More Lipsi and Patmos in Company

For the next week Three Sheets, Shiraz and Songster sailed/anchored in company.  That night in Lipsi harbour we were all set for our much anticipated game of Mexican Trains Dominoes but the Coast Guard had other plans.  The Coast Guard came out in a borrowed fishing boat to tell a few boats that they needed to anchor deeper into the bay as a large ship was coming in during the night.  After we all shuffled around we were still hoping to start the game (Songster was hosting) when a 4X4 flashed its lights at Shiraz’s dinghy as it was coming along side our boat.  We tried to talk to the Coast Guard on VHF but got no response so Reg and Ramin rowed over to the wharf see what the issue was. They were told that Three Sheets and Shiraz were still too far out and had to move.  Sadly the much anticipated night of fun and games had to be postponed while they went back to their boats.  Three Sheets moved across the bay to another anchorage while Shiraz moved into the harbour to Med moor.

So it would seem that the Coast Guard in Lipsi have no boats of their own to come out to anchorages to talk to sailors nor do they carry VHF hand held radios to talk to boats.  One wonders how they cope being so under resourced. 

 

Another quirk of Lipsi was the number of churches.  Looking around the water front we could count 13 iconic blue and white churches.  How could a small community of a couple of hundred people support 13 churches?  Then we found out that if you build a little chapel on your land, you get tax exemption.  What a rort!  No wonder Greece is in financial strife.

Town of Lipsi dotted with churches

The quirks of Lipsi did not diminish our appreciation of this charming island.  The next day we all got together for a fabulous lunch at Manolis (filet flounder with Ouzo sauce) then a late night playing Mexican Trains, imbibing in lots of Ouzo and a special treat from Three Sheets of Bermuda Gold.  Despite the way past midnight finish, we were up the next morning to sail to Patmos.  The winds were a bit too light at first but the later half of the passage was a good sail.

 

 We returned to Grikos to pick up a mooring ball.  It was much more crowed than when we visited a month ago.  The season is now well and truly in full swing.  The next week was filled with meals in Tavernas, anchorage hopping, swimming, snorkeling, relaxing, Mexican Trains, Ouzo and a bit of sightseeing.

Grikos

A beach short of pebbles? (Sign forbids collection of pebbles)

Patmos is considered a holy place for the Greek Orthodox religion.  This is the place where St John the Apostle of Patmos had his visions in a cave and wrote the Book of Revelation.  There is a large active monastery Monastery of Saint John the Theologian and the Cave of the Apocalypse, both World Heritage Sites.  The museum was quite good and included manuscripts from the 7^th to 14^th Centuries and, rather ghoulishly, the relic said to be the skull of St Thomas.

The monastery and Chora overlooking the harbour

 

Scala from the hilltop

Mosaic outside the (closed) Cave of the Apocalypse

Ramin, Chris, Phoebe, Bob and Reg

Over the next few days we moved to Meloi Bay, a lovely spot with good snorkeling then to Kampos for our last hurrah before Shiraz headed north and Three Sheets and Songster headed east.

The other anchorages which we motored to

Songster, Shiraz and Three Sheets in Meloi Bay - great picture Chris

Another Taverna meal

It was a great time buddy sailing with Shiraz an we look forward to seeing them again in the winter in Marmaris.  Maybe then my luck will change and I won’t come last in every game of Mexican Trains!