On the early afternoon of August 21, we depart Greece to head west across the Ionian Sea towards Sicily. We have a distance of approximately 220 nautical miles which should take us two days non stop.
With wind on the nose, we were unable to sail until we were way off the land. At sunset, a pod of dolphins greeted us and played on the bow. The pod included some juveniles that were really, really cute! Night watch revealed that Jupiter and Saturn are very near the moon, a lovely site in this clear Ionian Sea night sky.
On 23 August, we sighted Sicily through very hazy day light. During the crossing we had very little wind, but as we approached the southern part of Messina Straits it started blowing a houlie!
We decided to head to Taormina for our first anchorage in Sicily. We were ready for a good rest before going up through the Straits. The coast line here is very dramatic with cliffs plunging into the sea. It is also very busy, with trains, boats, cars and people! In the evening, Rob and I enjoy the view of smoldering Mt. Etna as the backdrop to our anchorage.
We tried to leave the next morning, but were knocked back to
three knots by swells and wind on the nose. Not worth it so we went back
to our anchorage to wait it out. We decided to try again at 0300 the next
morning to make it through the straits before the wind kicked up. It
worked! We passed through the Straits of Messina at 0932 passing the toe
of Italy on our starboard side.
We continued on along the north coast of Sicily to the small city of Milazzo, our first landfall in Italy!
We got a good berth in an uncrowded and free marina. After we got settled, we took a walk ashore and found Milazzo to be a really nice little city. Not touristy, but a working town. It happened to be the weekend, so there was a lot of social activity along the city's waterfront. Cafes full, lots of young people, hundreds of parked scooters of all models, families and lovers walking along the waterfront park. We enjoyed all this activity, decided to have dinner on shore which was really yummy!
We
took the time to visit the local castle. We had to have a guide for this
one and she spoke just enough English to tell us the history. It was a
lovely castle with fantastic views of the coastline and peninsula which juts out
from the city. As with many local ruins and castles, the premises are used for
cultural events such as concerts, dance and theatre. Sometimes an event is
held in an amphitheatre or other location that has been used for similar events
for centuries.
After our Milazzo visit, we head for Palermo, the capital of Sicily. Here we are to pick up a friend of ours from England, Graham O, who is bringing three of his friends to joins us for a few days.
We find an anchorage west of the city near the port of Arunella. The weather is fine enough for us to stay at anchor and there is enough room to move about if there is a change in the wind. The water is clean enough to swim which is a delightful surprise.
Rob and I take the bus into town for an explore and to find the tourist
information office. Palermo is a bustling city, the first we have been in for a
long time! The first thing we notice is the numerous models of small cars
used in the city. One in particular caught my fancy. I do not know
if it is in the USA or not, but it is the Smart Car by Mercedes Benz. Quite a
cute little number and very practical for city driving.
We had heard that Palermo was not a nice city but this was not our impression at all. We enjoyed the people, sights, sounds and smells of the old quarter. There is also a very smart section of town with all the top designer shops. The newly remodeled theatre was a spectacular piece of work. The locals were getting it ready for a special event.
I went to the market in the old city and it was quite an experience for me. I have been to many markets on this adventure and I would have to put this one among the best in regards to a true cultural experience! The narrow streets, the wholesome fresh produce, the hawking of products, fresh meat and fish, an abundance of cheeses, olives, salamis, various cold meats, fresh and dried herbs. It was all here! In most markets I have been to, I pick out my own product. Not here! I got in a bit of trouble handling the produce. I soon learned that you tell the vendor what you want and how much and they get it for you. I am not crazy about this system as sometimes you get inferior produce.
Our friends arrived and it was soon obvious that their goal was to enjoy the local wine and cuisine as much as possible! During their stay, we had breakfast and lunch on board and dinner ashore. We spent one night at anchor in Palermo, then sailed six miles stopping in a small bay for a swim and lunch. It wasn't long after we anchored that we were surrounded by other boats (motor) of all shapes and sizes. It is a Sunday and it is now obvious that this is the bay where the locals come to play. Obviously the guys enjoyed observing the various bikini styles on show.
After naps we went a short distance and anchored off shore of the fishing town of Porticello. We all went ashore for an explore and found a lot going on! Everyone was out strolling; vendors selling nuts of all kinds, roasted chestnuts, cheese, crabs and other foods I do not know. We had a great time among it all staying to enjoy a meal on shore.
We depart Porticello heading east to Cefalu. We had a good but mellow wind with Graham O at the helm. Arriving at the port, we find plenty of room for us to go alongside the quay. We are met by an Ozzie friend, John from SV Narissa, who helps us with the ropes. (It is always nice to have someone on shore to help you with ropes!) After we are tied up, the guys head to town while Rob and I do a little work on the boat.
The next day, we depart very early (0400) to head out to the Aeolian Islands. We are met with heavy winds and seas and when the forecast was increased to gale 8. The decision is made to return to Cefalu.
