(Late Entry)

On September 4th we landed in Albania, following an overnight sail from Italy. It was a quick stay to take care of some business and we soon made our way to the Ionian island chain of Greece. These islands were to be our home for September and early October. Our expectations were high, but first we had to tackle the notoriously challenging “clearing in” process. After a day spent shlepping between customs, immigration, and Port Authority offices, we eventually succumbed to the Greek way of doing things (paying an unofficial agent). While tiring, it was an amusing day filled with a cast of classic characters not least of which was our dashing agent who rode in on a motorcycle to save the day.

After a few days enjoying the northern coast of Corfu, we were joined by our good friends Maria, Doug, Lynne and Drew from Kansas City. We spent a couple of nights on land with them in the historic center of Corfu Town which is known for its Venetian architecture and 15th century fortress. We also sailed with them to explore a tiny nearby island and then spent several days on the gorgeous island of Paxos. The food in Greece was fabulous and well-priced so we found ourselves in many Greek taverna along the way.

In mid September, we said goodbye to Paxos and our friends, and made our way south to the island of Lefkada. We spent a couple quiet days anchored in a protected bay, which allows us to enjoy some hiking, paddle boarding and rest. The winds kept us mostly on the wooded east side of the island, but a brief change in weather allow us the opportunity to sneak over to the west coast to explore the cobalt blue water and white cliffs for which this area is known.

Our next stop was the island of Ithaca, the storied kingdom of Homer’s Odysseus. We arrived there after sailing for just a few hours and couldn’t help comparing ourselves to Odysseus who famously took 10 years to sail home from the Trojan war. Ithaca turned out to be one of our favorite spots of the summer, and we spent several days hiking the island. Fall temperatures meant that we started spending more time on land and less in the water, but that didn’t stop us from sharing an anchorage with a a giant leatherback turtle and seeing an octopus during a late season snorkel.

The next Ionian island on our list was Kefalonia, where we were joined by Neil’s brothers and sister-in-law. We explored a number of spots with Roger, Justin and Lara, including a trip to a tiny island known for swimming pigs. We couldn’t resist taking the sibs back to some of our favorite spots in Ithaca as well. It was so nice having them aboard and many hours were spent enjoying food and cocktails in the cockpit.

Lastly, we sailed to mainland Greece, to the coastal town of Preveza. This was the siblings’ jumping off point and also the site of Cleopatra Marina, where the boat was scheduled to be hauled-out for the winter. Neil and I spent several days living aboard the boat after it was hauled out cleaning, organizing, and performing a series of laborious winterizing chores.

Once we were ready to say goodbye to Arcadia, we rented a car and set off across Greece in the direction of Athens airport. En route, we couldn’t resist a final adventure and so we spent several days exploring the town of Delphi. This gorgeous mountainous village is home to a huge complex of ancient temples and ruins. The setting is jaw dropping. The valley around the mountain is blanketed by a 3000 year-old olive grove, and in the distance the Gulf of Corinth glowed orange reflecting the sunset each night. One of our favorite experiences in Delphi was hiking the stone Prehistoric Trail which pilgrims used to visit the Oracle of Delphi. We took it in reverse, to visit an olive orchard where the farm’s multigenerational owners shared their knowledge and delicious samples with us. It was a beautiful end to the season and left us excited to return next spring.