Trizonia to Corfu

Leaving Trizonia at dawn

Our unintentionally long stay in Trizonia due to the very strong westerly wind ended up being a very pleasant if somewhat of a forced vacation from all this sailing and relaxing. We also met some very nice people and ended up getting some excellent ideas for our Italy trip as well as cementing our plans for where we leave Rocko for the winter. It seems like Ragusa (Sicily) is the place to be, but more of that closer to the time.  We left just before daybreak and the stillness was quite eerie after days of being battered about by the wind.

Joining the mainland and Peloponnese

The trip westwards from the Gulf of Corinth takes one under the Rio-Antirrio bridge into the Gulf of Patras. This is a remarkable structure clearly visible some 12NM (over 22Kms) away and is the longest bridge of its kind. From the approach it looks like you can see the curvature of the earth, but I rather suspect that is just an optical illusion.

Looks closer than it is 

Deserted fishermen's houses Messolnghi

After a long day's sail we decided to stay the night in Messolonghi which, famously, is where Lord Byron died at the time of the Greek war of independence. The Marina is at the end of a long narrow and shallow channel lined with deserted fishermen's houses on stilts. It is a strangely bleak place, not somewhere I would recommend you place on your holiday destination list. It served its purpose for us though as we needed to fill up with fresh water and plug into power for a bit. We didn't find any ice though - and I now know how Byron must have felt (he died from a fever apparently).

Vathi on Meganisi

Since we had fallen a little behind schedule we had to catch up and get to Corfu by the weekend. Not wanting to miss too much, we picked out a few spots recommended by Kate and Davey and Vathi on Meganisi was the most memorable.  The whole of the inland sea bounded by Cephalonia, Ithaca, Lefkas and Zakinthos on the western side and the mainland on the east is a lush landscape that looks nothing like the barren islands of the Cyclades. The houses are also no longer the picture postcard whitewashed and cobalt blue doors and windows, but more terracotta and Italian in feel. Less dramatic perhaps but therefore crowded with charter yachts. In fact the days of seeing perhaps only one other yacht for many hours on end are over in the Ionian.

Jackie O's beach hut on Skorpios

Not bad for a non-morning person at sunrise

Heading north we then made our way toward the Lefkas Channel. This is another peculiar thing probably only to be found here in Greece. Lefkas is separated by another narrow, shallow channel and road access is via a car ferry that is wedged between the mainland and Lefkas. This then moves out the way hourly to allow boats to pass, thus making it an Island.  After all Islands get EU subsidy...

Traffic at Lefkas Channel

I said turn 'left'

Paxos

As we set off a tad late, we decided to stop in Preveza for the night and we found an anchorage away from the discos of the town quay which was quiet and protected. Our next stop was the Island south of Corfu, Paxos.  Paxos and anti Paxos look amazing in the pilot books and they are really gorgeous.  We only spent one night there as we're heading back next week after Corfu.

Dusk in the Marina this evening

I needed to find a safe harbour from Sunday and after a little research and phoning around I was able to get a place in Mandraki Harbour right below the Corfu fortress. Being slightly paranoid that it wouldn't work out,  we, I mean I, decided to arrive early.  The setting is very impressive and one has to walk through castle the  grounds to get the sailing club entrance. This fortress successfully repulsed 3 Ottoman sieges, the first being in 1537. Today the quayside offers crisp chardonnay and fresh fish on an elegant terrace, not an Ottoman in sight.

The moat at Corfu Fortress

Entrance to Mandraki Harbour

Corfu Sailing Club under the Fortress in Mandraki

Meganisi Anchorage