proper little scrubbers...

Well, it's just a quicky this week and no photo's 'cos I've not had the time to take any (or to be more honest they would just be a repeat of last weeks).  That is because it's been all hands on deck to get Lesanda looking at her best before we set off into the wild blue yonder next week for Greek Easter.  We have just about finished all the scheduled jobs we had set out to do now just the winter cockpit tent to be taken down and replaced with the bimini shade and the stainless steel to polish really.

The inflatable boat has been pumped up and cleaned to with an inch of it's life and is now floating happily beside the "mother ship".  All the mosquito nets have been fitted to the windows but not early enough to stop Sanny being mauled by one as big as a rather large thing the other night.  It got her five times on the hand, arm and ear, I just had to deal with the incessant moaning later so I got ear ache as well.

Tony, Liz, Sandra and I retrieved both our life rafts from Vournikas yesterday and stored them in Tony's house until we move on to new pastures next year.  We won't need it in the southern Ionian as we have the dingy in tow all the time with us it's really there for passage making.  Anyway I think that that was the last thing we had left up at Vournikas so I suppose that's the end of one era.

We've replaced the transom shower this morning, that was the one which was causing the flooding in the bilges a couple of months ago.  Up to now this one seems to be behaving itself.  I think that that's the last thing we are going to spend any money on this year, there are a few things which will needs to be done later in the season when we get pulled out but other than that it'll have to wait until next winter.  As a whinging pensioner and a Yorkshire one at that, I think my wallet needs a long summer holiday.

Oh well as I said just a quicky, hopefully more to say next week.

 

Cracking on...

Welcome home Sanny!

Sandra arrived back from the UK on Thursday on her £14.99 Ryan air trip from Leeds Bradford airport to Corfu.  How do they do it for that sort of price?  Anyway I met her at the airport with a taxi and we caught the ferry back to Igoumentisa and had a lovely drive home and then out for a meal that night.

On Saturday Debbie and Jez set off on their caravanning expedition into the wilds of the Penepolese, which is the southern part of mainland Greece, although I suppose since the Corinth canal was built it's technically an island.  They seem to be having a great time and sent us some photos one of which I'll share here of the Dhiakoptos railway, which looks very fascinating and worth a visit for anyone visiting the area.  Thanks for the photos you guys.

Dhiakoptos Railway (Thanks D&J)

On Monday we were asked by the assistant marina manager if we would move our mooring onto another pontoon to make way for the rapd influx of charter boats which are now going back into the water pending the start of the season.  We knew this would happen as they originally said that we could only stay where we were for the winter so that was fine.  We were given the choice of several places to "park" but decided on H pontoon nearest to the town where we can watch the comings and going on the town quay.

Our new view from the back of the boat.

Stripped off and ready for a serious scrub down.

 Having moved and the weather being so smashing we thought we may as well take the bull by the horns and strip Lesanda down, acid and pressure wash her decks and then polish her to try and bring her back to her former glory.  Two days hard work later and we are sat on her pristine new clean decks with the tent back up and enjoying the sunshine.  We have used a new polish on the boat which was a recommended "Best Buy" through a magazine article.  Jeremy ordered some for both of us and Kev & Linda kindly brought it back from the UK when they returned.  I can honestly say I've never used a vehicle polish like it before, it's just so easy to wipe off and buff up it's unbelievable.  Crystal Glo is the name of the product and it works!!  I think it was about £22 per litre but well worth it.  With that sort of advertising I expect the manufacturers will be queueing up to send me samples of their offerings now (NOT).

Cleaned polished and tent back up.

Anyway Liz has returned home to Greece from the UK yesterday so another little ray of sunshine descends on the land of the gods.  Bliss.....

Last week fending for myself...

Trimmed up triffid bougainvillea. 

It's been a strange old week really, On Saturday we went to Vlicho yacht club to their tenth anniversary (and Rauri's birthday) bash.  Excellent night with a very good group, sounded much better live then they did on YouTube.  Nice to meet a couple of people I hadn't seen for a while especially Jane who had just called in whilst on a delivery trip to Malta (well that's as far as she goes with it anyway).

Front garden whipped into shape

Thursday and Friday last week were spent getting to grips with the ever growing and more powerful triffids which populate Tony's garden.  The bougainvillea is particularly vicious but never mind armed with the appropriate tools we soon beat it into submission.  I think that it'll all survive for another year now that it's got some air  flow around it.  The front garden is looking quite well established now and now that the fruit trees have some shape to them it's looking quite good.

Alterations at Igoumenitsa port and ANEK coming in.

I've been full of cold all week and coughing and peffing like a sixty a day man (oops Freudian slip, I am a sixty a day man, well maybe not that many!).  To be honest it's quite debilitating and you don't really feel like doing anything but even more so when you scrub all the decks till they shine and then you get red rain overnight and the next day leaving a large part of the Sahara desert firmly adhered to your pride and joy it makes you want to weep.  But I'm not going to do that 'cos I'm a big strapping Yorkshire lad, so it's out with the hosepipe again.

More civil engineering (in spite of austerity)

Today I went to pick Sanny up at Corfu airport, she could have caught the ferry to Igoumenitsa herself but like the big softy I am I thought it would make a nice gesture to meet her off the plane.  That and the fact that it gave her about three or fours hours extra talking before bedtime!! luv you darling!!!

.

Trouble at mill lad...

Unfortunately we had a problem back in the UK on Friday which necessitated us having to find some flights back to the UK in a bit of an hurry.  Sandra went back via Athens to Manchester on Sunday with Easyjet not particularly cheap but it was short notice. We have done very well with her return flight however £14.99 Leeds-Bradford to Corfu, and no extras charged at all, can't believe it we ain't normally that lucky.  So that leaves me home alone to look after myself.  

Monday I took Tony to hospital at Ioannina, which was something of a new experience for both of us.  After about an hour and a half of queueing for our number (like at the deli counter in a supermarket)to be called out, we finally got past the reception and on to see the specialist.  With neither of us knowing the form, Tony stopped a rather stern looking lady dressed in scrubs.  She snatched the paper from him and closed the door leaving us looking dumbfounded at each other but seconds later came out again and gave Tony his half of the paper back. "Where do I want to be" said Tony "Etho" (here) came the reply and that was us for over another couple of hours standing in a corridor with at least a hundred walking wounded Greeks.  Anyway to cut a long story short, He got seen to in the end and got confirmation that his operation will take place in late May, much quicker than it would have been back in Blighty but probably more hassle.  It was six am when we left the marina and six pm when we returned.

With Tony, Debs & Jez having our meal without electricity.

Tony very kindly treated me to a meal that evening at Mystrali with David, Janet, Paul and Sue.

Tuesday looked like being a wet day, although it wasn't, but I decided not to start the garden up at Apolpina, instead I thought I would install my extra service battery on the boat.  We had called in at IKEA on the way home yesterday where I had bought a box which I thought would be ideal for mounting the new battery.  It was and now we have 220 amp/hours worth of power to keep us going while away from a hookup.

Went out with Jez, Deb and Tony last night to Margarita's, we just arrived and the power went out all over town never to be seen again until the wee small hours of this morning.  They managed very well though and my spaghetti Bolognese was lurvvvvly.  We had a great night in the candlelight talking old films and comedy actors, thanks guys, really enjoyed it.

Today we set about the triffids at Tony's villa's, I'm pleased to say we have broken it's back but not without some damage to my person, once again I'm covered in scratches but it's worth it to get it looking back in shape.

Oh well must go now and get a shower before setting about that steak and kidney pie!! Seeing as all the able females haven't been flocking to my door dying to wait on me hand and foot. :-)