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

Celestyal Nefeli 12th May 2017, Part 2

Saturday 13th May 2017
I set my phone alarm and discovered from the View from the Bridge on the television that we had already arrived in the caldera at Santorini. It was such an astonishing sight, knowing we were tied up inside the middle of a volcano and could take a tender ashore after breakfast.

The excursion passengers left the ship first and then at 10.30 a.m. the rest of us could take one of the local tenders the short distance to the shore.

This is our itinerary on Celestyal Nefeli from Lavrion

Norwegian Spirit in the caldera at Santorini

Westerdam of Holland America Line

The ferry port was some distance across the caldera

Seajets at the ferry port

Sea water, from the tender

Celestyal Nefeli at Santorini


The busy quayside seems to have been extended and there are obvious signs that the walkways under the mountainside will be expanded round the headland in the future. We enjoyed walking around and then talking with a man from New York; we all talked about Santorini and then had an amusing short discussion about the UK's vote to leave the European Union and the USA's vote for President Trump.

We went to see where the donkeys are located at the foot of the zig-zag path to the town of Thira way up high; in fact we could smell them before we reached the place where people can get into the saddle for the ascent. I have never been on the donkeys but have walked up using the wide steps cut into the rock beside the donkey walk. It was slightly hazardous at the time and the smell of the animals and their droppings was ever-present. Visitors to Thira are now advised to take the newly-built cable car up to the town and of course this offers wonderful views out over the caldera.

Donkeys


I bought some local postcards which showed ships that called here in the past, and my travelling companion was able to identify the vessels for me, including ROMILDA.

Postcard 1,
Left to right: local tourist ferry, Apollon of Epirotiki stern onto the quayside then foreground an original R (Renaissance) ship; photo probably taken in the 1980s, photo copyright Haitalis, 13 Astrous Str. Athens

Postcard 2
Left to right: an original R ship, Apollon of Epirotiki stern onto the quayside, a small local vessel, then Windstar or Windspirit? photo probably taken in the 1980s, copyright Haitalis, Athens

Postcard 3
Top: Marco Polo; below left: Sea Goddess II ?; below right: unknown R-ship 2nd batch (rounded funnel); top left-hand: tiny fast ferry coming in from Crete; photo taken in the 1990s copyright Haitalis, Athens

Postcard 4
GA Ferries Romilda, built in 1974, sailing into Santorini probably in the early 1990s; copyright photo by Marmatakis Brothers, Galagado Akrotiri, Chania


We went to a local cafe for coffee, saw occasional ferries calling at their quayside in another part of the caldera, and watched other local tenders going to and from NORWEGIAN SPIRIT and WESTERDAM which were anchored in the caldera. We were also surprised and happy to see the little NEARCHOS, which we had visited in Lavrion yesterday, sailing neatly and fast into the ferry port with her so-recognisable Knud E Hansen profile. That Chief Engineer had obviously done a superb job on her engines.

Nearchos of Creta Cargo Lines

Celestyal Nefeli from another angle

Deck Plan of Celestyal Nefeli

Thalassa Bar and parasols



Back on board I enjoyed a glass of sparkling wine before lunch at the outdoor Thalassa Bar and lido buffet before settling in a shaded steamer chair for an afternoon rest. Later we could see various ships arriving and departing from the ferry port and the tenders taking passengers back to their cruise ships in the caldera. All these big ships cannot anchor because of the enormous water depth, so the engines are constantly working to keep them in position, usually tied up to an allocated and fixed buoy.

Nissos Rodos of Hellenic Seaways leaving the ferry port



Tonight is 'White Night' on board for anyone who wants to wear white clothing, and many did. We didn't know about this so I wore pink. We had sailed from Santorini by this time but the ship took us on a tour around the caldera so we could enjoy the different views from the Deck 5 Eros Bar; we noticed the little NEARCHOS had returned to the port and was sailing parallel to us for a while but soon speeded up and headed out to the other islands on her itinerary. What a delight to see her again; I liked that my friend photographed and sent a picture of her to our maritime author friend Dr Bruce Peter, who wrote the authorised book about Knud E Hanson.

Lovely lines

Stern view of Nearchos


Dinner was enjoyable, and this time we were placed with an American couple and again the conversation was most interesting and topical. This evening the show was a trip around the world in musicals, and we all enjoyed the music and dancing/acrobatics. Tonight we sail for Izmir in Turkey, a distance of 188 nautical miles.



Ships seen at Santorini:
Celestyal Nefeli (Celestyal Cruises), Norwegian Spirit (NCL), Westerdam (HAL), Nearchos of Creta Cargo Lines, Blue Star 2, Champion Jet 1, Champion Jet 2, Nissos Rodos


To be continued...