Danish

s/y TROLDAND - From the Baltic to the Med

top
Page
Menu
News
You are here:   Home > Retirement Cruise > 2016 (year 7)

2016 (year 7)

(text and pictures from 2010), (text and pictures from 2011), (winter in Seville), (text and pictures from 2012), (text and pictures from 2013), (text and pictures from 2014), (winter in Barcelona), (text and pictures from 2015), (winter in Palermo) (text and from pictures 2017), (text og billeder fra 2018)

Round Peloponnese

The 2016 season was devoted to a circumnavigation of the Peloponnese combined with a visit to the Ionian island of Zakynthos (Zante). Once again we particularly enjoyed the early season with relatively few boats around and before the locals are beginning to get tired by the intensity of the high season. There are many fabolous sights and one has to be prepared to visit many 'tumbled stones' and watch a lot of 'broken pottery'

Zakhyntos  

Zakynthos is the southernmost of the Ionian islands. The topography is much more gentle than its neighbors. We spend several days in the northern village of Aghios Nicholaios and even more in the main city of Zakynthos from where we rented a car for a trip around the island.

More comprehensive picture gallery at the Danish Website

 
Agios Nicholaios a very nice small community, albeit not protected in easterly winds
'Shipwreck Beach' a top-tourist site (Nordwestern Zakynthos)
 
Zakynthos city has been badly damaged by erthquakes several times and the buildings are thus relatively modern but defenetly with a charm of their own  Olive oil tasting at Zakynthos olive oil factory


 
Western Peloponnese  

Western Peloponnese in general is a fairly exposed coastline with few, really safe anchorages. Katakolo is quite uninteresting, but well placed for a visit to the antique Olympia. Pilos further south (and the site of the naval battle of Navarinho in 1827) was well worth a visit and so was the attractive anchorage at Methoni

More comprehensive picture gallery at the Danish Website

 
The ancient Olympia (where the Olympic Flame of the  2016 Games were lit just a few weeks before our visit). 
The museum which is a pert of the ancient Olympos, one wonders which one of theese helmets belonged to Achilleus?
The wild coastline outside the entrence to Ormos Navarinho

Memorial of the 1827 Naval battle between Turkish and combined British-, French- and Russian Naval forces
The anchorage of Methoni 'protected' by a magnificient Venezian fortification
 
Methoni (and an old canon now serving as a bollard)

Southern Peloponnese

The three southern tips of Peloponnese are very exposed and there is almost always stronger winds here than anywhere else in the area. At the top of the two deep bays are some nice towns though (Kalamata & Githio) wel situated for trips inland in a rental car (or scooter). Both cities also have bus connections to Athens and Kalamata even its own international airport.

More comprehensive picture gallery at the Danish Website

 
The marina at Kalamata a popular wintering spot
View over Kalamata

View twoards south over Messianos Kolkos
The impressive flooded caves of Diros
The Byzantine ruin city at Mistras (near Sparta) Byzantine paintings at Mistras
   
At anchor on the southernmost Peloponnese: Porto Kagio  Githio at the top of Lakonikos Kolpos
 
Eastern Pelopponese   

The easternmost 'bay' on Peloponnese Argolikos Kolpos harbours several sites worth while a visit: Monemvassia is highly praised but we did not visit ourselves but went to a small beautiful  'fjord' ten miles further north (Limin Leraka). We particularly likes Navplion and visited Mychenae from there. On the eastern side there are several nice ancohrages (Vivari and Kilada) not to mention Porto Chelli which is a popular spot to leave your boat at a bouy. Finally Eastern Peloponnese must be mentioned beside of the enormous amphitheatre of Epidavros.

More comprehensive picture gallery at the Danish Website

 
The impressive Venezian fortress overlooking Nafplion (1000 steps to climb)
View of Nafplion

The roofs of Navplion The streets of Navplion
Another 'top sight' of Eastern Peloponnese: Mycenae the home of Agamemnon Mycenae and the famous Lions gate
 
The worlds largest amphitheater at Epidavros a visit is a 'must'
The amphitheater of Epidavros that seats up to 14.000 people (and Rosemarie)
Saronic Gulf  

The Saronic sea is perhaps one of the most popular charter-cruising areas in Greece due to its  nearness to Athens and the International airport there. There are however many nice places (even if quite expensive and often overcrowded). We left Troldand for six weeks ashore at Aegina in July and August, while being home in Denmark for the summer.

More comprehensive picture gallery at the Danish Website 

 
On the hard at Asprakis yard at Aegina drinking a coffee with a local fisherman who were ashore to antifoul his small boat
 
The Flying Dolphin arriving Agistri from Piraeus (via Aegina) it's only a 40 minutes ride and thus an excellent venue for a crew change
 
 
View over Kolpos Epidavrou as seen from Methana  Climbing the volcano at Methana

 
Olive growes at Methana


The many charter boats in the area with their lesser experienced crews often leads to anchors fouling 
Sunset as seen from Agistri
 
Lunar eclipse as seen from Agistri
 
Rosemarie enjoys a therapeutic bath in the sulphurous waters of the spa town of Methana

The Corinth Canal. You may watch a video from Troldand's passage of the canal  by following this link
Corinth to Preveza   

Going from east to west in the Bay of Corinth we visited Galaxidi and Trizonia. Both nice places well worth a couple of days. Under the impressive bridge over the bay and back to Messsolonghi. Unfortunately a local 'civil war' had made it impossible to go ashore there so after having visited old friends we continued to Preveza where we found the unfinished marina (and the city) quite attractive and stayed for a fortnight before getting ashore for the winter in Marina Cleopatra.  

More comprehensive picture gallery at the Danish Website

 
 Trizonia
 Trizonia
The impressive bridge over the bay of Corinth
 Leaving Messolonghi for the very last time
 
Our favorite ancorage at Limin Petala (With Southerly 110#24 Carus at anchor in the backgroun
The autumn of 2016 gave us several severe thunderstorms, luckily we were always in a protected space (here Meganissi)
River Acheron the antique Styx and entry to the underworld (visited by rental car)
 
Finally a visit to a greek vinery: Glinavos

 
Roman city of Nicopolis, north of Preveza  Roman city of Nicopolis, north of Preveza
Our winter venue, the super efficient boat-handeling industrial operation: Marina Cleopatra, Preveza.

Last edited October 2017

Submenu

⇑ ..
« prev top next »
top
Page
Menu
News
top
Page
Menu
News
New pages:
Our YouTube videos 
New page: 'In the Med'
New article (Tracing Odysseus )

Visitors since December 2007