Celestyal Nefeli 12th May 2017, Part 4 the final one

Monday 15th May 2017
Another blue sky morning and breakfast on deck, as we sailed the remaining distance into the new-to-me Greek port of Nafplio.

Nafplio on the map of Greece, south of the Corinth Canal

Last photos on board: Eros Bar and Lounge

Decks 2, 3 & 4

Decks 5,6,7 & 8

Ship plan

Muses Lounge, which is sideways on

On deck for breakfast

The wake

Nafplion Castle and Ramparts, and the life ring

Looking at the quayside

On the town plan


It looked picturesque, with wide promenades fronting a town beneath a castle on the mountainside behind the town. We had to disembark from CELESTYAL NEFELI and take final pictures of this delightful little ship as we walked towards the bus station.

Celestyal Nefeli


Swallows were flying around the buildings, as they had in the other ports, and we could see small groups of people on vertical-seeming paths up routes to the castle entrance. We did wonder if they might be excursion folk from our ship!

We bought numbered seat tickets for the 10 a.m. bus from Nafplio to Athens, and were soon in air-conditioned comfort. The long journey was over local winding roads between mountainsides until we eventually joined a dual-carriageway new road leading west to Patras. I had read that a new section of this route had recently been opened, so that speeded up our journey as we drove over the Corinth Canal (I had my eyes open and saw the Canal below us) and headed for Athens. We discovered that the bus stopped at a new Metro station so got off there and were soon buying tickets for the short journey, with one change, down to the port of Piraeus.

Metro routes around Athens, taking us easily to Piraeus


Soon we were walking through the heat and sunshine into the busy port, where we could see lots of ferries and a couple of cruise ships. It was such a shame to know that even if we had wanted to take a ferry somewhere, we would then be unable to go anywhere else, so it was a wise decision to go home to the UK, however reluctantly. Our compensation today was to take a local ferry to Salamina, knowing that we could catch another ferry back again to the Great Harbour of Piraeus after lunch, before heading to the airport this evening.

That's what we did, enjoying the wonderful sea air and views of ships arriving or departing all around us.

Nissos Mykonos

Kriti II, something unseen, & Nissos Samos

Festos Palace

Ariadne

Sailing out of the Great Harbour of Piraeus, past the newly-constructed entrance jetty

Phivos

Theofilos

Med Star

Dionisios Solomos of Zante Ferries

Caribbean Galaxy of Atlantic Blue Seaways

Louis Aura, looking delightful

Vitzentzos Kornaros, Superferry, Laton, Nissos Rodos

Corse

Ionis

New ferry sailing between Perama and Salamina

Spongebob Squarepants

Louis Aura, seen as we sailed back to Piraeus

Med Star again

Nissos Samos underway

We saw many vessels that day, including the lovely little LOUIS AURA, looking perfectly ready to sail. It was good to discover on our return to the UK (thank you JB in Singapore) that she has been chartered by ETSTUR cruise line, and should be sailing again later this summer.


Ships seen: Celestyal Nefeli, 2 Way Ferries Acha, Adamantios Korais, Nissos Mykonos, Speedrunner III, Nissos Samos, Elyros, Kriti II, Festos Palace, Prevelis, Costa Neo-Classica, Ariadne, Superfast XII, Phivos, Terrajet, Theofilos, Ierepetra, Medstar, European Highway, Dionisios Solomos, Rasa Sayang (ex-Bergensfjord), Caribbean Galaxy, Aqua Jewel, European Express, Kalli P, Louis Aura, Nissos Rodos, Laton, Superferry, Vitsentzos Kornaros, Ionian Sky, Corse, Ionis, Salamis Express III, Spongebob Squarepants, and the two little ferries we took to and from Salamina island


It had been a really enjoyable few days in Greece at sea on a delightful small ship, with many happy (even euphoric...) memories to take home.

Celestyal Nefeli

SUMMER 2016 - July ferrying, Part 6

Wednesday 20th July 2016
The air-conditioning in my room at Queens Leriotis Hotel in Piraki near Piraeus proved too cold for me during the night, so I switched it off, opened the balcony door, pulled the dark curtains across the windows again, put on a fleecy jacket and returned to my bed. The temperature controls were way above my head on the ceiling, so adjusting them wasn't an option. I was back to sleep within moments, and only woke again with the alarm calling me in time for breakfast at 8.45 a.m.

