Adventures of Thésée: Kalimera Corfu

Friday 18th April...

It's GOOD FRIDAY. I like Good Fridays, it's always sunny on Good Friday. But before it got sunny, at 4am we were up watching the freezer decide to defrost itself! Obviously four days sitting at the pontoon was enough for the boat batteries and they decided to rebel.

After silly 'o' clock we went back to sleep and then woke to a pleasant sunny morning and time to move on. About 9.45am we departed perfectly from the pontoon and motored for 30 minutes up to a bay at the top of the island called Lakki. It's small but very popular, and in summer an absolute nightmare with not even enough room to swing a cat. We thought we would take a look, as we've not been before. Once inside the small bay we dropped the anchor and put the kettle on. I have to say, the bay is very picturesque with the bluest water to die for. However, there's nothing much more than a tiny village, and to be honest nothing that we haven't seen before. So we finished our coffee and decided it didn't warrant an overnight stop.

Bluer than blue in Lakki bay, Paxos

We spotted 'Catou' boat, we met Tim & Penny

the other day in Vonitsa

Tempting water, but still a bit cold for swimming

Lots of scraggy rocks for tying to shore if need be

So we weighed anchor and set off for Corfu. There was about 6 knots of wind, but the swell was about 1 metre, kicked up by the last two days of offshore winds. With a bit of huffing and puffing Dean raised the mainsail to give us stability and we set a course for the bottom end of Corfu, thankfully then the swell was pretty much going with us for about 90 minutes.

Clouds accumulating over the mainland

Approaching Corfu, now the island protects us

from the big naughty swell

I think Dean is wearing his X-ray specs 😂

Approx two hours later we approach Corfu town and castle

It's quite spectacular

Now arrived and anchored.

Time for a 'Thesee Good Friday'

As always, we stay on the boat for a while to make sure all is OK. We had motored for the last two hours because the wind dropped to nothing, but this meant that we now had some hot water for showers. Yee Haa 💦. The anchorage is quite rolly because many large ferries pass by on the way to the mainland. About 5pm we dinghy'd ashore to have a wander. This is our second time in Corfu. The first time was in 2021 when we entered Greece for the very first time. We were very Greek naive back then. This time, we've got the hang of things, and we now have time to look around at our leisure. So we took a walkabout and stopped for dinner. Also, it's Good Friday in Greece as well as back home in the UK, and the Greeks like to celebrate Easter in style. The town was absolutely heaving, and we kept unwittingly getting caught up in the procession going around the town!

View of our anchorage from the town

The canal separating the castle from the town

The castle

Mandraki marina lies just below the castle

The square where we stopped for din dins

Ready for yet another Greek salad

...and the usual half litre of red wine

Caught up in the procession, Dean said they were carrying chocolates!

In his dreams, me thinks.

Saturday 19th April...

What an exciting day! It's Easter Saturday, or Holy Saturday is what the Greeks call it. Here in Corfu, Easter is a special time, and today was the big day for throwing red clay pots out of windows to smash way down below on the pavements. Yes, we were there!

But, first things first, we had to go to get the Transit Log stamped. It's a long walk to the Port Police from the anchorage.... 30 minutes finding our way across the town. But, like I said yesterday, we've been here before so knew where we needed to get to. BUT... would it be open on Holy Saturday? After all, the Greeks like their public holidays.

We took a chance they would be open, and hey presto, indeed they were! A very nice police lady dealt with us, thing is she told us that Transit Logs are now digital, not paper like ours. We told her that we had only just been given it back to us in Preveza a few days ago! She asked us to fill in (yet another) crew list. We'll have to look into this digital thingy.

Red pots being sold here on the way to Port Police

Here we are arriving at the Port Police,

we always look for the crossed anchor sign

Next we headed back into town looking for a nice little stop for coffee and pastries, passing the New Venetian Fortress of Corfu on the way. Apparently the Ionion Islands were an overseas possession of the Republic of Venice from mid 14th century until the late 18th century.

Statues at the Fortress

Looking for a nice cafe

After a short time we came across a fabulous little cafe in the alleyways. Just what we were looking for, baclava and chocolate croissants, yum yum.

