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Kefallonia is the largest of the Ionian Islands, it also has the highest mountain of the islands, Ainos, 1628m. Last year we were in the main town of Argostoli and spent several days there in a deserted marina, taking the bus across the island - beautiful.

Now we've been here in Agia Eufemia for 6 days, 2 of them at anchor, then at the pier. The weather is very changeable, so we prefer the pier with its many tavernas and stores.

We hired a car for a day and went to see the places we hadn't seen before - simply amazing.

We first went along the large bay of Sami to the Melissani karst spring. Like many other tourists, we let ourselves be rowed through the crystal clear water, looked up into the sky and laughed at our rower's jokes. The water that collects there flows underground to the south for 14 days. After about 30 km it arrives at Argostoli. Last year we had seen where it comes to the surface again.

Melissani karst spring

Then we went up high into the national park on the Ainos peak with its huge forests of Kefallonia pines, which got their name from here. A bit like the Allgäu, but with indescribable views of Argostoli, the sea and the southernmost of the islands, Zakynthos. The western side is extremely steep, so that we look directly down to the turquoise sea 1600 m below us.

Ainos National Park

We continue through karstified, sometimes desert-like mountains down to Argostoli, then back up onto the road, which is cut into the steep slope high above the west coast, with views of bays with vertical rock faces.

Then a highlight: a tiny narrow road down to Myrtos Beach, said to be one of the most beautiful beaches in the Mediterranean. And it's true. Incredible turquoise, a huge white beach in front of vertical white cliffs with caves and grottos.

Myrtos Beach

As we were in the Northwest of the Island already we visited Assos, a spectacular village situated on a headland between two bays, with a Byzantine fortress. Car-free. Colourful little houses, a fishing port, beautiful tavernas - also wonderful. The return journey then takes us through rather lovely green valleys with palm trees, yuccas and cypresses, and is of course also extremely winding.

Assos

At the end of the trip, we returned to the taverna Palazzo al Mare, where we enjoyed excellent food and good wine - then we had to digest all our experiences with an ouzo on board.

We stayed two more days, because Poros is a nice little cozy town in the southeast of Kefalonia, 12 km from the southern tip. One day we went on a wonderful hike along the coast.

The harbor is not very big, there is a pier and a pontoon, a floating dock. Actually, only catamarans are supposed to moor alongside the pontoon, so that there is more space for monohulls on the pier. We arrived and the harbour master was nowhere in sight, so we moored up on the floating dock next to a beautiful old-style boat similar to ours. When the harbour master arrived, he got angry, because we hadn't paid attention to the pylons that were supposed to emphasize the mooring ban.

On the boat opposite, a tiny hysterical dog barked quite loudly and for a long time. “Its 2000 euros for the noise” said Spyros, the harbor master. He not only speaks fluent English like many Greeks, but also excellent German, a little Polish and Spanish too. Depending on the flag, he speaks to the sailors in their own language and is very funny. “Do you want the papers?” “No. I'm only interested in money”.

Tirelessly, from morning to night, Spyros helps the boats to moor, and because heavy weather was forecast, the harbor was packed and Spyros was ready to go.

We got into a good conversation, Spyros is very nice and humorous. He also visited us on our boat and was impressed by all the wood below deck.  We asked him what he does in winter when it's not the season and there are no boats. He then explained to us that he is actually a baker by trade. And in winter, he has a bread stand at the Christmas market at the Rotes Rathaus in Berlin. Maybe we'll see each other in Berlin or Heidelberg.

The small town of Palairos on the mainland with its harbour is cosy. We spent a few days here last year. We bring fresh fish and delicious shrimps on board for dinner. 

The weather is still very hot and unstable and surprises us one evening with a heavy thunderstorm. With 44 knots of wind in the harbour, we take another close look at our fenders and lines. Some of the boats anchored in front of the harbour are drifting. Good if someone is on board. This is not the case with one boat. It drifts slowly towards the harbour wall with its anchor dragging. We fear an accident because there are stones in front of the wall. But some people bravely help out with an inflatable boat, get on board and bring the boat into the harbour. It's good to have the key for the engine stuck.

The beautiful anchorage Dhésimou is our next destination. Clear water, well protected, starry night, everything is wonderful when we drop anchor there. But the next morning we discover that the remote control for our anchor winch is not working. Batteries flat. The spare batteries don't help either, they are too old and also flat. So we haul in our heavy anchor by hand. Against the wind, it's a strenuous one-hour workout! So: we are quite fit after all.

We motor back to the bay of Vliho, get new batteries and have the electrics of the engine checked, as it hadn't always started immediately in the last few days. Everything is OK. We can set off again. Another beautiful sailing day with up to 7 bft. Wind brings us to the Odysseus island of Ithaca. We drop anchor in the bay of Vathy - and stay on board. It continues to blow tirelessly at 5-6 bft for most of the night. But there are no wind shifts. So we can sleep peacefully.

A new day, a new island: Kefalonia. In the small harbour of Poros on the east coast, we moor at the floating dock and are completely blocked by catamarans. Not so nice. We definitely stay two nights, because a big storm front with lots of wind and rain is forecast for the next day and the following night. The harbour becomes overcrowded, everyone seeks shelter from the weather. In the end, there are two more boats in the packet next to our boat. And the fit and humorous harbour master Spyros is busy all day and into the evening.

We wait for the heavy weather that is due to arrive in the evening, stay on board and cook. Walter's new playlist for stormy weather helps while we wait. It includes everything from “Waiting for the Hurricane” to “Stormy Weather”. Then it's not bad at all during the night: lots of rain, but not much wind. So we slept well.