The Aeolian Islands are mostly all volcanic, coming straight out of the sea. As a result of this geologic feature, anchorages are few and can only be somewhat reliable in very calm weather. We returned to port, angering a fisherman as we disrupted his morning by going alongside where he was all set up for a day of fishing. But we had no choice and he soon resettled himself. We spent the day eating, resting, having what we call a "lay-by day".
We departed the next morning at 0500 heading for Lipari Island. This is a 53 nm journey. We had a good breeze and sailed half the way and motored the remainder. Lipari is a large town with a lot of tourists. It is the hub for visiting the Aeolian Islands. We anchored out as the quay had many swells which was very uncomfortable. We all had a good explore in town visiting the local museum, shops and restaurants.
The weather was pretty good for a day or so, which gave us a chance to also visit the island of Volcano. Here are mud baths filled with tourists slowly simmering themselves before going into the sea for natural underwater springs to cool them down. Rob, Graham O and Roger took a sunset hike up to the crater of this active volcanic island. They found a lot of sulfurous steam and gas coming from the crater and were treated to a spectacular view of all the islands.
That night we experienced thunderstorms with heavy winds and rain. Rob was up most of the night making sure our anchor held well. The weather seems to be deteriorating, so Rob makes the decision to return to Milazzo to the safety of the harbour. We have a good weather window for the trip but once we arrive and get settled we experience heavy rain. The guys get a bit restless and head into town.
The last night that our friends were with us, we had a nice dinner on board. It was great fun having "the guys" on board to be part of our sailing adventure. Graham O had never been sailing before and it was quite an adventure for him and "Sootie".
Rob and I spent several days in Milazzo port due to continuing heavy wind and rain. When it cleared we head back to the island of Lipari. We are in need of fuel and hope to get it there. There is no wind and we motor the whole way. We get to the fuel jetty but it will not open for a few hours. We wait and after refueling, anchor out. The weather is good, so we go ashore to explore the town again and go a bit further a field than our previous visit here. We find the old port which is very charming, but too small for us to enter.
The next few days provided us with perfect weather for exploring the Aeolian Islands. We went to Isla Salina, Isla Panareas and Isla Strombolli. We took walks to explore the towns and snorkeled to explore the sea. Our anchorage off Panareas was in one of the most beautiful coves of the Aeolian Islands. Overlooking this cove are the ruins of an ancient village with only the round foundations of the huts left to see.
Off of Panareas there are rocky islets with areas of fumaroles near by. We were able to snorkel surrounded by hundreds of bubbles coming from the sea bed! Quite an experience!
The architecture of the houses of these islands is a cubic style with thick columns around the outdoor living areas. Almost all are painted white. Some of houses remind me of the architecture of southwest USA. Apparently, the construction style is intended to withstand the frequent temblors of this active volcanic region.
Approaching the island of Strombolli is awesome. This smoking black volcanic mountain rising directly out of the sea looms larger and larger the closer we come to it. This volcano is considered to be the oldest lighthouse in the world, dating back at least 3000 years. It erupts every 15 to 20 minutes and smokes constantly. Strombolli is mentioned in the Odyssey as Odysseus passed by here trying to return home to Ithaca.
There are only two villages on this island. Each is totally isolated from the other except by the sea. We stop by the smallest village of Ginostra. Because the weather is mild, we are able to anchor off and dingy into this little port of black rock. The locals here claim to have the smallest natural port in the world.
The ferry has just unloaded goods, (via a smaller boat) so the dock is full of crates and cartons. There are no roads here, only paths. The store owners who ordered the goods have donkeys to haul the goods up to the village.
When we arrived in the village we were greeted by the local reverend. He had watched us arrive with great interest as he had spent time in Queensland not far from where we lived. He was gracious and invited us to his home for tea which we certainly accepted. He has been in this tiny village for ten years and thoroughly enjoys his life here. He is a natural hermit and does not mind the isolation. If you want to get away from it all, and are not afraid of an erupting volcano, Ginostra is the place to be.
After a pleasant afternoon tea with Reverend Lamaro, we returned to Sea Fever to up anchor and head to the main town of the island. We anchored out, had a pleasant walk on shore, an early dinner. We are planning to depart later tonight for the south coast of Italy. But before we go, we want to see Strombolli going off at night.
We up anchor around 10:00 pm and go around to the side of the island where we can see the explosions of Strombolli. It is a calm, warm night and we can just drift in the dark sea. Then all of a sudden, hugh fire works come out of the crater, huge rocks tumbling down the side of the mountain. Really spectacular!!!! We stayed and watched this nature show for a couple of hours. We then started the engine to begin our 76 nm journey to Bay of Policastro on the southern coast of Italy.
We are looking forward to our visit in Italy. We will be arriving at a good time as the main tourist season has come to a close. We look forward to the food, the natural beauty of the country, learning some of the history and most of all enjoying the spirit of the Italian people!
Ciao!
