leaving Greece, heading to Montenegro

Yesterday we had a wonderful last day on the Peloponnese, driving out to almost the end of the wild and dramatic Mani, the central peninsula of the Peloponnese.  Traveling off-season is such a treat, having normally crowded beaches and tourist sites all to ourselves.  I'd love to come back and hike the rugged peaks of the Taygetos Mountains, but as in a quote shared with me by a fellow cruiser in Turkey, Robert Frost nailed it when he said "Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back." 

Tonight is our last stop in Greece in the Bay of Navarino.  As we prepared to drop our anchor, we imagined what it must have been like in 1827, when the bay was filled with 89 anchored Turkish and Egyptian warships, and the British fleet of 26 ships entered the bay.  When the battle was over, 53 of the Turkish/Egyptian ships had sunk (including 6,000 deaths) and the Greeks were on their way to independence. 

Tomorrow we leave Greece, go past Albania, and to Montenegro.  Two nights under sail and we should arrive Saturday.  Although we'd like to spend more time in the Greek Ionian Islands on the way there, we'll take advantage of the favorable winds the next few days and make some tracks.  It will be a nice change...today we had the wind on our nose all day (meaning we had to motor all day), despite the fact that we went south from Kalamata, then west around the point, and then north to Pylos.  How can the wind possible blow that many directions in one day?  That's sailing (errr...motoring) in the Med!



Phoneas beach



The subterranean river of the Diros caves all to ourselves

Castle in the Bay of Navarino, built by Turks in 1573