A few more sentences about the weather: The weather information shows that the “heat dome” over southern Europe is now collapsing as a major cold front is on its way. This leads to the formation of lows, which intensify into massive thunderstorm fronts (hopefully not a Medicane). We fared well in Poros, but further north and south it was a sleepless night for many sailors. We must continue to expect unsettled weather and remain cautious.

On August 29, we picked up Aglaya from her mooring in front of the Vliho Boatyard on Lefkas. At Rabitt's pontoon we were able to install the new compass, clean a blocked bilge pipe and get our boat ready for another two months of sailing.

We anchored in the large Vliho Bay for two nights to settle in, ideal for minor renovation and maintenance work. With our new dinghy, we went shopping in the evening and had a keg beer at the Vliho Yacht Club. Hot, thundery and little wind - that sums up the weather these days.

Of course, we followed the state elections in Saxony and Thuringia. We had expected the results. Nevertheless, we are naturally very worried about them.

On September 2, we started the second half of our sailing season. A moderate southerly wind brought us to Palairos on the Greek mainland coast. A beautiful first day of sailing.

From our little paradise on Kalamos, we didn't have far to go to the summer mooring for our boat in Vliho Bay on Lefkas. Aglaya had already spent the winter here, on land. Now she's staying in the water, because we'll be back at the end of August and want to continue sailing in the Ionian Islands.

There is no marina in Vliho Bay (fortunately!) and no harbour either. Many boats are anchored here or moored close to the shore with mooring lines. Two such lines hold Aglaya firmly in place. The bay is sheltered, but often there is a strong wind, especially in the afternoon.

It's always a little painful to say goodbye when we leave our boat to go home. It was the same this time. But we are also looking forward to being home, to family and friends, music, cycling tours and walks in the beautiful Palatinate.

After the hustle and bustle of hundreds of sailors and surfers in Syvota and Vasiliki, we remembered the island of Kalamos. We've been there before, but in Kalamos Port and Porto Leone on the southside. At the northern coast, opposite Mytikas, there is a tiny village called Episkopi. It has a very small harbour, 5 sailing boats fit in and several fishing boats.

We actually found a place, right next to the jetty of the small ferry that comes twice a day, with never more than three people getting on or off. The village has 60 inhabitants and two tavernas, one of which is beautifully situated right on the beach, you sit under old trees 10 metres from the water: Varka, "the art of greek family cooking". That's right. The other looks more like a corrugated iron hut, but there are plenty of mezzes to go with the beer. Some sailors stay here for a fortnight. No electricity, no water, but no mooring fees either. The island is 12 kilometres long and four kilometres wide and is home to 600 people.

In Homer's time, Kalamos equipped ships for the Trojan War and was therefore prosperous.  Later, in the 13th or 14th century, a rather imposing Venetian fortress was built, now in ruins of course, with old olive trees in the courtyard between the thick arches of the walls. And in the 19th century, when the Turks expelled many Greeks from the mainland, 120000 people lived here!

We took long walks, high above the sea with breathtaking views of the high bare mountains of Epirus and the village of Mytikas, which lies on a promontory opposite. We climbed around the ruined fortress and tried the beer in the two tavernas, as well as the food.

Complete peace, deep relaxation and idyll. This was not even disturbed when a Dutch boat moored right next to us, with six adults and five children aged between three years and two months on board. They were obviously relaxed too.

Sailing with light wind: Video

Calm, stable weather is the forecast. So on 20th June we set off from Preveza to the west coast of Lefkas. There are no harbours or sheltered bays here. Instead, there are endless cliffs and long white sandy beaches with turquoise-coloured clear water. Paradise! Some beaches can only be reached by boat or on foot via a steep staircase with almost 300 steps. 

We particularly like the long beach at Egremni. Should we spend the night here at anchor? There isn't supposed to be much wind overnight, but the swell coming in from the open sea will rock us a lot. The anchor drops and we decide to stay.

We swim in the wonderfully clear water, watch how the colours of the rocks change as the sun goes down towards evening and how the few people leave the beach after watching the sun set over the sea. Then we are all alone on the shortest night of the year. 

Pictures of Egremni Beach

The swell rocks us more than we like it, but Walter still manages to cook dinner below deck. A challenge with our cooker, which is not gimballed. To be on the safe side, Gisela sleeps on deck. No problem, it's very warm. After the hot days, the land is obviously very hot, because during the night there are suddenly strong gusts of wind from the mountains, a hot, dry wind.

After all the rocking, we are longing for a place without swell. So we head further south along the coast, past Katsiki Beach with the rock from which, according to the legend, the poet Sappho threw herself to her death out of lovesickness. Then around Cape Doukato, the most south-westerly point of Lefkas, into the large bay of Vasiliki.

Pictures of Katsiki and Cape Doukato

We moor at the outer pier in the small harbour of Vasiliki. Here we can also watch the many windsurfers who come and go in the bay every afternoon in the constant strong wind.

Pictures of Vasiliki

A few years ago, a fairly large marina was built in front of the old harbour with EU funding. We estimate that it could accommodate up to 200 boats. But the floating jetties, which are illuminated at night, are all cordoned off. The marina is finished, but is not in operation. We had already heard about that. But what is the reason? Is there no operator? Do the locals not want the marina? One thing is clear: If it goes into operation, it will massively change the character of this lovely little harbour town. 

We enjoy the cosy atmosphere and hope that the temperatures will drop again.