As we were leaving we asked the waiter what time the 'pot throwing' started. He replied... in 3 minutes time, 11am, that way, quick, go now! We rushed off in the right direction, and as the church bells started ringing we stood aside to watch the spectacle, and kept looking up just in case any pots were coming in our direction.

Some of the smashed pots on the pavement here

Was difficult to get a falling pot mid flight on camera

Carrying on through town, smashed pot pieces everywhere

Still some unsold.... half price now?

The brass band processions walking the alleyways

Wow

Double wow

Brass band

The town was absolutely rammed with people. In fact, this morning I counted no less than 58 coaches parked along the bay. Cars and motorbikes were parked in every nook and cranny in the streets. We are so pleased that we were here to witness this celebration.

And the reason for it?

Easter In Corfu: A Unique Tradition Of Smashing Pots

Sunday 20th April...

Fast asleep last night, to be awakened by the loud bangs of fireworks at midnight. Dean was up first, then he came to get me up. I'm glad he did because it was quite a show, 15 minutes long in fact and all taking place above the old fortress. It was an incredible setting. I must have been semi-conscious because I have no recollection of going back to bed.

Well we did sleep well after that, even though we had an AW right next to us in the anchorage. All the space in this huge anchorage and he wants to anchor almost on top of us. And even today, he didn't move until mid afternoon. Some people!

It was a glorious weather day today though, 26 degrees. We stayed on board chilling out until about 5pm when we went ashore for a look around at the bottom end of this bay. There wasn't much there, so we went back on board to eat dinner, leftover homemade lasagna, mm mmmmm.......

Today in the bay

Vera getting some sun. We can't believe Vera has been

with us for 5 years, even being left alone all winter.

Our new neighbour called Atlas, bit posh.

We'll let Atlas anchor wherever it likes.

Feeding the fish from the back of the boat.

I'll need more than one slice of bread for that lot.

The water is clear, and we spot our anchor 7 metres below us

It's still early season, but the Pirate Ship is running

Ashore, later on

Last photo before we head back to Thesee

It's 8.30pm now, and we are just having a glass of wine in memory of our gorgeous girl Saffy dog, who crossed the rainbow bridge four years ago today. We miss you Saffy dog 💗

Monday 21st April...

Last day of Easter, the crowds have dispersed but still a lot of people in town. The bars and cafes must be making an absolute fortune. We went ashore to take our rubbish (I guess that's a perk of having to pay the TEPAI cruising tax). Of course, a trip ashore wouldn't be the same without coffee and chocolate croissants, plus the usual wandering of quaint side streets and alleyways. The town is very nice actually and each time we've been ashore we manage to come across something new.

So calm in the anchorage this morning

Thésee out there somewhere

Cafe's all over the main seafront in town

We spotted this arch which we hadn't seen before

Pretty flower gardens and statues

This was a museum, or maybe a palace, not sure

It looks palatial to me

Man yoga or something weird going on

Wall lamps fit for a king

We didn't even know this area was here

This evening, the Mein Schiff cruises past the anchorage

Might be a chance we move on tomorrow.

Weather looks good still for the next few days.

Tuesday 22nd April...

Tonight we are in Ormos Kommeno. This is a new destination for us, just 5 miles north west of Corfu town. From here it's a short hop in the dinghy across to the 'big fancy marina' at Gouvia. And after arriving this morning, dropping anchor, and making a cuppa, we hopped into the dinghy with two empty gas bottles and sped across to the 'big fancy marina' to exchange them for full bottles. Not a bad price at 20 euros per bottle, considering it's a 'big fancy marina'. To show how fancy it is, to berth Thesee for one year would cost in excess of £12,000.00 (yes twelve thousand pounds), or for one night only whopping £150.

Hence, we are in the anchorage, and a beautiful anchorage it is too. Plush hotels on shore, but not open yet until the season starts here, which we assume must be May.

Apart from our dinghy trip, we stayed on board enjoying the calmness. Tonight we are still on our own.... Thésée No Mates

Rounding Corfu castle this morning

Approaching Mandraki marina on the north side

of the castle headland

There's the marina, it's quaint but not very well protected

Kerkyra (Corfu) Seaways ferry in port

Views from our new anchorage at Ormos Kammeno

View of Thésée from the dinghy

It's a very picturesque bay

The new gas bottles in the newly cleaned gas store

Wednesday 23rd April...

