Part 3
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Part 3
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MEGANISI: We find another picture-postcard mooring in Atheni Bay, on Meganisi; the water is deep up to the shoreline, and yachts "park" one beside the other, with a line led to a tree or rock ashore.
While we are at anchor, we are approached by a funny-looking
guy on a battered inflatable: he is a French painter/sailor, who earns a living
by painting portraits of passing yachts.
Off again to the north, we pass by Skorpios island - of Onassis fame - to reach a large, secluded bay on the east coast of Levkas, which looks attractive on the charts. LEVKAS: Terrible disappointment!! The bay would be nice indeed,
but the narrow entry channel has been converted into a huge charter-yacht
"parking" (hundreds, literally!) and the water in the bay is murky and
not at all inviting.
....and the crew continues to enjoy!....
Away again, we motor along the narrow canal between Levkas and the mainland, which ends with an opening bridge.
We continue motoring towards the islands of Paxos and Antipaxos, an almost mandatory stopover while going towards Corfu. MONGONISSI (PAXOS): We drop anchor in Mongonissi, a small cove at the southern end of Paxos; at last, a typical Greek anchorage in front of a taverna!...
...obviously, we take advantage of it! The food may be simple, but everything is good and plenty, prices are reasonable and the boat is floating a few meters away: that's life, folks!
CORFU (Kerkira): Few hours motoring, and we reach Gouvia Marina, just north of Kerkira city. Shaula has acquired a "livaboard" look, after nearly two months at sea!
The old town still has an unmistakably venetian look. In fact, also in view of the lot of tourists and tourist-shops, you really feel like in Venice.
We cannot avoid a tour of the island by car, beginning with the small sea-monastery in front of the Kanoni village, south of Corfu; another much-photographed, but really enchanting, place.
After the unavoidable stop to see the very questionable mansion of Austrian Empress Sissi (horrendously kitch!), we turn around the island, which offers some breathtaking views like here, near the Paleokastritsa monastery.
Off again to the north, we stop for the night at the little island of Erikoussa:
The weather bulletins are worrysome, there is again bad weather in the making, so we decide to jump straight to Brindisi, in southern Italy. BRINDISI, PESCARA, APRILIA MARITTIMA Inside the huge commercial basin of Brindisi, the new marina is welcoming and well equipped, although rather far from shops and from the city centre as well (we will discover too late that there is a ferry service crossing the harbour to reach the city centre: next time!...).
The weather continues to be unsettled, and we are beginning to be home-sick, so we decide to skip Croatia, which we could not visit properly in the few days left, and head straight for Pescara, last stop (and last refueling....) before our wintering station in Aprilia Marittima.
After two uneventful days, we reach the Marano lagoon, and we crawl along the marked channels - which even include road-like signs! ....
Once in Aprilia Marittima, after a couple of days in the
Marina, waiting for the car and unrigging all moveable items, we lift out the
boat, for the first time after 15 months.
In the next months, Shaula will be "moored" against this water-less pontoon, while we will make the last preparation for next year's great voyage.
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