Slips for €1750 a night

June 23 we stayed more than a week in Crotone waiting for winds that would carry us south and then north west through the Messina Straits.  There was lots of company, including a few from Marina di Ragusa, which resulted in a memorable birthday celebration!  The crews from Dakini and Ostinato walked to pick up the crew of Tetamanu in the yard where it was undergoing a new paint job.   I had cleaned up for the occasion.  Out of my usual garb of sun protection pants and long sleeve shirts.  I found a silk sleeveless blouse and my dress up pants hiding in the closet, added some earrings and chucked the usual Tevas for some sweet little sandals that hadn't seen the light of day in a couple of years.  It was my birthday so why not?!  We walked about halfway before the "sweet little sandals" disintegrated.  First the right one, immediately followed by the left.  Dear Helen took charge and left the boys to babysit me while she went on to the Tetamanu in search of its crew and shoes.  She successfully returned with both and we were on our way.  For such a rocky start, the rest of the evening was perfect. Our reservations were at a tiny 7 table restaurant where we were the first to arrive and close to the last to leave.  All except King and Marcel ordered the tapas plates which delivered wave after wave of small plates brimming with tastes from the kitchen that kept coming long after any of us had room for more.....but, of course, that didn't stop us.  Somehow, we were even talked into dessert.  After dinner, the party relocated a few feet out the door to an open air bar to listen to a band, drink a little prosecco and dance with my "best buddy" in my borrowed shoes.  A perfect night.  Thank you Helen, Marcel, Jessica, Roy and King for wonderful birthday memories.

The tapas just kept coming

June 28 - At last, the day arrived that promised a tiny window of soft winds, if not winds from our needed direction and, after one last gellato (you never know when you will find another), we were off.  A jump down the coast to Roccella and then, bright and early the following morning, we were off to Reggio Calabria, our last stop before heading through the Straits.  The early morning winds were light as we motored down the coast but when we reached the SE end of Italy and turned NW it began to slowly build.  By the time we reached Reggio Colabria the wind was blowing 20+ knots, on the nose. King pointed Ostinato into the marina hoping the breakwater would provide the much needed calm waters but found the little relief as the waves from the wind was replaced by the chop from ferries whizzing in and out of the port.  Only one of the two marinas answered our call.  It was, of course the one closest to the ferries.  Between the chop and the wind we knew it would be dicey.  The one marina staff on duty took our port stern line and pulled with everything he had as Ostinato was blown down the dock into a row of inflatable runabouts from Malta.  Lazy lines became twisted leaving King and the poor dock hand with no relief until I was finally able to get the port bow secured.  The marinaro finally got the line on the dock secured and the guys that had been lounging in the inflatables had at last begun pushing off and finally, I assume to protect his life and property, offered to come aboard to assist.  And then...... all was calm.  For this joy, they wanted €120 a night for the wide girl, however,  King worked them down to €90.  Sorry I was too busy to take pictures of the arrival. We will laugh about it in 20 years or so....and we were a bit sorry we couldn't stay longer.  We learned after the fact the local museum holds the Raice Bronze statutes.  Maybe on the way back......

June 30 - King timed our motor through the straits of Messina for tides and we soon realized that the trip up to

Anchored off the Island of Panarea

Reggio Calabria the day before had been the worst of it.  There was little traffic and, while what wind there was continued on our nose, it was an easy transition.  Once we popped out the other side, all previous plans for the day were scrapped and we headed WNW to the Aeolian Islands.  Three quiet days were spent at anchor in isolated Panarea, with the volcano island of Stomboli Island sitting to our north. No wind, calm seas and clear blue water. Perfect.  On the fourth day, we decided it was time for a change of scenery and cruised over to Vulcano where every charter boat in the Med seemed to appear each night about sundown.

Mud baths on Volcano

We joined Southern Cross
to celebrate July 4

Besides the crowded anchorage, there was a distinct smell of sulfur in the air.  Phew!  The source ....a mud bath just off the anchorage.....men and women standing ankle deep in the warm, odoriferous, dark chocolate mud covering themselves from head to toe, reportedly for therapeutic relief....No part of my body hurt enough to make me want to join them.  The grocery was located and we loaded up on fresh fruits and veggies as we prepared to explore the other islands.  However, boat plans are always fluid and these were changed quickly as Lee and Joe on Southern Cross sailed into Vulcano's anchorage.  And then, of course, we couldn't leave the next day, Southern Cross is an American boat and it was the 4th of July!  While no one could scare up any fireworks we celebrated in the American way with burgers and sides.

