Friday 16^th April – Messolonghi (Back in Shorts)

38:21.686N 21:25.005E

Hello to our friends out there.  We have just arrived back in Greece after a winter of snow and ice in the UK.  It has been a while since we last posted on the blog and a lot has happened so here is a quick précis of events.

Quick Précis

On 5^th October, we said our goodbyes to Pyxis and our friends and headed off catch the bus to Athens, fly to Luton airport, and drive up to Derbyshire.  We hadn’t given much thought to the route to Athens but the bus trip proved very scenic and enjoyable. It took us along the Gulf of Patras, across the Ríon – Andírrion suspension bridge, along the Gulf of Corinth, across the Corinth Canal, and then along the Saronikos coast to Athens (we just about managed to see the Acropolis in the distance).  Great journey.

We spent a couple of days with my parents before they flew off to Montreal, Canada.  We then drove down to Surrey and spent a couple of days with Richard’s Mum before flying out from Heathrow to Montreal too, to join my parents for a cruise in Canada and down the east coast of USA to celebrate my father’s birthday, before flying back from Miami.  En route on the cruise, my father and I unwittingly entered a Jive competition and won, receiving a bottle of champagne, a picture frame and T-shirt as a prize – life in us old dogs yet!

Canada

Back in the UK we then spent a few days organising and celebrating Richard’s Mum’s 80^th birthday before flying back to Greece to prepare Pyxis for the winter.  We enjoyed the traditional marina BBQ, spent time with friends and caught the bus over to Patras for a visit (and chandlery for Pyxis).

Patras

We flew back to the UK just in time for me to dig out the ‘real world’ clothes and start work.  I know this may sound surprising but I really enjoyed it.  Meanwhile, Richard redecorated his Mum’s house, a major effort.  Christmas was lovely, we spent it with all the P’s at Richard’s Mum’s house.  My birthday at the end of January was spent with the P’s in Derbyshire and Richard’s birthday at the end of February was spent at home with his Mum.  We also celebrated an early birthday for Mum over Easter at her favourite football club which we will detail, with incriminating pictures, nearer the time.

Work continued until early April but we finally made our return journey on Wednesday, narrowly avoiding the grounding of all flights in the UK due to the volcano erupting in Iceland and spewing dust into the atmosphere at the optimum level for messing up the engines on any aircraft fool-hardy enough to fly into it.

Do I look like a Terrorist?

On the way through security at Heathrow, however, as I was waiting for Richard to come through having emptied all his pockets of change and deposited the laptops into separate trays and practically had to strip to avoid setting off the alarms, I was approached by a young lady who invited me to undergo a secondary security scan.  I was happy to oblige as I’m supportive of airline security as I’d like to arrive safely rather than be blown up mid air.

I pottered off, leaving Richard to re-pack, and looking a bit worried that I was being dragged off.  I was escorted to a booth and treated to one of these new and terribly exciting body scanners!  I obviously fitted the demographic of the statistics they are trying to build up (I deduced this from the questionnaire I was asked to complete after the scan).  The lady assured me that any misgivings I may have (which I didn’t when she started) from anything I’ve seen on TV (which I hadn’t) or read (which I was by now wishing I had) were totally un-warranted and that the person viewing me wouldn’t know it was me if he/she were to see me later (and they didn’t have mobile phones with which to take pictures, honest).  Anyway, I was cheerful and positive, not wanting to hear those marigolds being snapped on.  So, keep an eye open on YouTube…

Finally There…

We made the long coach journey back from Athens to Messolonghi, arriving at the marina around midnight.  It was good to see Pyxis waiting for us, apparently no worse for her winter without us.

On Thursday we were awoken by the sound of the bread man blowing his horn to announce his arrival and Richard dashed out for bread and some pastries for breakfast.  We spent the morning unpacking and stowing all the things we have brought back from the UK, and catching up with people in the marina.  Richard had a major session washing all the sand and dust off the deck so Pyxis is looking white and shiny again.  The good news is that our parcels from the UK have arrived containing the replacement sprayhood and cockpit enclosure.  In the afternoon we enjoyed a walk to the supermarket with trolley to restock, sweltering and realising that it takes more than a good night’s sleep to acclimatise to the heat. 

The good news on our arrival was that the new facilities at the marina had just opened and we were able to partake of the wonderful new civilised shower/toilet block.  Sadly though, the effect was ruined somewhat today as the workmen arrived to install mirrors; the beautiful new building with lovely tiling was unavailable all day whilst the workmen spread cement all over the new tiling.  I complained to the very nice new secretary a couple of times but alas to no avail.  This evening, the workmen have gone, leaving cement all over the walls and on the floor to get wet as everyone has their showers (all for the want of a brush!).

Today we have continued with jobs aboard.  The good news is that the portable generator is working again after some major internal surgery.