Nice sail from Paxos with NW 10-15kts. Dropped sails before entering channel as Boeing good 15kts and aft quartering sea. We were going to stop at Preveza but Grey and very windy so continued on around the first headland to a sheltered bay, Panagia Vonitsa. The land all-around was much lower and flatter than we had seen previously and very little cultivation. The hills only appearing in the far distance.

The Ambracian Gulf is supposedly famous for its variety of birdlife, rare pelicans, turtles, and bottle-nosed dolphins but we didn’t see any. We needed more time and dingy trips to shallow areas. 

The wind changed to NE G20 early evening but good anchorage and calm in the morning. Sea is full of small sea urchins snot 1-2cm wide. Also large balls of tiny fish.

In the morning Jo decided to walk from the bay to the town and we motored over to town of Vonitsa in the morning to visit the castle.

The Vonitsa castle which has been owned and built by the Byzantines, Venetians, and Ottomans at various stages as they fought for it over and over again. The first recorded town there was in the 10th century. Very interesting, so much history, free with no information but run-down, quite sad, just another Greek ruin! Great views.

Girl on the gate had a 4-week old cat with her for company. Hew decided Hew should show it some attention.

The town was well kept and several nice buildings, fancy gates, fences, and balconies. Every town has its own personality if it is older, most of the newer ones seem to have lost the art of individuality.

That night we went to the other side of the Gulf to have a look and anchored at Menidi for the night but did not go ashore. Many tavernas on the waterfront. These photographs are from the paddleboard.

The next day set out back to Preveza and on to the Lefkada Canal.

We were to pick up Di and Pete the following day and since it was very windy not a great forecast and the marina at nd wall at Lefkada were full. So we motored down to Nydri and anchored far into the big bay along with many others. We stayed the night and visited the tavernas. The water was full of jellyfish, they are harmless and quite beautiful.

The bay we really liked called Tranquil Bay was full but in the morning we shifted back there as closer to the town to pick up and go grocery shopping.

Nydri is a good little town and great bottle store/bar combined which Pete and Di checked out when we were shopping for stores.

The large bay to the south is full of yacht wrecks of all sizes and others just falling apart on the moorings. Was chatting to one guy and he says people come and leave them in the sheltered bay then don’t come back. One guy had died, others had lost interest, some had sunk on their anchors. He had just bought a small one about 30′ for €1000, was going to fix it up over winter then go sail – a great idea. The photos are only a very small sample of all the yachts there.

After collecting Di and Pete we set off in the direction of Kefalonia as we were due to drop one off and collect two more in three days.

The first stop was Fiskcardo where we anchored two bays down from the town at Foki Beach as the town and harbour were full. It was a great choice and had a cave that Jo and Mark explored the next day but the rest of us had to wait for the next trip that way.

Next stop was one night at Poros. On the way down we passed the coast guard parking bay just south of Foki Bay. We did not go ashore due to late in the day and windy. Very impressive gorge next to the town. We were still undecided about the parking area for the following night due to forecast for high NW and from past experience, we knew that Argostoli would be horrible.

Next day we decided to consider Agia Pelagia marina which is just off the southern end of the airport. It was built 12 years ago but never finished. Very limited parking but sheltered in northerlies and we could go alongside the pier. Great spot. Only one other boat came in after us and we got talking to one of the permanent residents who told us he had had free parking for 12 years as they couldn’t sort out who should be in charge since it was never finished. Mostly fishing boats but the Guardia di Finanza had used it in the past to drop off immigrants and leave them on the building there for the Greeks to sort out.

Jo left us at this point we waited for Virginia and Rob who had arrived on the aircraft that Jo was flying out on.

Locals fix paths in winter and the rain also resets them. Not allowed to build anything in the Timoni area as it has reserve status because it was an old port. Therefore no toilets and hence why the track continuing on from Port Timoni to the peak is so dirty and reeking of urine and faeces (and wet wipes thrown into bushes everywhere)…yuk.

Dingy got fixed in Lefkada but then stopped after one run soHew went to Paxos to try and fix dingy and air conditioning with no luck. Hew discovers that one of the people on the boat was on the Greece trip with us 2 years ago.

Owner of the restaurant where we are staying talked to the mechanic at Lefkada and finds that he changed stator not the CDI unit – all becomes clear with some “googling”. An induced failure due to dodgy wires caused by Croatians in Kastela tearing the engine apart! Stator fixed but not the wires so failed again….grrrrr. But we finally have an explanation.

Hew finishes accounts, I catch up on blogs, emails and I get closer to finishing a lit. review.

We revisit Arillas beach and Ammos restaurant for really good quinoa salad and Virgin Mojito.

Thursday we decide to go further on our trusty scooter and visit the “love canal”, a very busy touristy area which reminds us how lucky we are on the yacht going to secluded bays and coves. The rock is very soft in some places like mud and visitors use it to cover themselves before having a swim, as seem below. The younger crowd are all into rock jumping. Albania looms through the haze in the background and you realise again how close the two countries are and yet how far apart.

In the final few days, I take many photos of the surrounding houses and countryside to give a feeling of all the beautiful colours and peacefulness in this part of Greece.