everybody through various constellations, planets, myths and general star spotting. Teamed with hot chocolate and biscuits an enjoyable evening was had by all.

Excitement is building today as Grandpa Nev arrives tomorrow to spend a few days with us especially with the promise of Marmite!

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Derinkuyu underground city & the Ihlara Valley

Sun, 18 Nov 2007 09:06:30 GMT

Thursday we visited the underground city of Derinkuyu a vast city completely underground dating back to around 1900-1200 BC we spent a couple of hours clambering and climbing our way through various rooms, chambers, stables & churches. Leaving here we continued on our way to the Ihlara valley which winds its way through many villages, the highlight of this valley is the many rock cut churches that can be seen as you wind your way along. The sun shone all the way Jasper as usual bounding his way through grass, splashing in the river and the boys as always collecting sticks.

The drive home took us through beautiful valleys with amazing scenery and the many rock caved villages which never cease to amaze. We stopped briefly at Selime a beautiful village which had the most fantastic rock carved catheral however the bit that the boys thought was the best was that part of the original Star Wars movie was filmed here, Steve and the boys now maintain that we need to watch the movie again to see if they can spot Selime!

Leaving Selime we continued on our way down a valley that looked like the backdrop for roadrunner, Steve did a great impression! Winding through the hills we were met by the shepherds & their flocks coming off the hills with their dogs & donkeys. The dogs were huge Antolian shepherd dogs with leather collars studded with 4" spikes, we didn't even dare to wind the window down to take a picture. Jasper did growl quietly to himself but I'm convinced that had he been outside he would have been eaten alive.

We continued on our way passing through Urgup which looked beautiful but just didn't have the energy to stop, perhaps next time.

Snowball fights and balloon flights

Thu, 15 Nov 2007 20:45:19 GMT

Yesterday was frenetic. Maxine and Alexander were booked on an early morning balloon flight and so got up and out of the hotel room for 5:50am, only for the flight to be cancelled because of the rain. Disappointed but undeterred we decided instead to hire a jeep and drive into the mountains (the boys had been saying all week that they wanted to play in the snow). So, after yet another hearty breakfast we set off in a rickety old landrover for the Erciyes Mountain. Erciyes is the 2^nd highest volcano (extinct) in Turkey (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Erciyes ), after Mount Ararat. The mountain is 4000m high, but we only managed to get up to the ski stations at just over 2000m. The ski season doesn't start for another two weeks, but there was enough snow for us to have a snowball fight and to build a small (and very dirty) snowman. It was great fun, but very cold so we played for about an hour and then jumped back in the jeep (which had no heating!!).

When we got back in the jeep we gave the balloon company a call to see what the situation was. They told us that they were planning to take off at 2:45 in the afternoon (it was now 1pm and we were 80km away, 2000m up a mountain in a rickety and very slow landrover. Still, we sped down the mountain, got lost in the big city of Kayseri and finally arrived at the balloon place with 5 minutes to spare. Maxine, Alexander and Edward (who now decided he'd give it a go) all jumped in the balloon and had an unforgettable flight across the amazing Cappadocia landcapes. See the photos for some idea of how amazing it is. Steve had just as much fun chasing the balloon across open fields in the landrover.

In the end it was a long but exciting day that none of us will forget in a hurry.

Cappadocia

Wed, 14 Nov 2007 05:10:15 GMT

On Sunday we hired a car in Marmaris and drove through the night to the Cappadocia region (about 500 miles north east). It was a long drive in the dark, but Turkish roads are good and reasonably quick. We stopped at about midnight and slept in the car in a petrol station for a few hours, which was a bit cramped (Maxine, Alexander and Edward in the back seat, Jasper in the passenger side). We knew it was going to be a bit colder than in Marmaris & so took some blankets, but we hadn't really appreciated how much colder! It was freezing. A kind lorry driver took pity on us and lent us an even thicker blanket but even so our noses were like ice blocks when we woke up.

