Sugar 'n' Spice

Sugar 'n' Spice - Weblog
Date Filed	26/8/2009 while at home in the UK
Location	Lakki, Leros, Dodekanese Greece
Lat/Long	37° 07’	26° 51’
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Monday 6^th July 2009.

We had arrived at our base for a short period, Leros Marina in the port of Lakki, on Leros island, earlier in the day.

Our first evening was an exploratory stroll into, & around Lakki Town – lots of art deco architecture, some renovated, some dilapidated - & supper in a pleasant taverna.

Tuesday. Chores day – provision run to larger supermarket, diesel tanker, water (drinking) tanker, wash some of the salt off the boat etc, etc

Wednesday. Doug did some maintenance on the autohelm. Then went round to Xirokampos on the S side of island, to anchor for night. 5.1 nm. Pretty village with ruined castle & small church, on hill behind. In the evening light the island of Kalymnos, to the south, loomed in glorious shades of mauve.

Thursday. Needless to say we went ashore & walked up the hill to the fort & the church.

Amazing views as we got higher as we could see back to Lakki , but not quite the marina as that was deeper in the bay. Found a different route back with more track & less road. Then it was 4.8 nm along to anchor off the village of Pandelli & enjoy the views, some people watching & swimming. A ridge above sprouted a row of windmills, & another fort, looming over the island’s capital of Plantanos was floodlit in the evening.

Friday. Ashore, a quick stroll round the fishing port, then it was up a long & windy road, past some little chapels, then the row of windmills,

then another little chapel with a gaudily painted bomb case mounted in its yard & finally up to the fortress, another with a church in its walls. Once more the views both on the way up & from the ramparts were fantastic. Again we found a different route back, down a stepped path, shorter & sharper, to the town of Plantanos. Here we had a well earned break in a café, before restocking some provisions & strolling on down the hill to Pandelli & the boat. We took her round the next headland for a different view, anchoring off the beach at Alinda. 3 nm. It was a different view, it was the other side of the fort & the windmills! Also opposite Ay Marina, another port.

Saturday. Some youngsters in a rubber dinghy were fishing near the boat in the morning. They had caught quite a number of quite sizeable fish, which they showed us with glee. (most that we have seen while swimming have been smaller). Mid morning we moved on to Ormos Plakouti (Blefouti). 4.6 nm. Although it was Saturday there were only a few people relaxing & having fun on the beach & in/on the water. Even the taverna was quiet & it was another very peaceful anchorage.

Sunday 12^th July. A relaxed start past the Arkhangelos anchorage of last week, then a pleasant sail down the coast & a lunchtime/afternoon stop in Merikia Bay, to the W of Lakki for some swimming, before we returned to the marina. 12.7 nm.

This proved a good move as the forecast NW winds continued to increase.

Monday. Day for jobs - provisions, Port Police, laundry. We used the dinghy to go across the harbour to Lakki which saved a lot of carrying. The wind carried on increasing & gusting as the day wore on & a lot of boats came in, making lots of work for the harbour staff. There was a French boat moored across the pontoon from us, I’m not sure how many they had on board, but they were a very amiable bunch. Their skipper came to help when rubbish bin blew off the quay & we thought it was going to hit the boat. It took 3 of us & 2 boathooks to retrieve, & nearly won!

Tuesday. Another trip by dinghy to the town for ferry tickets & some heavy shopping. Surprisingly sheltered in the bay, the ferries are using Lakki not their regular port of Ay Marina on the E coast, but still gusty & windy.

The forecast is still for the wind (now a meltemi) to stay up & we have friends due in a few days.

Our friends, Val & Rog, blew in on the ferry from Kos on Thursday 16^th July as planned. The wind was starting to go down & the ferries were back using Ay Marina, just when Lakki would have been handier. Val & Rog had had long hours of travelling & waiting in airports, so we wandered into Lakki for the evening & caught up on the news over a meal.

The next day with the wind still subsiding we started on another round the island trip, with a short hop to Xirokampos for a lunchtime stroll ashore, then on to Pandelli, to swim & watch the windmills as evening fell & the lights came on.

The Saturday started with a run ashore for a stroll & taverna lunch, then a sail to the anchorage off Arkhangelos. We all enjoyed some lovely snorkelling & later on the sound of the goat bells as the goats wandered over the hills, & brilliant stars in the night sky.

Remembering how busy this anchorage had been on an earlier Sunday we departed in the morning for a sail to Lipsi island, this time tying to the quay in the main town. As we had looked round the town before, we sent Val & Rog to explore while we sorted water, lunch & took lines for some other boats coming in. They returned with the news they had been told by some locals that the meltemi was returning, & sure enough, there was the warning on the navtex. As we all had flights to the UK arranged in the coming week it seemed expedient to return to our base at Lakki. So, lunch done, we sailed south past Arkhangelos & on down the west coast of Leros. It was a lovely fast sail, with wind on the beam & smooth seas. Even Val, our least enthusiastic sailor, claimed to have enjoyed it.

It was probably useful for Doug & myself as it gave us the Monday to sort the boat out before leaving her for several weeks while we go home. We sent our visitors off to play tourist, so they returned to Pandelli & walked up the steps to the fortress before spending the afternoon swimming & sunning.

So on Tuesday we went for the ferry to Kos. This time it was running from Lakki because of the weather, which should have been in our favour. Unfortunately our taxi driver hadn’t picked up on the change (until he/we saw the rather exuberant waves at Ay Marina!) so we had an island tour before catching the ferry, luckily with time to spare. We managed an evening stroll round the harbour area of Kos town, before supper & bed.

In the morning (Wed 22^nd July) we had a brief look at some of the sights in the Town before we headed to the airport & our flight home, leaving the Val & Rog to catch a much later flight to their destination.

At home we have caught up with friends & relatives & done some jobs in both house & garden. We have also done some local walking & cycling, as well as doing some very pleasant Wolds walking for a week in Lincolnshire.

The weather surprised us by being cool, if not cold, at first, but later producing a hot spell, although I think we shall find it hotter still when we return to the boat.