After three days, the strong easterly wind died down. We said goodbye to the beautiful Oxia Bay and sailed into Messolonghi Marina in the afternoon. It was a lovely reunion - with Mimi and his crew in the marina bar, with our German friends, who were getting their boats ready for the season on land and with Berlusconi, the nine-year-old marina cat.
We took two trips to Tourlida on our bikes: it's wonderful to cycle through this fantastic lagoon landscape. And what else was going on? It was Walter's birthday! Of course we celebrated it nicely.
We actually wanted to have a new compressor installed for the fridge in Messolonghi because we thought it was using too much electricity and the thermostat wasn't always working reliably. Once again, we had a good experience with Greek craftsmen. They checked everything and realised that the compressor had too little nitrogen. They topped it up and checked that everything was working normally again, and that was it. And instead of 500 to 600 euros for a new compressor including installation, it was 50 euros in labour costs.
We spent the last night in Messolonghi in the town harbour, not a bad place either. Our next stop: the small island of Trizonia, a good 30 nautical miles to the east. We were here five years ago. There is construction going on there, but not much has changed. Simply idyllic and quiet (without cars), at least in the low season.
Galaxidy on the mainland coast was our next anchor stop. Very picturesque. And with a view of Delphi and the high Parnassos, on which snow fields were still visible. Here we registered online for the passage through the Corinth Canal and also paid online. This meant we didn't have to dock there to pay. Everything went very smoothly, but it is an expensive pleasure: the passage costs 207 euros for our boat.
The harbour of Kiato on the north coast of the Peloponnese was then our starting point for the passage through the canal. The town of Kiato has no special sights, but is a popular holiday destination for Greeks as it has beautiful beaches.
We then passed through the canal on the 9th of May, a special experience again, just like in 2020, when we came from the east.
This time we had to wait an hour and a half before entering the canal, as oncoming traffic had to pass first. But then we were able to pass through and enter the Saronic Gulf. Large ships are moored here and the smell from the refineries on the mainland wafts around your nose. So we quickly continued a little further south-east along the east coast of the Peloponnese. We are now anchored in the beautiful bay of Korfous.
