We left Fiskardo on Friday, conscious of the need to get a berth in Sami about midday. On the way there we stopped in at Pelagia's Beach where scenes from Captain Corellils Mandolin were filmed. The four old olive trees in a line on the stone wall are link to the scene. Not that I liked the casting of the movie. Especially grating was Nicholas Cage as Corelli.
We found a good spot on the wall to fit in, but not without getting out dinghy painter chopped by the bow thruster. Most unfortunate. Ashore it was very hot, so Anne and I hired a car for the afternoon (€50) and took Alice a children to Melissani Caves and Lake. We had to queue for 30 minutes, but it was worth it! The long tunnel sloped down into the darkness with intense blue light at the end. Once there the great blue lake glowed in the sunlight which streamed down through the great aperture to the sky. Wooden boats moved slowly around in the blue carrying groups of a dozen people, while the friendly Greek boatmen sculled us around and into a deeper cavern, as yet uncollapsed.
We did lunch together at a lovely waterside taverna with blue waves crashing onto white pebble beach, and then Anne took all off to Anti-Sami beach for a few hours.
Later Alice & Matt cleared up the boat while Anne and I played cards in the cafe with Felix and Marlowe. Then we did supper for all before they vacated the boat and went to Melissani Hotel for the night. Anne and I then worked hard to make Tin Tin lovely and welcoming for Beccy & Kyle and family. They arrived at midnight and we did another round of supper for all before bed.
Next morning the cousins had a joyful reunion; boys fishing, girls shopping etc. Then just time for a drink and swim before the Bower-Stephen's got a taxi to Kefalonia airport.
I'd ordered the diesel truck for 2pm and we shifted TinTin over to the ferry quay for our fill up, before motoring round to anchor in the calm of Anti-Sami Beach for a bit..
The wind was brisk and the genoa pulled us quickly over to Ithaca, where we anchored stern to on Cat Island. A perfect spot for the night, and not a sign of invading rats with our new rat stoppers and with rock straps secured below water.