The drive took 12 hours in total (+ a few hours sleep) and we arrive in Uchisar just as the sun came up. The reason everyone comes to Cappadocia is for the spectacular scenery, unusual rock formations, fairy chimneys, pigeon houses and cave dwellings. They are indeed amazing (see photographs) and are well worth the long drive.

We are staying in a hotel in Goreme, right in the middle of the area. Some of the hotel's rooms are cave dwellings and the views from the room are wonderful. Today we took a hike from the village up through the pigeon valley (so called because of all the pigeon-poo collected from the pigeon houses for fertiliser). Jasper had a great run through the gorge and the boys said it was "a great hike".

Back at the hotel the boys have played in the grounds on an old cart and we are just about to get ready to go out for dinner. The room has a Jacuzzi bath, so I'd better go and get in the queue!

More updates tomorrow after Maxine and Alexander get back from their balloon flight over the area.

A fortnight in Marmaris

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 13:24:25 GMT

We are all settling into life in Turkey mostly sunny days but definately cooling more like an English summer. We have had quite a few windy rainy days which remind us of home especially with a soggy dog! We are trying to cram so much into each day because it feels like we have a 'boat job' list as long as our arms but are conscious that we want to see and experience as much as Turkey as we can.

We've had new upholstery in the saloon and all the stainless steel is now gleaming after a good polish. Two jobs down, hundreds left to go.

We hired a car and travelled out to Olu Deniz last week to check out accomodation for when the family descend in January. It was a long drive but we finally got to see some of the interior of Turkey, plus it was good driving practise before our mammoth drive to Cappadocia. While we were in Olu Deniz, Steve and Edward had a go at paragliding which they both said was fantastic. It meant a 45 minute drive up in to the hills behind the beach (which was more hair-raising than the actual jump), followed by a take off down a mountain slope over a 1000 metre drop into the valley and beach below. They glided close to the cliffs and waved at the startled goats clinging to the rocks. Jasper barked like mad when they came into land on the beach and so the last few photos of Edward were out of focus!

Social life in the marina is good, we have all made new friends who we are enjoyings meals and drinks with. There are quite a few children as well and the boys have enjoyed their first sleep over.

Update from Marmaris

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 20:43:34 GMT

Sorry for delay folks, the social life in the marina seems to have occupied our time since we arrived (more details at the bottom of this blog entry...)...

Irakleia

To fill in the gap in our final run from Greece into Turkey, we left the tiny island of Pantieronisia and our campfire behind and headed to Irakleia, a small island just a few miles south of Naxos. We'd hoped to anchor in the bay off Ay Yeoryios, but it didn't look great and a huge wind turbine had been built in the bay which didn't add to the ambience, so we nipped round the corner into Livadhi and anchored there. The boys played on the beach in the evening and we had an early night.

In the morning Steve and Edward clambered up the hill behind the bay to see the old village of Livadhi which was completely abandoned in 1940 and nobody came back after the war. Most was in ruins, but there was enough to see the layout of the village and some of the bigger buildings. Very sad.

Irakleia to Amorgos

We left Irakleia late morning the following day and headed towards Amorgos, which is the most easterly of the Cyclades. We wanted to anchor in a small bay at Kalotarissa which for film buffs was where Luc Besson filmed much of Le Grand Bleu (especially around the wreck of Olympia which is beached in a nearby cove. Unfortunately the anchorage was small and very small and despite much effort we couldn't get good holding so we had to leave. Still, it worked out OK. We raced through 25knots of wind a few miles north and moored up in Katapola which is the main harbour on Amorgos. Katapola is a beautiful place, a perfect Cycladic village with narrow streets and whitewashed buildings. We had a great meal in the Corner Restaurant on the first night and then on the second day Edward caught a basket of fish and an octopus in the lobby pot which we took to the restaurant. The owner cooked the fish for us and put the octopus on the "specials" menu. As we sat and ate the fish, a man on the next table tucked in to Edward's octopus which was great to see.

We would recommend Katapola if you are looking for a holiday spot. Jasper would recommend it if you are looking for stray cats.