'Twas a bit of a run around for Thesee this morning. We've been rather itching to get so see some of the anchorages at the north east end of Corfu, having whizzed past them last time we were here in 2021. That time, we had crossed overnight from Brindisi, Italy, had two hours sleep anchored off Nisos Erikoussa (that's where the water was so fantastically clear it was invisible, and we could see Thesee's mast reflection on the sea bed), and then headed straight to Corfu town to check-in.

Now, here, four years on, we can visit places at our leisure. So, about 9.30am we lifted the anchor and motored up to the north east of Corfu. There are many anchorages along here, but unfortunately very deep or not too well protected. The strait between Corfu and Albania is quite narrow, and the only phone signals you get are from Albania, hence we remembered to turn off our data roaming (else run up an expensive phone bill).

When we arrived we checked out two or three anchorages, but we found the wind through the strait was at least double what we expected, and the anchorages were not that protected. We managed to find a little bay to tuck into, behind a cute and tiny harbour at Ormos Houhoulias. It was almost the perfect spot. However, we discussed our options because there are some thunderstorms due tonight along the Albanian coast, and we didn't know how much this would affect us here with the winds which accumulate.

With heavy hearts we decided we could only call this a coffee stop, and thought it best to head back to the Corfu town anchorage for the night, with good depths, good holding, and more space. Anyway, our curiosity has been fulfilled.

Our cute little anchorage and taverna at Ormos Houhoulias

So peaceful and beautiful

Heading back to Corfu town a fast hydrofoil passes us by

Looking back at clouds building over the strait.

Corfu on the left, Albania on the right.

Albania

Just crossed paths with this ferry to the mainland

Three very large cruise ships in Corfu port

We have a couple of days of unsettled weather around. Not exactly sure of tomorrow's plan, possibly the mainland, or maybe stay here.

Thursday 24th April...

It was quite murky outside this morning. Deliberations of the best way forward. End result.... move to Plataria on the mainland. We decided this because there's chance of isolated thunderstorms in the North Ionion, and these always cause strange or violent wind changes, and we don't really want to be out there fretting all night in an anchorage. This is the downside of cruising that the glossy brochures never show!

We raised the anchor about 9.30am and said 'cheerio' to Corfu, for now at least. Set a course of 130 degrees and motored across towards the mainland.

The murky skies this morning

Crossing towards the mainland

Crossing the Kerkiraika Thalassa (Corfu sea), we only encountered a couple of small fishing vessels, and had to navigate with two large ferries, which we passed one in front and one behind with about half a mile to spare. That sounds like a long way, but it feels much closer when you're out there doing it!

Three hours later we approached the large inlet where Plataria lies at its head. This is a new destination for us. We were a little early arriving for our place in the marina (more like a small port), so we dropped the anchor in the bay for half an hour and waited. Meanwhile, the anchor chain counter had decided to have a wobble so Dean was trying to rectify the issue.

On approach to Plataria, a tiny anchorage with a chapel

Looks very nice, but very deep for anchoring

Spectacular coastlines

A small taverna, not open for summer yet

When it was time to head into the marina we had our lines ready for a stern to the quay mooring, as per usual in the med. Inside the marina the harbourmaster said we should drop our anchor and reverse to the quay, this took us by surprise because normally you don't need to anchor, just reverse back and pick up the lazy lines. And, as I just mentioned, our anchor chain counter was playing up.

Normally, Dean would drop the anchor by pressing a button from the cockpit. But this wasn't working, so he had to send me to the front of the boat to drop the anchor from the controller at the bow. It was all rather sudden, but we did manage to do it, and reversed in OK, just hope we have enough chain out. All seems OK.

After we settled down we took a long walk along the seafront. Most places are closed until May, but the ice cream shop was open, so we indulged for the first time this season.

Thesee in Plataria marina

Little bridge over the inlet from the sea

Along the beachfront

Looking up the inlet

Pretty purple flowers

This evening we walked back to basically the only open taverna for dinner. On the quayside we saw a beautiful fluffy grey cat. I thought it was coming to us for food, but then realised that the local fisherman had just arrived on the quay, and then we saw the rest of the cat clowder, kittens and all waiting.