Stay in Crete - Haghios Nikolaos 11 to May 17, 2002

Ready to Depart

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 we will not die of an atrocious sea sickness, before being carried to the bottom by immense waves raised by an unchained wind!

One concession however, we will be satisfied to sail close to the coast, and to return each evening to the port. After all, my only experiment in sail was limited to a short but splendid cruise on Texoma. I find that arrangement also wise.

The appointment is taken by mail with Fred. It will be the island of Crete, in bay of Haghios Nikolaos. The problem of the flight will be regulated by last-minute on a German company. Unfortunately, the scheduled flights of Air France at 2000 Euros would certainly have discouraged us. But this time, nothing can keep us back. Not even the identity card of Suzy, 3 months out-of-date. 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 Crete

We thus arrive without encumbrance at the end of the afternoon to the airport of Héraklion, with overloaded luggage, in spite of the recommendations of Fred. The contact is made by GSM. They await us on the boat. The various rental car agencies present their tariffs. They are both whimsical and high. <On Crete, many tourist activities are priced on a “What are you willing to pay? Basis> We decide for the regular bus line. The narrow road which skirts the coast plunges us into the environment of Crete: clear water, broad beaches, many tourists, new hotels as a whole, and innumerable unfinished buildings which massacre the landscape. The bus is crammed, and the radio creates an environment of very local colour. The ceaseless ringings of GSMs reminds us that, here also, every one profits from the benefits of modern technology.

We arrive at the port, the night having fallen, 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, reflecting the image of its inhabitants. It is a rich wood interior, bathed with a well proportioned light, and passenger friendly. Phyl welcomes us with a great smile. Fred did not change an iota since Concerto. I am doubly pleased to find that they do not have and that we can give them the equipment for Pétanques. It is the game of bowls which I transported with me from France. Famished, we leave to walk to the restaurant at the corner the beach. We dine on Greek grills and wine. Satisfied, we return on board and we slip into our berth. The first night on board is calm; even so sleep is light because of the light swell and the small noises of the marina.

Pleasure In the morning,

The sky is clear but the wind is null. We discover Perception in more detail. 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), gleaming bright and new. Thereafter, we will learn that it is also equipped with all technological refinements: radar, sonar, GPS, water-sweetener <water maker>, etc. Fred prepares us an American breakfast; no doubt that it aims at 3 stars to Michelin! Because there is no 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 a cultural-archaeological point of view, this extract of our guide book summarizes in a characteristic way what one finds in this country "the site of the current prefecture was occupied, at the time of the Venetians, by the castle of Mirabello, from where the gulf and its area draw 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 of 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 of the rudiments of navigation, that professor Fred, with a patience unyielding, communicated to us. We start by assimilating a minimum of marine vocabulary in English, which we connect with large pain with that exposed in our book bought for the occasion. <In preparation for their cruise, Francis and Suzy had purchased and studied an introduction to sailing book. It was in French. My knowledge of sailing is in English.> 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.

Then come evening, it is Phyl and to Fred to follow their initiation. Under my tutelage and under the observation of an amused local population, we make our first game of bowls. The US ones undergo many embarrassing defeats demolished the team from 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 yachtsmen. 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 Minoans) "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"

Strong Winds Mean Shore Duty

The 3 following days will be passed on the same model, with increasingly strong winds. This day, the wind is strong, 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. The sky will decide some differently, and it is another experiment which awaits us. Indeed, the sky covers with dark clouds and the wind becomes stronger. It is the captain, Fred, who takes the bar. The temperature freshens and the rain drops start to fall thick. Perception heals to have water on the rail. We beat on this occasion her record speed with more than 10 knots. Vis-a-vis this eagerness of the elements, we reconsider and return like each evening to the port

Tourism and culture – The Palace 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 Palace King Minos. The site is vast, and can easily accommodate the hordes of tourists in evil of culture with which we mix. There still, imagination comes to our aid to 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. We discover Elounda walking. The following day, Fred and Phyl 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. We visit the back country in the car. We discover the landscapes of the plateau 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 knots. On the last day, with 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 flawed - our planet really has become quite small - and it is a good when that enables us to re-examine our friends so easily.