Category: Windsurfing

Goodbyes

Happy Swiss day Switzerland! Today, rather randomly perhaps (as it’s Thursday) sees the departure of many of our new friends and neighbours.

Hugo and Marliss are leaving after 2 weeks in their motorhome into a local house where they will continue their holiday for another 2 weeks. We will at least see them at Sun Waves where we keep our windsurfing kit. They have been kind and considerate neighbours, fetching us little presents from chocolates to completely indulgent high calorie cream cakes. Yesterday they gave us an enormous plant which will shall keep until we leave and then try and find a good home for it before we leave – there’s no way we can take it home.

Danny, his wife and 2 children leave today to go back to Holland. The boys are very active, practising their hockey or riding around the campsite on their space scooters; one has white golden hair that many windsurf instructors try and emulate and the other has black hair. They are also pretty good windsurfers, the eldest being only 10 (last week). Danny worked as an advanced instructor before he married and is an excellent windsurfer. He kindly took time out to help me improve my windsurfing and I was very happy when I successfully executed a fully planing carve gybe, staying on the plane through to the exit.

Andreas and his wife also go back to Holland today. Andreas will be missed by everyone; a Greek national, married to a Dutch wife and speaks fluent French. He has got to know everybody. He has been my local support in my quest to learn to speak Greek and the things pertaining to Greek culture and the way of life. They have left us with the most delicious olive oil made from olives grown in the family olive groves and pressed by hand, plus assorted homegrown organic vegetables that will influence our meals for the next few days.

Hans and Marianne

Had a lovely evening with Hans and Marianne from Switzerland. We had a sort of souvlaki (no skewer), with home made tsatsiki and Greek salad, Marianne brought a lovely homemade yogurt with fruit and some traditional Lefkada cakes – delicious. They are leaving for home today and I shall miss Hans’ excellent tuition on the water.

Wind and waves

Time for an update.

We’ve had some very windy days lately. Lesley has been focussing on running, cycling and Swiss ball exercise while I’ve been running and windsurfing. My hands are quite calloused now which helps but the strong winds are taking their toll on me and the equipment. Very windy yesterday when Colin Dixon came past on the water to say hello, he then did a perfect forward loop sailed a few metres and did another perfect loop. He slowed for me to catch up so feeling the need to do something I attempted a jump off a big wave, got lots of air but landed in a heap with a face and body plant onto the rig putting several holes in the sail.

Last night we went to Bazanakis with a Swiss couple from the campsite. It was the first time they had been to the taverna and were very impressed with the view and the food. We had a really good night and they refused to let us pay for anything, thank you Hans and Marianne.

Today is change over day at Neilson. We know 4 people here this week and we wait in anticipation to see if we know any of the new guests.

Campsite is now very busy, lots of different nationalities which we love. I have been practising my Greek at every opportunity and the locals seem to like it when I try to say a few words. They wait patiently when I have a go and help me with the very different sounds and alphabet.