We have been storm bound here for a week and seen 360 degree lightning, torrential rain and, for days after the storm, gale force winds. In spite of the gloom there is quite a bit of good news that is keeping us sane. Firstly we are safely tucked into the harbour and securely tied up on the harbour wall, secondly we have discovered that Monemvasia is an absolute jewel in the crown of historic sites in Greece, little talked about, but amazing to see and visit and last, but by no means least, we are not alone. Plenty of other European sailors and there are also resident turtles in the harbour which are easy to spot most days.
We have met some delightful fellow sailors waiting, like us, for better conditions to go in their various directions. We have mentioned the German couple Eva and Frank, who, apparently, with all the time in the world, are setting off to explore new places, probably Northern Greece. We have also met Ian and Sarah, from Yorkshire, on yacht Linea who are wanting to go west to Milos and then on to Kos, collecting daughters on various islands en route. They have a bit of a deadline, but as I write it is blowing a westerly Force 7, the sea is rough and we have heard that yesterday two fishermen were lost at sea off the Crete coast, not so far from here, so suddenly deadlines pale into insignificance. We and various other boats want to go south and then east. It is looking like we all get a weather window at the weekend.
We have enjoyed much camaraderie and bon viveur facilitated with Ian’s excellent Italian wine and the local butcher’s homemade sausages, which were BBQ’d on the quayside last night as the wind howled. We have met a Polish crew, some French and Dutch sailors too, all very friendly. We have been surprised at just how many live-aboards we have met. Most of them head to southern Sicily to winter where, by all accounts, there are some lively communities. Lovely though they all are, we are not tempted!
Thursday we visited the old town of Monemvasia. A short walk from the boat took us to the causeway where we caught the bus across to the huge rock that is Monemvasia. The first settlement here was in the 6th century and over the intervening years it has been successively and repeatedly occupied by Venetians, Ottomans and finally Greeks, fighting alternately for possession. It is a stunning fortification, seemingly impenetrable, with a lifting bridge on the early causeway and rugged rocks meeting the sea all around the mountainous outcrop. The town is walled with tunnels through to tiny streets, home to minute houses and a disproportionate number of churches which have been either Christian or Moslem depending on the resident occupants! The main street has a few cafes, shops and tiny hotels, all very romantic as long as you are not a claustrophobe! We climbed almost to the top of the rock, arriving at the upper citadel that was in ruins but in the process of initial restoration. From here we had a fantastic view over the lower citadel and the surrounding region, including a very angry sea. This reminded us that we had been long away from the boat and we returned to find it battered by gusty winds but otherwise fine.
The relentless pounding, howling and ferocity of the wind is truly wearing and the nights afford no place to hide either, as it has not been uncommon for 40knot winds to fall off the mountains and hit the harbour just for good measure, usually around 1 or 2am. Everyone is up fending their boats, some boats have slipped anchor, many anchors have got trapped, boats have got stuck and spun around in the wind threatening everyone else, all in all general mayhem. In the middle of the black night this is not fun but once again everyone pitches in to help everyone else and somehow all have remained intact.
Sunday July 1st looks like our escape day. The winds are abating. We are just hoping the sea state will not be too horrendous for our transit around the notorious Cape Meleas which will be the subject of our next blog.
Deja Vu 
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