One swallow means load of the little things...

Mary on her 50th Wedding do.

 The swallows have arrived (the birds that is not the people who come for the summer) here in Lefkas this week,   First we just saw the one having a breather on the boat opposite us, then within the space of an hour they were everywhere.  The first guy must have just been scouting to make sure none of the Greeks had a gun and Swallow pie wasn't going to be dish of the day.  Now early morning and late evening you can see them en-mass performing their aerial acrobatics.  I'm not sure where they all go during the day though, perhaps it's a mystery to be solved.

Fred nearest left and Mary nearest right.

On Saturday evening we went to Vlicho Yacht club to help Mary and Fred celebrate the fiftieth wedding anniversary.  As Fred mentioned a couple of times more than three life sentences there but I'm sure he wouldn't change a thing.  It was a very enjoyable night out even though we didn't know that many people there when we went in that had changed somewhat by the time we left.  The food and the company was great and here's to the next 50 Mary & Fred!

Deb and Jez Sporting complimenting tops.

Monday was the quiz night in Remezzo's preceded by a couple of drinks at Cafe zino with Alison and Pete from the Katoghi and a Daltons for tea.  I managed to leave my brolly in Daltons  and when I returned they didn't have it but insisted on giving me anther one they had acquired.  Sandra has insisted on throwing it away today because to quote her "it stinks of Papa Yannis".  And there's me thinking I had got a bargain.  Thanks to Bob, Liz, Brian and Irene for organising the quiz, there was no chance of us winning anyway so we won't have to organise the next one.

First chief assistant scrubber Deb getting down and dirty!

Wednesday saw the coming of age of Jeremy, well nearly, he only needs a couple more years and then he'll be able to vote!  We had a lovely night out with them to celebrate you have never seen so much chicken served to eight people in all your born days, everyone got a half chicken and I don't mean one of those silly budgies you get from Tesco these where huge.  I had the small one, I say small but it was still big enough to choke a bullock on.  Very full but what a great time we all had, but you never expect anything different to that with you guys.  Thanks Deb & Jez.  Of course it's back to the grindstone today as you can see Deb trying to scrub up for the season this afternoon.

Our new lodger.

We seem to have adopted a strange feline lodger at the moment.  Barney, Kev and Linda's cat has been searching for some company and decided to come and see what the Waddy's had to offer, nothing but polite conversation I'm afraid Barney, but top marks for trying.  Don't worry too much mate they'll soon be home.

Rio comes to Lefkas...

It can get cold here too this is hail.

The weather has been cold here as well as in the UK, the depression which was centered over the UK did stretch this far down.  Although chilly it's nowhere near as bad as up north.  This hail storm did make the water look like it was a boiling witches cauldron though.

Ian's water generator.

On Saturday we went to pick up our saloon table which I was having altered by our recluse friend Ian in Vafkeri.  He had the tools to make the several long cuts I needed to convert it from only having a drop leaf at one side to having both sides folding.  Also at the same time I had him take a couple of inches from each side to make it easier to get past and eat at when erected, we are delighted with the results.  

Ian & Sanny at his hermitage. 

Ian does live like a hermit up in the mountains with no mains electricity, batteries are his main source lighting and wood his heating.  He lives very frugally but has a great set up for a home, living in his camper van in winter and his workshop in summer.  Everything possible is recycled, what a great life, I think we could all learn lessons from him.

  

Inside his living summer abode cum workshop.

Lefkas Carnival (AKA Mardi Gras) was on Sunday night, Spectacular as always although perhaps a little smaller this year and not so many loud bangs from the fireworks although they made up for this with whistles.  A great effort was put in by all the people involved and it is great to see them all smiling and enjoying themselves.  Now it's  forty days of fasting before the Greek Easter, brings the end of lent.

Anyone for birthday cake?

