ASTERN OUR GREEK ODYSSEY

WHEN RE-READING AN OLD EDITION OF TIDINGS I was reminded of the wonderful times Jenny and I spent in the Greek Islands and the various club members who have either chartered yachts there or who are of Greek background.

I was first made aware of the facility to charter a yacht and go sailing about the Aegean Sea when John Tout and Tom Kernot tried to interest me in such a venture. Yes, I was most interested but at that time it was no more than a pipe dream. Several years later after Jenny and I got together I mentioned it to her and of course she just had to make it happen.

We spoke to some other members who had done this – Jonno Farmer, John Mackay and Clare Brittain, Eric Moyle and some others. It was all just too easy and not as expensive as I had expected particularly if arranged through Tom Kernot and John Tout with their connection with ‘Padomar Yachts’ in Athens. I was somewhat nervous about sailing in foreign waters but Tom said: ‘You have sailed to Rottnest haven’t you, and along the coast a bit? Well, this is easier because you are never out of sight of land.’

CUSTOMS

We also found some delightful customs on the islands: In a Taverna the host may ask the guest to ‘Come into my kitchen and see what we have. You can choose’. An invitation like this is an honour and must be accepted otherwise they will be offended. Once having made a decision on food the host will probably return with small glasses of ouzo and a flask of water. Adding water to the ouzo makes it cloudy but it cleanses the palate.

Greeks have been making wines for a long time and they are good at it! Each island seems to have its own special vintage and some of these, particularly the reds we found to be excellent. Problem is that they mostly make just enough for their own needs and it is not available on the next island.

There are commercial producers like ‘Achaia Domestica’ on the mainland which we found quite pleasant. But the Retsina is special. It has been around for over 2000 years and originated from the custom of sealing clay containers with a pine resin which then leached into the wine giving it a resinous flavour and nose. These days it is made and stored in stainless steel containers to which a measure of pine essence is added. You either like it or hate it but we find it is perfect when served cold, fresh from the barrel accompanying a strong flavoured food such as BBQ squid.

From that initial trip we have visited over 40 islands in the Aegean Sea (only a small number compared with some of our friends) sometimes chartering a yacht and sometimes by ‘ferry hopping’. The lovely thing about chartering is that you are free to visit remote islands and bays and the downside is that if the weather gets a bit stroppy with a howling ‘Meltemi’ you may have a battle on your hands. When we were twenty-five years younger we managed perfectly well. These days with old age and ‘galloping decreptitude’ catching up, my preference would be to use ferries.

Our memories of some of those wonderful occasions need to be shared:

KALAMAKI

Our first charter cruise began from Kalamaki (small boat harbour just south of Athens) and headed south-east to Kea. The convention is that one must moor stern on to the land backed wharf to allow room for others. Those already there will help by taking your stern lines and you must help the next boat coming in the same way. This time the boat crew helping us actually made it most difficult: It included a number of lissom blond females with long legs, bikini bottoms and bare tops. Where do I drop the bow anchor? How do I steer the boat going astern? Where is the wharf? Jenny calling: Watch where you’re going! Later, when we all ate together at the adjacent Taverna they had put their tops on; must have got cold.

TINOS

On entering the harbour at Tinos I circled looking for a space to moor but there did not appear to be any space left for yachts. My attention was drawn by an official looking fellow in white uniform with pistol on hip. A large ferry had just left and he was standing on the vacant wharf reserved for commercial vessels. He was blowing a whistle and beckoning. I thought ‘I am in trouble here’ so I took the boat over to see what he wanted, expecting to be told to clear out. He said in good English ‘throw me your lines’ and proceeded to secure us beam on to the wharf. I thanked him and assured him we would vacate the spot as soon as possible. He answered ‘Why you go? You not like the place I put you?’ Understanding Greek officials is about as easy as trying to pin them down to a time schedule. That evening we were exploring the village when my olfactory senses were excited by the aroma of something wonderful cooking. I said ‘Jenny, follow me, I don’t know what that is but it is what I am going to eat for dinner’. Around a couple of corners we found a bus stop beside a small brick shed. In front