Peripéteies in Greece — Week 85
Spending time apart while waiting to start cruising the Mediterranean on our boat Matilda.
Tim’s entry: Is there such a thing as too much adventure? Certainly when we were sitting at anchorage on the south of the Peloponnesus with 35+ knot winds (65km/h or 40mph), the wind howling through the rigging at 12.30am, it’s possible that it is. Some of the other boats were bashing in to each other and it was quite the adventure.
I’ve never experienced conditions like that at anchor and hope to never again. Speaking with another more experienced sailor here, it was a first for him too. It’s the perennial boat problem of somewhere to be and a deadline forcing you into sub-optimal positions.
Not to worry, we started the engine, idled forward against the wind and kept a watch for several hours. The next morning we were happy to get out of there and the 5 meter plus swell with the occasional 10 meter rogue was a small price to pay to escape.
On the whole though, the trip has been wonderful. My sailing companions (Mark & Elizabeth who we met last year at Porto Heli and Ian who I met via Facebook) are great company and we’ve all enjoyed the experience. We’ve shaken out a few problems with the rental boat ready for the season and will have it delivered on time so that’s a win! Great to practice my sailing again and a wonderful distraction from sitting around waiting for Matilda to be ready.
There are some truly beautiful towns on the south of the Peloponnesus which are under-appreciated by foreign tourists generally. We visited Monemvasia again, Koroni and Pylos which are all interesting with Venetian Castles. Currently sitting at dock in Pylos I’ve been reading about the bay we are in, which during the Greek War of Independence was the last great naval battle fought entirely with sailing ships. A spectacular affair and it’s interesting to match the paintings to the hills and understand how it all played out. It was the battle of Navarino Bay and is extensively documented here https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Navarino
It’s a short entry from me this week as i’m busy relaxing in the sun at the moment with the crew, it really has been a great experience and makes me even more excited that we are finally moving back aboard Matilda this coming Friday. Can’t wait to get back to Aegina to help with the final prep!
Karina’s entry: The thought of living without Tim for over a week had me feeling quite sad, but also curious. We have been together 24 x 7 for 2 years since the start of working from home during the pandemic, so are very used to having each other around. What would it be like with just Karina?
Turns out perfectly fine! Yes, I have missed Tim’s company but have been able to adapt and do the things that just I like to do. So there’s been a fair bit of browsing in shops and buying pretty things.
I have wanted a pearl necklace for a while, and my recent 50th birthday seemed like the perfect excuse. The jewelry maker kindly let me pick which pearl I wanted and custom made the necklace for me.
The old tapestry toiletries bag was a 20th birthday gift from either my parents or my in-laws, so long ago I can’t remember! It was due a replacement after 30 years of good service. I like bright and colorful things and I think the handles on these new bags will be handy for hanging on bathroom hooks.
This print depicting Picasso with a modern twist is a lot of fun, and will be the perfect addition to our Athens apartment. Big thanks to Maya for finding it for us, we love it!
Aside from shopping, there has been a lot of walking with Rosie. She stops in front of each boat moored at the docks to check and see if Tim is inside, as she last saw him here in Aegina on the sailboat he is currently delivering. It’s quite cute. She also keeps trying to make me walk her to the beach as I have taken her a couple of times to play catch with her tennis ball. I have to spread these trips out a few days apart so her feet have time to heal, as she just loves chasing the ball and wears out the pads on her feet from all the running and skidding in the sand.
Rosie received a neck bandana from Eva, a local woman who has sewn new cabin curtains for our boat. We wanted to replace the brown striped curtains for something more neutral, and they look great!
We placed the order for the roller blinds in the main cabin this week. More expensive than curtains, but a sleeker look and no need to tie them back manually (which was quite a nuisance). They are marine grade and beige in colour, so will add to the neutral and natural look we are trying to achieve.
When I was at the boat this week, I also took on the task of making our new single mattresses fit the shape of our Queen sized bed. We intentionally bought inexpensive foam mattresses with the plan to cut them to size. It was quite fun hacking through the foam with a bread knife to get just the right shape. The end result is good, and better than having the corners sticking out on top of the bed like they used to.
Having single mattresses is more versatile, and easy to maneuver when we store the boat over Winter. We need to sit them upright to allow more airflow and reduce the chance of mould.
On my Sunday stroll I saw about 15 people on jet skis enter the harbour here, trying to look for a place to tie up. There was no room for so many watercraft, so they gave up and left. Definitely gave me the feeling that the tourist season has started.
I have spent some of this week working with the landlady to get her apartment sorted out for guests. We are the first people to book the rooms this season, and the Airbnb listing was outdated since she has now split the apartment into two. So we thought we were getting a 2 bedroom, 1.5 bathroom place, but it is now a 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom place. The WiFi did not work, there was no TV remote, only one fork in the cutlery drawer, no kettle, no toaster, no hot water boiler instructions, grumble, grumble. I’m trying to be understanding and help her and she too is trying very hard to rectify everything for us. We got the extra bedroom and she went and organised many things that were missing. She also bought a lovely pot of flowers to brighten up the balcony.
I also could not help myself with our new label maker, and created stick on labels for the hot water service. Man, I love that label machine…
This Airbnb experience is a good reminder of my privilege and how I should not assume that the comforts I expect in a flat are what is normal for locals. For example, it is very common in Greece to switch on the hot water service 30mins before you need hot water for a shower, and turn it off immediately after use. This is to save on electricity costs.
When Maya was interviewed by Tim for his podcast, she shared this message on the topic of experiencing new cultures, “don’t try to impose what you think is right and wrong…, if you come with your opinions to a new place then you will stay with your opinions….you are relocating for a reason…you want to have a transformation, so let it be.” I got chills when I heard her say that, and I’m enjoying being more accepting of things.
So as we continue to wait for the final parts of our boat before we can head out to sea again, we are trying to be more Greek, and accept things we cannot control. Don’t worry, no stress, it will be OK, what will be, will be.
We are going to be more carefree and get Matilda back in the water next week without the missing air conditioner parts, then when the parts arrive we will make plans to have the final work done. This is way better than waiting around, paying for Airbnbs, and this allows us to continue with our plans. Bring on Season Two!
Until next time,
Karina and Tim
