A beautifully clear and still morning, water like glass again and even clearer. Paddled ashore to take some photos and see if it was possible to go walkabout, but the bushes are too thick and prickly for that. The screech of Cicado beetles takes over here when it gets hot, continuing all day until nightfall when it is like a light switch going off and peace reigns once more.

Even the non-sailors were getting a bit desperate for some sailing wind, so when a breeze appeared we had the sails up in no time and headed up the channel between Peristera and Alonnisis. That became the pattern of the day as the wind strengthened and then eased off, frequently resorting to motor when the wind eased.  The wind was from North which is where we were heading, so we had to find a balance between tacking and actually getting to the next destination in reasonable time.

With the aforementioned islands behind us and in wide open sea, we spotted a number of Dolphins. They provided great entertainment leaping out of the water, but the best was when a huge fella swam alongside our boat, some three metres away and seemed to be enjoying racing us. This area is a marine sanctuary where everything is protected, particularly the Monk Seal, which we have not seen yet. Panayia Island loomed before us, uninhabited except for a monastery on the eastern side. Despite its size there are only two bays for anchoring, north and south.  Not the place to be caught in a storm. We tucked into a corner of  the southern Kira Panayia bay. Got quite excited about moving the boat in closer to the tiny inlet with a sandy bottom and pure white beach, but had already planned to go north so we lunched and swam ashore instead. Astrid got peed off when another small yacht arrived and tucked into “our” spot.

Moving on, we headed north some 8 miles to the top of the island, to the large enclosed “lagoon” of Planitis. The pilot book warned us of the very narrow entrance which can get huge waves when the wind is up because the depth drops from 130 metres to 6 metres over a short distance. Nonetheless we caught it on a good day and emerged from the entry channel into a huge enclosed bay of calm water.
 

Not the crystal clear water we had seen before, understandably as the currents do not get here. Our anchorage was perfect and after the usual jumping around some of us went ashore for sundowners on the hilltop. Turned out to be quite a hike as the rocks are sharp, the bushes prickly and even the goat paths were of no help. It was worth the effort and presented a real panorama in every sense of the word. Only problem was that no sundowners came out as not everyone managed the hike so easily and we ended up spread all over the hillside instead.

It was a perfect, peaceful pasta evening although initially we had concerns that a large motor yacht (why use that word – it’s a diesel guzzler) in the distance might keep its generator on all night but that too died with the Cicado beetles and all we were left with was a smattering of anchor lights. How it should be.

We are really efficient at breakfast these days, usually beating the wasps to it. It does however mean that we seem to eat below instead of on deck, but that is just convenient. Anyway we made a sharp departure from our clear water spot and headed back down to Patiteri for shopping et al. Amazing how that can excite the girls. The harbour was full so we anchored, motored ashore and settled in one of the many Tavernas for refreshments because it was steamy hot. These kind of decisions are usually made based on who offers free WiFi. Next door was an environmental centre promoting awareness of the diminishing monk seals which live around the Northern Sporades islands (a marine sanctuary). Meanwhile, believe it or not, Astrid had stayed on board to catch up with work matters – not ideal but the wheels of commerce need oiling occasionally. I motored back to our boat to drag her off and we then decided to abandon the anchorage and practice our joint skills at mooring, which was achieved impressively quickly alongside the town jetty.

Meanwhile the teenagers had exploited the free WiFi and communicated everything to everyone while the adults explored the waterfront which was quaint and busy as one might expect. In order to connect to quayside electricity and water I unsuccessfully walked around half the town, as directed by a friendly policeman , to no avail. Turns out you must talk to the travel agent(?). In the process I noticed that all the lamp posts has been placed in the middle of the pavements, which coupled with odd tables, chairs and flowerpots meant one had to walk in the road half the time. The police all have referee type whistles which are blown loudly and aggressively at any person or car which needs sorting out. Like naughty children!

With everyone off shopping for provisions and more, Astrid & I returned to the boat to sort out the water tanks and charge her work(!!!) computer, whilst being nagged by the harbour police to please move on soonest, as we were not supposed to be in that spot. “Only another 10 minutes “ turned out to be about 1 ½ hours in the end.

Finally, landed with all kinds of goodies, we headed north up the coast to the smal coastal village of Steni Vala, by which time we were all desperate for a swim.
It was a tiny harbour with no space for us, so Astrid & Charlie went ashore to find the Monk Seal Rehabilitation Centre which had been on our must-see radar.  Turned out this no longer existed although the girls did not waste the opportunity to check all the shops instead. 

The afternoon was getting late and we needed to find a comfortable night spot. Although there was little wind I prefer not to be woken with problems in the early hours. So we crossed to the island of Peristera and tucked ourselves into a quiet southern corner of Vasiliko Bay next to an abandoned boat shed. Lots of abandoned wood and metal too but the water was in fact the cleanest we have seen so far. Crystal clear and another invitation to snorkel. The underwater scenery here is largely similar and not especially colourful, like most of the Med, but always smaller fish and shells abound. Now we are really getting away from it all, for the northern Sporades islands are sparsely populated, if at all, and this was no exception. We have also finally lost all phone communications (which will remain so for some days).

