My big fat Greek birthday

Hei hei from the very far north!

It certainly is a bit colder up here than our last week or so sailing around Corfu, Greece with plenty of lingering snow and the leaves only just starting to come into bud burst.

Anyway we are now both qualified yacht skippers so can charter boats in the Med although we will need to do a couple of extra days training before we can charter boats in NZ! Sorry folks… The hydrofoil from Albania to Corfu was a bit of a let down really, expecting an adrenalin filled experience we were disappointed that it was just a very smooth fast enjoyable ride. It was great to see Jo and Sam peering through the chain mesh fence and after clearing customs we could leave the busy cruise ship infested port and settle into yacht life. The sun was out so while some still had to work we checked out all the other boats and had a dip in the marina swimming pool. Unfortunately the weather had packed it in when we woke the next morning which forced the remaining members of our crew to be delayed by a day. So while we waited we busied ourself with stocking the boat with food and booze. 

The weather dawned clear and the full compliment arrived so we set sail. A nice steady breeze was blowing from the south so after a refreshing dip we hoisted the sails including the Winnie the Pooh spinnaker and headed for Sam’s Bay. With the bay to ourselves we piled overboard into the super clear water while a few hopped on the paddle boards. Some bright spark decided to build a floating fire while dinner was being cooked.  It was a very pleasant evening spent drinking beer, eating, playing with fire and chasing fire flys. A slight muddle greeted us the next morning so as we upped anchor and headed south we briefly called in on the marina to drop off the keys. This provided a good opportunity to practise our boat driving and parking skills between other flash yachts! 

The afternoon was spent sailing across to our evening port of Sagiada which has an interestingly tight and shallow entry. Safely tied in for the night Jo bought out her birthday bottle of rum so we settled in to watch the sun set before getting stuck into some huge plates of local seafood. An early morning swim cleared the head before yacht parking practise begun and thankfully everyone did a great job despite the odd squall blowing through. The rain showers were rather short lived but the wind was a steady 20knots as we pounded into a good swell. The crew was working well as we stretched the legs of the old girl, throwing her into tacks and only slowing down to put a reef in the sail which although lessened our sail area gave us more speed. Every little bit helped as we were getting hounded from behind by a smaller faster boat. However good skippering had us hard on the wind which made it impossible for our trailing competitors to roll us and we had just enough room to clear a headland before drama struck… Our headsail blew leaving us to limp the last couple of knots to port, much to both the trailing boat and our disappointment. After a spot of windsurfing it was huge mixed grills all round for dinner although everyone was rather quiet after the days escapade.

The early night did everyone the world of good as we awoke refreshed and ready for a day of yacht parking, sailing (with our Gerry rigged sail) and celebrating Lucy’s 26th birthday under bright blue skies. After successfully completing another round of berthing the boat we set sail (after a birthday fly-by by a couple of fighter jets) for the island of Paxos. We had a great sail across and after a hearty lunch of BLT’s it was time to pop the champers and cut the cake. We managed to find a spot in amongst the other boats to anchor for the night and everyone was in need of a swim to clear their heads before the gin bottle was opened. Birthday dinner involved a wobbly paddle board ashore to a crazy restaurant where the owner took every customer into the kitchen and showed them what was what all while talking a million miles an hour. After a great meal out the crew did an exceptional job to make it back to the boat all safe and dry. 

Lucy was in charge the next day as she lead a course out and around Paxos before mooring up at a wee taverna. There had been a lot of chat during the week about having a downward leg so we could hoist old Pooh bear again and we finally got a chance. We raced downwind and even managed to keep the kite flying as we rolled old Ella May into a gib. This manoeuvre did cause slight tension as the fore deck crew were unimpressed at the helms orders to maintain course and speed instead of easing off to give them some slack… A couple of mojitos sorted everyone out and even managed to settle down Nick’s wisdom tooth which had become inflamed and rather sore.

