Friday 3^rd June – Mitilíni, Lesbos

39:06.380N 26:33.485E

Whilst a bit on the noisy side last night, the loud music and traffic tailed off after midnight and we were able to sleep so we haven’t moved to the marina today but have stayed alongside. 

Over breakfast, there was little wind and it really heated up in the cockpit enclosure (33°C), so I decided it was time to remove the ‘windows’ that make the cockpit enclosure into a conservatory and put in the ‘net panels’ as they allow some air through.  I spent the rest of the morning cleaning the window panels ready for stowage and replacing them with the mosquito nets whilst Richard caught up with some administration and passage planning.

After lunch we went for a walk down to the end of the harbour where the ferries dock, past their Statue of Liberty, and then along the coast road which circles the old Castle, to see the ruins of the ancient harbour on the north side of Mitilíni. 

On the way we went past an official beach with changing rooms, showers, toilets, a bar and lifeguard station – very nice too.  It had entrance barriers so it looks like at certain times of year they charge for entrance.

Once past the Castle and ancient harbour, we took a route back through town which completed the circuit, wandering down the narrow streets of the Old Market district, although as it was the middle of the afternoon most of the shops were closed.

We arrived back at Pyxis very hot; we grabbed our swimming things, a couple of cold beers and took off for the sea.  We had a lovely cooling swim, showered off and then sat in the late afternoon sun, drying off.  We had picked an area just below the Statue of Liberty, where we had seen people swimming earlier.  It seemed to be a ‘locals’ area, one of whom had caught an octopus and was merrily bashing it against a rock when we arrived L.  Whilst we were there, three or four local men came down for an evening swim too.

This evening I have cooked on board and we have watched a protest march go past.  After dinner, Richard went off for a reconnoitre around town, managing to find another supermarket along the way and returned with some delicious kadaifi (finely shredded pastry with nuts and honey in) from the cake shop for a treat J