Entrepreneurs on the tiny isle of Volcano

Is that steam or clouds off the top of Stomboli?

The following morning we tore ourselves away, heading west toward Stromboli, known as the "lighthouse of the Mediterranean".  I was ready to see a live volcano!  King was not so excited but he humors me, so off we went.  The anchor was put down off the north coast in 25 feet along with 50 other yachts of all shapes and sizes.  Our plan was to depart at 0300, cruise over to the northwest side to see the lava bubbling and after we had ooood and ahaaaaed sufficiently, sail north to the just south of the Italian Amalfi coast.  I had expected it would be a bit busy based on all of the yachts in the anchorage, but no.....we were the only silly people up at that hour.  Not a breath of air so we motored to the tip of the NW corner of the island and then down to the SW tip ..... nada...not even a glow.  The volcano apparently had the good sense not to get up that early.  Disappointed, I reluctantly agreed that it was a bust and began wondering what I would need to do to repay King for the 0300 wake-up call.  It was time to head north but just as we once again arrived at the NW tip of the island, I did a last glance up and WHOA a flash of red lava spewed skyward!  Only once more did we see the lava shoot skyward  before we were out of range but that was enough.  All that excitement, while everyone else slept.  No payback necessary!  Right King? (No Sue) No pictures.  You will just have to take my word for it......

We waited for nightfall in Stromboli to see the lava flow

caves dotted Capo Palinuro

Under a bright sun and little wind the day took us to Capo Palinuro where we anchored in Iscoletti, part of a National Park.  Only a handful of yachts were anchored in the large bay making it a no drama event to locate a spot, in reasonable depths, for the night.  The water was warm, the landscape breathtaking and the winds were quiet making this the perfect place stay for a bit to make plans for where we would pick up our next guests.  Each day, someone would row by to wave and say "hello" to see if we were really from America.  At last a plan was hatched for our next month of sailing.  We would rendezvous with our  guests in Salerno or Agropoli and, depending on weather at the time move up or down the Italian coast.  We had plenty of time before their arrival so up the coast we would go to check it out.

Th anchorage in Iscoletti was our favorite of the summer

July 8 - Next stop:  Acciaroli.  Its busy in Italy in July so by the time we took on fuel, all the slips were taken.  While we were looking forward to a night of air conditioning it was no problem, out to the anchorage.....a much better idea anyway.  We joined a Scottish yacht in the anchorage that was coming from the north.  After quick intros, it was agreed we would get together the next afternoon to exchange information on anchorages. At least that was the plan, until the Coasta Guardia came by the following morning and told us we could only anchor at night, not during the day......During the day we could go into the marina and tie up for free.  I'm still a bit confused but that's what we did....  No marina staff around so Jean and Jim went in by dinghy to help with lazy lines and then we did the same for them when they arrived.  This worked fine until about 1800 when the marina guys came around to collect the slip fee for the night.  They confirmed that we could stay during the day for no charge but if we wanted to spend the night it would be €80........back to the anchorage both yachts went.  We had so looked forward to air conditioning that night.  Before we got kicked out of the anchorage again the next morning both Ostinato and Corrina Lynn were on their way; one heading north, the other south.  Almost forgot to mention that Jim and Jean's home town in Scotland is a sister city to Lanark, Florida, only a few miles from our home.  Such a small world.

Front row seats for the beach soccer game

First stop was only a few hours up the coast in Agropoli where we had hoped to find an anchorage that would enable us to spend a day visiting the ruins at Paestum.  No anchorage was found that we would be comfortable leaving Ostinato alone for the day and it was high season making marina space a premium so it was on to Salerno, to where Jim and Jeab had anchored a few days before.  As we came in, I noted a crowd of people sitting on bleachers just off the beach.  Taking a peak through the binoculars told me people were packed in tight waiting for whatever was to come. Oh please don't be a rock concert. No problems with music its just that they tend to go on till 4 a.m.!    No rock concert.  A soccer game......on the beach?  Yes!  The best part was between games the crowd was entertained with a "mine sniffing dog".  We sat on the sugar scoops with wine and cheese and I, with my binoculars, gave a blow by blow (pun intended) of the dog's display of talents.   We were close enough to hear the announcer give introductions and an on going commentary on what was happening.  We understood nothing but every few minutes we would hear him exclaim "I don't know!" in English.   Yes, we are easily entertained.

