Aktio Marine Boatyard

View Aktio Marine Boat Yard in a larger map

Here is a map of where Aktio Marine boat yard is - just north of (B) on the map. From Preveza (A)which is where the bus station is, drive throught the tunnel and after the toll booth turn right on the first street at (B) on the map. It looks like you'd be turning left on the map, but trust me - turn right (it's because the road goes over the tunnel which is not shown on the map). There is a sign pointing the right way at the intersection. If you get to the gas station, you've gone too far. Follow this street past some fields on the right and the beach on the left, stop at Panos Taverna on the right for lunch if you like, go past a marina on the left and two other boatyards on the right. Aktio Marine is the last boat yard on the right - just before the fields - can't miss it. It takes about 10-15 minutes depending where in Preveza you're coming from. There is also a city bus that will take you to just past the toll booth and then you will need to walk the rest of the way (about 15 minutes).

From the airport in Aktio (C)(you have to zoom out to see it on this map), after leaving the parking lot, turn left, then right at the T-intersection, then drive to just after the gas station on the left and before the toll booth ahead and turn left at (B)on the map. There is a sign for the boat yard at the intersection. Follow this street past some fields on the right and a beach on the left, stop at Panos Taverna on the right for lunch if you like, go past a marina on the left and two other boatyards on the right. Aktio Marine is the last boat yard on the right - just before the fields - can't miss it. It takes about five minutes to drive - half hour if you're walking. There is also a Lefkada-Preveza bus that passes by the airport but for the one or two stops is not really all that much faster if you add on the waiting for the bus time.

If you are coming by boat, follow the channel markers into the bay and watch for the big Aktio Marina sign to your starboard and ahead. It's after the marina on the starboard side and before the marina in Preveza ahead and to port. Near the big Aktio sign, there is a buoy and a service dock where you can tie up before getting your boat lifted. You can also anchor nearby (watch for the shallows on the far side of the service docks.)The water is clean enough to swim in. The office is open 8:30 to 5 p.m.; check their website for more information: www.aktio-marine.gr

You can see more photos of the area if you click on the photo under my profile.

Guelph to Aktio

Ok, the next stage of my trip is from Guelph, Ontario to Aktio, Greece in two weeks. More weather reports needed:

Plan your trip Local Radar Detailed Forecast

and...

Plan your trip Local Radar Detailed Forecast

Michalis Hatzigiannis (Μιχάλης Χατζηγιάννης)

I've been enjoying fast Internet access today and have been browsing some music videos. I think Michalis Hatzigiannis (Μιχάλης Χατζηγιάννης) is my favorite singer. Check him out.

Vancouver

Plan your trip Local Radar Detailed Forecast

I love these weather stickers! When you sail, you are always aware of the weather but living in a house or an apartment in a city, it's more difficult to pay attention and not as important I suppose.

I flew into Vancouver yesterday and and it was a bumpy ride because of some strong winds. Today the wind dropped but it's cool and partly cloudy as the weather report says. My winter coat is still not packed! Just picked up my new passport - I am getting excited about heading back to Europe. Tomorrow flying to Toronto for a family visit. So, let's see what the weather in Toronto is like - I hope not too much wind.

Plan your trip Local Radar Detailed Forecast

Earthquakes in Greece

I found an interesting source of earthquake data from the University of Athens. It's real time and updated constantly. There have been some small earthqakes in the area recently, but nothing to worry about (I hope). You can check it here: http://www.geophysics.geol.uoa.gr/ and then click on earthquakes in the menu and go to Real-time Seismicity - Automatic Locations

Quotes by Goethe and others

Here are some of my favorite quotes:

"Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth that ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen
incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now." Goethe

"Dream lofty dreams as dreams are often the stuff goals are made of." -unknown

"If one advances confidently in the direction of one's dreams and endeavors to live the life one has imagined, one will meet with success unexpected in common hours." Henry David Thoreau

"It's beneficial to your health to try and believe a few impossible things before breakfast." Lewis Caroll

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” from A Return to Love, by Marianne Williamson.

And finally, "If you're going to be a bear, you might as well be a grizzly." JSC

Καλο Πασχα, Χριστός ανέστη

I would like to wish all my Greek friends - Happy Easter.

Mars - believe it or not.

I received this photo and the following message from a friend today:

"Something to look forward to this summer.

Mars - The Red Planet is about to be spectacular!

This month and next, Earth is catching up with Mars in an encounter that will culminate in the closest approach between the two planets in recorded history. The next time Mars may come this close is in 2287. Due to the way Jupiter's gravity tugs on Mars and perturbs its orbit, astronomers can only be certain that Mars has not come this close to Earth in the Last 5,000 years, but it may be as long as 60,000 years before it happens again.

The encounter will culminate on August 27th when Mars comes to within 34,649,589 miles of Earth and will be (next to the moon) the brightest object in the night sky. It will attain a magnitude of -2.9 and will appear 25.11 arc seconds wide. At a modest 75-power magnification Mars will look as large as the full moon to the naked eye. Mars will be easy to spot. At the beginning of August it will rise in the east at 10p.m. and reach its azimuth at about 3 a.m.

By the end of August when the two planets are closest, Mars will rise at nightfall and reach its highest point in the sky at 12:30a.m. That's pretty convenient to see something that no human being has seen in recorded history. So, mark your calendar at
the beginning of August to see Mars grow progressively brighter and brighter throughout the month.

Share this with your children and grandchildren."

NOTE: Please read the comment for this post to see how gullible we can be. I will keep this blog post up to remind myself and everyone who reads it that "you can't believe everything you read."

Justin's Enviro-Bear 2000; Operation: Hibernation Video Game

My younger son, Justin writes video games for a living and he just entered one of his games in a contest for a short, fun game which needs to have a vehicle cockpit in it. Here is the link for it:

http://forums.tigsource.com/index.php?topic=4964.0

For those of you who aren't experienced with video games, you have to download the game first, unzip it and then play it. To get a full screen, press Alt, Enter. To get out of the game, press Esc. To operate the controls, use your mouse's left click button. The game has received a lot of praise on the internet, and I am also very proud of Justin. I think he'll win the contest. Way to go Justin!

Economy in Europe

Ok, so usually I don't pay attention to politics and the economy but by chance I stumbled on a currency exchange page on Google while reading about the earthquake in Italy. There is an interesting graph on the page showing the rise and fall of one against the other and it seems that the Euro is falling with respect to the Canadian dollar. I guess it might be a good idea to take a look again before I use an ATM machine in Greece.

Let's see, if I take out 100 Euros and the exchange is 1.6 I need 160 dollars. If I wait until it's worth 1.5, I need 150 dollars - save 10 dollars. Not bad. From yesterday to today, I would have saved three dollars. Enough for a coffee and a pastry. If I wait long enough, perhaps I'll be able to buy a month worth of groceries with the money I save. I'm not complaining...

Now, the earthquake does concern me - I have friends in Italy. Hope they're all ok but still it's terrible for the families of the people who died. I send my prayers to them.