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Our original intention had to be to explore anchorages around the first and second fingers of Khalkidhiki. The third finger, Mount Athos, is a holy region with a large number of monasteries. Devout male worshippers can book to stay on retreat at the monasteries, but it needs to be booked six months in advance, and you are not allowed to anchor off the peninsula. Women are not allowed within 1NM of the entire land mass. Long weekend to Thessaloniki However, the more I research

It was my first time to Thessaloniki. But my father, Walter, reminded me that I was not the first in our family to have been there! My great uncle (my Grandma Crooks' brother), Walter Chambers, had served in the British Army there during WWI. He had been overseeing building of new roads in Greece, some of which, ironically, would be used by the Nazis a few years later. I suppose that my great uncle was in the British Salonika Force (BSF), that formed part of an Allied front

Those of a devout nature should probably stop reading now. My blog today draws on scenes from Father Ted and Monty Python. Again, if you are not very familiar with these comedies, then it’s probably not worth continuing. Fathers Ted, Dougal and Jack, and the inimitable Mrs Doyle with her teapot, live together in a rambling house on Craggy Island. Who can forget Ted sitting at the window holding up small toy cows to Dougal saying, “ OK, one last time – these are small, but the

We were sad to say goodbye to our new chums Michaela and Toby in Nea Klima, especially after such a fun afternoon out with them around Skopelos, re-living scenes from the Mamma Mia movie. But we had to return to Skiathos town to check out of the Sporades with the Port Police. Our departure was slightly delayed by a yacht coming in next to us, as Richard felt duty-bound to help the skipper with his lines. It was a hen-party over from Portugal, with a group of scantily-clad yo

Alonnissos (National Marine Park) The Mediterranean monk seals remained elusive. Charlotte suggested that we would see some basking on one of the many sandy coves around Alonnisos. I replied that spotting them in that manner would be unlikely. Notwithstanding the fact that it is not breeding season, the Monk seals here have become a reclusive species.   Nevertheless, with our binoculars trained on the shoreline over 200m away (this specific area within the National Marine Par