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July 2012 www.theionian.com The Ionian 1
The Ionian July 2012 Volume 3. Issue 5 www.theionian.com
COMPLIMENTARY/
Please recycle: give to a friend or neighbour when finished.
The art of keeping cool
Page 5
An Olympic day out
Page 6
Nibbles in Nidri Page 11
Handyman in paradise
Page 12
Berth of a best-seller
Bill and Laurel Cooper talk to The Ionian
Page 8
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2 The Ionian www.theionian.com July 2012
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July 2012 www.theionian.com The Ionian 3
Keeping Cool In Greece, you can easily tell the locals from the
visitors. Theyre the ones wearing jeans and long sleeves in summer
- as in this months cover photo
by Lies vant Net. The rest of us have been trying to keep cool
as much as possible by taking dips in the sea, seeking shade, and
even hanging in a hammock in the breeze under a couple of trees
(the new branch office of The Ionians publisher) to cope with a
heat wave.
In her article, The art of keeping cool on page 5 of this issue,
Barbara de Machula gives a few timely tips on how to do just that,
including a novel use for the often under-rated wet rag. With
temperatures here well into sweltering, plus the final of the Euro
2012 soccer set for July 1st, and the 2012 Olympics in London
following a few weeks later, this promises to be a month when
re-maining calm may not seem an option.
But Bill and Laurel Cooper managed it time and again during 36
years of sailing adventures, many of their exploits recounted in
their best-seller Sell Up and Sail. In Berth of a best-seller on
page 8, the first of three articles for which they have spoken to
The Ionian, they tell our Editor Martin Stote how they wrote much
of the book in the Ionian, which remains one of their favourite
cruising grounds.
Robin Lamb also managed to keep his cool, if not his appetite,
when he found the heads on his yacht Sundowner blocked. In Handyman
in paradise on page 12, he tells us how he dealt with the problem
quietly, methodically, and with only a passing attack of
nausea.
Plato Chipzs appetite is legendary, and as undiminished as ever
as he and Old Wheezy fall upon another defenceless meal, this time
at JDs Bistro in Nidri. See his review, Nibbles in Nidri on page
11.
Paradoxically, Rosanne Hodin found shade beneath the olive
trees, and was struck by the air of peace and tranquillity when she
visited the origi-nal site of the Olympics near Katakolon on the
Peloponnese. She de-scribes her visit in An Olympic Day out on page
6.
Enjoy reading... ~~~_/) Barbara Molin
The Ionian
Cover Photo: Fisherman in Vonitsa. Photo by Lies vant Net. To
purchase any of our pho-tos or to submit your own for cover shot
con-sideration, please email us at: [email protected] Enter our
annual calen-dar photo competition. For more information check our
website at: www.theionian.com
Contact us: Email: [email protected] Website:
www.theionian.com
Founding Publisher: Justin Smith Publisher: Barbara Molin
Managing Editor: Barbara Molin Editor Martin Stote Business
Advisor: Yannis Dimopoulos Business Advisor: Ryan Smith Greek
Editors: V. Gigi and V. Lekkas Layout: Barbara Molin Printing:
Graphic Arts Advertising: Colleen Shears Kim Davies Subscriptions:
Barbara Molin
You can download The Ionian free as a PDF document from our
website: www.theionian.com.
The Ionian is published monthly. Published on the last day
before each month, approximately. Publication is for informational
purposes only. Although The Ionian has made every effort to ensure
the accuracy of the information contained in this publication, the
publisher cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions it
may contain. The opinions expressed by the contributors are not
necessarily held by the publisher. Published in Canada.
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4 The Ionian www.theionian.com July 2012
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July 2012 www.theionian.com The Ionian 5
It has been a hot spring. Summer stole the winter like a quick
thief in the night. My first painting student had to endure a lot
of rain, cold nights, and we even had to heat the stove a few
evenings, not so long ago. And then suddenly, summer kicked in, and
all the blankets had to go, we had to use the fan, and making ice
tea became a daily chore. Heat was here! The plants burst into
flowers and fruit, and
swimming in the sea was a sure way to cool down. And the
temperature was matched by the political discussions in the
taverna, which were getting everyone very hot under the collar.
Now that the elections are behind us, we hope that the European
demands will ease up and allow us to cool down a bit, and maybe
even give a little breathing space so we can rethink our ideas on
how to tackle the crisis. Meanwhile, I would like to share a few
tricks on how to keep your cool on a hot day.
