Our crossing from Brindisi left an hour behind schedule but was fairly calm and even more so once we reached the shelter provided by Corfu with remarkable views of snow capped Albanian mountains. Corfu town slipped by after dusk and we were soon in Igoumenitsa but having been squeezed in amongst the big boys it was an hour before we disembarked. Fortunately our park up was only five minutes away and we were in bed by midnight.
The independent VW garage I had used a year ago were open on Saturdays and we called in to see when they could do the required oil and filter change and were delighted that they offered to do it straight away, I had the oil and filter with me and although they tried to suggest using a modern fully synthetic oil I insisted they use the one I had provided as my trusted mechanic back in Sheffield says it is the only one to use. We walked up to a local supermarket to get the guys some cakes and returned just as they were finishing the job. I noted they had done it without a ramp or pit having just jacked up the off side front wheel so I must have a go at that some time. Anyway they also plugged in an OBD2 diagnostic reader and cleared the flashing glow plug light all for €30 so I gave them 40 as they would have made something on the parts and it had freed up a few days getting the job done so promptly.
We drove the 10 miles round to Plataria and parked up on one of the two small aires right by the beach. The friendly George soon had us plugged in and the washing machine running as we enjoyed the warm afternoon sun. After a walk along the beach and back through the village we went to the adjacent taverna for a decent meal of octopus for me and a huge pork cutlet for Mandy.
We caught the midday ferry back up to Corfu town which was fairly empty and only £70 single and were soon off anticlockwise round the island stopping at the end of a long track beside a beach for the night. Albania's mountains looked amazing as the sun set following a walk round to an old monastery which had some ancient frescoes and a ruined altar.
The following morning we drove on to a planned stop on a beach at Agios Stefanos but as it was the Greek holiday of Clean Monday prior to Lent it was quite busy with families. We had noticed a group of young men getting dressed up in togas around a float and realised that back at Avliotes there was a carnival going on so headed back that way. After parking on the edge of the village a shuttle bus with a friendly driver took us up to the start of the main street where hundreds of people were gathering. A bar run by a lovely English woman provided cool drinks and a place to sit as the crowds grew and music blared. Eventually a procession of perhaps 20 odd floats and their accompanying performers passed through with music, flashing lights and fake bank notes and paper confetti being thrown in to the crowd. It was hugely enjoyable and as dusk fell we tucked in to pork souvlaki before returning to the van, driving back to Agios and spending the night on the now deserted beach.
Moving on via a superb coast road to Palaiokastritsa we stopped on an impossibly perfect beach for lunch and chatted to a guy from Athens who had studied naval architecture in Glasgow 50 years ago. Most places were closed for business but also in the process of preparing for the season when the place must be overrun.
Moving on south we pulled in at a curious track that ran between the Korission Lagoon and the sea. We sank in to the sand briefly on arrival but were soon free and decided not to head further down so set up shop and walked south along a stunning beach. We went over to talk to a Belgian couple in a Merc based 4x4 Grand Canyon S700 van that had easily got through the sand. They have only had the van a few weeks and for their first trip have ambitions to head to the Stans........
On our return we sat on a small beach as the sun set and had a very peaceful night with the waves breaking gently. P4N took us to another wonderful park up on a dead end track along the beach near Lefkimmi where within the hour Joris and his wife also arrived. I lent them my Stan maps and guidebook and later we had a good chat and exchanged contact details. After another idyllic night we headed up the east coast to Corfu town itself and enjoyed looking round the old fort, dining outside in the old town and then heading back for the five o'clock ferry. Old Corfu town would merit a longer visit but the modern centre seemed to be a parking and shopping nightmare. The sun set as we arrived back at Igoumenitsa before calling at the Lidl for a stock up and returning to Plataria where there was just time to eat next door again having helped George deal with an elderly French camper who spoke only French. The following morning we did some washing before heading south on the coast road with Paxos, where I had cycled and bivvied last year, sitting in a silver sea a few miles offshore.
