The £150 odd extra for cabin must have been one of the best ones ever spent. But first things first. Queuing for the ferry from Brindisi (Italy) to Patras (Greece) was a 2.5 hours odyssey of Italian chaos at its best. Dark comedy or comedic tragedy? No lines, no movement, no instructions, no updates. Instead cars, motorhomes, trucks, dogs, kids, smokers, containers and a heap of other things left, right and centre. First clear instruction came at the time when the ferry was supposed to leave the dock: “Turn on your warning lights if Patras is your final destination”… Once on board, people camping everywhere. Almost reminded of sad pictures of refugee camps and words cannot describe how luxurious our small but cosy cabins with ensuite (!) appeared all of a sudden. The brochure taught us later that with only 91 cabin a maximum of 182 passengers of a total of 1,000 generally indulge in a comfortable bed during this 16 hour over night journey. Never felt so high-class in my life, and that is us who usually keep things  back to basic, without ever feeling deprived. Here a few insight from the ferry taken with my phone:

 
After a beautiful sunset we woke up to Greek summer sun and views of hundreds of stunning Ionian islands. Once of the ferry, the ride from Patras to Kilada took slightly longer than expected – as most things here in Greece. Compared to the 1,800km which Pablo had done in the three days prior from the UK to the tip of Italy, it was a breeze. Most things’ perception depend on their comparison, after all.

Following a fresh Greek salad with produce from the locals, I had the best and longest sleep in a long time. Well rested I spent the morning in the boat yard sanding and scraping Happy Dancer’s belly to get it ready for a couple of layers of anti-foul. The boys had a blast at the most beautiful beach. In the after-noon we spent some leisurely time by the pool whilst it was dad’s turn to give the boat a back rub – washing Sirocco sand of its dirty deck, and bonding with the nice dudes from the boatyard.

I keep on expecting that the transition to boat life – despite it being a life-long dream – to be quite hard. However, so far every move and every breath – including below stunning views from my yoga mat this morning – without a doubt belong to the category of ‘Life’s never felt so right before’. More boat yard updates to come soon – as well as Malta retreat news for February (November’s booking up quickly, so get in if you are keen!) and more videos to bring the yogic bliss to your living room. Be well. Be happy and believe in the power of your dreams!