Igoumenitsa – Life Four Point Zero

April 30, 2021April 14, 2021

The Adventures of Jar Jar Binks, Ep. 150

Earlier in my working career, I was very cautious about making friends outside of the office. For one thing, life in Corporate America can be highly transient; you never know whether it’s going to be worth the investment. Then, you start working with someone, and you realize your connection transcends the workplace. It could have easily been a cafe, a flight departure gate, or a campground in the mountains. It just so happens that you each found the same employer. I was fortunate to have a few of these special people in my life, and one of them was my friend Pedro. We worked together at Autodesk, and while work conversation was required at times, we had a lot more fun talking about life outside the office. It helped that he was a lifelong fan of Bruce Springsteen!

April 23, 2021April 8, 2021

The Waiting Game, Ep. 149

We had taken every reasonable precaution, and now, as the medicane churned its way towards the Ionian Sea on a northeast track, the next 48 hours would determine if we had made the right decision. As often happens with an approaching storm system, the skies and the wind were quite benign. It was almost like the storm was sucking the energy out of the region, feeding it to the hungry monster within. A dull gray upper atmosphere draped over us, a rare sight in the summertime Med. And barely a ripple formed on the water, as we settled into our anchorage. We were over a mile from the harborfront of Igoumenitsa, and well spaced from the shoreline surrounding us. I had worried that other boats seeking shelter would logically aim for this harbor too, so well protected as it was. But only three sailboats joined us, in a space that could easily hold 50 or more. If the high winds made it this far north, we wouldn’t have to worry about other boats dragging on their anchor, and their detritus cast onto the sea surface. We would just have to worry about ourselves, while waiting out our fate.

April 16, 2021April 16, 2021

Impending Doom, Ep. 148

If you do any amount of sailing in Greece’s Ionian Sea, you are bound to cross paths with the island of Levkas. And, if you are not too thrown off by its equally common name of Levkada, you will find a beautifully mountainous island with something for everyone. Together with the town of Preveza on the mainland, there are a plethora of services for sailboats on Levkas, and the commensurate line up of bars and restaurants to keep all the sailors in good spirits. We had visited Levkas last year with our friends Steve and Julie during a whirlwind tour of the Ionian. This time, as we sailed gently around the southern coast of Meganisi with both Paloma and time on our side, I was looking forward to exploring the island more deeply.