At Parga we visited an ancient fortress before heading for the Nekropolis of Acheron which had just closed but as we would be returning that way we carried on to Glyki on the Acheron River where it emerges from a narrow canyon through the Souli mountains. The impossibly blue river is a popular rafting centre in the summer but everywhere was deserted as we pulled in on the bank and walked up passing the eponymous springs. A Dutch van was parked nearby but otherwise we had this beautiful place to ourselves and were away early next morning to follow a path for a couple of hours up the east bank of the river to a bridge where flood debris marked what must have been a significant recent torrent. After a chat with the young man delivering bread in the village, who was super friendly and gave me a whole bag of bread and pastries for a couple of Euros, we were back in time to visit the Nekropolis where the guy gave us the seniors discount without, unlike at Corfu fort, then imposing the EU member states only rule. It was a beautiful flower filled site with amazing stone walls built of polygonal blocks, a small church and an impressive fortified homestead. An underground crypt had been associated with the belief that communication beyond the grave was possible and the whole place had a long and venerable history.
Limiona beach was as nice a park up as you could ask for which we shared with a Latvian girl in a Transit who braved the waters to our shame. We walked the beach in each direction and settled down to watch the sun set and some of the planets, visible in a rare alignment, appear. Before leaving I whizzed round with a bag clearing up some plastic waste along the beach, sadly there is a lot of littering in Greece and whilst vanners had some bad publicity a year ago our stays are largely tolerated at this time of year but it doesn't hurt to do a bit of good as well. Sunday the 1st of March was my 66th birthday and I reflected on the many other amazing places I have spent notable milestones such as the Pennant Valley for my 60th, New Zealand at 50, on the farm for the big 40, Bristol at 30 before that and way back when during my nurse training in 1980, quite a journey...
This journey continued with a climb through the mountains to the Monument of Zalongo reached by over 400 steps from a small monastery and commemorating a mass suicide in 1803 of 60 women and children who danced over a cliff to escape the Ottoman Empire's invading forces. It was a stunning spot and offered views over an abandoned Greek settlement we had hoped to visit but which had been closed.
Down at the new marina in Preveza we parked up under a hot sun, walked around admiring the many very impressive yachts from all around the world including the Island of Jura, Douglas and Jersey before stopping for lunch in one of the many tavernas located in the maze of streets in the old town.
A tunnel under the neck of the Ambracian Gulf (€3) brought us out at Agios and we filled up with waters at a small church in a village on the way to the causeway that links the mainland with Lefkada via a swing bridge. On the dramatic west coast below Kalamitsi we dropped down a road that had a few alarming washouts and innumerable tight hairpin bends and eventually petered out as it followed the shore line. We tucked in to a clearing and then walked north and round the headland to another superb beach with a few bars and cafes that would be packed to the rafters in the season. There were 3 other vans parked up but we were happy to return to our solitude and watch the sun set as ferries running from Patras to Brindisi passed on the horizon and we saw four planets emerge after sunset.
Today we headed south to the lighthouse at Cape Lefkatas sitting 75m above the blue seas on craggy white limestone. The views across to Cephalonia, our next destination were stunning whilst below us I reckoned that island's power supply was delivered by an underwater cable as large pylons had crossed Lefkada.
A planned P4N at Vasiliki became a short stop to enjoy the sunny harbour as it was only a small, sleepy village and it was only mid afternoon. We bought some fresh feta cheese from a shop whose owner said he had no idea how good it might be as he can't stand the stuff.....
A dramatic drive round to a beachside campsite at Desimi has provided a useful service stop as few sites are open at this time of year. Apart from a Bulgarian family we are the only guests and have yet to meet the proprietor. The dad returned from a fishing trip on his electric powered kayak complete with echo sounder and all sorts of gizmos and had caught a large fish that would presumably be the evening meal. We have enjoyed a pasta and sausage dish and will cross back to the mainland tomorrow before heading on to Astakos for the ferry to Cephalonia.
Both Corfu and Lefkada have been unbelievably beautiful and we have been blessed with amazing weather which looks set to continue ....
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