We spent a delightful couple of weeks with Debby and Kurt (my sister and brother-in-law) pottering about Paxoi, Lefkas, Cefalonia and Ithaka in the Ionian Sea just near the Gulf of Patras. It was such a help to have Kurt’s strength and good humor along with Deb’s level head and calming influence to get us through these first few weeks on the new (to us) boat. We found some amazing anchorages, traveled down the Lefkas canal and even cruised around Onassis’s Island (Nisos Skropias which is now owned by Russians) – complete with large signs warning not to come close and not to even THINK of stopping or anchoring! We performed out first med moor where we had to drop the anchor and back into the rocky shore, sending our sacrificial ‘Kurt’ off the back to swim two ropes ashore and secure them around trees or rocks to hold us in position. This was a picture perfect spot and within a short walk of the town for dinner and re-stocking. It also had a well preserved Frankish watch tower and some less well preserved ruins.

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We had a few nice passages when we trolled a lure and got our first fish ever in the Mediterranean! It was a small stripey mackeral, quite good eating but not enough for a decent meal so he was sashimi. A couple of days later we caught a very nice rat mahi mahi (means smallish in fisherperson speak) which is my favourite fish to eat. John filleted this one and Deb made an amazing cerviche dish which provided a lovely starter for our meal that evening.

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My birthday on 21 September was Deb and Kurt’s final day with us and we had arrived in Mesalongi the previous afternoon and tied up at the town quay. Just along from us was the famous ex-Onassis ship called ‘Christina O’ all decked out in beautiful lights and currently for charter (EUR 750,000 per week in high season!). Deb made me a lovely banana cake and some yummy lemon muffins in the inaugural test of the gas oven. The heat was a little uneven but worked well none-the-less.

We decided to rent a car for the day and visit Delphi (130 km away) – one of the ‘must do’ ancient sites in Greece. The site itself, set high in a lush valley, was quite awe inspiring and was considered to be the navel of the world. Check out the photo below – must have been an ‘out-ee’ not an in-ee.

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The main feature of the sacred site was the Sanctuary of the great oracle of Delphi – very grandiose temple with marble columns soaring aloft and cool water running thru fountains and pools. She was believed to have successfully predicted events related to the Argonaut’s expedition and the Trojan War. City rulers and ordinary individuals alike consulted the oracle for advice, expressing their gratitude with great gifts and spreading its fame around the world.  Above the temple is the theatre where the theatrical and musical contests of the Pythian Games took place, while even higher up the slope, beyond the sacred enclosure, lies the stadium where the athletic contests were held. The Pythian Games were second only to the Olympics, and were also held here every four years. Pythian winners were presented with laurel leaf wreaths; Olympians were presented with olive leaf wreaths.

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What a wonderful end to a great visit from these two. Off the next morning for a couple of days in Athens before flying back to Auckland and their real lives.