Month: October 2022
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Day 105: Grama Bay to Orikum
On the water paddling by 8:30, early by my recent standards, a mission on my mind – get around the Karaburun peninsula and to a source of water and food. I felt a bit anxious about this bit, it was going to be a quite a big day and the last 10kms are continuous sharp…
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Day 104: Παραλία Βότσαλο to Grama Bay
The Czech family kept an eye on my boat as I went for a walk in the morning along a dirt track to Jala, a seaside town full of nothing but beach bars and restaurants boarded up for winter. They kindly gave me a bowl of delicious pasta for lunch and filled my bottles with…
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Day 103: the rainbow gathering to Παραλία Βότσαλο
Everyday at the rainbow gathering I said ‘I’ll leave tomorrow’ and never did. Sitting by the fire one night, Emilio told me he’d been thinking of leaving too, but questioned that thought. Why the desire to move? I’d started to crave some solitude. I’d had many new thoughts, now I needed time to process them.…
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Four nights at the rainbow gathering
‘Food circle, NOW’. The cries came from the forest beyond the beach, and were echoed by others along the shore. Torch lights began to emerge from the trees and people gathered around the fire, linking hands in a big circle. I joined, seeing for the first time the faces of the rainbow people illuminated by…
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Day 102: Vouvalomantria Beach to the Rainbow Gathering
So many people have warned me to ‘be careful in Albania’, ‘watch out there’, ‘look after your stuff in that country’. So I felt apprehensive as I embarked on this next chapter of the adventure. Across to Albania I paddled, keeping an eye out for ferries but only crossing paths with an old rusty trawler,…
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Day 101: Porto Timino to Vouvalomantria Beach
A dive in to the sea to the sea to open the eyes to the new day, coffee and porridge brewed, my kit packed up – my morning went like this. Damn I’m lucky to wake up in such a place in such a way. Albania beckoned, and I set off across the glassy flat…
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Day 100: Church of Agios Nikolaosto to Porto Timino
Ok, I’m a bit behind on this blog. If I’m honest it’s been a chore to write and I’ve even thought about stopping. Right now I want to be as free as possible, and my duty to write feels like shackles. But I’m scared I’d regret it and scared to break the chain. I’ll employ…
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Day 99: Arkoudilas Beach to the Church of Agios Nikolaos
The thunderstorm passed and I got a couple of hours precious sleep. From Italy I learnt that a lack of sleep makes my blood sugars really difficult to control, so sleep is now a priority. The sea was wild when I woke and not a person was to be seen. It felt as exotic and…
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Day 98: Igoumentisa to Arkoudilas Beach (Corfu)
So much to tell. I travelled from Portugal to Italy, feeling free but alone, my friends now gone. I went straight to CUS Bari and sorted out my kit. Antonio and Mimmo, two of the most generous men you’ll ever hear of, had booked me a hotel. I questioned whether I’d do the same –…
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World champs report
The kayaking season of 2019 was both my best and worst. I won the waterside series and a bunch of Hasler races. I was promoted to division 1. I was selected for the GB surfski squad and marathon kayaking squad and raced in France, Germany, Portugal and the Netherlands. I was the fastest I’d ever…