A delightful place to visit is the wells of Korpi in the
mountains near Preveza. You may already be familiar with the blue
bottles which you can buy, containing crystal clear water. If you
visit the wells, you can fill up your bottles for free with that
same water. The wells are on the mainland near the village of
Vonitsa. From there you go down to Palairos, turn left to
Monastiraki and follow the sign that says Nestle Hellas.
You will see the water factory where all the water is bottled,
but if you continue to follow the road, turn left by the church and
drive down to a nearly abandoned village, which is now only visited
by people filling up their water tanks. The remnants of a once
lively spa and health resort are still visible, little cabins where
people once stayed to enjoy periods of healing and recovery with
Korpi water treatment.
There are many of these cabins, and you can imagine that in the
old days this must have been a busy place. The water is cool and
refreshing, it is lovely to feel the little chilly stream trickle
between your toes. There are only a few people around, and much of
the time you will be on your own there. The water flows down from
the mountains when the winter snow melts. Slowly it seeps through
the stones, where it is filtered and mineralized. The water
eventually flows down to a big lake at the feet of the Korpi
valley.
Another cool place is the waterfall near Nidri on the island of
Lefkada. This is visited by more tourists, but that eerie, magical
green pool is certainly refreshing. It used to be the home of many
green frogs, on a quiet day when walking along the path to the
waterfall you can hear them performing a concert that deafens your
ears. There is a footpath leading up to the spacious natural
gallery deep in the rocks and luscious green fronds hang down from
the walls. There are some rare birds, but you can spot them only on
very quiet days. It is certainly a good idea to take a dip in the
green pool, the water is quite chilly and pretty clear.
If you are not too keen on taking trips in the hot weather, and
you
want to stay as close to the fridge as possible, try putting a
wet cloth in front of the fan. You will feel the air become much
cooler than usual, evaporating water cools the towel and that air
will become a nice cool breeze. Wet the cloth regularly and you
have your own air conditioner. Talking about the fridge, in the
morning I put several water or ice tea bottles in the freezer and
when it gets really hot I enjoy my melted ice drinks to cool me
down. My new puppy gets a dip with his paws in cold water to cool
him down, and of course fresh water to drink, but not chilled. To
conclude my cold tips, here is a recipe I love:
Jamies 30 Minute Meals is published by Michael Joseph, Penguin,
priced 26.00. Available at all good bookstores. Barbara de Machula
is keeping cool in her garden on a mountain near Palairos. She is
an artist, originally from Amsterdam.
www.paintingholidaygreece.com
The art of keeping cool
Barbara de Machula
Nidri Falls Julie Farren
Filing up at Korpi springs
Jamie Olivers yummy drink found in 30 Minute Meals.
Lemon Ginger drink Ice cubes 1 x 330ml can of fizzy lemonade a
few sprigs of fresh mint a 2cm piece of fresh ginger 1 bottle of
sparkling water
Instructions: Fill a large jug halfway with ice. Add the
lemonade and mint sprigs. Peel and finely grate in 2cm of ginger.
Top up with sparkling water, mix with wooden spoon and take to the
table.
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6 The Ionian www.theionian.com July 2012
It could only happen in the UK. The London 2012 Olympics start
on July 27th, and Danny Boyle, the director of the opening
ceremony, has promised synthetic rain clouds to remind the crowds
of Britains famously perverse weather, just in case it doesnt rain
for real. After all, it rained in the UK during the Diamond Jubilee
weekend. But Rosanne Hodin got the best of both worlds. She visited
the original site in the sunny Peloponnese.
Be there early to avoid the huge crowds.
That was the advice we got from everyone. The Ionian pilot book
gave the helpful suggestion that as Olympia would have been
thronged with eager crowds in the fifth century BC, one should
not feel bothered by them now. We had arrived in our own boat
and moored
on the quay at Katakolon. From here one can either hire a car,
or take a taxi to nearby Pirgos and then board one of the frequent
buses. There is a train going directly to Olympia, but that is for
the exclusive use of passengers from the cruise liners.
We hired a car to share with friends but even so maybe we were
not going to be there that early. Along the quay where we were
moored, a large cruise liner was docked, and eleven coaches parked
nearby to carry whoever wanted to join us at Olympia.
As we arrived, a helicopter was circling overhead, police cars
had set up a road block,
and a large crowd gathered on the road ahead. Surely this wasn't
right? It seems that we had stumbled on a national cycling event, a
race from Olympia to wherever, with a very generous assembly of
supporters. And off they went...
