Stay in Peak - Haghios Nikolaos 11 to May 17, 2002 Loans at the beginning After many months of work, I finally managed to convince my tender and soft wife that to spend one week on board a sailing ship is an exceptional adventure not to miss - and that not, us will not fail of an atrocious sea sickness, before being carried at the bottom by immense waves raised by an unchained wind! A concession however, we will be satisfied to coast, and to return each evening to the port; after all my only experiment in veil being limited to short but splendid cruising on Texoma, I find that also wiser.

The appointment is taken by mall with Fred. It will be the Peak, in bay of Haghios Nikolaos. The problem of the flight will be regulated by one last-minute on a German company. Fortunately, the scheduled flights Air France in 2000 Euros would certainly have discouraged us. But this time, nothing can any more retain us. Not even the indentity card of Suzy, out-of-date since 3 months. We measure for the first time the convenience of what is Schengen space, as well as Euro, which saves any preoccupation with an exchange to us.

Arrival in peak We thus arrive without encumber at the end of the afternoon to the airport of Héraklion, overloaded luggage, in spite of the recommendations of Fred. The contact is made by GSM. They await us on the boat. The various hirers out of cars presenting of the tariffs as whimsical as high, we decide for the regular line of bus. The narrow road which skirts the coast plunges us in the environment of the Peak. A clear water, broad beaches, many tourist, new hotels as a whole, and of innumerable unfinished buildings which massacre the landscape. The bus and crammed, and the radio creates an environment very local colour. The ceaseless ringings of GSMs recall us in spite of very that, here also, each one profits from the benefits of modern technology.

We arrive the night fallen at the port where we find Fred without difficulty. We distinguish the silhouette of perception in the half-light, and first of all let us discover it by the interior. Its interior is cordial and pleasant, with the image of its inhabitants. Very of wood covered, bathed with a well proportioned light, installation is very worked to offer all comfort to the passengers. Phyl accomodates us of a great smile. Fred did not change a iota since Concerto. I offer with a double relief - content at the same time with me to discharge some and that Fred do not have of them still the balls of games of bowls which I transported with me from France. Famished, we leave all to the restaurant the corner the beach, and we level grills Greek and of local wine. Satisfied, we return on board and we slip into our berth. The first night on board is calm, no matter what the light sommeille by the light swell and the small noises of the marina.

Pleasure In the morning, the sky is clear but the null wind. We discover Perception in detail more. It is a splendid sailing ship of 45 feet (I try to pose it by the thought in my garden; it is longer than my house), bright burning coal new and glowing. Thereafter, we will learn that it is also equipped with all technological refinements: radar, sonar, GPS, water-softener, etc. Fred prepares us an American breakfast; no doubt that it aims at 3 stars to Michelin! Fault of wind, the morning will be devoted to a discovery with foot of the sympathetic nerve town of Nikolaos. Circulation is chaotic, and the shops of tourists do not miss. From an culturo-archaeological point of view, this extract of our guide summarizes in a characteristic way what one finds in this country "the site of the current prefecture was occupied, at the time Venetian, by the castle of Mirabello, from where the gulf and its area drew their name. The building, seriously damaged by an earthquake in 1303, was tiny room at the state of ruin at the time of the war which opposed the Venetian ones to Ottomans, then abandoned. Certain parts of the building remained until the end of the occupation Ottoman, but there does not remain today any more any trace about it " In short, a historical last rich person, in a beautiful natural ECRIN, revived by treasures of imagination!

The afternoon, the gently rising wind, we leave for our first cruising in bay. We discover with joy the rudiments of navigation, that professor Fred, with a patience inébranlable, évertue to be communicated to us. We start by assimilating a minimum of marine vocabulary in English, whom we connect to large pains with that exposed in our book bought for the occasion. Two languages to be learned at the same time. Some indications pointed by the index will make the remainder. Perception moves with a disconcerting precision and a facility. We are conquered and we let rock with pleasure with the soft nonchalance the pleasure.

The come evening, it is Phyl and to Fred to follow their initiation. Under l..il amused local population, we make our first parts of game of bowls. The US ones undergo a cuisante demolished against France. Let us bet how the latter regularly work to improve and that the meetings with the next passengers of Perception could proceed differently! The moments spent to the port are of a great user-friendliness with the other yachtmen. We particularly have the memory of a French couple, very busy with the restoration of their boat, which often reserved some selected comments to us. Extract (comment on civilization minoenne)"Whereas the rest of the world was still to fight for a river and an end of meadow, the Greeks them had already invented homosexuality"

The 3 following days will be passed on the same model, with increasingly strong winds. This day, the wind is supported, and we try to achieve our goal, which is to sail round the island of Spinalonga to reach Bay of Elounda and to spend the night there to ink. The sky will decide some differently, and it is another experiment which awaits us. Indeed, the sky covers dark clouds and the wind forcit. It is the Fred captain who takes the bar. The temperature fraîchit and the rain tomb start to fall thick. Perception leans to wet the bridge. We beat on this occasion his record speed with more than 10 n.uds. Vis-a-vis this eagerness of the elements, we renonçons and return like each evening to the port

Tourism and culture - the palate of king Minos. The 2 following days, the wind will not weaken, and we will benefit from it to make tourism. Having rented a car, we leave for Knossos and the ruins the palate king Minos. The site is vast, and can easily accomodate the hordes of tourists in evil of culture with which we mix. There still, imagination comes to our help to fill the gaps of the restorations, which pain to decently reconstitute the few vestiges remaining of these antiques civilizations. We also visit the archaeological museum of Héraklion, rich person of some spectacular parts. The evening, we push until Elounda which we discover with feet. The following day, Fred and Phyl will remain on board, to deal with the replacement of one of the batteries which during the night had the absurd idea to start to boil, while we visit the back country in the car. We discover the landscapes of the plate of LASSITHI and the surroundings, under blue sky. Splendid!

The last days will be devoted to improve our very new science. We try in particular to assimilate the art of the marine n.uds. At the last day, the engine helping to leave us the "infernal triangle of the calm wind", we finally manage to see the fort of Spinalonga by the sea. Alas, the hour turning, we must leave quickly, and let us benefit only little from transparent water of this splendid bay. The return is not that a formality - our planet really became quite small - and it is a good when that enables us to re-examine our friends so easily.

Tighten with the wind!

Suzy and Francis