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.