Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Hi from Tapestry,
On Sunday Morning we set out early to circle the Island of Ithaca. It was a
beautifully clear morning as we swung around the north end of the island and
then headed south. The hills on the island are steep and though roads have been
carved in the sides of the hills, towns are few. There is a small settlement at
Porto Polis, which is supposed to be the location of Odysseus's palace. We
motored in and dropped anchor. Ashore we found terraced farmland and a cave
where Mycenaean relics had been found, but there were fences along the road and
we didn't trespass. Meanwhile, the wind had come up from the north and back
aboard, we raised anchor, pulled out the jib and sailed across to Cephalonia
where we anchored in a lovely bay. There were restaurants and shops ashore and
rocks along the bay where sun-bathers reclined in the sun. Cepholania was a
home to the Mycenaeans, who lived there in 50,000 B.C. Their civilization
lasted until 2 B.C., when they were taken over by the Romans. Imagine, a
civilization that lasted for 48 thousand years! Makes our 2000 year old
Christain civilization seem young.
Yesterday morning we woke to gray skies and raised anchor just before it began
to rain. We motored out of the harbor and were met by a deluge. We punched
through large waves and limited visibility for a while, but finally the weather
cleared, a north breeze sprang up and we headed for Missalongi. From the
mountains of Ithaca, we traveled to the low coast of mainland Greece. Wind was
on the beam, so Tapestry gushed along. It was a beautiful sail under clearing
skies. The entrance was difficult to find, but the g.p.s. took us right to the
harbor mouth. There is a three mile canal through the marsh up to the port.
The harbor is just a concrete wall near a rather unspectacular village. We were
greeted by several hungry but friendly dogs. One of Missalongi's claims to
fame is that the English poet George Gordon Lord Byron died here. He was one of
the Romantic school who came here to participate in the Greek Civil War.
Although he is quoted to have wanted to live out his life on Ithaca, he died
here. There is a statue of him here at Missalongi, in a rather nice museum with
a few relics of that war on display. The place is filled with photos and
paintings of Byron and mention of his works, which include Childe Harold, Don
Juan, Corsair, and other light classics.
Greece has been ravaged by war through much of its history and several modern
fighter planes and tanks are on display in a nearby park. They have been
vandalized and the park is unmowed and unkempt. That seems to represent the
European attitude toward war. Clearly, the Greeks find little glory in their
constant occupation over the years. A huge painting in the museum shows a woman
next to her dead husband, killing her child and about to kill herself as the
Turks invade Missalongi; not a pretty picture.
Although the town is depicted in the Cruising Pilot as somewhat wanting, we
found it delightful. There is a beautiful fountain and a shaded dining area in
the main square. Coffee shops and restaurants line the narrow streets and the
coffee shops are filed with attractive young people busy socializing and
drinking Frappe's, commonly known at home as iced coffee. Although tables spill
out into the streets, which are covered with awnings and sun umbrellas, bicycles
and scooters still wend their way between tables. Music from various
establishments competes in the street, but it all makes for a lively, not
unpleasant atmosphere.
When we arrived here we had the stars and stripes flying, which caught the
attention of the local Coast Guard. They came to the boat and suggested we
should visit the office of the Port Police the following morning. We did so
and, of course when we arrived they had no idea why we were there. We were
shuffled from office to office and finally told to return to the boat (which was
a mile away) for all our papers. After much discussion and even heated
argument among officials, it was decided that we should pay 10 Euros and then
they would stamp our papers. After nearly three hours we were finally free to
go. This time the officials were uniformed, but pleasant. Still it was a
relief to get out of that place. Hopefully, after this check-ins will be more
routine.
One thing about Greece that we have found interesting is that transliteration is
simply not possible. A Geek word relates in no way to its English counterpart.
We all know that in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian the word
no menas no. But in Greek, the word neh means "yes"; ochee is no.
Place names are spelled differently on different maps, too. Some cartographers
use a direct translation of Greek letters for English letters, but that makes no
sense as far as pronunciation is concerned. Others use a phonetic spelling,
which is difficult to recognize next to the direct translation. Actually,
thanks to the Greek Orthodox Church, the Greek language flourishes here. It has
been kept in tact by the church through the various occupations of the
country.
But the Greek people are wonderful. They are friendly and welcoming. It is not
an easy place to get around, but the good nature of those who live here make it
fun and interesting. We will stay here tomorrow and then push on toward the
Corinth Canal where we do not want to arrive on a weekend or on a Tuesday
because the price is higher on those days. I don't know why and I can't look it
up. All the best, Hank and Julie