No sooner had I attached the fenders and got the mooring lines ready we were on the approach to the tiny fishing village of Steni Vala on Alonnisos.
We generally avoid staying on town quays preferring the peace and tranquility of anchorages but we’d heard a lot of good things about Steni Vala and given that it’s still low season and changeover day for yacht charters we figured it would be quiet.
Arriving at 10:45 there was plenty of space on the quay. Calm conditions and other sailors ready to take our lines made for a very smooth and calm docking. I’d like more of those please!
We quickly made the most of being able to simply hop off the back of Dreams onto dry land and went to Ikaros cafe for a coffee and baklava. There were a number of other sailors and holiday makers there and we all ended up chatting which was nice and social.
I wanted to venture up to the old town of Alonnisos so when we saw a taxi dropping some people off at the end of the road we flagged him down for a ride.
The old town suffered an earthquake in 1965 so devastating it was abandoned and residents moved to the port of Patitiri. The hilltop ruins remained empty until the 1980s, when European visitors began buying properties and restoring them. Electricity was not introduced until the 1990’s.
We enjoyed a freshly made spinach and cheese pastry at a lovely spot called Hayiati. The best I have ever tasted and after my complements to the friendly waitress I was introduced to the yiayiá who proudly told me she had made the filo pastry fresh that morning and all the ingredients were from her garden. I got a big smile when I identified that I had tasted mint, anise and onion.
In addition to the tasty food, Alonnisos was an olfactory overload with the scents of jasmine, fig, honeysuckle and lavender growing just about everywhere.
It was nice to wander around and the views were spectacular but it is very definitely early season and very little was open.
Back at Steni Vala we went for dinner at Tassia’s, one of only a handful of restaurants in the charming fishing village and literally steps from the back of our boat. Some of the people we’d met earlier today were also dining there and very soon we were sharing plates of food and ordering more wine.
Of course when we returned to Dreams and were just off to bed the wind got up and changed direction so we ended up running around in our pajamas adding spring lines and adjusting docking lines.
There are definitely pros and cons to being on a town quay.
Sounds like a great start to your season.