Busy day in Kusadasi port. 3 other ships are here with us.
Since we left Istanbul on a cloudy and rather gloomy afternoon we have visited Myrina on the island of Limnos, Mykonos yesterday and today, Kusadasi. Unfortunately I had to cancel the call in Myrina for when we arrived at our anchorage the wind was so strong that to run my tender boats would have been too much of a risk. It is always a tough call to make to cancel a port as I am acutely aware of the disappointment to some guests it causes. However when the chance of injury to somebody getting on our off a tender or possible damage to my tender boats is high then I must make the call.
Limos Island to our North before we arrived at our anchorage.
So we spent the day at sea heading south among the islands to Mykonos. The wind was from the NNE and once we turned south the ship was very comfortable. The forecast was for light winds in Mykonos.
The forecasters were hopelessly wrong. Dawn dawned. The wind was still stiff from the North and the sky was still heavy and steel grey. Mind you it had warmed up somewhat. We anchored in the harbour. Tucked up in the north of the bay in which Mykonos harbour lies affords some shelter unlike the anchorage at Myrina was is totally exposed to winds from the North.The sky did struggle to clear and by around midday there was a suggestion of sunshine around.
We successfully ran our boats all day in Mykonos right into the ancient harbour. The hills to the rear of the port are covered in houses and apartments and shops and cafes. All are painted white. The white paint salesman does well I would imagine. White would suggest that perhaps the sun does get here eventually and warms the place up. The old windmills would perhaps attest to the fact that more often than not Mykonos is windy. The lack of any sizeable trees may confirm that notion.
Mykonos Harbour.
So now we find ourselves in Kusadasi. The pilot boarded. I have known this pilot for quite a few years now. There have only ever been 2 pilots in all the years I have been coming here. He came to the bridge under another gloomy sky. The forecast was for light westerly winds. The forecasters got that wrong too. It was blowing stiffly and it was murky. This is most unusual for Kusadasi. I asked the pilot where the summer was. He told me that if I found it would I be so kind to send it back for it should be much better than this by now. We had a small moan as is our want and docked the ship. The lovely view from my cabin window has been obliterated by a leviathan that has docked beside us and towers above us. I can see right into a number of cabins right across from me and I guess they can do the same to me. I have drawn my net curtains.
I went for my usual walk around the ship and came across this studious fellow.
Chief Engineer Ned at his computer.
This is Ned, Chief Engineer doing his arrival paperwork. It served as a timely reminder that I should go and do some of mine too.studious