Once we were past the ticket office, a huge mantle of calm
settled over us. There were groups of visitors who were attached to
a guide and were herded from one site to the next, but we were as
free as thistledown to go where we
pleased, and for most of our four-hour visit we were alone. It's
a huge site, with olive trees growing through the tumbled stones,
and shade, lizards and wild flowers everywhere. It is extraordinary
that the site was only found and excavated in 1875. Imagine the
search and then the discovery of the first of the remains, found
under six meters of alluvial mud. It was extraordinary too to be
walking in the very place of the first Olympic flame as the 2012
flame was being relayed around Britain. The monuments range in
antiquity over multiple centuries, and the earliest occupation was
a Bronze Age encampment on the hillside of Mt. Kronos. The site was
believed to be a sacred grove, rich in spirit life. The
archaeologists have found round-ended stone huts which are
thought to be the earliest monuments, but the first of the temple
remains is a beautiful rectangular temple to Hera, from 600BC, and
one of the earliest Doric temples in Greece. As well as featuring a
statue of Hera it would have housed statues of significant women.
Strange, considering the site was only accessible to men. The
largest of the
An Olympic day out
Rosanne Hodin
The Altis, the sacred Grove
Olympic Staddium seatig 45,000 male only spectators
Head and shoulders probably of Poppea Sabina 2nd wife of Nero
480 BC
The monuments range in antiquity over multiple
centuries, and the earliest occupation was a Bronze Age
encampment on the hillside of Mt. Kronos. The site was
believed to be a sacred grove, rich in spirit life.
The temple of Zeus, fallen columns
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July 2012 www.theionian.com The Ionian 7
temples is of course to Zeus and the vast pillars lie as they
would have fallen during one of the two earthquakes believed to
have ravaged the site. The sanctuary gradually fell into disuse
after the Christianisation of the area, when pagan rites were
abandoned or suppressed.
Games and worship went hand in hand at Olympia and in its later
heyday they were separated on the site. The athletes and their
supporters were given accommodation and practice areas and
luxurious thermal bath systems. The access to the stadium for the
competitors was through a dramatic tunnel, from which, presumably,
they made a spectacular entrance.
We sat on the grassy slope of the stadium, designed to seat
45,000 spectators. The view is fantastic now and would have been
then.
It is wonderful to think that honour and glory were the prize,
both for the winner and for his city state. This was not a games
driven by commercial interest. There was no prize money. There were
sixteen little pedestals where those who had cheated had made
apologetic statues of Zeus, presumably to appease the Gods, who
would have been offended by such an insult.
We wandered peacefully and in awe. The place still feels
magical, still seems a sacred grove. It was quiet. It was serene.
We were overcome by the conundrum of trying to make sense of these
random stones.
In the museum, the treasures found on site were displayed, lit
simply and to the utmost effect. Having seen the temples, it was
quite possible to imagine these statues, votive offerings, and
vases all in their original
positions. Part of the ceremonial process involved
extraordinary, free-standing containers like baptismal fonts
decorated with lion heads or gaping griffons.
We saw exquisite glass flasks from a nearby tomb, pale azure in
colour, and some flawless. Not visible was the huge
chryselephantine statue of Zeus designed by Pheidias.
Chryselephantine statues were usually larger than life, built
around a wooden frame, covered with thin carved slabs of ivory to
represent the flesh, and sheets of gold leaf for the garments.
Pheidias went on to design the Parthenon.
But the statue of Zeus was seized by conquering Turks and
transported to Istanbul where it was destroyed by fire. This statue
would have dominated the temple of Zeus, and was so vast and
impressive that it would have left those who saw it filled with
awe. We didnt see it. But we were still talking about Olympia
twenty four hours later.
Michael and Rosanne Hodin sailed from Plymouth in 2010 on their
Dufour Classic 41 yacht Ethel. They spent 2011 happily cruising the
Ionian. This year they hope to go round the Peleponnese and return
to Preveza via the Corinth Canal. Photos by Mary Ashworth unless
otherwise noted.
Lions and stag, handle of the lid of a votive cauldron
Columns from the Philippeon, completed by Alexander the
Great
Hermes bearing the infant Dionyseus by Praxiteles Julie
Farren
Olympic stadium entrance J. Farren
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8 The Ionian www.theionian.com July 2012
Anyone moored up in Port Vathi on Meganisi in the summer of 1985
may have seen a petite, sun-tanned woman, looking much younger than
her 56 years, sat on the spacious stern deck of an impressive 50 ft
steel ketch pounding away furiously on a battered old portable
typewriter.