Supper was high class tonight with fresh fish and tasty sauces. Better than a restaurant!

As night fell the girls spotted a dolphin or seal near our bows which was special. We all made ourselves comfortable on the foredeck to watch for shooting stars. The water was like glass, and I seem to have nodded off every time the cry went up of a burning meteorite. The atmosphere was incredible.

I could get used to this.  Early morning swim next to our ruins again, leisurely breakfast and a quiet harbour.  We all eased into the day in various ways with everyone very relaxed, all teenagers in a good mood (wow).   The biggest challenge was getting the pontoon water and electricity to work.  Technology does not seem to be a Greek strongpoint.    Had a visit from Craig who had been sorting out a mechanical problem on his boat.

After replenishing our water and washing down the boat – always great to get a fresh start – I decided to compete with the gigantic ferry and leave simultaneously.  Greek ferries come in all shapes and sizes, but the high speed catamarans are extremely impressive, can turn on a tickey and can get up to something like 40 knots speed.

No wind – sea like glass today – so we motored around the top of Skopolos Island and down the east coast, pulling in next to a small headland with a church on top – spectacular location and used for the wedding in Mama Mia so plenty of tourists around now. Went ashore and climbed the extremely steep steps to the church – wow. Very beautiful setting but church services could only have attracted the very fittest parishioners which would explain why it is not big inside!

After a lunch, swimming and snorkelling we dragged the teenagers back on board and headed down the coast past Skopolos town which did not interest us (too busy) en route to the island of Alonnisos.

With great dedication to their task, Christian and Astrid got up extra early to decorate the boat with birthday banners and flags.  For the rest of us it was another late start, but the best part of anchoring in quiet bays is being able to get up and dive off the back of the boat before even being properly awake.   Situated on the other side of our bay was Michael Carroll’s house – he wrote “Gates of the Wind” which I believe is a must-read especially for the descriptions of Skopolos and this area of Parormos before they became popular destinations.

My task was to take the dingy to the village down the coast for fresh bread and more bottled water.  We get through huge quantities of drinking water. – must he healthy!  After breakfast on deck with the ever-present wasps, Edsel & I nipped over to the neighbouring boat for a chat with Craig & Carol who regularly spend their summer months cruising the Med before returning to Cape Town.  Below: Edsel playing at being a Greek God while Christian at the helm. 

  Motored up the coast to Loutraki, arriving around midday to ensure that we found a spot on the small jetty, part of the advance birthday party planning!   Although the harbour was very clean, we swam futher down the coast next to what was described as “Roman Bath ruins”. It was an archeological site 1700 years old with not much left to fire the imagination.  I opted to explore the hillside above and ended up doing an 8 km hike which encompassed the hilltop village of Glossa.  Views across to Skiathos, mainland and other islands were outstanding.  Back at the boat, party preparations were in full swing – everyone showered and dressed for a summer night out.    

  
It was a 40 minute hike up the hill to Glossa or a taxi ride. Taxi won.   Arrived at Agnanti restaurant which was the big birthday surprise for Simone.  Best table on a top terrace with views to die for and two local musicians all ensured this was a night to remember. Even our super friendly waitress was German.   Meryl Streep didn’t have it better! 

 Only got back to the boat after midnight because the girls just had to do some late night shopping (do they never close around here?).   I was ready to drop, so when a laptop appeared and Mama Mia leapt to life  I sneaked off to bed.   There are limits you know……….. 

After the steamy preparations on Saturday were finally completed, exacerbated by lack of sleep, we sailed off to Koukounaries Bay on the south of Skiathos island.   Arrived around sunset and dropped anchor without too much fuss.  Fantastic cook-up followed and as is customary the wine, whisky and beer all came out.  So despite an immense lack of sleep we ended up with another very late and exuberant night.   So far so good.  I had not however banked on the strong gusts that were to hit us in the early hours of Sunday morning. Although we were well anchored, our swinging motion caused the anchor chain to drag over the rocky sea bottom with alarming sounds – which got me up at least three times during the night until I was convinced we were actually going nowhere and were totally secure. 

  
 Breakfast on deck was a challenging event, as the wasps wanted what we were eating which resulted in both Astrid and Dani being stung.   Later headed out on a good wind for an exhilarating 7+ knot sail across to Panormou Bay on the island of Skopolos (of Mama Mia fame).    Nice protected anchorage but in addition to the anchor we still relied on another two shore lines to stop us swinging into our neighbour.

  Took the dingy ashore to a busy taverna in the next bay  for sundowners and a stunning sunset.  Very special!    

 On our return we found that not only did the neighbouring boat have a South African flag, but they were from Cape Town, AND Craig Middleton went to Rondebosch Boys High School a few years after me.  How’s that? 
 
Unfortunately the lack of sleep on previous days did not damp everyone’s spirits, so once again it was a laaaate and noisy night.   The main reason was that it was Simones birthday at midnight so presents came out along with the champagne.  Beautiful setting to turn 50.

