We arrived in Astros (still on the western coast of the Argolic Gulf) yesterday (Sat.) afternoon after a very pleasant sail from Leonidio. The coast is so beautiful. From the coast, everything slopes up dramatically and we can see mountains behind mountains in the misty distance. At the level of the sea coast though there are many little inlets each with a hamlet around it. We glided into Astros and around its breakwater and--hooray!--pulled alongside the quay rather than dropping anchor. Easy in and out; off and on. No plank to walk and no dinghy necessary to get to shore (I guess you have figured out this is the landlubber writing). This little town is a resort, with hotels and apartments and tavernas lining what we are told is the longest beach on this coast. Our view to the south and west is of those mountains retreating into the hazy distance. Many of the hillsides we can see are a mix of green, which I suspect is scrubby pines, and of light brown, which is everything else because it's pretty darned hot here. I have no idea how hot, though because TWC.com does not have this place on their map and it's not as if there's a big city nearby so we can just say, "Well, if Ossining isn't listed, just give us NYC and we'll extrapolate." We are literally off their map, is what this means.
The quay we're docked on has a lot of activity, with couples promenading back and forth, grandads walking with little kids dangling from their hands, young men on motorbikes, fishermen (all men) of all descriptions, etc. Let's just say I hung a cloth over my window last night so I wouldn't wake up with someone sticking a hand, fish, or something worse through my window.
Bernice and I got up and got going this morning so we could walk up to the citadel above the town before it got too hot. I think it's a 15-16th c. structure. The last use it got is when the Venetians used it in the 16th c. We walked up, up, up (everything is up, up, up all the time when you are down, down, down on the waterfront) through the tiny streets and paths of the town all the way past the fort to the headland where there is a signal light for sailors AND--get this--the ruins of a Pre-Hellenic fortress/city. That means it is really old. Not much has been excavated, so there is not a lot of the site to see. I wish it were easier (and took less bandwidth) to upload photos because the view from on top of the mountain is spectacular and it is a thrill to think of standing in a place where people built and looked around the countryside thousands of years ago. The view over that "backside" of the mountain is of a plain where there are fruit trees as far as the eye can see practically; the area is famous for its fruits and vegetables. On the way back from the headland, where we were completely exposed to the sun and where everything is very dry (though we did find pistachio and almond trees), we stopped to explore the fort. Anyone can walk right into it. It has a view similar to the ancient city and is located just a little south of the earlier site. Then we headed down again to the waterside and a taverna where we collapsed and had any number of cold drinks and, eventually, grilled cheese sandwiches.
By the time we got back to the boat, Mark and Sue were waiting to tell us that we had been asked by the harbor police to move our boat from alongside the quay (parallel parking for those of you not of a nautical disposition) (like me) to "stern in," meaning that we had to back up into our "parking spot." We did this, despite the fact that we had to drop anchor. Our anchor is a little rattly now after our adventures in exiting Kiparissi. Next, much to our surprise and delight, our Dutch friends with whom we spent two nights in Kiparissi sailed in and now we are neighbors again. We were so pleased to see them and are looking forward to spending this evening with them. AND with the additional eight boats of Dutch sailors that they found in sailing up to Nauplion yesterday. There will be Amstels galore, I predict!
Thanks for reading our blog and for your comments. You have probably noticed that our map is not working. That is because it is for people in cars, on foot, etc. It doesn't let you map SEA ROUTES. :-( We will find the right app for next time we go sailing! Bye for today. Or bon voyage. The island of Spetses is tomorrow's destination. Try to follow us there!
The quay we're docked on has a lot of activity, with couples promenading back and forth, grandads walking with little kids dangling from their hands, young men on motorbikes, fishermen (all men) of all descriptions, etc. Let's just say I hung a cloth over my window last night so I wouldn't wake up with someone sticking a hand, fish, or something worse through my window.
Bernice and I got up and got going this morning so we could walk up to the citadel above the town before it got too hot. I think it's a 15-16th c. structure. The last use it got is when the Venetians used it in the 16th c. We walked up, up, up (everything is up, up, up all the time when you are down, down, down on the waterfront) through the tiny streets and paths of the town all the way past the fort to the headland where there is a signal light for sailors AND--get this--the ruins of a Pre-Hellenic fortress/city. That means it is really old. Not much has been excavated, so there is not a lot of the site to see. I wish it were easier (and took less bandwidth) to upload photos because the view from on top of the mountain is spectacular and it is a thrill to think of standing in a place where people built and looked around the countryside thousands of years ago. The view over that "backside" of the mountain is of a plain where there are fruit trees as far as the eye can see practically; the area is famous for its fruits and vegetables. On the way back from the headland, where we were completely exposed to the sun and where everything is very dry (though we did find pistachio and almond trees), we stopped to explore the fort. Anyone can walk right into it. It has a view similar to the ancient city and is located just a little south of the earlier site. Then we headed down again to the waterside and a taverna where we collapsed and had any number of cold drinks and, eventually, grilled cheese sandwiches.
By the time we got back to the boat, Mark and Sue were waiting to tell us that we had been asked by the harbor police to move our boat from alongside the quay (parallel parking for those of you not of a nautical disposition) (like me) to "stern in," meaning that we had to back up into our "parking spot." We did this, despite the fact that we had to drop anchor. Our anchor is a little rattly now after our adventures in exiting Kiparissi. Next, much to our surprise and delight, our Dutch friends with whom we spent two nights in Kiparissi sailed in and now we are neighbors again. We were so pleased to see them and are looking forward to spending this evening with them. AND with the additional eight boats of Dutch sailors that they found in sailing up to Nauplion yesterday. There will be Amstels galore, I predict!
Thanks for reading our blog and for your comments. You have probably noticed that our map is not working. That is because it is for people in cars, on foot, etc. It doesn't let you map SEA ROUTES. :-( We will find the right app for next time we go sailing! Bye for today. Or bon voyage. The island of Spetses is tomorrow's destination. Try to follow us there!
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