Electrobike Adventures

23 - 25 August 2017

Having converting the bicycles to electric, Dave was pushing for opportunities to put them through their paces.

 First mission: to try out the trailer.  I wasn't too keen to take a long vehicle through Nidri High Street while it is still August, but we had shopping to do, and parcels expected at the Post Office, so a backpack probably wouldn't do.  In the event, the trailer did a very good job, and was packed out by the end.  There was more at the PO than expected, including books, and we needed lots of veg.  I was probably hauling around 20 kilos by the time we came back up the hill to home.  The electrics coped easily, barely used any charge and I didn't have to strain at all.  Very successful.  

We're not quite sure why I've got the trailer, except that it was my idea to get it, so Dave fixed the attachment to my bike.  We have to send for another attachment so he can haul it too.

Then the second mission appeared - Jonathan and Bella were still out yachting, but they were coming into Rouda Bay on Lefkas for Friday night, and did we want to join them for a meal?  Rouda Bay is about 13 km (8 miles) from home, and the road climbs steeply for half of that, then descends in a series of hairpin bends.  Again, I thought it was madness, but Dave was all for the adventure.  So we packed our swimmers, made sure the batteries were full, and set off.  

I was pleased to see that the batteries were just touching half power at the highest point of the climb, which is about two thirds of the way there.  Then we had the long downhill, hard work on the wrists and fingers clamped on the brakes.  We arrived still on half power, had a swim and a meal, and set off back in the dark.  This was quite scary, because there was very little light, and a lot of traffic (August by the seaside!), and some mad puppies that chased me in the dark, yapping round my wheels.  

It was a long, hard ride - given that we'd only been back and forth to Nidri before - and we covered 27 km (17 miles) in total, but the actual cycling with the electric assist was a doddle.  I would definitely do it again - tho' perhaps not at night.  My battery went to one quarter full just outside our field, so there was plenty left in it - I'd been conserving power just in case.  

Next morning - I had a flat tyre!  Incredibly grateful that didn't hit during the ride.

 

Spying on the wildlife

21 August 2017

One of our recent purchases is something we've wanted for a long time, which is a 'trail camera'.  Basically, it's an outdoor camera that you strap to a tree, and it is activated by movement, day or night.  We were keen to see what was sniffing round the chicken hut, and what was eating the tomatoes.

 I had forgotten it was there when I went to collect the eggs

 But later that night - horrible, an enormous husky is loose in the garden - a bit worrying

And even later, this image.  We couldn't see what had triggered the camera until we looked closely at the bottom left-hand corner - a brush with disaster!

Boating Week 3

13 - 20 August 2017

Last time round our circuit.  With the added surprise of seeing Jonathan in Kalamos ...

  'of all the harbours in all the Ionian, you happen to come into ... the one we're in!

 What looks like a tranquil scene, which Kalamos in August definitely isn't!

 Taking selfies to amuse ourselves between moorings

 Dave and I in the little restaurant called 'Amalia' in Agia Euphemia which we really liked,

 partly because it had this fabulous view

 A day later, more selfies, in our favourite restaurant, Mills, in Kioni.  De-mob happy, as the stress is now definitely over.

 Sunday morning, going back to Nidri, we went early with one of our flock (in the background) who had an early flight to catch

A very lovely sunrise kept us company

Home for a week

7 - 12 August 2017

Home for a week, between boat trips.  Mostly we sat around recovering, and doing the washing (me) or building electric bikes (Dave).  But also, we spent time just appreciating our patch of land.

 Look, a tortoise, nibbling its way round our veggie garden.

 First outing - down to Nidri on the electrobikes.  Mine hit a top speed of 36 km/h on the bypass!

 As I was doing a bit of cleaning for our expected visitors, I found this baby gecko covered in sticky spiderweb.  Using a little nail, I peeled off as much as I could, at least to free its left arm and leg which were virtually immobilised.  At some point it had dropped its tail, as a tiny stub was regrowing.  Nice to get to know a little gecko.  I released it into our walls once it was able to scutter about.

 Then Jonathan, Sarah, and Bella arrived, so we went for lunch ...

... then everyone came to see the house, including Rowan from Nisos and his extended family who had been on our fleet the previous week.

 And then we went for a meal - phew, long day!

 Lots of research was done during the week.  The off-grid system we want was agreed, with just money transfer to arrange.  I also started looking for a kitchen wood burning stove, to go where the hat is in this picture.

 Meanwhile, the garden, although very dry, was managing to produce a few bits and pieces - including this marvellous sunflower ...

... and a single melon (which we will have to fight the tortoise for, when it is ripe).

Boating Week 2

31 July to 6 Aug 2017

Off to sea again, and as the season ramps up into August, it all gets rather more frantic out there ...

 ... not that it shows in this shot!  Waiting for our flock, as Kalamos starts to fill up (panic!!)

 Having discovered in Kalamos that Dave had left his shoes behind in Karnagio, we had to go the long way round the next day, to pick them up.  We were running late, so Dave had to shoot off in the Raspberry Rib(ble) while I pottered along in the yacht.

