After our experience with the gale we take a day to dry out all the wet clothing and to rest. The wind has now eased and we float on the crystal clear turquoise waters of Elofinisos in the sunshine, swimming ashore for a walk along the golden sand beach. It is hard to believe this is the same place as yesterday.
We find a fairly sophisticated camping ground nestled behind the sand dunes, which accounts for the hundreds of people and beach umbrellas enjoying the beauty of this place. The notes in the pilot book, which claims it to be deserted, are very out of date.
Tomorrow we will leave and go west. Our passage will take us south west around Cape Tainaron, one of the furthest points south in Europe, then north west towards Methoni where we hope to anchor that night. As we look out in that direction after the sun has gone down, we see flashes of thunder and lightning. Looks like they are getting some rain.
We leave the anchorage in good time and have perfect sailing conditions all the way (we really needed that), thoroughly enjoying the magic of the rugged landscape of Cape Tainaron and on to Methoni.
There is a 1 knot current in our favour which pushes us along nicely. By 5pm we are closing on the island of Venetiko and make an executive decision to turn off and stop over at Koroni on the south eastern corner of the third and final peninsular making up the southern Peloppinisos.
We have sailed underneath a very different sky today. Clouds! In the distance we see huge banks of cumulus which hang over the green, lush and well wooded landscape. The air feels humid.
Rounding Ak Livadhia reveals the Venetian castle on the headland in all its ancient grandeur melded into the solid rock so well that it is hard to see which is man made and which is rock.
By the time we drop anchor in Koroni, we are underneath a very threatening looking black cloud and within a short time the first spits of rain drop on the boat. All hatches are carefully closed and checked before we go ashore for dinner, choosing a waterfront restaurant where we can keep an eye on the boat.
The storm hits bringing with it thunder lightning and pouring rain. We are aware of the strong smell of sewage being drained into the harbour and eating dinner is somewhat of a rushed experience. We pull our table back from the edge but the fragrance still lingers! The food is good and the hospitality exceptional. We are given fresh fruit to take back to the boat and the rain has now passed on.
All is quiet on Matelot as we dive early into bed and are instantly asleep.
By 7.30 am the next morning we are up and off the boat for a brisk walk up to the castle, impressive and grand it is, but soon to be compared with our next port of Methoni.
The fruit and vegetables on sale here are fresh and appetising. We buy crisp dark green broccoli, fresh bread and a large fish steak which we pay 10 Euro for, but its worth it, although a tiny portion each. No idea what type of fish it is.
And on we go, stopping at Ormos (island) Sapienza immediately south of Methoni for a secluded afternoon swim. We cannot see the bottom and do not want to get our anchor hooked so rig up the trip line and practice using it. It’s a real hassle and not very satisfactory. The buoy ends up floating too far away from the anchor and is a real hazard when we pull up the anchor as we are concerned it will get tangled with the prop. There must be a better way.
Methoni
On arrival the Turkish tower on the point of the harbour is very conspicuous. This is our view from the anchorage off the small town.
A long walk around the interior of the fortress the next day reveals it is mind boggling in its scale and complexity, which is not obvious until inside the walls. Crossing over a large, now dry, moat to get in, we find another massive inner wall. We turn left and walk along to the next gate and once through find ourselves inside a huge expanse of land which would once have been full of dwellings and infrastructure, of which only a little remains. The impression is that a lot more lies under the earth awaiting careful excavation.
The outer massive walls have been broached in more than one place by the sea, which must come pounding in during winter storms. As we walk in, a tractor and trailer loaded with large stone blocks is going out the other way and we cannot help wondering why such stones are being removed from the site – Hopefully to be prepared for restoration and returned back here? There is some restoration work going on at some of the more threatened places.
The Turkish tower on the end of the point remains pretty well intact and is accessed via a footbridge.
Once used for a prison, it is pretty forbidding inside, leaving very little to the imagination.
Back on the boat in time for lunch, we spot a really huge turtle swimming around the boat. He pops his head up a couple of times to say hello and we almost get him on camera but not quite!
The wind is perfect for us to sail on and our next destination of Pylos is only five miles up the coast. The main is hoisted while Richard pulls up the anchor and we sail off the anchorage without using the engine at all. Good that we make use of the wind because once around the corner and up the coast a little we have to motor to make our destination which is the entrance to Navarinou Harbour the site of a huge naval battle in the year 1827 which won the War of Independence for Greece.
The battle involved the Turko-Egyptian fleet which comprised 89 ships lying at anchor here with 2450 guns, being attacked by the allied fleet led by Admiral Codrington bringing 26 ships and 1270 guns. The battle apparently raged for four hours and the scene of destruction was seldom seen before...
As a result of this the small town of Pylos was rebuilt by the French and to this day retains it French charm, all be it a little down at heel in places.
We sail in past the colossal Fortress on the hillside above us and as it is time for us to check in and have our transit log stamped we pull alongside the town wall and report in to the Port Police who we find very friendly and accommodating. Matelot gets a good hose down when we fill up with water and fuel here within an hour or so of arriving.
All the washing goes off to the laundry, but comes back with our bed sheet missing which involves Pippy in making a bit of a fuss to get it back. Pippy has misgivings when she notices all of our scruffy old t-shirts beautifully ironed, then gets the bill which is 15 Euro for a very small bag! What? It has been 5 Euro everywhere else in Greece. We feel very aggrieved and ripped off then our missing sheet ends up being thrown from the concrete pier on to the boat by the guilty person and no apology.
We stay two nights on the town pier, getting to know the French family moored in front of us on a 13 m yacht with three young children under seven who are swimming like little fish off the stern of their boat.
Richard checks us out of Pylos and we motor up into the north of the Navorinou Harbour to anchor off a golden sand beach near the northern opening to the Harbour, We can see the Venetian Paliokastro Castle on the high escarpment above the boat. We will stay here and plan the final leg of our Greece cruise, north west to Zakinthos Island, from where we will launch ourselves across the Ionian Sea to italy.
Little do we know that this is to be a slightly longer stopover than we are planning on.
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