Yesterday we left the peace and quiet of Abelike and came up to Lefkas, where again we moored on the town quay. We’re on the NE part of the quay this time and we have a fantastic view up the last stretch of canal to the bridge. By the time we’ve watched the boats start to line up ready to make the final approach to the bridge just before the hooter goes to signal the hourly opening, watched some of them struggle to go slowly enough if the opening is a few minutes late, and then seen them charge through and the southbound traffic come down past us, either looking for a space on the quay, heading for the expensive marina or charging on south down the canal, we find half an hour’s gone by and, in another half hour, it starts all over again! It’s endlessly fascinating, but not conducive to getting on with things!
There was hardly a breath of wind coming up, so we motored all the way, which should’ve charged the batteries well, but may not have done. John’s been monitoring our battery charging and has some concerns that, while the domestic batteries charge well on shore power, they don’t seem to be taking much charge from the engine. This is one of our resons for coming here – we’ve arranged for someone to have a look at the batteries, alternator etc. on Thursday.
Another reason was for Takis and his team to do a fitting of the foam for our cockpit cushions. Because the cockpit is such a tricky shape – curves and slopes all over the place – he wants to get the foam right before making the covers. They arrive at midday, just after we get back from food shopping, and lay all the foam out, marking adjustments to get it just so. “Have a try of your cushions” Takis says – ah! bliss . . . what a difference to our current arrangements. I can hardly bear to let him take them away again. “I’m not promising,” he says “but I have a plan. I will try to get you at least the seat cushions for Friday.” The seat backs may not be ready until next week; the recent storms and winds mean he’s had a lot of sail and cover repairs to do, but maybe . . .
We had a lovely meal out last night at a restaurant called Ey Zhn tucked away in a back alley. We were looking for a traditional taverna, but many in the square were showing the World Cup and we were keen to get away from the noise and bustle. It was all a bit overwhelming after 5 nights anchored in a quiet bay! Meatballs and salad had been discussed before we went out, but the menu here wasn’t traditional Greek. There were a number of oriental inspired dishes and a good offering of seafood, including oysters, which surely can’t be local?? We shared an avocado salad (avocado, lettuce, tomato, chilli and yoghourt, with a sweet chilli dressing) and Chicken Mai Thai (chicken stir-fried with vegetables and oyster sauce, served with rice.) Both were delicious, the ingredients and flavours perfectly balanced. With 1/2 litre red wine and a large bottle of water: €26.50. The nearby cafe was quietly playing a relaxing and eclectic mix of music – modern blues; jazz; tracks that sounded like Leonard Cohen, but weren’t; and some opera arias such as ‘La Donna ē mobile.’ It all added to a lovely, relaxed evening. Definitely somewhere to come back to.