Into the Dodecanese

Time to move on and in to the Dodecanese. We left Amorgos on the 11^th October and headed east to Astipalaia. This is the most westerly of the Dodecanese and is a bit of a forgotten island, but if you are sailing it has some great anchorages and places to shelter. It was once supposed to have the best sponges in the Aegean, but we didn't see any at all. We anchored in an almost landlocked bay called Vathi. The boys played on the beach (as ever) and terrorised an octopus that was trying to have a peaceful afternoon under the small quay. We spent a peaceful night in the anchorage and left very early (4am) the following morning. The run from Astipaliaia to Tilos is about 60 miles (11 hours) and we wanted to arrive at a reasonable time. The first few hours were horrendous – very rolly seas and generally unpleasant. Still, the sun came up and the sea calmed down and by the afternoon we were sailing pleasantly along.

We arrived in Livadhiou on Tilos in the afternoon and moored up in the small fishing harbour. The very officious harbour-mistress came to see us and got us organised. The harbour is wonderful and the small village is absolutely perfect. We spent five relaxing days on Tilos waiting for some bad weather to pass. The boys fished and played on the very small local park to their hearts' content. Another great recommendation for a holiday destination.

Tilos to Simi

Simi is somewhere we had wanted to visit since we started planning the trip, so it was great to finally get there. The weather dictated that we weren't destined to go the main Simi harbour, but instead we stayed two nights in Panormittis – another virtually landlocked bay. There is a beautiful monastery in the bay and a few restaurants (see photo gallery). We swam round the boats, ate fresh bread baked in the monastery's wood-fired ovens and wandered up to the old windmill and the military pill-boxes on the headland. This was to be our last view of Greece for this year and it was a memorable place to finish off the tour with. Turkey tomorrow....!

Simi to Marmaris

We left Simi at first light (7am) and headed east yet again towards Turkey. At 9am we lowered the Greek courtesy flag and raised the one for Turkey. The Greek flag had been flying above the deck for over a month and it seemed strange to see the red and white of the Turkish flag. We had a great sail early on with some favourable winds – we averaged 6.5 knots for a few hours, but then the wind died and we motored the rest of the way – keen to get to Marmaris and find our winter berth.

The approach to Marmaris was full of sailing boats and once inside the bay we got tangled up in a race, which added to the view. By 4pm we were in Yacht Marin here in Marmaris and had been shown to a berth. The marina is massive with hundreds of boats in the water and thousands out on the hard. It's a bit of a culture shock after the quiet and solitude of the Greek islands, but I'm sure we'll acclimatise. Still, there are plenty of people here and we've already seen some other children.

Marmaris Update

We've now been in Marmaris for 2 weeks. We've moved Pania on to a better pontoon (closer to the shop, toilets, showers etc etc etc) and with internet access!! The boys are having a great time – Tom and George are just a few yards away and there are at least 15 other children in the marina. The social calendar here is very full and tonight is the first night in since we got here. We've done Halloween night, the boat jumble, a barbecue, 2 curry nights etc etc etc. We're all ready for an early night.

Visitors

Now that we are settled in one place for a while we've got a steady stream of people coming out to see us – Steve's dad later this month, Fiona, Simon, Nick and Ben for New Year and Sally and Derrick early next year – it will be great to see everyone.

That's it for now – best wishes to all. Good night from Turkey.

Arrival in Turkey

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 08:29:01 GMT

Just a quick note to say that...

After 4 months and 3500 miles we have finally arrived in Marmaris, Turkey where we will be staying (in Yacht Marin www.yachtmarin.com/en ) - for the winter (or at least until the end of January anyway)

Now we are settled and we have finally sorted the internet access we will send a full update this evening.

Kythnos to Pantieronisia

Sun, 07 Oct 2007 20:12:30 GMT

Back again!

