Hails and farewells on Cefalonia. 09 - 12 May 2011

Tashi Delek
Mike & Carol Kefford
Thu 12 May 2011 15:27

38:09.4N 020:27.6E

 

We arrived in Argostoli, on Cefalonia, at around 9am after a rather too gentle passage with little wind and a lot of engine.  Argostoli was a delight and perfect for a few days to change crew, re-provision and get some laundry done.  We were able to moor alongside on the town quay which put us very close to everything we needed. 

 

Except for the water supply which came from a stop cock under the pavement about 100 metres away.  Demonstrating a fine example of yachtie co-operation the three or four boats lined up along the quay all handed over their hosepipes which we for some reason had all the right connectors for.  Thus a super long hose was constructed, our tanks filled and the boat washed. 

 

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This was where we said goodbye to Ben who had been with us for four weeks.  The time had flown by for us - you will have to ask Ben how it was for him!  He marked his last night by smoking the cigar he had bought in Marmaris.  It only cost a couple of Euros so you don’t need to know much about cigars to judge the quality.  Along with the cigar a glass of Ouzo.  Perfect.

 

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You’ll have to look hard, he is on the seat in front of the car on the left.  Tashi Delek showing off her new wind generator on the right.

 

We picked up Sue and Charles for their third visit aboard; this time for much more of a journey with a three day passage from Greece to Italy at the beginning, but first some work needed to be done.  The new gang plank needed rope and bungee fitting.....

 

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And the French and Italian flags needed making.  Along with cooking some meals ready to heat up for suppers on passage which is what Sue was doing and why there is food all over the table.

 

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There were numerous vegetable markets lined up along the road selling fabulous produce so we stocked up.  There were goat and sheep cheeses made on the island and a fantastic butcher for the meat and, as always in Greece, great sausages.  Slight problem on the fish front as the fish market had closed for the day so we asked in the veggie market when it opened.  The young man rang the fish market and asked them to open up there and then which they duly did!  We only needed something for fishcakes at that point so the low stocks weren’t a problem but we were back next morning and enjoyed choosing our prawns for supper that night.

 

Unusually there was a Taverna nearby where they had grasped the notion that providing a service to yachties and then being proactive about it was a good idea.  Wifi, showers and laundry.  A slightly eye-watering £15 a load but they did present the only option and clearly understood their value to the market.  Sue and Carol took the washing across and were taken into the garden at the back whereupon the lady who had taken charge of us shouted across the fence to her neighbour.  And shouted again, and again.  No reply.  She looked at us, shrugged her shoulders and said ‘Asleep’.  It was about 11am.  She signalled for us to leave our laundry and come back later.  So, we left our laundry in someone’s back garden presumably so that at some point it could be handed over the fence to someone who was very tired but did have a washing machine.  Later that day it all came back and our new visitors had clean sheets.

 

Provisioned, watered, refuelled (as always we chose the moment for the wind to get up to make our jump across to the fuel tanker), clean boat, clean clothes and clean sheets and we were ready to leave for Sicily.