A famous Spanish author, Neri has a screw loose and the loading of a Greek ferry

On 7th October 1571 the fleet of the Holy League defeated the naval forces of the Ottoman Empire close to the town of Lepanto, now known as Nafpaktos. It is a notable event in naval history because it was the last major sea battle to be fought using vessels powered by oars. It was at the time, the biggest naval battle in history with more than 400 ships, essentially floating platforms for infantry, engaged in the struggle. The victory ended the expansion of the Ottoman Empire and established Europe as a Christian continent. One of the constituent bodies of the Holy League was Spain and one of the soldiers involved was Miguel de Cervantes. Thus we found ourselves in the harbour of Nafpaktos, admiring the 16th century defences and gazing at a statue of the author of Don Quixote with an inscription in both Greek and Spanish

Cervantes celebrated in Greece

Our journey back to the coast had started more than three thousand feet higher in a large parking area just outside the town of Arachova, which clings almost impossibly above a deep valley in the shadow of Mount Parnassus. A track led from the parking spot back to the town so we took the pups through a maze of narrow back streets complete with the normal quota of cats which had Elsa in a state of excitement. Just above Arachova is a ski resort, although it's difficult to imagine snow on these mountains when the temperatures are in their mid teens and the sun is shining. It is also strange for us to be wandering past shops in t-shirts and seeing Christmas decorations. 

No danger of forgetting where we were

Difficult to imagine they ski here too

With the Festive Season approaching it was time to move on and we drove down a series of sharp hairpin bends back to Itea before setting off along the coastal E65 road towards the crossing of the Gulf of Corinth to Patras. We had been told of a water point in the small town of Galaxidi but the streets were so narrow we abandoned the search and went back to a filling station we had passed a couple of kilometres back. The lovely attendant was more than happy to allow us to fill with water, although we were slightly embarrassed that we were already topped up with diesel so couldn't buy any there. A short drive along the road took us to a tiny cove at the end of a very steep winding road. We spent the night by the beach with not a sound apart from the lapping of waves and the return of some fishermen in their

A cove of our own

boats. 

We have been spending a lot of time by the sea

The next morning saw a turn in the weather with grey skies. By the time we played ball with the spaniels and got back on the road to Nafpaktos it was raining. On arrival our first port of call was Lidl for the weekly shop before we found a spot close to the beach. By now it was pouring down so we decided to take the pups for a quick walk along the foreshore. Along the way we passed a crumbling water park, yet another example of a large investment in tourism which has been hit by Greece's economic problems. On our return to the van we decided to do a bit of cleaning. It's amazing how much dirt eight small paws can bring in. That night the rain lashed down but there is something rather comforting being in a small plastic box, listening to the rain hitting the roof outside.

The sad ruins of a water park

The Venetians were a dab hand at defences

By the next morning the weather had cleared and we set off in bright sunshine for a walk around the old harbour. Like many places in Greece Nafpaktos has had a number of rulers including the Athenians, Romans, Byzantine empire, Angevins, Catalans, Venetians and the Ottomans. The latter hung on to it until Greek independence in 1829. The port features old defences built by the Venetians and the town features some very upmarket shops. Neri was having a problem with a loose screw in her sunglasses so popped into an opticians. The lovely lady not only replaced the screw but spent a bit of time adjusting the frame. No
charge. We are loving Greece.

An arch with a view

We wondered if, like England, they needed a licence to crenelate

It is now possible to cross the Gulf of Corinth on a magnificent bridge but we avoided it for both aesthetic and economic reasons and took the ferry. Aesthetic because you can't see the bridge properly if you drive over it and economic because the bridge toll is twice the ferry fare. We have used a lot of ferries on this trip and the drill is much the same. You arrive to a barrage of signs sending you into a designated marked lane. When it is time to board, people in yellow jackets guide you on to the boat and ensure you are perfectly positioned. Not in Greece. 

The ferry was loading from a wide quay with no indication of whether we could board or not and no white lines. A man beckoned us on then lost interest while a second man waved us languidly into a space between two lorries, before he wandered off. Then a third man, the ticket collector, decided to move us somewhere else. When we were finally stationary he came to collect the fare. On learning we were from England he asked which football team we supported. When Neri said Manchester United he began reciting a list of names which meant nothing to me but my wife, who is an aficionado of the round ball game, identified it as a Man Utd team from the 80s. They both got very excited about someone called Frank Stapleton for some reason. 

The far side was just as much fun. The ferry arrived at the quay but the skipper discovered he couldn't get the ramp down far enough so we started travelling sideways. By this time the cars around us were already moving despite the fact we were still not docked When we were finally connected to the quay I began easing Florence carefully down the steep ramp while, around me, the locals were flying off in all directions, much like the Red Arrows bomb burst. We made our way around the edge of Patras to a laundrette in the south of the city where we had the luxury of being able to park outside. Tonight finds us once more on the coast for our first sleep in the Pelloponese, the area of Greece where we will be spending much of the next couple of months.