38:15.3N 20:388E

 

2 September Oh no! Clouds and a few spots of rain as sail to pretty village of Sami, where some of Captain Corelli’s Mandolin was filmed

Depart Ormos Pera Pigadhi 0945

Arrive Sami 1245 10nm

NWf2

 

Awake to bleating goats being carried over gangplank to small fishing boat, and grey clouds. Place looks quite dull without sun. Sail to Sami, cept for a few minutes motoring in dead patch at S of Ithaca. Rain drops too! Suddenly quite cold . Need Tshirt and light waterproof – for about 10mins. Nice fetch into Sami. Been here before with Good News in 06. Good shelter in harbour. We drop kedge n go bows too, in lee of bigger yachts. Comfy. Quite a few suitcases trundling up n down quay – obviously a popular crew change location. Try and find bus times for Rach tomorrow. Various websites give different times, and man in local travel shop says only one here and two back to Argostoli – less than timetable! Tourist Info shutdown (austerity?). Looks like a taxi. Check out 0800am bus next day – it leaves nearer 0830, probably waiting for incoming ferry! Get good wifi on bat  (after coffee and juice at adjacent taverna). See phone shop – Vodophone, Wind and Cosmote – make enquiries but girl not helpful. Want to get dongle so can get 3G broadband on laptop (for forecasts/emails) when out of wifi range, but in phone range. Seems Vodaphone only do 14 day periods, Wind do monthly and she doesn’t have Cosmote. Want a data volume restriction, not time as there are days when have wifi and 3G not needed. Will checkout again at next town. Cephalonia is the largest island in Ionian, 30% larger than Corfu. Never sure whether a C or K In Greek Kefallinia. Ruled by Venetians, French, then English till 1864. Ocupied in 1943 by 9,000 crack (ck not p!) Italian Alpine Acqui. Germans wanted to take over – Italians refused, so 7 days of bitter fighting. Most of remaining 3,000 Acqui surrendered, and executed, they say on Hitler’s personal order. A few survived and smuggled off island by Greek resistance.  Big earthquake in 1953 destroyed about 90% of buildings. Then the filming of CC’sM in 2001.

 

3 September Thank goodness (as Rachel arrives today) it is sunny and warm! Continue with tidyup and shopping. Basil has all been used and not regenerated, so dead, and no sign of replacement. Do meet Chris Steward on a shared Bavaria 42 (Stella Polaris) and discover he was actually in my year and form at Exeter School. How weird is that. Don’t remember him. Presumably not a sporty chap, and in different sets. Rach arrives safely having cadged a taxi ride to nearby Ay Eufimia ( chap returning to his 45fter) and just paying for onward miles.