Holiday feeling

Since my arrival in Greece I am 100% in the holiday spirit. It’s warm, sunny and there are lots of tourists. Just about around every corner there is a good anchorage, so actually there is not a lot of reason to enter a harbour. In Croatia the bottom was very rocky and deep, so I was never sure the anchor would hold. So I never felt I could leave Madame Curie safely behind. In Greece, the bottom is mainly sand or mud, and usually an anchor will hold well. And in addition many bays are very well protected, so sudden gusts of wind are very unlikely. So since I’ve been in Greece, I have anchored a lot.

Anchoring is free, so if you wake up in the morning with this view, you kan understand it is very tempting, to stay an other day. Just to hang around, snorkel and read a book. So, I just do.



No, the colors have not been photoshop-ed!

There is one thing I have not quite gotten used to as a Northern European. The sun. It is about 24-34 degrees here, but the sunrays are very fierce. It is essential to have adequate protection against the sun. Since about a week I have modified a windscreen into an awning. Year ago I read about this in a Dutch sailing magazine, and I must say it is really working great!

Am I bound to the boat now that I’m anchoring? No, certainly not. I have a rubber dinghy, just like many cruisers, and can just row to shore. The actually have small jetties just build for the dinghies. And for me it is always easy to recognize my dinghy when I get back, mine is the one without an outboard engine. I don’t mind, usually it is only a 5 minute row.

I am now spending a couple of days in Gaios, a very picturesque town on Paxos. The harbour master has not felt like collecting harbourfees for weeks now, so I am berthed for free. The fact that berthing and anchoring are free (or very cheap) really helps for the holiday spirit. Staying a day extra doesn’t cost me anything, so just hanging around doing nothing once in a while is very relaxing.

Gaios.