After the fun of Athens and visiting some of the most important wonders of the world we worked hard to get Ariel back in the water in time for Graham and Kaleigh to arrive in Preveza for a week’s holiday.  On the Sunday they arrived we wake to beautiful sunshine and within an hour of them arriving a thunder and lightning storm blew through but we ended the day with sunshine.  Not a good start to their holiday but the next day started with sunshine and that’s the way it stayed for the rest of their week.

We spent a week touring the Ionian Islands starting with Levkas after leaving the quay at Preveza and following the buoyed channel before heading for the Levkas canal.  We timed the canal opening to perfection and we were soon heading along the coast of Levkas towards Tranquil Bay where we stayed the night with peace and quiet around us.  Graham and Kaleigh were lucky enough to be able to swim each day as the temperature of the water has started to warm up.  We visited Sivota to pay for our mechanics bill before heading over to Ithaca and into Kioni bay which is just beautiful.  We managed to find a space on the quay which was wonderful.  We watched several boats trying to to tie to the rocks on the other side where we had spent a lovely afternoon in 2011.

From Kioni we sailed over to the Island of Atoko where we anchored for lunch and a swim in One House Bay.  A beautiful super yacht from Portugal was also there with its guests enjoying the scenery. After lunch we sailed almost all the way over to Kalamos Island and joined the Sunsail and Sailing Holiday boats on George’s quay.  We also ate there in the evening as it is very difficult to get past George as you walk down the quay where his restaurant spreads over the walkway.  It is not a problem as we don’t have to pay for the quay so it seems only fair we eat in the restaurant.

It is hard to say we woke to another beautiful sunny morning and off we sailed to the islands off of Kalamos.  At this time of year the islands are home to the seagulls and they were not very happy that the first boat to anchor had taken their dinghy around one of the islands.  It set the birds off and at one point the people in the dinghy were being dive bombed as they rode along.  I am pleased to say I mustered up courage and had a wonderful swim with the water being in the 20’s which is marvellous for the 1^st June.

The wind started around 2 o’clock and we had a wonderful sail to Abelike Bay on Meganisi where we anchored by the beach and tied up to the rocks with Graham’s help. The water is as clear as can be and the whole time there was wonderful.  After dinner we motored in the dinghy around the corner to the Pirates Cove for drinks and a pudding plus wifi. We walked the next day into Vathi for stores and we stopped for a well deserved coffee in a little restaurant just by the quay watching the boats moving in and out. Spring flowers are everywhere.

Just one day left for the kids to enjoy themselves.  We motored over to Skorpios Island for a swim and then we went into Vlikho Bay for dinner at Graham’s favourite little restaurant.  Next morning we were up early to motor up to Levkas to tie up to the quay in order for Graham and Kaleigh to have lunch aboard before heading off to the airport for their flight home.

Now it is very quiet here without our visitors so we joined friends we met last year in the racing for a BBQ on the beach to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.  We flew Ariel’s flags and she looked very patriotic and we sang “God save the Queen” on the beach which is the closest we came to being able to celebrate here in Greece so far from home.

Today the barometer has dropped and we know the forecast is for strong winds starting during the night and continuing until late tomorrow afternoon so we are tied up safely here at Sivota on the quay.