We had one final night left which we had agreed would involve a night sail back to the marina. Unfortunately there was next to no wind as we left our berth so we had to motor a fair way we did get air of wind which allowed us to practise sailing onto a buoy and hoving too (stalling the boat). After dinner we set off as the sun was setting towards home and it was the kiwis who took the first leg of sailing and navigating. They managed to sail off the anchor and sail a great course towards the looming fort before the breeze died. Faster progress was made once the engine was started so we handed over the helm to team Great Britain who lead us amongst the ferry traffic and safely into port. 

Nick’s tooth had not settled down so after scrubbing the boat down and seeing the Brits off it was off to the dentist for him. 5 injections and a whole lot of digging later he emerged looking ghost white and in lots of pain so we dosed him up on painkillers, antibiotics and pineapple juice and sent him to bed. He awoke for dinner feeling much better even offering a bit of chat though a movie and early night was all that we got up to to celebrate our last night. 

Saying goodbye to Jo and Sam we set off for a weekend in the big smoke of London. What should have been a straight forward journey became long and frustrating as our flight was delayed by an hour and a half so we were stuck with an airport full of grey haired cruise ship passengers. Next hurdle was landing at the wrong terminal in Gatwick just behind a huge plane full of Americans thus slowing immigration to a dawdle. As our wicks grew short we made it to get our passports stamped. We were not prepared for such stupid questions from the lady, like where is your french visa (right in front of you) where have you been (when…now 10years ago?) and the best was that we can't work in tourism in Norway because we are tourists! Honestly the sooner we leave the commonwealth the better! Norwegian immigration on the other hand said “that sounds about right” when we told the chap that we can get our visa at the local police station! 

Anyway London had turned on the weather and people were out in force which made visiting attractions slightly painful. We did get through the portrait gallery which was interesting for a hour or so. It was also good to catch up with the usual London suspects but we both left thinking we are glad we don't live there!

So back to the present. For those of you who are a bit out of the loop we are now settled into a choice wee cabin surrounded by forest just outside the city of Tromso Norway. The sun shines here for 24 hours a day at present as we are 350kms above the arctic circle thus giving us heaps of time to explore the beautiful mountains and coastline. We are working for the Tromso Villmarkssenter which runs 300 husky sled dogs as well as runs kayaking excursions and has a conference center. We have been hired as general dogs bodies (excuse the pun). Must sign off now, hope everyone is living and breathing life and not working and wheezing. Keep it real!

The Communist Commute

Departing Sarajevo for the coast involved a rather slow bus ride and numerous boarder crossings so we were pleased to arrive in Dubrovnik while the sun was still shining. Dubrovnik was hectic, with plenty of tourists and touts about – I’d hate to see it in the middle of summer! Navigating through the small streets we managed to find our hostel which due to its location inside the old town, now famous for being the setting of the Game of Thrones tv series, was twice the price of any other hostel in Croatia. 

After heavy morning rain the sun broke through and it was a glorious day. We climbed up onto the walls which were very impressive and offered great views over the city and sea below. In the afternoon we escaped the city and headed to a nearby beach (slab of rock) to soak up some rays and have a cool dip before we walked to the top of the mountain where the cable car goes. The views from the top were choice and we had earned our beer. There is a great recollection of the Serb’s attack on Dubrovnik at the top which was worth the visit, though we missed most of the sun set. We did catch the last bit as we hightailed it back down before it got too dark. 

We had a relaxing day swimming off the rocks at the port before eating a picnic lunch in the sun on our way to the bus station. The bus trip down along the coast to Kotor in Montenegro was really scenic especially going around the huge flooded river valley. Travelling always exposes you to new experiences and on this bus trip our driver decided halfway through the journey to stop and power wash his bus for 20min while all the passengers sat on the bus and waited! Kotor is a very old walled city on the coast surrounded by huge steep mountains. Our hostel was great and situated in one of the very old buildings and provided a good communal dinner which was a nice change from eating out. 

Unfortunately the sun was replaced with heavy rain as we set off for a wander around the old town. Nick decided to go for a little explore which ended up in climbing to the top of one of the mountains on the old pack track returning about 4 hours later. He did manage to find a few large snails and catch a frog… In between showers we also climbed up to the old monastery which is surrounded by a huge wall. God only knows how they lugged all the rock up the cliff faces to build the walls. 