The woman was Laurel Cooper, and the yacht was Fare Well, in
which nine years earlier she and her husband Bill had sailed from
the UK, having decided to sell their beautiful six-bedroomed home,
a converted Georgian coaching inn on the banks of the Medway at
Maidstone, Kent, in the UK, quit the rat race, and spend the rest
of their lives like a modern-day Odysseus.
Which is a clue to the title of the book they were writing. Sell
Up and Sail, first published in 1986, became a bestseller, and has
run to five editions. It has sold over 25,000 copies in the UK,
been published in a translated edition in Sweden, and in the USA by
Sheridan House. It is commonly dubbed the bible for live-aboard
sailors, although that suggests a gravitas and a worthiness which
does not capture its sometimes irreverent, lively and seditious
tone.
When they first decided to sell up and sail, Bill was a shoe-in
for the maritime adventures ahead. He was a former Lieutenant
Commander in the Royal Navy, a professional navigator, a restless
and adventurous spirit turned City gilts broker who was frustrated
by his commuters lifestyle working as a financial advisor to the
Harold Wilson government. One day he had a Reggie Perrin moment,
and instead of boarding the train to London, returned home and told
Laurel that he was going to finish Fare Well, the hull of which had
been professionally constructed, but which he had been fitting out
at the bottom of the garden, and cut loose.
Laurel, then a magistrate and art teacher, was a less likely
candidate. I was entrenched in a comfortable little life and saw no
reason to abandon it in order to get wet, cold, and seasick away
from my books, cats and children, she wrote later in their book.
She had sailed on the Broads, and had one four week cruise with
Bill
in the Med under her belt. She also suffered with a congenital
and painful hip problem. In preparation, she learned navigation at
a sailing school in Cowes and accompanied friends on coastal and
cross Channel sorties. But when the moment came, she shared Bills
excitement.
A burden rolled off my shoulders that I had never been aware of,
she wrote in their book. I smelt the sea, saw the first of many
ocean sunsets, and felt a freedom I had never known before. And she
told The Ionian, Our income was a tenth of what it had been but we
were ten times as happy.
Sell Up and Sail has made them, if not a household name,
certainly a name known to most sailing families. The sub title is,
Pursue
the Dream, and indeed Bill wrote in the first chapter of the
book, ...it is a romantic dream that has the chance of coming
true... But the chapter concludes, Dreams can become a reality. It
is hard work, rather than magic that gets it done.
And that is the key to the books huge appeal. It is not a manual
for lotus eaters. It is an immensely practical, no-nonsense,
pragmatic, wry and humorous guide on how to survive and enjoy a
life like theirs, packed from cover to cover with information and
advice from the fundamental Can I afford it? Am I the right sort of
person? What sort of boat would serve best? to the minutiae of
domestic tips. In Greece, every household keeps a pot of basil to
keep the flies away. This is the little-leafed basil, not the one
with the large leaves grown in Italy to go with tomatoes.
It tells how since leaving the UK 36 years
ago they have enjoyed the unorthodox, free-spirited, but
sometimes hazardous life of the long-distance live-aboarder,
sailing nearly 100,000 miles - the equivalent of four
circumnavigations visiting 45 different countries, including the
eastern seaboard of the USA, the Caribbean, and most of the
Mediterranean. They survived the worst perils the cruel sea could
throw at them, most famously, the 100 mph Hurricane Alberta which
hit them 200 miles out from Bermuda in 1982. They literally
battened down the hatches as the sea foamed around them, at one
point rolling Fare Well right over. When the worst was over, Bill
ventured on deck, only to be struck by lightning. Not unreasonably,
his hair stood on end.
The couple were later awarded a Royal Naval Sailing Association
medal for seamanship. And in March of this year Yachting Monthly
included them in a feature on the magazines top 25 cruising heroes,
which also saluted the Hiscocks, Maurice Griffiths, and Robin
Knox-Johnson. For all their sea miles, the Coopers admit, rather
touchingly, My goodness, that was a surprise. We were so chuffed.
During those years they have
been frequent visitors to the Ionian, which remains one of their
favourite sailing grounds. In this, the first of three articles for
which they have spoken to The Ionian magazine, they explain why
they love the area and how the islands have changed since they
first arrived in Argostoli on Cephalonia in 1977.
