15.6.2012
Another sunny day on the Butterfly spotting cruise in the
Southern Ionian. We came into Fiskardho
on Kefallinia on Wednesday because of a strong NW wind forecast of force 6-7 on
Thursday. Never mind you couldn’t wish
to be in a prettier place with lots of summer flowers in bloom that are
attracting hundreds of butterflies.
Where we have arrived back in the Ionian in mid May this year we have
been treated to a veritable feast of flowers some wild and many
cultivated. Last summer by mid August
everywhere was so much drier and the flowers were all past their best or dried
up. The butterflies are everywhere
feeding on the flower’s nectar and this morning one, a Large Wall Brown came
into the cockpit and had a feed from Valerie’s banana in her breakfast cereal
dish !
One of the most common is a bright yellow butterfly with
orange quarter tips on it’s wings called a Cleopatra’s Brimstone. On Meganisi we saw several very large floppy
butterflies the Two Tailed Pasha it was about 70 mm wingspan with striking
yellow and black down the edge of it’s wings.
Another lovely floppy butterfly that is flying around is the Great
Branded Grayling and with black and white design/pattern on it’s wings.
The sea is warming up nicely with the water temperature
now up to about 28 deg. C. So we can go for a swim at least once a day. Whilst hiding from the winds yesterday we had
a lovely walk up around the coast here to the two old lighthouses and the ruins
of a castle. We are safely moored to the
old stone quay here in Fiskardho harbour but for many of the yachts who took
shelter in here on Wednesday afternoon/evening they had to anchor and tie back
onto the rocks on the North side of the bay.
The holding as they found was not so good there as the wind blew and
gusted yesterday morning and several had their anchors dragging and there was
lots of shouting and commotion as they tried to pull up anchors and either
leave or relocate. All good
entertainment on a sunny windy morning and afternoon.
Gordon and Jeannie who are on holiday on Kefallinia at
present joined us for lunch in a taverna on the quayside at Fiskardho and Gordon
and I had lovely fresh caught grilled whole squid. We had one squid each the
size of your oval plate, delicious ! + a few fresh grilled sardines. Could you ask for more ? In the evening we
watched the European cup football and ate ice creams !
We plan to sail on further down the coast of Kefallinia
tomorrow to Sami and Ay Eufimia.