The rain was still falling as we headed for Zabjlik a town in the mountainous Durmitor National Park. The hostel manager Alex was awesome and gave us plenty of info on walks and bikes in the area as well as recommending a great restaurant where we ate a huge helping of meat washed down with red wine. Waking early ready for a big day exploring the park we were greeted with fresh snow which continued to fall on and off all day. We did have a good walk around the lakes and decided to stay an extra night hoping the weather would improve… You guessed it, it didn't. Luckily we still had some of our ski gear as we needed it for our bike ride. The scenery was beautiful though especially the rolling hills and little farms.

Departing the grey mountains for Albania early in the morning we were pleased to see some blue skies once we had wound our way down through some great gorges. Arriving in Tirana, the capital of Albania, was a bit of a shock as the traffic was hectic with every other car being a Mercedes, no one working and people everywhere. Thankfully our hostel was very laid back with a great court yard and lounge and even home brew beer on tap! 

We only had one night in Tirana so made the most of the morning by taking part in the free walking tour. Although the buildings (other than a few communists style “shockers”) were not terribly exciting the history the guide provided was very interesting. The communist style in Albania was certainly very extreme and quite a contrast to Yugoslavia. We also had time to visit the newly opened Bunk-art museum. Only recently discovered the nuclear bunker built by the communist regime was huge with 105 rooms split over 5 levels underground complete with an assembly hall and performing stage. The afternoon was spent taking a bus through picturesque fields of wheat and flowering Poppy's to the town of Berat.

Our hostel here was a very cool old house built during the Ottoman Empire. After an evening stroll along the bustling esplanade we treated ourselves to a feast to celebrate a year on the road, 22 countries, 14 international flights and still enjoying each other's company. For all of about 7 euro we had a whole chicken, roast potatoes, grilled veggies, bread, sausages washed down with a cold beer! 

After a quick explore through the hilltop castle we set off for the coast. Not sure how exactly we would get to our planned destination we were pleasantly surprised to arrive without too much drama and even more surprised to find a fellow kiwi (who went to the same primary school as Lucy) trying to hitchhike further south. After a brief chat it was decided to hit the beach for a swim and then find somewhere to stay. The water was refreshing and the weather was calm so we opted to camp on the beach. We couldn't have found a better spot with a secluded beach complete with a perfect sized cave to sleep in. 

The evening was slightly chilly given we had no sleeping bags but we survived and after a morning dip headed back up the big hill to the main road to look for a ride to Sarande, our final port of call before heading to Corfu to go sailing. We hitched a ride with an inspiring Swiss couple and their 3 month old baby who were using their maternity leave to tour around in their campervan. We were the only 3 guests in the 8th story hostel with amazing panoramic views over to Corfu.

Squishing into a minivan we headed early the next morning to Gijorkaster to visit the old town and hilltop castle. The steep cobbled streets leading up to the castle got the heart rate up. There was an impressive collection of WW11 artillery inside the castle and a downed US jet. We had worked up an appetite so got stuck into plates of lamb, meatballs, rice cakes and grilled veggies provided by a cute old couple. Needing to cool off we stopped in on the famed blue-eye springs which were great to swim in but had nothing on NZ’s Pupu springs. 

Up early again we headed for Butrint, an old Roman settlement. It took us a couple of hours to walk around the ruins which were in reasonably good nick given their age. Luckily the info center was all out of English guides so Lucy couldn't give a full commentary (though she did recall a few classic lessons). The ruins and museum were pretty impressive and it seemed the turtles hanging in all the water features thought so too. On our way back we stopped in at Ksimal Beach where got tucked into a hearty lunch before hitting the quaint but very developed little beaches. The water was a great refreshing temperature. We shared a couple of beers with Dan our kiwi friend as the sun set on our last day in Albania. In the morning we headed to Corfu on a hydrofoil ferry for a spot of sailing.

Where the ocean meets the sky we will be sailing.