At the end of the last posting we mentioned that there was a force 8 on the way. Sure enough it arrived, but luckily we had enough weather warning that we were able to run for shelter. We left the lovely anchorage that we were in and moved a few miles south to the harbour at Merikha (still on Kythnos). The shelter wasn't great, but it was good enough, although we slopped about a bit at times. Still, we were glad to get a berth (there aren't that many on Kythnos) - once the harbour was full we watched plenty of poor people come in, see that there was no room and head back out into 30-40 knots of wind. All we could do was feel sorry for them (not much help).

The wind blew hard for a week and we were marooned in Merikha. It's not a bad spot, but after seven days we were running out of things to do. The boys (as ever), spent the time fishing, cycling and playing around the harbour. The fishing is improving and on the last day Edward caught four fish in the "lobby" (lobster) pot. They were all edible and made a tasty treat when we got to the anchorage that night. Edward used a secret bait of bread and corned beef which the fish seemed to find irresistable. We passed on the secret (and a fish) to the local water man (who supplies water to the boats) who seemed quite pleased. A man from the fish market even came down to have a look so we must have been doing something right.

As we left Merikha an old lady called down from her balcony and gave the boys a bag of biscuits. Apparently she had been watching them play all week and they had kept her thoroughly entertained.

The weather finally started to die down so we were able to leave Kythnos. We'd really hoped to be able to take a sedate route through the Cyclades but a week has passed us by and we need to make up some time if we are going to reach Marmaris by the end of the month. We headed east to the next island (Serifos) and just stayed overnight in an anchorage (Koutala). It was a wide sweeping bay with plenty of sand. In the middle someone had cut back a lot of bamboo and piled it up on the beach. The boys took the dinghy and wasted no time in building bamboo wigwams and making bows and arrows until it was dark. We then ate Edward's fish on board and crashed out for the night.

Following day we lifted anchor bright and early and travelled the 30 or so miles to the next island of Paros. The trip was fairly uneventful except when a 6 foot swordfish jumped clean out of the water right in front of us. It was gone in the blink of an eye and never reappeared but was an amazing sight nonetheless.

We dodged a couple of ferries on the approach (one of which created the biggest wake I've ever seen) and successfully avoided all the rocks and hazards en route to the harbour. This is where the Greek ferry "Samina" sank in 2000 after hitting the Portes rocks.

Paros is bigger than say Kythnos and is much more commercial. Still, the harbour was pleasant enough and the town was worth a stroll around. We had a fantastic meal in the evening and bumped into a few familiar faces on the quayside. Now that the season is drawing to a close there seems to be a group of us who are heading east to Turkey and we keep popping up in the same places every once in a while. It's good to catch up with where everyone has been.

Nearly up to date again - today has been great. We left Paros this morning (after tangling with a Gulet which had parked itself over our anchor) and headed south through the Paros-Andiparos Channel. This is a narrow and very shallow gap between the two islands. Still - all adds to the excitement as you pick your way through the reefs and shallows. Suffice to say we got through OK and we are now anchored off the very very small and deserted islet of Pantieronisia (it can't be more than 200 yards long). But.. the water is turquoise and crystal clear and all we can hear is the chirping of a few insects on the shore. We spent the evening on the beach. The boys scavenged around the island with Tom and George for every bit of driftwood they could find (no trees) and we made a fire on the beach. We barbequed sausages and potatoes and had hotdogs and chips while the sun went down - not a bad way to spend Sunday evening. Jasper charged around the island keeping the boys safe and is now flat out down below. It's 11pm and everyone else has collapsed asleep in bed.

Good night to all.

The Faireys.

Long Overdue Update

Fri, 28 Sep 2007 21:00:22 GMT

Don't panic – we're still here. We just haven't seen an internet connection in what seems like weeks. We still haven't got one – but if you are reading this then we've managed to use the mobile phone to update the site (very slowly). Also means we can't upload any new photos unfortunately.

I think that the last time we left a message we were in Argostoli. Since then...