Opted for spending our Friday night in airports rather than sleeping.  So when we arrived at Athens 2:00am we were not surprised to see our friends sleeping on the airport floor after a long wait.  

Could be in Africa!  
An early bird flight to the island of Skiathos followed by a high speed taxi ride got us to the Meltemi cafe on the waterfront before it was even open. The taxis here are fully adaptable and fitted with stretch straps as standard it seems 

 Never mind, the cafes all leave their comfy furniture out (it never rains here) so some of us grabbed the opportunity for some shut-eye before sunrise. When the staff finally arrived at 7:00am we decided to start as we meant to continue and ordered a jug of wine with breakfast (how bad is that!).  

 With most of the day to kill before collecting the boat, we wandered off in search of a beach. Quaint paved roads between typical white and blue houses.  Found the perfect beach with sun loungers which we saw as sleepers, and spent a delightful day dozing, swimming and getting into the Greek way of life. 

    
  Can’t beat cold beer in an iced glass! 
Finally the tedious part loomed. Boat hand-over, shopping and loading up. All in 35 degrees ……..  The holiday begins.

It is a mark of a great holiday when one is really sad to see it end.  

It was a great start to the day at our nice hotel set in leafy surroundings.  Proper breakfast again, hooray fruit & joghurt!  We have all been completely taken with this beautiful town of Füssen.  Liam was happy to spend the whole of last night wandering the streets but the ice cream settled him down in the end. We so liked the atmosphere that we walked everywhere and left the car parked.  Must come back here sometime, with bikes and perhaps camping.  Love it. 

We drove to Munich via back roads to start with.  Again, totally taken with the Bavarian countryside.  Green, pretty villages and proper cycle paths everywhere. Must do it. 

Now sitting at the airport after lunch and seeing the boys off. Feeling quite down actually, and sure to miss the banter that has been my life for two weeks now.   Proud of how my grandsons have turned out; vowing to myself to try and spend more quality time with all of them. 

  
This blog will now take a break while I process a the other photos (the “proper” ones). Will post them in the next week or so including the videos. 

Now killing time before my late flight.  Will be wonderful to be back with my long-suffering Astrid who has had to contend with dog walking, pressured job, taxi to Charlie and keeping the show on the road while I swan around in the hills!    I think it will not being before we are back in these mountains together. 😎♥️😎

On the way back from rock climbing we found a pleasant hotel in a quiet and beautiful village adjacent to Füssen. Then spent the next couple of hours exploring the town.  Magnificent big castle and parkland above. So many of the buildings had painted effecs that we wondered how it was all maintained.  The vibe here is so relaxed and I’m feeling incredibly happy, although sad that this is our last evening.  Stopped for crepes opposite the “Rathaus ” since we had missed lunch.  Then managed to get lost for a bit before retuning to base.  

 Later and refreshed we walked back to town for sundowners and proper supper.  It seemed a crime to use the car because everything around us was so pretty.  

Everyone out on the streets because it was so hot.  Liam experimented on a spinning pole follies later by Guy. Both miraculously managed to keep their supper intact.   Finally on the walk home we just had to indulge one last time …….  

Stayed at a great hotel in Partenkirchen last night.  I at least got my money’s worth from the Spa – great swim but the sauna just topped it off. Later we all headed downtown to the same place where we spent our first night so long ago. Best pizza around. 

Murals abound, this one on our hotel and so many buildings have painted window surrounds

 Back to today :  proper breakfast with fruit, joghurt and all.  Mothers you can be proud of your sons appetites.  They each had about 6 helpings of everything.    Waterwheel  next to our hotel was a source of amusement 

 Afterwards picked up a hire car and headed through Austria and back out to Fussen.  Why?  Because apparently there are good limestone climbing cliffs here.  Roads and scenery out of this world – green and beautiful.  Looks like a great area for cycling.   Checked out the town for the obligatory kaffee und kuchen (you got me into that Astrid).  

   
The Lech river which runs through here is beautiful and has the most unusual light blue colour. 

Now I am propped up against a pine tree overlooking a lake while boys are scaling a cliff next to me 

On our way by 08:00 as there was an 800m descent to negotiate. We all agreed that downhill was the worst – kills our knees.  
After 2.5 hours reached St Anton. End of our hike. Tidy town with loads of window boxes as expected. Astrid would be envious
 

 Like so many towns here, they seem to be so quiet a during the day. Cafes only open around 11:00.  

 Big modern station but soul-less. Not even a ticket office and only one machine which did not accept credit cards or large notes!

Fast train to Innsbruck – once again very modern and quiet. Decided to walk around centre of Innsbruck.  

 Not the best way to be a tourist with full packs.
 

 
Best find if the day: a restaurant that offered as much as you can eat for Euro 8.60. Needless to say, the boys went to town so we left the city feeling pretty stuffed.  

Now on the small train that climbs around the mountain via Mittenwald to Garmisch. Brings memories of my first Alpine hike with Astrid some 13 years ago. 

   
For Astrid. Memories of our first Alps, starting Mittenwald

  
Need to verify the Odometer, but the Ascent/descent is right.  We have the knees and toes to prove it.