Salermo looked much prettier at night

There were anchorages to the north to explore so up came the anchor and we headed NW in light winds up the beautiful Almafi coastline.  Picture steep mountains with roads hanging off the edges daring anyone to drive too fast and tiny storybook villages dotting the coast line.  Mega yachts were the word of the day.  For a lark, King checked with a marina in Capri to see if room was available for the Ostinato.  The response was "maybe" check with us when you arrive.  The price?  A mere €1750 for the night!  No....you didn't hear that wrong.  We skimmed past Capri on to an anchorage in Miseno just west of Naples.....with a view of Capri that was just fine.

July 13 - The grib files were beginning to turn from light greens to smatterings of red and yellow indicating it was time to snuggle up to a dock.  It just so happened that a marina in the cove we had been hanging out in was perfect.  We could even see a big hole beside another catamaran where we would fit!  King made the trip in by dinghy and closed the deal for 3 nights.  Several dock hands were waiting for our arrival.  As I attempted to hand one of them a line I had prepared they shook thei

Marina Piccola

r heads no, and jumped from the dock onto our sugar scoop.  He gently moved me out of the way so they could commence with tying Ostinato securely to the dock.  It was over in a flash!  There I stood in my heavy gloves, used to handle the big muddy mooring lines, without a drop of mud on me anywhere!  I could get use to this.  We were plugged in and closed up with the air conditioner on before you could say "Bob's your uncle".  Welcome to Nautica Marina Piccola!  We used our time here to catch up on laundry and attempt to clean up a bit in preparation for company.  I hate to say it but without the air conditioning, I was ready just to be embarrassed......A small area in the "storage room" was  set free to be used for luggage and the head was dutifully cleaned.  If space in their luggage allows, our next guests will bring in a part that will allow King to make the guest head electric!  I know everyone that has used the head from hell will be saying "yippee" to hear that news. This is their 2nd visit so there is incentive to find luggage space.

After all our chores were completed, we decided it was time to visit Capri.  Since the marina's were a bit steep, they ferry sounded like a good alternative and Naples was just a short bus/train ride away.  Off we went with water, snacks, and umbrellas, ready for a day of chumming with the rich and famous.  We purchased our bus ticket at the Tobacci store and arrived at the stop to a waiting bus.  "Yes" the driver could take us to the train for Napoli.  It was apparently his break so we sat and chatted for a bit.  He has a sister is in Tampa, son's in PA and Virginia. He will be going to his son's wedding in Sept. in Manassa, VA where the son owns Tony's Pizzeria.  This was all done with pantomime and Google Translate since his English was as bad as our Italian.  When we go up the U.S. east coast in a couple of years we will definitely go to Tony's  Pizzeria for a slice.  Finally, it was time to go.  The driver called King up before our stop to make sure he understood how to get to the
train station.  Lovely.....I think the bus drivers in Malta need to come to Italy for retraining.  The train was also sitting awaiting our arrival.  Perfect day!  Or so it seemed, until we arrived at the end of the line and found the heavens had opened pouring down buckets of rain that left rivers running in the stone streets ankle deep.  We had 30 minutes to reach the ferry.  Off we flew, wading through
puddles, dogging cars and motorcycles, and occasionally finding refuge under a awning for a few minutes respite while King checked directions.  The heat of the morning quickly changed to a chill as our shoes and pants soaked up the rain.  WAIT!  This was not fun!  Did I really want to tramp around Capri all day in the rain.  King said it was my decision but never make it there if we didn't go now and I said "Nope".  So, we found a little cafe, ordered cappuccinos and a pastry (the world always looks better with a sweet roll) and re-planned the day.  A little lunch (yes, I know we were just eating sweet rolls but it was almost lunch time), a museum, maybe a fort, veggie stall shopping and then back to Ostinato......and that's exactly what we did....with a wedding added for good measure.

The ceilings in the Certosa....spectacular!

