September 21st, 2011

...now browsing by day

 

Wednesday Sep 21. The summer which began in March

Wednesday, September 21st, 2011

And I thought would never end. Today it tried to rain a few times but the wind is from the S.W. and warm. I still sleep without a blanket. Tomorrow the wind is supposed to go back to the usual northerly. But I might stay another day here. I like to get my laundry done here.

I am in good company at the marina, A Frenchman on the bow, from Sete, and another on the stern from Bretagne, then there is “Marvin” from Rotterdam and Jan Swerts on “Petti” from Antwerp left this morning. It would be a good walk to town but with the folding bike it is an easy 10 minutes. Khios or Chios is a very attractive old city. It has an old Turkish quarter. The sprawling remains of the fortifications from the time of Genovese traders and Turkish occupations.

Close to the marina is a large Spar supermarket and a service station where one can fill the boat’s fuel cans. The Dutch couple on “Marvin” is hauling their boat out here. The price seems to be alot better than in Turkey and it is quite accessible with the ferry to the Turkish mainland to catch a flight from Izmir. The Bretons are spending the winter in the marina in Mitilini, where I was persona non grata. I keep getting more details on the best places for me to spend the winter. I have a new lead on insurance through the Trans Ocean cruising club in Germany. I am awaiting their reply.

I had planned to anchor in Mandraki, see below picture, last night. But when I took another look at the cruising guide that there is port administration there, so I headed for Chios Marina. Mandraki has a particular distinction, it is the home of many of the large merchant ship owners, including Costa Lemos who by far outstrips Onassis, Livanos and Niarchos in tonnage.

The picture of the crooked Sycamore over the tomb like structure is not entirely clear to me. Maybe someone can help. A tourist thought that this was the former Synagogue yard. The building is now a Greek Orthodox Church, St. George. There is a water well that apparently fed water over this stone structure. But anyway I managed to get an education on the Romanite Jews, brought as slaves during Herod’s reign to Rome and then settled on this island and ther later Sephardic Jews who were chased out of Spain during the period of the Inquisition and found a welcome by the Byzantine Turks and later the Venetian and Genovese traders/colonists.

The Turkish mainland is only 5 miles across the water from here and I am getting wire less reception on my Vodafone modem. But still need to use the internet cafes for the long file up/down loads.