In the second article, in next months issue, they recall how
Laurel was badly burned in a cooking accident on deck in Liyia, on
the mainland just north of Igoumenitsa, a frightening squall in
2003 in Vliho Bay
Fare Well, Kassiopi, Corfu 1977
Berth of a best-seller
Martin Stote
I was entrenched in a comfortable little life and saw no reason
to abandon it in order to get wet, cold, and seasick away
from my books, cats and children...
Writing Sell up and sail - Meganisi Autumn 85
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July 2012 www.theionian.com The Ionian 9
reminiscent of last years hurricane force blow, their sometimes
uneasy relationship with flotillas, and how their second boat
Hosanna, an 87 ft Dutch barge, ran aground in the Lefkas Canal in
April 2003, where it remained stuck for 24 days. They also break a
personal rule and reveal two of their favourite and most secluded
anchorages.
In the third, to be published in September, they tell of
memorable barbecues in Abeliki Bay on Meganisi, pot luck suppers
with other Ionian live-aboarders while wintering in Lefkas, and why
old age has finally forced them to return to the UK and settle down
on a permanent mooring in Rochester, Kent. They are both now 83
years old.
The Coopers set sail from Lowestoft in 1976 with their one-eyed
cat Nelson, heading initially for Gibralter. They continued on
around the Mediterranean, and spent their second winter afloat, in
1977/8, mainly in Corfu. Gouvia Marina was then only half-finished
and free, said Laurel.
She continued, Most of Sell Up and Sail was written in Port
Vathi, Meganisi. We wrote it together. Bill was very good on boats
and the technicalities, and I concentrated on the human aspect and
psychology. Then we each edited the others stuff, improved the
style, and agreed the finished paragraphs. The title was a joint
effort which just cropped up in an editing conference with our
original publishers, Stanford Maritime
When we were writing in Port Vathi, we were moored up off the
beach, within ten metres of the cafe come taverna Akra Yialos, run
by our dear friend Bissarion. It was just a seashore then, with
trees, not the concrete quay it is now. Bissarion would go fishing
early in
the morning, and seeing one or the other of us pounding away on
an old portable typewriter would stomp up our gangway with a plate
of octopus, saying You working so hard.
In the photograph you can see that Fare Well is dressed overall
because its St Bissarions day. We were privileged to be his friend
as he didnt like tourists. He sold only coffee and wine, and if he
was pestered for whisky and coca cola and other unobtainables he
would ensure that if they DID sit on his rickety chairs they got a
glass with a fly in it. Sadly, he died many years ago. He wasnt
gregarious, like our other friend Stefan of The Rose Garden,
though
they were both ex merchant seaman, as nearly all Meganisi men
were in those days.
Bill said, We remember several Easters in different parts of
Greece, but at least three were in the Ionian. We remember
Bissarion making kokkoretsi - lamb or goat offal on a skewer, wound
around with the intestines - for Easter morning. Everyone was very
hospitable, we got red eggs, kokkoretsi, and huge plates of
lamb.
Of course, all this is after that magical moment on Easter Eve
when all is dark, then the candle is lit, and the light passes from
hand to hand, CHRISTOS ANESTI! And everyone spills out of the
church into the road, street lights and house lights go on, and we
all try to get the candle home, still lit, to make the smoky cross
beside the door.
Laurel added, We loved the Ionian from the moment we first
arrived in Argostoli in south western Cephalonia in July 1977. Bill
had been there in 1953 as Navigating Officer of HMS Childers, a
destroyer helping with the earthquake in Ithaca, but he never got
ashore.
The islands enjoy sheltered waters, barring the odd squalls,
short distances between the islands, a lovely climate, hospitable
and unpretentious people. There are countless other reasons why we
love them. Islands are best because the people have a
self-sufficient attitude of mind, there is always someone who can
do what you want or get what you need.
Also in 1977 we attended the second Folk Festival in Lefkas,
which was hilariously anarchic. The stage in the Platia was like a
boxing ring, about two metres high with seats all round it. When
the Highlanders danced they revealed all under their kilts, and the
cheering audience could be heard as far as Meganisi.
We remember visiting Petriti on the east coast of Corfu while it
was still just a short quay, and eating at a taverna on the beach
with our feet in the sea under the table. The cabaret was a randy
cockerel chasing several hens amongst the diners. Later the 18/30
Club ruined it for a while, but hey, everything passes.
