After a second undisturbed night we started on our way back with the intention of stopping in Vonitsa – the large town at the entrance to the Gulf. We anchored outside the harbour late morning and took the dinghy into town to explore. Again this is not a tourist town but has a very nice harbour and a lovely beach that we were able to swim off after we had explored the town. Lots of different shops and restaurants that cater for the locals and again a town that livens up in the evening when people seem to come from far and wide for a evening out strolling along the sea promenade.
Once the strong wind dropped in the evening we decided to move into the harbour and found a nice spot beside a Wharram catamaran. This was of interest to Svein as in his youth he had built a small one and started a bigger one that never got finished.
Vonitsa is dominated by the Venetian castle (as many other towns and ports in the area) and its history is closely linked to the power struggle The castle was built in the 13th century and was under the control of the different rulers (Angevins, Orsini, Tocci, Dukes of Leece and Knights of Rhodes) before coming under the Ottomans and the Ventians. It finally came into the hands of Ali Pasha of Ioannina before it was incorporated into the Greek state in 1829.
We decided to stay here for the weekend and on Sunday afternoon we were joined by “Laerke” who had come from Preveza. They had ordered a new auto pilot system that was waiting for them in Nidri.

Bright and early we left the quay in Preveza and wended our way into the Gulf of Amvrakia. This is a reputed natural reserve and we are hoping to see the dolphins and turtles as well as the other wild life that is abounding in this area. The first thing that is of consequence is the numerous fish farms dotted along the coast. We ignore the first town and decide to go into the end of the Gulf and then work our way back to Preveza. After a long morning we arrive at the bay of Sparto and realise that we have not seen another sailboat and even better we are all alone in the bay – Bliss. The first day we spend on the boat just winding down and swimming. However the next we decide to face civilization and go into the beach where there is a tavern. Unfortunately the food was not very good but in the later afternoon we took the dinghy and after mooring it in one of the small bays we followed the winding road to see if it led us to a town. After a very steep climb we arrived in a small village that had at least 4 taverns. We found a small supermarket but not much else. A pity that such a hard climb was not more rewarding except for a big thirst and a long way down again when we were ready. After a well deserved drink in one of the taverns when the locals could stop playing cards we wandered back the way we had come and were able to enjoy the view over the olive groves and the bay in general.

This stretch was down under engine for the whole way as although some strong winds blew up in the course of the journey it was not coming from the right direction. As the temperatures are soaring we had a couple of cooling off stops on the way down and even managed to recover an anchor buoy that was floating past. We moored on the “Scandinavian quay” in Preveza marina in the late afternoon after a long day. In the cool of the evening we walked into town to explore. It is not a tourist town although some charter companies seem to use it as their base. As a result there is not the usual throng of tourists although the town certainly comes to life in the evening when the locals are out taking their evening strolls.
One of the main reasons for coming to Preveza is that we have to change all our services batteries that are just over one year old – so much for sealed batteries. After investigating we have been advised on good authority to buy from a garage and that is what we did when the shops opened on Monday morning. They respect the Sunday closing here because of the lack of tourists. The new batteries have been purchased and installed so we are up and running again and can lie at anchor once more. After a wander around the town, a small stock up and a book swap in one of the local chandlers we were ready to go

After an early start as there was quite a distance to travel we left the quay in Plateria and made our way South to Parga. For once the wind was in our favour and we managed to achieve a sailing time of 4 and half hours. This meant that we reached Parga quite late in the afternoon and the initial bay we were intending to anchor in was pretty full of charter boats and the dreaded water sport fiends. Instead we anchored under the Venetian citadel with a line ashore. Parga in July is not the ideal spot. Early in the morning it is very pleasant to wander through the streets but at night it is throbbing with people who are meandering in and out of the shops in the small streets or are wandering along the quay and the ferries are busy until late in the night taking people to and from the bay. We were happy to leave there and make our way down to Preveza.

Once more on our own and with nothing more to do in Corfu we left the harbour as soon as the German boat had left so that we could make our way South again. We decided to visit Plateria again and then to make our way down the mainland to Parga and Preveza before the end of the week when again very strong winds are expected and we would prefer to be in a safe place. As we entered the bay we were met by an armada of 17 charter boats leaving the harbour so we were sure that we would find space on the quay for the night.