 Later in the week, in Agia Euphemia, amazed by these incredible structures - apparently once-a-lifetime flowering of American Agave succulents.  There were lots in Kephalonia.

 The most challenging part of the week finally behind us - all our flock rafted up comfortably in Kioni.  We had most of the Nisos high command in our fleet, and they invited us out to eat, which was very nice.  

 But most importantly - I finally bought the moonstone bracelet I've been wanting since last year from the artisan jeweller in Kioni village.  This picture doesn't do it justice, the blue tones in the moonstones are lovely.

New Electro-goodies

27 - 29 July 2017

Last week's purchasing turned into deliveries this week: first the electric bike kits, then our new water filter jugs, and on Friday, the suite of cordless garden tools, minus the hedgetrimmer which wasn't available, so we'll get it another time.

Dave threw himself into the exciting job of bike conversion, but after we'd both torn apart all possible storage locations in the house, shed, hut and trailer, he had to accept that we'd lost a vital sprocket-puller or some such tool, and the full conversion would have to wait.  We tried the bike shop in Lefkas Town, but they only had one for the shop, and none for sale, so another delivery is pending.

 Lots of boxes for the bike bits - our purchasing included a snazzy trailer for electro-bike shopping!

 New water filter jugs (one for the boat) as our water has started tasting very chlorine-y since the council changed over the supply.  Which is a tragedy, as we used to have lovely tasting water, but apparently the old supply needs too much maintenance and has had to be discontinued

 Dave's bike half done: with new back wheel (containing the motor), slimline battery, brakes, throttle and control screen all fitted, but wires to be tidied and gear and pedal bits to be sorted out when the right tools are sourced.  We decided to get the kits from Ciclotek, a Spanish company, on the basis of good reviews.  We'll see how they do.

The new cordless electric strimmer and chainsaw.  Dave was up early to try the strimmer and is very impressed.  Rather more powerful than we'd expected.  The same battery works both tools.  The battery lasts longer than either Dave or I do, and recharges more quickly, so that's okay.  It's the Husqvarna 36v set with fast charger for those who are interested.

Konstantine re-visited

26 July 2017

Actually, its us re-visited, finally, by Konstantine, our architect.  As we have a capital injection, we really want to make sure all the major costs on the house are paid while the money lasts.  In Greece you pay 'IKA' which is National Insurance, on any building, even if you do the work yourself.  So we asked Konstantine to start the process of signing off the house as complete, even though there is still a lot of internal work to do, and all the landscaping. 

Konstantine, impressed by the two years work since he was last here

Yoga under the trees

25 July 2017

Liana, who does the wonderful Reflexology, has her sister staying for the summer, up in Neohori.  Maria, the sister, is a yoga teacher and lovely person, and offers outdoor yoga in the shade in the evening at 7pm, followed by a light supper - all for 12 euros each!  Although we did have to do our own veg prep:

Fran and Geoff, who we know from Nisos, came too - here with Dave, post-yoga, chopping veg for stew

Chicken maintenance

25 July 2017

The chickens (and cats and garden) were looked after by Dmitri while we were away.  So they are in good shape, but the heat is getting to them.  The eggs stopped coming a few days ago.  So we threw an extra shade cover over the run, and we've been letting them out for free-ranging in the cool of the evening whenever we can.  We needed to clean out the run and stock up food for our next absence, too.

 Loading two straw bales on the roof of the car

 Stopped for a coffee, and asking Pedro to check why the air con never works - he says all the tubes have been cut, probably when it had to have a new engine years ago.

 Watering the compost - much to the excitement of the chickens who don't get many chances at a good muddy scrabble this time of year

 A huge bucket of compost-tea-to-be: chicken-poo straw and other goodies in water

 The chicken run shaded, and incidentally, early olive netting out too.

Creating a bigger run area when the sun is overhead

Gardening Developments

19 July 2017

Back from the sea, with capital to invest in our project(s), the first thing we did was locate a Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) course, running in Greece in the Autumn.  The PDC is an introduction to the principles and practice of Permaculture.  We've done a lot of reading, but the opportunity to do the course in Greece is not to be missed: we will develop contacts, hopefully friendships, with other residents here, find out about local growing techniques and skills, especially water retention and storage, and indigenous plants.  It's all very exciting.  We're going to Tinos Eco-lodge.  Tinos is an island near Mykonos, a ferry ride from near Athens.  We leave the day after Regatta!

 A few potatoes, picked after the rain

Our next investment in the garden, inspired by the weeding done on Monday, was to spend a couple of days researching cordless electric garden power tools.  We wanted a suite of tools (chainsaw, strimmer and hedgecutter) that all ran on one powerful battery with a fast charger.  Internet research kept throwing up American makes that we can't get locally, so in the end we went into Lefkas and trawled the garden centres to see what was available.  It came to a choice between Stihl and Husqvarna, and the Stihl range seemed less comprehensive, more of an after-thought than Husqvarna, so that's what we've ordered.  Also, we like the garden centre that stocks Husqvarna, and we're confident they'll be helpful if we have any problems, which is an important issue.

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