We found a church to tour to give us time to dry off out of the rain. A wedding was being prepared so.....we stayed to watch the bride walk down the aisle.  We weren't invited to the reception so lunch was next on the agenda.  A small restaurant was found down an alley near the church. Its handwritten menu for the day was scribbled on a paper pinned to the wall.  The owner came to take our order as we stood trying to make out the offerings and once he realized we were Americanos he read us the menu, doing his best to give us an idea of the offerings.  Lots of pasta and potatoes. Large plates of wonderful comfort food and a carafe of wine poured from a 5 gallon jug warmed us up and gave us time to dry out a bit more....all for €13.  And then, the sun

The balcony was so small
you had to climb over the table

came out.  Off to St. Elmos Castle and a walk around the museum the Certosa (Charterhouse) next door.  On the way home, the train came alive with a guitarist and tambourine player.  Even King dug into his pockets to give the guys a  tip.  The transfer from the train back to the bus became a bit dicey but people stepped up to help us out each step, walking us to the bus stop, assuring us we were on the right bus and making sure we got off became a bus wide affair.  Even a final sprint to a 2nd bus to carry us the final block was managed by a fellow passenger as he ran for the bus and kept motioning for us to follow.  Too late to cook!  King treated to a gourmet dinner where we sat on the balcony sipping wine and recounting our adventures of the day.

This would be as close as we would get to the Isle of Capri today.....

All public transportation should have entertainment!

The snacks & drinks concession
on Isloa di Procida

July 17 - Ostinato headed southwest to Isloa di Procida which is part of the Flegree Islands in the Gulf of Naples.  We anchored in Neptune's Kingdom Marine Reserve, one of the many regulated park areas along Italy's coast.  Loved the name.   This was the farthest north we would travel this season.   We pictured a beautiful cove with a few other cruisers swinging on their anchor......what we got was a gazillion power boats and jet skis, loud music and huge wakes.  It was like Memorial Day at Dog Island on steroids.  There was even a boat parade.  It was Sunday!  Every boater in Naples was out in force.  By 6 pm all the little boats had vanished but it took another 2 hours for the chop on the water to calm down.

Every powerboat in Naples joined us in Isloa di Procida ........with their boom boxes

Tight quarters in the anchorage in Capri

Since we didn't make the Isle of Capri by Ferry, King was bound and determined to get me there so we sailed south to Italy's most famous island where we anchored near Isola Faraglioni on the SE corner in 45 feet.  A bit deep for us but the anchor dug in well.  While it was a lovely anchorage with large rocks jutting skyward, the only way ashore was to tie the dinghy up to a very questionable ladder, hike over rocks, vertically up the hillside until you reached a paved path and then climb another 500 feet to the top.  The return trip would be in the dark.  I decided I really didn't want to go that badly.  After hauling anchor the next morning, we headed to the north side to see how close we could get to the Blue Lagoon.  Unfortunately, the fumes from the ferries and tour boats was so overwhelming, we decided "enough".  Time to go south.....to the stunning Amalfi coast where we anchored in a small cove just past the marina in 15 feet of clear royal blue water.  It was pizza night!  A stroll around town and dinner in one of the prettiest spots in the Med - pizza in an outdoor restaurant on the square followed by gelato.  Perfect.  We returned to Ostinato to find we had been joined by two mega yachts.  Nice company.

Dinner on Amalfi

The Amalfi coast in all its splendor

After dinner, we finally settled on the itinerary for Kate and Jay's visit.  Not a day too soon since they would arrive in 2 days!  While the north has all the well known cities and sites, the southern part of Italy has been the easy cruising and the beautiful anchorages.  That's what we want to share.....weather permitting.

Paestum, an often overlooked site was well worth the visit 

July 20-25  We skipped Salerno on the way south and headed directly for Agropoli.  This time we had a reservation.  Our arrival was a day early so we could visit Paestum, a somewhat off the beaten track Greek city founded in the 6th century BC!  Its always an adventure using the bus system in a new city and Agropoli was no different.  We walked through the city to where our scary GPS, Gladys, insisted was the location of the closest bus stop.  A bus finally appeared but wouldn't let us on without a ticket.  Where to buy a ticket...."The bar"  said the driver, pointing off to the road we had just walked.  Neither of us recalled seeing a bar but off we tramped.
Inquiries were made along the way.  No one knew where to purchase bus tickets close by......Back we went.  Gladys gave more directions....we followed like lemmings finally locating a Tobacci store to purchase our ticket and get new directions to another stop.  We both were in desperate need of showers by this point but "oh well".  The ruins were more spectacular than we had even hoped with 3 huge doric temples dedicated to Athene, Apollo and Neptune.  The site was big and included a nice museum..... where we found Kate and Jay strolling around..... in the air conditioning. no way we could of planned that if we had tried.

