Easter & leaving Aghios Nikolaos

Work finished and Serenity is lowered back into the water.

Went for an afternoon out in the car up to Lassithi Plateau in the centre of Crete. A beautiful, but interesting, drive up to a small village called Zenia where we stopped for lunch. This sign and binoculars were across the road - beats the coin in the slot telescopes you normally see! There was also a catapult with a target and information about local herbs. The cafe / craft shop sold all sorts of olive wood items, many made by his father who died last year aged 106. 

Colourful wild flowers everywhere.

Up at the top looking across to the new reservoir from the row of old windmills on the ridge.

Looking the other way from the ridge down to the plateau. This used to be covered in windmills which were used for moving water for irrigation. It is still a very fertile area and the metal windmills are still there but don't have their sails any more.

EASTER IN AGHIOS NIKOLAOS

Down by the lake in the centre of town at 11.30pm on Easter Saturday. The priests came down to sing prayers and everyone in the crowd lit their candles - a wonderful sight.

At midnight a flame was sent across to the raft floating out on the lake where an effigy of Judas was burned and the fireworks began. There had been, and were still, lots of incredibly loud bangs from mortars set off around town. In the nearby village of Kritsa on Easter Sunday, they actually drop dynamite off the cliffs. They used to drop it in the lake here but I guess even Greece has some health and safety!

Once you had lit your candle by the lake it had to be carried "home" without it going out. We got ours back to the boat between us! We were given our candles by the lovely lady in the local supermarket which was useful as we had been out the day the marina handed out fancy ones decorated with ribbons and shells.

Saying goodbye to Tripod (he only used 3 legs) and his friend Jack - the marina dogs who always did very well at the Sunday BBQ!

Leaving Aghios Nikolaos marina on Saturday 26th April 2014 after the boat had been there for 6 months. 

Blue skies and blue seas heading east to Sitia.

BUT...... one hour out of the marina we picked up this large length of rope which stopped the propeller and got itself stuck underneath .....no engine!!!

We changed course and sailed back to Elounda just the other side of Aghios Nikolaos as we knew we could anchor there so that Dave could go down and free it. A reasonable wind for an hour or so but as we got closer to the inlet the wind dropped so we drifted into a small bay before Spinalonga. Dave braved the cold water and removed the rope - about 8cms thick and probably about 20 metres of it! 

Next problem was where on earth do we put said rope on the boat - it was so big. As luck would have it, Roger, who had been in the marina, was also anchored in the bay on Kind of Blue. He came across to see us and offered to tow the rope (there was far too much to get in his dinghy) across to the shore. He later returned for a well earned beer!

SITIA 

After sailing / motoring round to Elounda for the night, the next morning we set off again for Sitia. A good sail with winds up to force 6 and we arrived by 1.30pm.