Crete to Greek Island Rhodes
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Such a relief to now have cheap marina fees and set prices averaging $12 a night. The transit fee is now free but the paper work has remained and not only once on entry but every time you enter a port, taking hours of your time. There has been a big down turn in boats coming to the Greek Islands because of transit fees and paper work, they are also very aware that tourism is down and blame the change to the Euro and now the Olympics. We have missed the company of other yachts around but have enjoyed Crete even though it's no longer cheap ashore.
Iraklion the capital turns out to be a great stopping port contrary to the pilot book; we provision and have some fun with the night life bars. Here the dress code is tighter than tight so the men find lots to perve at.
Nick and Michelle leave us and Kevin arrives and can't wait to get out to sea. Eight miles out is a island called Dia and in the NE prevailing winds of 25 knots every day we are reveling in this. The island is very barren, in fact the whole of Crete is high and barren, we find a small inlet with one other Beneteau yacht on its way from England to Cyprus and they call out 'no Aussies allowed', but we drink their red wine and listen to their tall stories.
Another windy day and great sail to Nossos Spinalonga, a large shallow habour that turns out to be not such a great night at anchor. There are wind farms every where now, such an eye sore, with gusts coming off the mountains down the valleys it's an uncomfortable night. The wind farms should have been a warning to us. The harbour is beautiful and passes the Venation island of Spinalonga, once a leper colony and still very well preserved. We now know to pass by the wind farms.
Sitia our next port is small but very lively finding a local bar full of young locals enjoying Cretan food and rap Cretan music. Very memorable and well worth the visit called The Music Room.
The over sell of getting you into their numerous restaurants is very tiresome and Ian's response is, quote.
You won't to buy my T-Shirt sir?
Why you not wont my T-Shirt? .
Maybe another colour?
If nothing else they do laugh.
Saturday the 12th (the only way I even know what day it is) we go in search of Palm Beach on the eastern end of Crete. The only palm tree plantation of 5000 palms in the Mediterranean, it's a needle in a haystack bay to find. The palms apparently came from Egypt in the 1500,s and survived due to the under ground river. Local name is Vai and its stunning and reminds us of home; we stay for the day and night and leave Crete from here to the Island of Karpathos 55 miles on route for Turkey.
These islands are known as the wind swept islands and get very few visitors, but today it is flat clam and we are motoring under brilliant blue skies. 
Stopping at the island of Kasos where no one lives we swim beneath cliffs in water that I can only describe as clear magic blue. Karpathos is great for the night and enjoy the local cuisine of stuffed zucchini flower and spinach pie. Goat is on the menu but I will have to think about that.
Our sail of 58 miles to the island of Rhodes is fast and soon swimming in the bay of Lindos under the Acropolis with its white Greek village, quite a picture. Getting Ian to put his foot on the brake and stay a day or two is quite hard but we manage to here as it's so beautiful. We were here 15 years ago with Janey and son Ian and remember saying at the top of the Acropolis, we will have to sail around here someday. The water is so clear and we anchor and put a line ashore. We are joined by another Australian, Jim Taylor's 30 metre yacht. It's very hot now an early climb is essential before a restful day. Hold it, I here the anchor being lifted.
It is interesting that the restoration work on the Acropolis undertaken by the Italians in the 1930s already has to be restored yet the original surviving structure built in 200 BC is still going strong.
Our sail to Rhodes is in a very fresh warm breeze of 30 knots, Kevin at the helm and loving it. Here we will stay 2days and cross to Turkey tomorrow where friends from Spain Jane and David join us for a week.