Departing the Aegean - and ATHENA

Departing the Aegean & Athena

Athens and Departing the Aegean = End of June / July

Well Athens, as one can imagine, is HOT in summer.  The acropolis even more so at noon on the first Saturday in July.  I melted.

Athens - Amphitheatre

Athens - Amphitheatre

Acropolis pillars

The Acropolis

Y's in the Acropolis - JG & Fi

'walking' in the Acropolis - JG & Fi

Me infront of the Acropolis

After having a lovely days sail north from Kithnos, just the two of us again, we rocked up into Athens.  The sole sailing yacht in a motor yacht marina, RC sat comfortably in her berth for a few days while we explored the delights of Greece’s capital; Special olympics, ping-pong included

Fi on the Wheel

annnd, relaxing!'Super' yacht marina for RC

Getting to Athens.

Special Olympics PING PONG

by night we saw the renowned protestors camping, singing and demonstrating in Syntagma square, laser lighting the guards, shouting abuse (i imagine) and eating grilled corn, nuts whilst drinking a beer, 

Singers in Syntagma

NEW HAT! (JG)

and in addition to the Acropolis and walking the hot streets during the day, we saw the changing of the fluffy-toe-d guards (Was thinking of you Ted / Thodoris!).

The pom-pom guard

stolen hat - Fi

We were treated to not only a shower but our first BED of the trip!!!  George (GG – from Rotterdam) picked us up in the family-mo-bile and he and Anna (plus the little girl!!! :0) ) welcomed us to Athens.  Bliss!  Great food, huuuge comfy sofa, baby stuff all over the place, long chats, catch ups and sleep! For both JG and I it was just wonderful to be in a house that doesn’t rock, to be on a bed with some head room and to wake up to birds, trees and a BLACK CAT!

Daddy GG!

ooooh, a BIG comfy, spacious BED!

 The wee one!

Morning Mr Black cat

Before long it was another sad goodbye to GG who wont be there in the Dam on our return :0( . Nevertheless, just super to meet in his home town 2 ½ years on from flat hunting in Rotterdam!  For the two of us though, miles to be covered, canals, gulfs and passages to go through, seas to cross and countries to pass! 

fi n Jg

First up, through the shipping lane!!! (eeeek, yes Fi on the helm )

One of THOSE ships

LOTS of THOSE ships

 – and on to the Corinth Canal! Whoop. 

 Entrance to the Corinth Canal

JG with  permission to go through the canal!

What an amazing piece of engineering.  Cloudy turquoise water, massive cliff edges, waving people from bridges high above and three little sailing yachts chugging their way along the 7mile straight.  Brilliant.

Canal ahead

Y- JG?

Walking overboard JG

Fi - Y-in the canal

Fi - walking the canal

Engineering in style

Together!

Sadly it meant staying a night in Corinth – bit of a scruffy town with a LOT of wind blowing in and locals caring to rip you off..... couldn’t wait to leave the next morning but in hindsight perhaps we should have!

This is Fi in her little cubby-hole of the nav desk, (29/07/11)

over