Winter 2001

I am here in the Sydney International Airport waiting for a flight to take me to Italy and back to Sea Fever. I leave with warm thoughts of time spent with family, friends and of course, Rob.  He is staying in Australia for a few more weeks before joining his daughter in Nepal.  He will be returning to Sea Fever in mid-May.  

So I am off on a adventure,  spending time and working on the boat on my own and ready to discover more of the treasures Italy has to offer.

I have spent time in both hemispheres this winter/summer of 2001.  In California I helped Santa deliver all his joyous gifts to my young granddaughters and had a great time being Nana Wendy.  I also spent time with my son near San Francisco, as well as visiting my good friends in Sonoma County.  

Rob went directly to Australia from Italy, staying with his brother who lives near Melbourne.  He got a job in Geelong at one of the secondary colleges (high school) teaching Industrial Arts (metal, woodworking and auto shop) for one term.  The school is in a low income/industrial district and has been overlooked in the funding department. He knew immediately he had a challenge ahead of him. The workshop has been terribly neglected with few tools for the students to work with.  But together, we cleaned it up and he has gotten many of the necessary equipment to carry out the objectives of the class.

I went to Australia in mid-February, finding myself in mid summer when I  arrived in Melbourne.  Rob picked me up at the airport and whisked me off to the mountains north-west of Melbourne. We had a wonderful time exploring the bush and getting back to watching the most wondrous birds and other wild life that Australia has to offer.

After three days in the mountains, we drive south to the Bellarine Peninsula, where we will be staying with Rob's brother and his wife Barbara. It is good to see my Australian family once again!

Rob and I found ourselves a small house in the town of Ocean Grove, a small town at the end of the peninsula. Our location was perfect.  Only a half hour commute for Rob, very near the beach of the Great Southern Ocean and also the shores of Baron River.  We enjoyed wonderful walks, spectacular sunsets, and kayaking in our Challenger K2 (our blow up boat!)

One weekend, we took a trip along the Great Ocean Road, one of Victoria's most scenic drives.  And scenic it is!!! We found very interesting coastal  eucalyptus forest, pristine beaches and outstanding coastal rock formations.    Legends abound regarding many ship wrecks this coast is famous for. We thoroughly enjoyed the small coastal towns, local craft fairs and good walks.  

So, I had a wonderful month in Australia with Rob and his family.  Now I am back in winter and on board Sea Fever. It is very cold outside and I have to admit a bit lonely.  There are friends nearby, but everyone is holed up in their boats today as the weather is so bad.  It is a perfect day to write the journal!

The town of Gaeta has a lot to offer and it is quite fun and interesting to live here. The town is built on a bay and peninsula two hours south of Rome.  It has an active fishing fleet and a busy business community.  Bars here do not feature liquor, but COFFEE!  Espresso is the main drink here!  You just stand up at the bar and have your hit.  There are many restaurants and the pizza here is fantastic. The locals are very friendly and more than willing to politely correct my attempts at speaking Italian.  

There is a medieval Gaeta dominated by a castle and large church, and a "modern" Gaeta, containing the commercial area. The narrow stone paved streets are filled with vendors of fresh produce and fish.  The lanes are lined with inviting cheese shops, bakeries, butchers and small grocery stores as well as smart clothing and shoe shops. 

Everything closes down from 12:30 pm to 4:00 pm and it is amazing how quiet the day becomes. In the evenings, it seems that everyone comes out for strolling and shopping, especially on Sundays.  Market day is Wednesday mornings where you can purchase the freshest produce the region has to offer. Delicious artichokes are currently in season.

There is plenty of nature to enjoy here as well.  A lovely beach is nearby, a perfect place to watch the sunset.  Mount Orlando, the highest point of the peninsula, has many lovely trails, ruins of wartime buildings, and spectacular views of the towns, coast and sea.  Spring is close as evidenced by the wildflowers blooming on the hillsides.

       

There is still room to join us on Sea Fever for the coming season.  We will be departing here in June, heading south to Malta.  In September, we plan to stop by Tunisia on our way to the Balearic Islands and the coast of Spain.  We will then sail through Gibraltar and south to Morocco for some exciting land expeditions before continuing on to the Canary Islands.  We will use the  trade winds to cross the Atlantic in January.  We will be in the Caribbean in February.       

                                Photos by Annie Ross

Hope to hear from you via email or the message board!

Wendy

21 March 2001