Thursday 31 October 2013

Easy week...

Friday of last week we had the Lefkas Singers choir perform for us in Remezzo's bar.  They were excellent the first few songs were performed by about ten female members of the choir, I think probably the most competent performers (but don't quote me on that!).  Later they were joined by the male section and the rest of the female voices, I would guess at perhaps somewhere around thirty people in total. 

The small choir and Rosa conducting.
The did a mixture of modern, traditional and African music, we particularly enjoyed the African stuff although we didn't understand a word they sang, the harmonies where lovely and we were sorry when it came to an end.  Never mind I'm sure we'll get a chance to listen to them again sometime, congratulations to all involved especially Rosa, who has proved that you can make a silk purse from a sow's ear.

While Pete Winnett is back in England there has been no regular guitar sessions on the marina but last week a couple of guys and I got together whilst the ladies were out exercising and had our own jamming session which went down remarkably well.  We are all of a similar standard technically but we bring an eclectic music taste together between us so the end result is quite pleasing really.  No disrespect to Pete's session but we are less tightly held because there are no true beginners present so we can improvise and try things without being constrained by the lowest common denominator.  I have really enjoyed being with Chris and Keith over the three sessions we have had thus far and we've started to sort out some songs we can perform pretty well together.  X factor it ain't (although I've seen some real disasters on that!) but enjoyable it is.




Thursday 24 October 2013

Party, Party...

Local kids practising sailing in the harbour.
 We have had a great week this week, on Saturday we washed dried and stowed the sails for the winter.  If we need to go anywhere now it will be motorised transports only.  While the sails were hung to dry we were entertained by the local kids learning to sail in little dingies, it's much harder than you would think as things tend to happen very quickly, certainly too fast for me!

Our sails hung out to dry.
Sunday was of course the most important person in my worlds birthday and of course just like the queen she has two of them, well at least two parties.  Firstly that night we went up to Vafkeri to have a meal with Pete and Alison at the Katoghi.  Liz and Tony joined us there with their friends David and Anne and we had a super meal and a great laugh as always up there.  One of the disadvantages of not now having a car here is that we can't go up there quite as often as we would like but that makes it all the more special when we do get the chance.  Once again thanks to you guys for a great evening.

Monday evening we went to one of our other favourite haunts, the Panorama Taj, Indian at Palairos.  This time with Deb, Nita (her big sister, or is it mum?), Jez, Linda and Kevan.  Kev was kind enough to chauffeur us there and Jez went via the sea and met us there in the evening.  Once again a great evening with loads of great spicy food and good company.  Again as always it is well worth the trip around to see Dimitry  and his family and Salim is a great Indian chef.

From Left, David, San, Anne, Liz & Tony.

The Katoghi by moonlight.
 So Tuesday comes along and San can't get used to living in isolation having had company for the last couple of days so after her exercises we end up at Daltons Giros place with Alison, Peter and David their neighbour for a spot of light lunch and a good old chat, we seem to have been talking none stop for weeks now.

We ended up this round of entertainments with afternoon tea on the boat complete with cucumber sandwiches (no crusts) and cakes, Debbie kindly brought along a bottle of bubbly to augment the tea though.
Grub on the go.
From Left, San, Linda, Deb, Nita, Jez and Kev.

Afternoon tea in chez Lesanda.
 Anyway to round off the week I have been repairing a laptop for Chris and between us we have organised a Guitar jamming session to keep us occupied while Sandra and one or two other ladies are out exercising, should be a bit of a blast and I can't get into bother for distracting Sandra with my catawauling.

Ok, well I think that is about enough for this week,  let's see what next week brings.

Ohh...  Forgot to mention I bought Sandra a dremil tool for fettling bits on the boat and assorted bits for it, she was dead chuffed!!!

Thursday 17 October 2013

Normality returns...

Peter, Sanny & Alison
 Sandra arrived back home safe, sound and on time at Preveza airport on Sunday evening.  I think she was pleased to be back but also had reservations about leaving her dad in the UK as he was not so well, we think perhaps a little "down" after recent events.  Anyway he is sounding better now then he was at the weekend so hopefully he'll be back to the Geoff we all know and love soon.

The fish restaurant at Ligia.
Alison and Pete from the world famous Katoghi restaurant kindly offered to take us to Preveza on Tuesday for a day out.  Looked at a few shops, mainly from the outside from my point of view and then went up the coast to Lygia for lunch at a super fish restaurant we know of.   Not the sort of place you would stumble across from the land although we know of a few people who have called in when passing in their boats as it sits right on the little fishing harbour.  Beautiful!