Bill said, When we came to the Ionian in 1977 almost no shops
had glass windows, traffic lights were unknown, tavernas and most
streets had earth floors with chickens browsing around your feet,
and interesting kitchens. Telephone calls abroad were made in
Giorgios garden at Kondokali Bay in Corfu with a kilo of
small change. You couldnt get lettuces, mushrooms, or
mayonnaise, and no fresh milk, but tzicken and tzips and a bottle
of wine for two cost less than fifty drachma, about a pound in
those days.
I fear there are now too many foreigners for the old xenofilia
to hold sway, especially after the hippies took such shocking
advantage of it. Brussels regulations have changed the kitchens
beyond recognition, but mercifully not ruined the food, though we
find it has become more Europeanised. Its more difficult to find
kokkoretsi, for example, or a nice row of goats heads on the
spit!
Pictures supplied by and used with kind permission of Bill and
Laurel Cooper and Adlard Coles Nautical.
Sell Up and Sail (ISBN 9780713674033) is available, priced
19.99, from Adlard Coles Nautical at www.adlardcoles.com , from all
good bookshops, and from Amazon.
Their other books are, Watersteps through France; Watersteps
around Europe; Sail into the Sunset; A Spell in Wild France; Back
Door to Byzantium; Sell Up and Cruise the Inland Waters. Those
which are out of print may be available second hand via Amazon.
The link to the Adlard Coles Nautical books home page is:
http://www.acblack.com/nautical/Sell-Up--Sail/Bill-Cooper-Laurel-Cooper/books/details/9780713674033
The Adlard Coles Nautical 2012 brochure, carrying details of
their many maritime books and how to order them, is available from
www.adlardcoles.com Martin Stote , a retired Daily Express
journalist, owns with his wife a share in a syndicate yacht in the
Ionian. Although he can claim with all honesty to have sailed since
he was a boy, that autobiographical snippet doesnt convey how much
of his life has actually been spent on dry land. He first read Sell
Up and Sail about 20 years ago and has owned two editions of the
book. Writing these features was really just an excuse to talk to
two of his sailing heroes. Martin is The Ionians Editor.
Coopers with Hosanna, Lefkas Marina, Spring 2005
Bill and Laurels first cruise
Bissarion making kokkoretsi for Easter breakfast 1985
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10 The Ionian www.theionian.com July 2012
TO 12,950
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July 2012 www.theionian.com The Ionian 11
Well, here we are once again, and I can tell from the amount of
fan mail that Barbara, our brilliant managing editor, has received
for me that I have been sadly missed - by passing cars, mostly.
Anyway, I hope you all had a good winter. Mine was rather busy as
Old Wheezy needed a good service, but now with her bottom scraped
and anti-fouled and clutching Rosemary Connollys Hip & Thigh
diet to her bosom, were all set for another gastronomic Ionian
extravaganza, or, as we say, a selection of Greek salads.
The enduring memory of being at anchor in Vliho bay will always
be Sunday mornings, just after the sun has cast its glorious cloak
across the bay, as fish stretch and yawn and old men get out of bed
for the third time. It is then the Greek priest shares his
various
bilious groans with the world via a speaker system worthy of
Pink Floyd.
As a counterpoint to these hymns, an obvious non-believer joins
in from a nearby house, banging out his own message on a fifty
gallon drum with a Greek spanner. They are then accompanied by the
strummer section from
around the bay; a lone chain saw joins the cacophony, punctuated
by the odd blast from a shotgun. (We dont own a gun but appreciate
the sentiment). This avant garde dawn chorus challenges the
untrained ear, brings tears to ones eyes and an overwhelming urge
to fire up the RIB and head for
Nidri in search of breakfast. J Ds Bistro is a place to visit at
any time,
especially if you want a VERY good English breakfast, in which
case ask for a "full house" if you feel a bit peckish. Jackie and
Chris
always make you feel welcome and have a good range of food, from
tikka masala to steak and ale pie, plus various Greek dishes and a
Sunday roast.
There is a childrens menu and a table dhote menu. Guinness and
Strongbow are among the drinks available. There is also a good
range of puddings. Many places use the term, home made, but here it
really is, using good local produce. Tuesday night at 9pm is quiz
night, not to be missed.
