At 7.15 am on 18th August we lifted our anchor and headed for Monemvasia. The town and fortress of Monemvasia sits on a small island (rock)and dates back to 583 when the inhabitants of the mainland were seeking refuge from invasion. The island has been linked to the mainland by a short causeway built in 1971. As we approached we could see the town walls and buildings clearly but it wasn’t until we walked up to the town that we realised how stunning this town is. It is sometimes called ‘little Gibraltar’ as the rock resembles that of Gibraltar.
We moored on the town Quay alongside Dulchinea and were met by the ‘harbour master’. 7.50 euros per night including free water. We were finding it difficult to get used to little or no charges here in Greece having been used to being quoted prices in excess of 50-100 euros per night in Italy last year! The harbour master was an interesting man who was originally from Athens but married ‘a local girl’ and now was harbour master and olive grower! He explained to Alistair the difference between virgin & extra virgin olive oil which is, apparently, down to the acidity of the oil. Between 0.1% – 0.8% is extra virgin and 0.8%-1.6%. Regular Olive oil is a blend of various oils.
That evening we walked up to the walled town and explored the many passageways and shops before climbing to the top of the ‘rock’ to look down on the town.
We then had a wonderful meal in one of the many restaurants with stunning views over the bay before walking back down to a very busy Quay. Having left Money Penny & Dulchinea on the Quay together, they were now surrounded by a large number of extremely ‘nice’ superyachts.
You have to look carefully to find us amongst these giants!
The following morning, after a very noisy night, we said goodbye to Dulchinea again and headed 8 miles up the coast to the little village of Ierakas. Ierakas is a small village built along a natural fjord on the south east coast of Laconia, Pelonponaise. The small port provides perfect shelter for yachts and boats and includes a small hotel, restaurants, tavernas and cafés. During the afternoon local families arrive in cars and boats to socialise and swim off the end of the pontoon. We went for a small bike ride around the fjord and then spent the remainder of our day swimming and paddle boarding around the fjord and discussing whether to cross to the Cyclades the following day or continue northwards towards Athens.
