Back to Ithaca en-route to picking up friends a bit further south on Monday.  Another Vathi (see previous entry), but altogether a different place – really attractive, with a very Venetian look to it (the 1953 earthquake which destroyed so many of the Ionian towns did slightly less damage here).  The guide book describes it as “the most idyllic of all the Ionian capitals” and it is lovely.    Unfortunately the wind got up as we arrived, so we’ve had to anchor in the harbour and have been unable to get ashore without getting wet in the sloppy waves.  We’ve had fun though – swimming off the boat then watching all the big boats joining us.  It’s been a case of “my boat is better than yours”, as we were joined first by a 44ft Swan (a top of the range yacht), then a 70ft Swan, then a 56metre Italian ketch, then a couple of huge cruising gin palaces (the 2^nd being over 50m long).

The pilot says this wind always dies as the sun goes down – it lies, we’re still trapped aboard!  Hopefully we’ll get ashore in the morning to buy some provisions.

A tiny private chapel at the water’s edge on the approach to Vathi.