Corfu to Italy

Before we left Greece for the season and set sail for Italy, we explored a few places along the most north eastern part of the Greek mainland.  While some places such as the Sivota Islands, where we spent a couple of nights, look idyllic on postcards, they tend to be overrun by tourists, all with a penchant for renting loud and fast motor boats. We opted for a small, unassuming, yet charming place called Platarias next and spent a few days in this all but forgotten part of Greece. The harbour is a base for a well-known budget flotilla company but outside of their turnaround days it is all but deserted. Again we experienced the shift from being in transit to staying on for a few days.	Misty departure from Greece
Wall-to-wall Dinghies at Mourtos Our route onwards took us north along the coast east of Corfu and right to the border of Albania. This is a pretty desolate part of the world with the only intrusion upon the gentle scenery being the fish farms, whose garish buoys and swathes of netting mask a murky industry that produces perfectly sized Sea Bass that are sold as fresh catch of the day. We managed to find an idyllic bay that shares a border with Albania and a home with several guard dogs who barked incessantly through the night.	The locals become more accommodating and what was not possible on day one becomes achievable after a few days, such as asking the local restaurant if we can use their washing machines for our huge pile of laundry. Catherine had to haggle the price up in fact as they only wanted to charge a quarter of the going rate. There is a sizeable Italian community in Platarias who benefit from the lower cost of living and whose presence means the second language here is Italian and more importantly guarantees that the coffee is excellent. Their influence is yet to be felt on the wine supply though, but that could probably be fixed quite easily.   Two full moons last night - or was it the Ouzo?
Fish Farms spoiling the view - Albanian border Being buzzed by Oppies in Corfu bay	The lush Sivota Islands  Mourtos Bay - we managed to find a quiet corner
Our last stop in Greece was the island of Othoni, just a few miles north west of Corfu. This is a popular stop-over for yachts transiting to and from Italy and by the time the sun set the bay where we anchored looked like it was hosting an armada. We had every intention of setting off before dawn to take full advantage of the good winds that were predicted for our course.  A heavy sea that night and ominous clouds put a stop to that though. So, after just over 1,000 nautical miles and over 25 islands we left the very familiar Greek waters and plunged into the unknown, both  figuratively but literally too as the sunrise was accompanied by an impenetrable mist. We sailed into it for the first hour as we made our way almost due West to Porto Otranto in Puglia.   The second skipper got the foghorn out just in case - must be a violinist's instinct at work. We made very good time and the 50 nautical miles were gobbled up in just over 8 hours.The last hour into Otranto was just champagne sailing and perfectly calmed us for the seeming chaos that greeted us upon arrival in the port.  The old town overlooks the port that incongruously shares its crystal waters with hundreds of motor boats, a few beaches, the Coast Guard, and the marina.   Land of the umbrella	Plunging into the mist Italian  flag replaces well-worn Greek one
The beaches were heaving with holiday makers and the sea of umbrellas was a sight to behold. We anchored in amongst the fray to start with until we got our bearings and, more importantly, got hold of the mobile number of the man who sorts out berths - VHF is not a well-used item here it seems.  Andrea is as helpful as he is friendly and in no time he had us squeezed against the quay opposite the fresh water tap and a cable extension's length away from the informal electricity supply.  There is a lesson in this and that is that there is no point in fretting just because your northern European sense of order and process presents a hopeless picture. Everything is negotiable here, but not in an unpleasant haggling sort of way. No doubt Catherine speaking Italian smooths things somewhat. Did I say blonde...	Marina with a view
Otranto Basilica	Our afternoon was spent taking in the new scenery while we savoured Nocciola and Fig Gelato. The marble and sandstone buildings reflect the light so differently here from the white-wash and cobalt blue that we had grown accustomed to in Greece. It is like walking into a Fellini film, set in a 19th century bathing resort. EU funding doesn't harm either and the Basilica is impeccably preserved with the largest mosaic floor you can imagine and a pristine carved ceiling.  So much ice cream - so little time.

There is a backdrop of friendliness and warmth here that has already endeared this place to us despite the first impression which was like the panic of two wide-eyed country folk used to deserted islands hitting the big city.

Otranto - view of the old town from the port