Aaaaaah

The next morning we loaded on suitcases, filled water tanks, picked up fresh bread, reluctantly killed the air conditioner and cast off.  No wind but beautiful, clear skies and short jumps.  The first night was spent in Acciaroli (at the dock this time).  King installed the electric head in the cool air conditioning while Kate, Jay and I explored the shops.  This was followed by 2 beautiful nights in the Cilento and Diano Valley National Park, the anchorage that we had visited 2 weeks earlier.  Kate and Jay seemed to love it there as much as we did.  Nothing to do but swim, eat, drink a bit of vino, Italiano of course, and swim and eat some more.  Ahaaaaaa.

We did a lot of  aaaaaha days

On to Sapri for Kate and Jay's last night.  King couldn't get the marina to respond so we opted for a slip on the "summer pontoons".  We have made better decisions in our life but it was cheap, we could plug in and getting baggage off would be easier tied to a dock vs into the dinghy....or so that was the thought.  As with many small towns on the Italian coast, Sapri was having a festival.  Carnival rides, puppet shows, lots of gelatto....which, of course, we sampled.  and then there was the band.....which started about midnight and blasted until the wee hours of the morning.  That, however, was minor to the roll coming onto shore that caused Ostinato's lines to jerk and slap against the hull all night.   The last time Jay and Kate visited was when we were in London.  They didn't get much sleep their last night on board there either......that was Lazy Tern's fault......but we won't get into that.

Now, what will we do with the rest of our summer?

Every yacht should have a basketball court

Did I say basketball court....no, I think water slide is better!

When King wasn't working on the head,
he did a bit of fishing

The new electric head!  Yippee

The royal dinghy.  I'm thinking it may be time for a new dinghy tiller for the Puffin when I get home!  

Ostinato's track June 8 - July 11

Julia

Siracusa

May 23 - Island Spirit Catamarans are few and far between in the Med so when we found one sitting at the marina in Siracusa we were excited!  We ended up enjoying a great dinner with the owners while discussing our much loved catamarans.  The following morning, King and Bill piled luggage in the dinghy and headed to the train station. Within minutes the Coast Guardia began moving through the anchorage.  Everyone that had previously been enjoying their morning coffee in the cockpit scurried below decks, including me!  Our German flagged neighbors were signaled to show their faces by a loud siren as two CG boats circled him. Boat papers and passports please....actually, not sure what they asked for since this is a Schengen country and Germans are also part of Schengen. But not only were papers exchanged but this week yachts have seen hefty fines of €350 for not announcing their arrival with the Port Captain and anchoring where told. I continued to lurk below as the CG patrol boats moved from one sailing yacht to the next.  In the middle of this, our new friends on SY Iola, an Island Spirit 400, cruised through the anchorage toward us to shout goodbyes before they left Siracusa for Licata on Sicily's southern coast.  The game was up.  No more peaking out the ports, I had to go out to wave goodbye!  Afterward,  I quickly moved inside to pull together the paperwork the Coast Guard was likely to need, registration, insurance papers, our Constituto (paperwork given to us when we entered the country) and passports.  I then returned to the back deck with my coffee to await their arrival. It wasn't long before the patrol boat left the yacht behind us and cruised by.  I smiled and waved.....they smiled and waved back and headed for the yacht ahead of us.......go figure. 

Bill heads off for the train station via the Ostinato taxi

Bill has left. It's always like sending a child off to college when he leaves.  You love the new space the empty room provides but you miss the fun that they bring along....and the fact that they wash the dinner dishes!!  He decided to do the train/train on ferry/train ride to Rome where he could catch a Delta flight home to Florida. The same trip we did with Lazy Tern last October. The idea of the train riding on a ferry is always too good to miss. Although King was POSITIVE there was a dining car, I decided to pack him a snack bag....our usual assortment of junk food, peanuts, cookies (King's beloved Oreos), fruit and a sandwich.  Of course, there was no dining car and apparently even the snack bar on the ferry was closed so the poor guy didn't have much to sustain him till he reached Napoli almost 12 hours later. The worst part was, although I had packed some food, I neglected to include anything to drink!  Oh well.....he survived and made it to Rome a bit dehydrated but in one piece. 

