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Orchids for Aphrodite
Aegean Odyssey

Synopsis:

Two live-aboards, Ursula raised in rural Derbyshire, who had never been on a boat before, and Bob an experienced sailor, together restore a classic wooden yacht to explore the Aegean world, probing the coasts, islands and anchorages of Greece and Turkey only accessible by small boat. Soon they are joined by a kitten fished from the waves. As he matures into their indomitable Ship's Cat, he adds a great dollop of humour, almost stealing the show.First sighted as a forlorn, snow-covered hull on a lop-sided cradle, the venerable Cappelle provides three years of Aegean adventure on the cusp of the new millennium and the explosion of tourism. The crew makes "KEEP LIFE SIMPLE" their watchword. Frequently suffering from sleep and fresh water deprivation, they learn the art of feast and famine as they set out at dawn, occasionally encountering hostile seas, for a fresh horizon. They endear themselves to the natives and find themselves embraced as foreign outcasts, for nobody with two pennies to rub together would live aboard winter and summer in these waters. But this is the way to explore the fascinating world of the Aegean. This delightful account of the real Greece will not fail to enthral.

Reviews:

"'As one who once fished a drowning dog out of the Thames, I warmed at once to an author who rescued a cat from the sea. But there's more to this blissful story than animal rescue, and I salute a fellow-Derbyshire (originally) author.' Matthew Parris 'This is a smashing book. Read it. Ursula Haselden digs underneath the travelogue, conjuring the real Greece, and its seas with style, humour and immediacy.' Sir Jeremy Thomas KCMG (former British Ambassador to the Hellenic Republic) 'Sounds like an incredible journey.' Dame Ellen MacArthur"

Author Biography:

Ursula was an only child brought up in the depths of the Derbyshire Peak District. After attending boarding school in Gloucestershire, she graduated MA in Philosophy and Psychology at the University of St Andrews. Now married to Bob, the Captain of Cappelle, she has two children and two young grandchildren, Felix and Freya, who are already proving handy in boats. She lives in Scotland.

Additional Information:

Illustrations: illustrations Related subjects: Travel writing Sailing