Flamingo's gathering on Lefkas Lagoons.
On the way back we saw all the flamingos resting up on the old salt lagoons adjacent to the causeway which crosses to Lefkada.  They are a truly spectacular sight and only a mile or so out of town for anyone who wants to see them before they go.  I really don't know why they come here I guess it's just a transit point for them but whether they are going to Africa or from Africa I have no idea, I didn't even realise they were migratory birds.

Well I think that that's about all for this week, although I should perhaps mention that we are currently being battered by gales but at least it's relatively warm and not raining.  Batten down the hatches.....

Thursday 10 October 2013

Home alone...

Fi's flower stand.
As people who regularly read this blog will know Sandra has gone back to the UK for the funeral of her much loved uncle and godfather and will be returning this Sunday, always assuming that she hasn't found a better offer while my back is turned :-).  It seems that the funeral was well attended by all the family which doesn't at all surprise me as Ron was a really popular and well liked fellow.  On Sandra's request I have to make a special mention of Fiona, our daughter in law,  for the fabulous floral tributes she produced for the church and the funeral.

Close up of the wreath.

On the other hand two thousand miles away I have been on a self catering exercise, and surprisingly I have not managed to poison myself yet.  I must admit that it's all been basic stuff and I have managed to get myself a couple of times when invited by friends, however I do tend to be a tad antisocial when left on my own as Sandra has always been the social animal and I just tag on beside her.  Our many friends here on the island have been keeping tabs on me though so I don't think I will be dead too long before I'm discovered.

I have taken the opportunity to do a few jobs around the place which I knew would involve (a) making a mess and (b) not getting tidied up in what San would think a timely manner ie, I can go to bed knowing that all my gear is scattered about the boat ready to resume the next morning, something Sanny would never tolerate!

And another dawn breaks.
So our mains electricity lighting system was really just plugged in lights with the wires just trailing away to the nearest sockets now I have hidden all the wiring for our lighting and routed it back the the mains board.  Of course on a boat you can't just bash a channel into the wall for the cables they have to go through lockers and bulkheads and under head linings which all takes time.  I have also re-tapped the bolt for the tiller height stop which has been waiting for ever and repaired a stanchion which a nice German lady broke back in the spring.

Now I'm taking it easy and getting some much needed guitar practice in while I have the opportunity and no one nagging me to make less noise (more the singing than the playing really)!  and I must admit counting down the hours until my right hand returns on Sunday.

Thursday 3 October 2013

Sad week for Sanny...

Night fall over the sea at Palairos.

Emptying bins Greek style.
 Last week we had decided that we were going to have a week or so sailing around and just enjoying ourselves so when I wrote last weeks blog we had just arrived at Palairos on the first leg of the journey.  Unfortunately whilst we were sitting in the Indian awaiting our starters we got a phone call from our eldest son to say that Sandra's last remaining uncle (and her Godfather) had died that afternoon.  After returning to the boat after our meal we set about trying to get flights back to the UK.  We returned to Lefkas Marina the next morning and made numerous call to the important people at home and also managed to get Sandra her flights all sorted.  She is going out via Corfu I have taken her and dropped her off at Igoumenitsa this morning, she will be returning to Preveza on the thirteenth.  Funeral tomorrow and then she has a few days to do the Grandma, mum and daughter thing.

Sanny & Pete toasting with Lemonade & Coke.
 A few months ago the local council installed some huge bins under the ground in Lefkas town topped off with chromium plated pedestal bins.  The way they empty them is to tilt back the chrome bin and base and lift out the waste bin from it's hole with a crane installed on the roof of the bin wagon.  This done they tip it into the bin cart in the conventional way.  The underground bins are about three or four times the size of the old dumpsters you see everywhere in Greece but it must have taken at least eight times the time to empty it - only in Greece...

And the rain it did rain, Preveza.
On Tuesday Pete & Alison from the Katoghi rang and asked if we would like to go with them to Preveza on their first Tuesday off (being the winter season now).  Unfortunately, Alison had to cry off at the eleventh hour but Pete and us two still went.  We had a shopping trip with a difference looking for a couple of industrial strength catering bits and Pete some new clothes, not that I do clothes shops so I just waited outside whilst Sandra and Pete tried some industrial strength negotiating, not for the faint hearted!  It then started to rain with a vengeance, serious stair rods so much so that the rain ran into the restaurant from off the street and flooded Pete's sandal clad feet.  We had a great day guys, thank you so much for the distraction.

Anyway once again on a personal note I hope that all goes well tomorrow for uncle Ron's funeral and that everyone tries to remember what a laugh he was, I'm sure he would want everyone to think that way.