Taking time out from the sea to celebrate birthday’s in Iceland

2nd July - 13th July

We never tire of the image of Naoussa Paros from the sea particularly at sunset.

Photo: Naoussa Paros on sunset

Once we left Schinoussa it was all about business, making miles to get back to Olympic Marine. We overnighted in the bay of Naoussa, one of our favourite towns before crossing to Kythnos and taking the opportunity to check out the bay of Aprokrisi.

Photo: Looking towards the busier bay of Kalona on Sunset

Aprokrisi lays to the east of the more popular bay of Kalona and when we arrived for a brief period we had the anchorage all to ourselves. We stayed on an extra day to check out the Taverna ashore and enjoy a swim in the brief periods when the wind was not funnelling through the anchorage.

Photo: Posiedon’s Temple Sounion

Our last night on anchor before heading into the harbour was spent in the familiar bay of Sounion with the Poseidon of Temple as our backdrop.

Back in the marina the dock sides were overflowing with people busy in full preparation of boats for the Aegean 600. Cruising boats were removing dinghies, stand up paddle boards, and any furnishings deemed unnecessary and adding unwanted weight. Professional teams had vans rolling in with sail bags bursting from within. Crew were up masts, mechanics were crawling over engines and divers were under the water as boats were transformed into racing boats of all shapes and sizes.

Photo: Aegean 600 Course

The Aegean 600 is as the name suggests is a 600 mile race around the Aegean. Looking at the course and the weather forecast the boats were certainly going to have a diversity of strong winds and perhaps even a patch of calmness. Regardless we would have to say it looked like a very tactical race course where mother nature was certainly going to test all skippers and crew whether professional or competitive enthusiasts as they dealt with not just the wind forecast but the winds generated by the islands themselves.

Photo: An oast house or hop kiln was a building used for drying hops now converted to accomodation

With Katherine secured in Olympic Marine we endured the Easyjet experience to travel to England where for four days we had the pleasure of catching up with Paul and Nicole from Savvy of London and then friends Barbara and David now of London.

From country lanes in Bicknor, beautiful Rochester Cathedral and castle to inner city London, it was a whirl wind stop over but so well worth while to spend time with friends in their homes.

Photo: Quickly realising that Icelandic names are not easy to pronounce

And now we are here in Iceland - about to begin an 11 day motorcycle tour around Iceland. Very excited.

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Iceland with Eidelweiss Motorcycle Tour Group

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Hiding out from winds in Leipsoi, chaos in Koufonisi to serenity in Schinoussa, we have had it all.