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The Mani - Limeni to Porto Kaiyo - via Cape Matapan (or Tainaron) I’ve been trying to keep the outside of the yacht clean and failing miserably. Every time I scrub the topsides down, the next light wind or short rain-shower deposits a new layer of fine, orange, Saharan dust on the topsides. This is then deposited, from the little rivulets of rain, into tiny pools where it morphs into a fine orange clay-like moraine. And so I repeat the process. Except when we are at anchorage

(or ‘Traipsing down mainland Greece…’) After leaving Zakynthos (Zante to give it its Italian name), our first port of call on the Greek mainland was Katakolon. According to Heikell, our pilot guide, the harbour was built in 1875 to support the thriving trade in currants. Zante currants (or Corinthian raisins) are made from small-size juicy grapes. The first written record of these currants was made by Pliny the Elder (who perished rescuing a friend from the eruption of Mount

The Arcadian Gate of ancient Messene The Spartans really did beat up the Messenians. One hopes that during the three-month truces ( Ekeheiria ) during the games at Olympia, that the Messenians got a break from their laconic and brutish neighbours. (See “ Stop the war, and have a wrestle”). The Spartans were so hard, in fact, that their own city didn’t have a need for defensive walls. The city walls of ancient Messene by contrast are nearly 6 miles long. And formidable in stat

The head of Constantine, the head of Constantinople, fell during the fall of Constantinople. (All my own work. I thank you!) [Alix: ahem…] Quite exactly how Constantine became separated from his head during or after the fight to save his Byzantine ‘capital’ from the Ottoman invaders is much debated. But separated they became. At that point, on May 29th 1453, the once mighty Empire now comprised only two morsels: tiny Trebizond (which would fall to Sultan Mehmed in 1461) and

[ Stop press May 4, 09:00: Ed - input charge down to 2-3A this morning and batteries cool at 21-22 degrees C. Reconnected bow thruster battery and absorption phase normal. So we just await Costas to bring the replacement battery for me to install. And then we watch again. But feeling positive. 11:00 - new battery installed. Seems to be absorbing normally. Happy days! ] [ Stop press May 3, 21:00: Ed - new battery charger installed (Costas is a lovely guy). So we are back on sh