J Ds is in the top two or three of Nidri's restaurants on my
good food, good service and good value chart. If you choose to sit
outside you will enjoy the wonderful spectacle that is truly
Greeknamely, how much and how diverse a range of people and objects
can be carried on a moped. Remember the game Double or Drop on the
TV show Crackerjack? My favourite so far is a man with twenty feet
of drainpipe under one arm, a telephone, and a cigarette, clutching
a small child eating ice cream. For further entertainment you can
watch holiday makers occasionally thump the cash point opposite.
Which reminds me, I must wash and iron those old drachmas. Bon
Appetit.
JDs Bistro owned by Jaki Daniel, is located in Nidri, Lefkada
Island on the main street opposite the Emporiki ATM. Tel: 697 030
8892. e-mail: [email protected] www. jdsbistro.co.uk
Nibbles in Nidri Plato Chipz
Review
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12 The Ionian www.theionian.com July 2012
The heads (yacht toilet in boat speak) seized up on the last day
of our son Davids stay with us. We blamed his partner Debbie for
the problem it seemed the charitable thing to do. Helen took them
to Preveza to catch their plane home while, with Sundowner cleared
of people, I took the opportunity to check out the problem.
The pump would not pump water into the toilet. It appeared to be
jammed solid as if something had
jammed up the mechanism. I took it to bits. I studied the rubber
flaps, metal discs, plastic passageways, and levers and tried to
work out how the smelly contrivance worked. I could see no reason
why it shouldnt work. I fiddled with
it, cleaned it, put it carefully back together again. It still
didnt work but I was getting a bit of action on the flush cycle
and, with the dribble of water, black flecks came into the bowl.
Among the other disgusting odours was the distinct smell of dead
fish.
I undid the flexible seawater inlet pipe that connects the
seacock to the pump. I peered down it and there staring up at me
was a fish. It had been pumped up the seawater inlet and was now
jammed fast in the tube. It had been there for quite some time and,
judging by the smell, it was very dead. Further, the frantic
pumping had subjected it to a near vacuum giving it a curious
bug-eyed appearance. There was nothing else for it. I gingerly put
the pipe to my lips and blew until I heard air bubbles coming out
of the far end. I peered down the pipe and could see
the fish no longer. I had given it a burial at sea. I tried
ineffectively to wipe the smell of dead fish from my mouth. It
clung on. I reconnected the inlet pipe to the toilet. It worked for
a few pumps then jammed. I disconnected the pipe again. The fish
was back, sucked up by the pump and staring at me accusingly. I had
blown it out of sight but not out of the tube. I blew down the tube
again and this time I continued to blow for quite a while after I
heard bubbles coming out of the outlet. My ears popped with the
effort. I peered down the tube recoiling slightly from the
overpowering whiff of decomposing fish. I optimistically
reconnected pipe to pump. No joy. The pump still jammed up. I
started a further cycle of decoupling the pipe, blowing down it,
then reconnecting it and pumping it. Eventually the fish started to
fall to bits and the pump was able to draw it near enough to the
end of the tube for me to extract it with a long thin screwdriver.
By now I felt that I had spent half an hour giving the kiss of life
to a deceased haddock. I showered, and brushed my teeth. The smell
seemed to be hanging on.
I rewashed my face, re-brushed my teeth, gargled with TCP, drank
some of it, took the last cans of beer out of the fridge, drank
them in virtually one swallow, and laid down in a darkened cabin to
recover.
Five minutes later Helen clambered on board. What are you doing
in there on a nice day like this? she asked me.
Im recovering from the mental and physical stress of sorting out
the heads, I replied.
Dont be so wet. Ive got something nice for dinner. Guess
what.
Oh I dont feel that hungry. Dont be silly. You will when you see
it.
There was a big fishing boat in at Lefkas Oh no. I groaned. Yes
there was. He had some beautiful fish so
thats what weve got for dinner.
Handyman in paradise
Robin Lamb
There is nothing better than sailing in paradise but as Robin
Lamb found out on Sundowner,
there is a dark side to this fantasy...
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July 2012 www.theionian.com The Ionian 13
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14 The Ionian www.theionian.com July 2012
FOSTER AND PERMANENT HOMES NEEDED URGENTLY FOR STRAY DOGS,
PLEASE CALL
LEFKAS ANIMAL WELFARE SOCIETY (L.A.W.S.) IF YOU CAN HELP: 697
851 0671
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July 2012 www.theionian.com The Ionian 15
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16 The Ionian www.theionian.com July 2012