Argostoli to Corinth

We left Argostoli on the 17^th and hoped to head towards an anchorage. When we got there the shelter wasn't great so we carried further on round the east side of Kephalonia (I think we've tried every spelling so far, but so do the guide books). We stopped overnight in a small harbour at Poros. Nothing special, but a reasonable spot. Most importantly we executed our first stern-to mooring with the anchor. This is the "preferred" method of berthing in Greece and involves dropping your anchor in the middle of the harbour and then "reversing" into your spot. Pleased to say it went smoothly (but plenty of rough ones to come...). Poros is one of the ferry terminals for Kephalonia so we spent the evening watching impossibly large ferries squeeze into an impossibly small harbour making our hesitant and slow mooring look a bit silly – still they've had more practise.

Navpaktos to Trizonia

The following day we left Kephalonia and headed into the Gulf of Patras. We wanted to go to Navpaktos which is one of the best medieval harbours in the Med. It also has a lot of history to go with it (last sea battle with galleys rowed by slaves took place here + Cevantes and Byron both visited and left their marks). Unfortunately it's a very small harbour and there was no room so we sailed in, waved at everyone eating in the cafes and sailed straight back out again. No matter, we went a few miles further on to a small island in the gulf called Trizonia. What a fantastic place – the island that time forgot. A small quay for fishing boats with a smattering of Tavernas behind. We ate out in the evening and although the menu was as long as your arm there were only a few dishes available. We spent ten minutes asking for this and that only to be told "er... no". Still, what they did have was fantastic and we had a great night.

Corinth and the Canal

We stayed two nights in Trizonia because of the weather and on the 20^th headed out into the Gulf of Corinth. We reached Corinth itself in the afternoon and moored up in the Yacht Harbour. Corinth is reasonably big city and the surroundings weren't brilliant. But... the supermarket was great and we managed to get a few bits and pieces for the boat that we needed.

The main reason we were here though was because it is the closest harbour to the start of the Corinth Canal which we were desperate to get through so that we could get into the Aegean. Unfortunately the weather turned rough. Across the bay from the harbour is a mountain and during the evening an anvil shaped cloud formed over the peak. A local boat-owner told us that while the cloud was there a force 7 would blow from the north and that we shouldn't leave until the cloud disappeared. Sure enough, two days later the cloud lifted, the wind dropped and we were able to leave.

So, on the 22^nd we pulled out of the harbour and sailed to the entrance to the Corinth Canal. We sat waiting for about an hour while the west-bound traffic came through (the canal is a one-way street). At each end of the canal is a road bridge which are lowered into the water so that the boats can pass over it. The minute that the bridge is lowered it's like the start of the Grand National. The men controlling the boats tell you to go full steam ahead (Captain go faster faster) and even when your engine is jumping out of the boat they want you to move quicker.

At the end of the day the canal is just a cut through the limestone cliff, but it is 3.5 miles long and quite a feat. Allegedly Nero started the job, but a bit like the Channel Tunnel it didn't get finished until relatively recently. In ancient times boats used to get dragged across the isthmus on rollers rather than make the 150 mile trip round the Peloponnese.

For the record – we had to pay 180 euros for the 3.5 miles making it the most expensive seaway in the world!!!!!!!!!

The Peloponnese

Once through the canal we had two choices – the north coast to Pireaus and Athens or the south coast to peace and tranquillity – no contest unfortunately. Much as we wanted to see Athens, the thought of a dirty mooring in Pireaus just didn't appeal so we decided to head off the beaten track and find our Greek history in more secluded places. Time will tell.

Our first stop in the Aegean was a small anchorage at Korfos. Fantastic spot – a rickety old quay side outside a Taverna. The water and electricity were provided by George (taverna owner) on the understanding that you ate your evening meal with him (big hardship!!). Which reminds me – haven't mentioned the cost of sailing in Greece – not much at all. The most we have paid is 5 euros per night and most of the time the moorings are completely free. Compare that to the 100+ euros per night in Italy and you can guess where we'd rather be!

Anyway, we had a great couple of days, the boys fished off the quayside, played in the local playground and in the evening we all ate at George's.

In the end the rickety old quayside got the better of us – it wasn't very deep and we started bouncing off the bottom – time to leave! We made a short hop south to Epidavros. Epidavros is a small and very pleasant town. Big enough to have all the necessaries and small enough to be quiet. Put it on the recommended list for a long weekend.