 Other things we have been getting on with this week include the re-wiring of Lesanda's navigation lights at the front.  It looks like at some point the circuit had been overloaded, there was much melted insulation and bare wire just waiting to short out when you least need it.  We've mended the anchor locked lid, which had lost one of it's hinges.  And this morning I have fitted a voltage / amperage for the twelve volt circuits on the boat so that we can monitor the state of play with regards to the batteries at a glance.

 I think that that's about it for this week another fun filled action packed week is behind us, see ya next week.

Don't know who the golden goats where meant to be.

The Lefkada ladyboys.

Perhaps the prince of Persia?

New style table being fitted.

Wind problems in more ways than one :-)

The weather until today has been quite beautiful, nice warm days and not bad in the evening too, but today it's blowing an absolute storm and heavy rain at times with it.  Never mind it gives me a reason not to do anything but mess about on the PC.  Sandra and I have just watched a fender sail past shortly followed by an oar out of an inflatable go by, just did a quick check to make sure neither of them was mine!

Joe at the top of the mizzen.

Earlier this week we have been servicing the windlass and had all the anchor chain and anchor out on the pontoon to mark up it's length so we know how much is out when we eventually get out and about.  Sandra gave everything a good scrubbing whilst it was out and we unblocked the drains in the chain locker as it was half full of water.

She has done really well actually as she has been unwell with a stomach bug since last Thursday, (which is the other way of the wind in the title this week) only this wind was dangerous and fluid in nature if you know what I mean.  The first full nights sleep we have had since was last night.  Anyway, I'm pleased and relieved to report that Sanny is back to being Sanny today but she'll keep taking the drugs until it's a certainty.

Tim at the halfway and Aussie owner Ian not bothering at all.

It was a glorious sunset, unfortunately I missed it!

Whilst we have been getting things ship shape on Lesanda, Ian across from us has been attempting to get his new radar installed on Rozinante 1 (Rozinante was the name of Don Quixote's horse).  Being an Aussie of a certain vintage he has elected to find a man who can to do the mast work for him, and thus enticed Tim and Joe to do the aerial work, only Tim has now come down with a bug of a similar nature to San's, oh well at least he can lubricate the mast to make his slide down faster.  Get well soon Tim.

The other night before this storm blow in we had the most spectacular sunset you ever have seen, unfortunately I did not have my phone with me at the time and when I got something to take a picture with the colour had all but gone from it, never mind you can see over the marina to Lefkas town instead of a sunset over water.  I suppose I could have edited it and made it all red and orange but that would have been cheating.  See ya next week.

Panto time...

Friday night was a celebration of Tony's one hundred and fifteenth birthday, well sixty fourth anyway, although he is ageing very quickly :-)  We had a lovely night out at Ev Zyn restaurant in the town and were all safely tucked up at home at a sensible hour, well you have to make sure these senior citizen's get home safely before they turn back into pumpkins!  On the subject of returning home safely we very nearly didn't get out in the first place.  Sandra fell in the cockpit of Tony's boat and hurt her legs, arm and chest, however she was saved from worse injuries by the provision of a natural pair of fenders which broke her fall.  She is mainly recovered now but has since come down with some sort of bug making her life a little restrained at the moment.

The Nivads Poster.

Saturday was Panto night at Vlicho yacht club as usual, ably produced and presented by NIVADS (Nidri Very Amateur Dramatics Society).  The whole cast put on an amazing show and it was greatly appreciated by the capacity crowd who turned up to witness it.

In the meantime we have been continuing to tick off more jobs from the list of things to do on the boat prior to the start of the sailing season.  I have been stuck in the bilges rerouting cables and pipes and generally making things neat and tidy as opposed to the surreal image of spaghetti Junction which it was in.  We've now got both the domestic and engine batteries charging successfully from the solar panels, and our current domestic battery, which was with the boat when we bought her seems to be able to cope with the fridge and other twelve volt systems running overnight  when the sun ain't shining.  At least I don't need to shell out for a new battery at the moment.

Sorry for the lack of pictures this week just the panto poster!