Ratus Sparticus

Preveza, Greece

Here we are, tied to the Aktio dock, unsuspecting....

It was the middle of a dark night.  The Cap’n had gotten up to check on mooring lines.  He thought he’d heard the pitter-patter of little feet scurrying about the dock.  Now, there staring at him, nose to nose, thought the OPEN galley hatch (onboard even!) was Ratus Sparticus!

Having been engrossed in stories of the Battle of Thermopylae*, our Captain’s first thought was to reach for an implement of destruction (probably my best kitchen knife – eeeuuuw!).  However, he resorted to a sudden ninja cut & thrust punch.  Ratus learned to fly, though sadly not to swim, then made a hasty retreat from the dock into his boatyard hideaway. 

You can’t say we hadn’t been warned.  Rats are known to run up mooring lines and our fabric clad fenders make perfect treads.  Along with wafting remnants of dinner, it was an invitation clearly too good to miss.  (Although the Cap’n reckons they should have gone for the French boat behind us, being better cooks & all!)

Still, we are now replete with various instruments of defence and mooring lines glistening with an array of plastic bottles. GS wants to go back to Kusadasi for the black cat that tried to adopt us.  It was a close call, hopefully not to be repeated…

 

(* In 480BC, Spartans hold off Xerxes’ Army (Persians) in the Battle of Thermopylae, against all odds.)

Note: large quantities of useful plastic bottles as "rat fender-offerers"

Not a line was spared the "treatment"