The main attraction in Epidavros is the Amphitheatre which is a few miles inland. It is the largest intact Amphitheatre in Greece (no mean feat). It is well worth the visit. The most amazing thing is the acoustics. Didn't believe it at first but literally every sound made on the stage can be heard from every seat (14000 of them). It's spooky & the boys thought it was great. We also found a tiny kitten which the boys and Maxine thought was even better (!?)

We spent a few nights in Epidavros and then moved a short hop to a very very small hamlet called Vathi. This is a heavenly spot. Just a few Tavernas around a small fishing harbour. The harbour is teaming with fish and the boys caught loads in the first few hours of being there. Most of them were clawed out of the bucket and eaten by the local cats but one of them was big enough to eat so we took it to one of the tavernas and they cooked it for us. Steve had it for dinner (very tasty) while everyone else picked off the menu. The meal was great and to make a brilliant night perfect the wine was free!!! The Taverna made their own wine and were wanting to finish off a barrel so they could refill it. We were happy to oblige as you can imagine.

Methana

We needed to make a short hop from Vathi to Methana so that the following leg to Kythnos (first island in the Cyclades) was not too long. We wouldn't have chosen to go to Methana otherwise because of the incredible stench. Methana is the site of a sulphurous spring which comes out of the bay and runs into the sea. The smell is horrendous. It permeates everywhere and no matter what you do you can't get away from it. Meanwhile, old dears in swimming caps sit in the shallows imagining that it is doing them some good. Get me out of here!

Kythnos

So here we are up to date. As we are writing this we are sat at anchorage off the beach in a small cove on Kythnos. It's dark now (11pm local time), but just on the shore are a sandy beach, a Taverna, a small chapel and a herd of goats (we can still hear the bells). Terrible!! There's not an ounce of wind and the sea is calm as calm can be.

Still – in two days time a force 8 will be blowing through here and we'll need to be tucked up in a marina somewhere or we'll be on the rocks (just thought we'd throw that in to show it's not all "plain sailing"!). J.

Love to all. The Faireys.

Greece at last!!!!!

Sun, 16 Sep 2007 15:25:04 GMT

Finally! We've made it to Greece. Here we are in Argostoli on Cephalonia, sitting in an internet cafe (watching Man City v. Aston Villa on the television!!!!!). The 200 miles from Italy were great, plenty of wind in the right direction and we covered the distance in 34 hours. Things will be a bit different from here to Turkey – coast and island hopping a few miles each day rather than long passage making. Can't wait.

Can't complain about the harbour here in Argostoli - just a few euros per night rather than the excessive charges in Italy. We're going to stay here a few days then head in to the Gulf of Corinth to see Delphi and then head through the Corinth Canal.

Despite initial impressions we had a great time in Roccella. The beach was fantastic and the boys and Jasper had fun every day playing in the waves. On the second day (yet another) forest fire broke out just behind the marina and we watched the sea planes and a helicopter stop the flames from engulfing any houses. In the evenings we ate in the restaurant on the marina which sold pizza by the metre. Unfortunately we didn't know this on the first night and so ordered three. Oh well – pizza for breakfast.

Edward and George built a catamaran out of a plastic bottle on the last day and sailed it across the marina (see pictures). Meanwhile the force 7 charged our batteries via the wind generator and then blew itself out so that we could set sail for Greece.

Roccella Ionica

Wed, 12 Sep 2007 18:46:18 GMT

We made it through the Straits of Messina, passed Scilla and Charibdis and round (finally) in to the Ionian Sea. We're currently sitting in Roccella waiting for a weather window so that we can get to Greece (it's blowing a force 7 at the moment so we're staying put).

Roccella is an interesting place - very bizarre. The marina is 90% finished, but not quite (no electricity etc) and is completely free. Hopefully the wind will die down tomorrow and we can move on.

The jouney so far....

Sat, 08 Sep 2007 11:23:08 GMT

Click on the picture for a bigger (readable!) version...