38 25.796N 22 25.294S Itea Port Greece

Tuesday, June 26

Hi

The past 12 days since we arrived in the Gulf of Corinth have been busy. We toured the north-eastern part of the Peloponese with our friends on Margarita; first stop was the ruins of Ancient Corinth then on to the Mycean Ruins – this Bronze Age hilltop palace with its sophisticated architecture was incredible. We then motored down through the wine valley to the coastal town of Nafplio where we enjoyed the Venetian architecture of its buildings and hunted out Zorbas Taverna for his grilled octopus.

Much to Margaret’s delight we found a Lidels supermarket and filled the car with imported white and red wines – none over Euro 3.00 a bottle – even for good Oz chardonnay.

Sunday we discovered our exhaust on the generator had disintegrated so we headed by train into Piraues on two consecutive days to find a new one and source a new high pressure water pump for the water maker. Many of the islands here do not have potable water so we need to be able to make our own all the time.

Finally we were shipshape again and threw the lines at Corinth and made our way east to a cute little seaside resort that for some unknown reason does not attract yachts. We enjoyed the local hospitality until we realized they didn’t have a TV with the Sports Channel. So, with some misgivings since it was Friday, we hauled anchor and headed further along the Gulf of Corinth to the island of Trizonia where Margaret assured us we would find a Sports Bar to watch the Rugby – NZ V SA -- and the America’s Cup.

Well, it wasn’t easy; the Bar had gone. Tony had to comb the small village until he found a small restaurant that would let us watch so long as we had dinner there each night. The arrangement worked well and we even got to enjoy a Greek wedding with 220 guests that was catered for by the same restaurant.

Unfortunately, we couldn’t get to Delphi from Trizonia so yesterday we said goodbye to Margarita and they kept going east while we headed 30nm back west to Itea to tour Delphi. We left by bus at 7.30am today and walked the ruins before the heat of the morning made it impossible. By the time we got back to the yacht at 2.30pm a strong westerly was blowing and the heat was unbearable – in the early 40s. We swam but it did nothing to drop our body temps. The hatches were wide open but the heat blowing in was so bad we shut them while we tried to have a siesta. I wrapped myself in a chilled wet sarong – it worked for ½ hour. It’s now 6-30pm and there’s no respite. We’re drinking everything in the fridge and downing electrolytes to prevent headaches – it’s too hot to sit, stand or sleep – not looking forward to the night.
As soon as the heatwave breaks we will head east again. If it doesn’t, we may just take a bus over to the mountains in the Peloponese and do some sightseeing where hopefully it will be a little cooler.

Love to all
Esmae & Tony