After a collaborated effort we were untying the lines at 8am and waving goodbye to Galaxidi! Our game plan is that if the winds are too strong then we will head to Trizonia, if Navpaktos is full then we can turn back to Trizonia and if all fails there is always Galixidi. Initially, it seemed like the winds were picking up once we were out into the gulf but then it calmed and we had what wind there was behind us pushing us along. We made really great time and arrived to our destination in the early afternoon. Our coveted spots were full but there was room on one of the walls. And thankfully there was not a whiff of wind because this is a small harbour. Our first attempt found us in too shallow water up against the quay and we were churning up mud and most likely funneled in a groove with our rudder. Our neighbor then came by and said he was getting ready to leave and we could take his place. Only this was further inside the harbour and a tight squeeze in between a motor boat and of course, the Coast Guard boat. And with the neighbors advice we set our anchor a bit to the west since that is where the prevailing winds come from and Mike did an amazing job maneuvering us into place. And there we were, snug as a bug, in Navpaktos Harbour!
Heather tried to capture the sweat. You'll just have to believe us.
I think Lucca is ready to go home.
We were happy to be here (although a little hot) because another factor in all of this planning was the Perera’s bus to Athens that they had to catch on Friday (tomorrow). It was a bit iffy if there was one from Trizonia, and if we were forced to anchor outside of Navpaktos, it would have been hard to off load everyone and their luggage if the weather was at all unsettled. So we were all resting a bit easier knowing that we had made it. Although, I have to say that initially I was a bit uneasy with our place in the harbour. We just looked so big in our corner and I even had thoughts about moving into another spot but the afternoon and evening just flew by with the clock ticking until our friends would have to leave.
While Shan and Mike took Lucca to the beach, Heather and I went on some errands, including finding the bus station to figure out their tickets. Again, it was siesta and when are we going to learn to follow instead of running around, getting all sweaty and accomplishing nothing? But at least the bus station was open which gave us time to sit in a shaded café and enjoy being in a new place!
With plans of having a final dinner out, we headed back to the boat and had a little pre-funk! Everyone was in fantastic moods and there was even a bit of dancing going on! And another snuggle puddle with Lucca. I am already finding myself missing him. We were then off in search of a restaurant away from the busy streets so Lucca could have room to play and explore at a safe distance while keeping eyes on him. We found a nice spot with an amazing tree and fountain which had him mesmerized and entertained for a long time. He drank from the fountain, washed his shoes and buba in the fountain. By the end he was drenched and loving it.
But the euphoria quickly turned into exhaustion and another meltdown ensued. And this one was the mother of them all. But we gotta give it to Heather and Shan, they held fast despite it being really hard. Just one of those things that you have to deal with when traveling with a two year old. But we made up for some personal time lost at dinner when we got back to the boat. We continued to celebrate our last night together in our cockpit with the rest of the town partying all around us at the different cafes and bars. We even ran out to the beach behind us and went skinny dipping in the sea that felt like bath water. One of my favorite memories is Mike and I quickly heading back to the boat since Lucca was sleeping (and with the plan of letting Shan and Heather have some alone time). All we had on were the towels wrapped around us as we casually walked past the cafes packed with stylish Europeans all decked out as we made our way back to the boat. People were staring. It was awesome. Shan also presented us with the most precious and thoughtful gift. A ‘monkey fist’ that he has carried with him since moving away from Sri Lanka (really Shan?) with the dream of sailing one day. He passed it on to us and it immediately went on our engine key. Thank you so much Shan. But eventually we were down one by one and our final night came to an end.
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