The views of the ships had been enjoyed earlier, but then it was time to leave and drive round to see PANAGIA TINOU in the harbour, for the last time before setting off for the Piraeus airport. We filled the hire car up with fuel before handing it back at the Hertz desk at El Venizelos airport, and heading into the one and only terminal building.

The top two red spots show our location in Agios Konstantinos and then Skiathos


My amazing trip is going to continue with a flight from Athens here in Greece, over to the Italian coastal city of Bari. Ferries timings were not suitable for our scheduled itinerary and instead we checked in with Aegean Airways for a 1 hour 40 minutes flight on an Olympic Airways DHC-8400 propeller aircraft over the Ionian Sea/Straits of Taranto/Adriatic Sea to our destination.

This shows our route from Athens (lower right-hand red spot) to Bari in Italy (top red spot left-hand side)

First details about the aircraft


As we left the airport we did a gradual curved route back around the Great Harbour of Piraeus and the eagle-eyed were able to spot the abandoned EUROPEAN EXPRESS, THEOFILOS, ALKYON, and PELAGATIS a long way below.

Theologos at Rafina

Superferry II approaching Rafina

A good view of most of the Great Harbour of Piraeus

European Express, Theofilos, Alkyon and Pelagatis at Drapetsona

Aircraft details


We were offered light refreshments on the flight, which were an unexpected and enjoyable surprise. I enjoyed the views of Corfu and other tiny islands from my port-side window on this little aircraft as we flew high above the sea at 24,000 feet, towards the Italian mainland. I can't remember the last time I flew on an aircraft with propellers, but it was many years ago.

We flew parallel with the Italian coast and I noticed two different fires inland with their smoke billowing really high up into the atmosphere and over the land for many miles. Soon we landed at Bari airport and left our little aircraft, to head into the terminal and get a taxi to take us to the port. We remembered to change our watches back one hour to Italian time.

Dashing from the Dash?


Our ferry tonight is to be BARI, sailing 11 hours overnight from here in Bari to Igoumenitsa and Corfu. She was built in 1980 for the famous Sealink Dover-Calais crossing, as ST. ANSELM. She is now with Ventouris Ferries doing this Bari-Corfu-Igoumenitsa route, plus doing Cefalonia-Zante once a week as well.

In the port of Bari was this horrific sight - Norman Atlantic

Rhapsody was nearby

Superfast II

Bari at Bari


BARI's engines are slow, which emitted black smoke when we sailed. From our berth we could look across the quayside to the fire-damaged NORMAN ATLANTIC, where we could still see the smoke-blackened window frames and even the escape chutes hanging down the outside of the hull. Fire had broken out during the early hours of 28th December 2014 on the ANEK-chartered ship during a voyage from Patra to Ancona. It is said that the fire started on the car deck and that fire-fighting equipment and the skills to use it were completely inadequate, and eleven people died as a result with eighteen missing. It is horrifying to see the ship now and even more so to know that very little compensation and explanations have been forthcoming since the terrible incident. I read that the Italian investigation authorities have still not searched the whole ship to find the missing passengers.

Norman Atlantic


There were other ships around and they were a momentary distraction from the NORMAN ATLANTIC.

Lounge

Forward Bar/lounge

Rigel II on the poster

Rigel II in the port nearby

Leaving Bari

On deck in the late sunshine


We are due to sail at 6 p.m. from here in Bari and it was delightful to leave the port and see the other ships in the evening sunshine. We had a good meal in the self-serve restaurant and then headed onto deck to see the day end in a glorious sunset.

Last of the sunset


Soon the moon rose and made a lovely light on the calm water as we sailed along. Tomorrow we will disembark in Igoumenitsa, north-west Greece, on BARI and enjoy a little time there, before going on to Corfu.

Ships seen in Piraeus: Blue Galaxy, Panagia Tinou, Knossos Palace, Blue Star Delos, MSC Magnifica, Superfast XII, Kriti I, Kriti II, Pelagitis, Norwegian Jade, Adamantios Korais, Phivos, Ionis, Ariadne

Ships seen from the plane: Superferry 2, Theologos (Rafina), European Express + Theofilos + Alkyon + Pelagitis

Ships seen in Bari: Bari, Superfast II, Rhapsody, Sveti Stefan II, Rigel II, and the fire-damaged Norman Atlantic


To be continued...