Seeing Siracusa through Julia's eyes

May 29 - Our beautiful, bright, sweet Julia arrived as planned!!  We had moved from the anchorage to the marina for a few days to make seeing the sights and enjoying the city a bit easier. For Julia's first night we did a quick dinner on the boat......Italian, of course, followed by walk through old Siracusa after sunset. The lights always make the old city magical. Julia's excitement was contagious and made us both realize we have become a bit blasé about all the wonderful sites we have had the good fortune to visit.  The next morning we would do the same walk in daylight and visit the largest Greek amphitheater in Sicily. 

May 30 - We began our trek toward the Archaeological Park at 1600, a full 2 1/2 hours before the theater was scheduled to open. The play, Alcestis by Euripides, was first performed in Athens in 438 BC.  Now that's a run!  It was open seating night and we were told good seats would come to those that arrived early.  Our 1630 arrival was met by hundreds of people who must have made it a day long experience.  King scoped out the three gate options and picked the middle with no idea where it led. The crowd was not well trained with how to stand in line.  Lots of slipping toward a better position going on. It was a multi-generational crowd with a surprising lean toward early 20 somethings. Nice. At 1700 on the dot, the gates opened and the crowd immediately began to sprint up the hill to the amphitheater to claim their seats. Getting into the spirit, Julia, Kingsley and I ran with the crowd. Our reward was a mid section view just off to the left of center stage. Perfect! But to be honest there weren't too many bad seats in the place. The Greeks knew what they were doing. After congratulating ourselves for coming early for good seat, we then baked in the hot, unforgiving sun until 18:45......but it was so worth it!

Alcestis by Euripides first performed in 438 BC

Spectacular night earned a standing ovation by the standing room only crowd

May 31 - up early to drive to Taormino to visit Sicily's 2nd largest Greek amphitheater.  No Greek theatre production this time but with Etna as your back drop its really not necessary!  The weather was picture perfect and the lack of crowds along with lots of shopping opportunities and the best Gellato I have had to date, made the meandering stroll up the hill go quickly. On the way home, King decided it would be a great opportunity to drive to Riposto to check out the marina there. We did a quick "drive by" and then headed back out of town. A missed turn found us on a side street to do a quick turn around. As we pulled about, a car came from our right and slowed down to a crawl while King, moving ever so slowly, rolled into the space occupied by the other car's driver's door. At first, I thought we had tapped so lightly that we had dodged a bullet.....but no.  The glass from the drivers side window suddenly cracked into a gazillion pieces and then tinkled onto the ground ....and the driver.  We all sat stupid for a minute and then jumped out to check on injuries.  The driver's leg was bleeding but his wife quickly gave him a tissue and dismissed it with a flip of the hand and a " it is nothing". Using Google Translate, we exchanged info and chatted to friends of the owners of the other car who popped by to see what was happening. At the end of the event, we all hugged and drove away. If only all car accidents could be so civil. 

Editors note:

When we returned the car the rental manager asked how it had happened and immediately became suspicious.  He explained that there was a scam going where some people forced an accident to collect the insurance.  At first King thought this not impossible but then he remembered the driver did not want to call the police and had stopped directly in front of us when there no reason to do it.  In fact he should have sped out of the way and had the time to do it.  So maybe not so civil.

Taormino with Etna sitting silently in the background

June 1 - Since we no longer own a car our coverage when we rent is always a bit iffy...but not enough to make us pay for extra insurance.....except for Ireland and a few other countries where the insurance provided through credit cards say "no way".  In any case, this was our first time to learn how this would work.  Happy to report that Itailian laws require rental companies to insure their cars for libility. Our only costs are for the rental vehicle which, thankfully, was minimal.  A sigh of relief all around Ostinato.

The water was still cold in May so full suitup

For our last night at the dock Julia had a hot date while we had dinner with Luda and Dave on Bobcat. Afterwards we strolled the Old Town one last time while Julia danced the Tango in the town square.  Next morning, we returned to the anchorage where King could give Ostinato's bottom a much needed scrub. After 2 hrs in a wet suit in the chilly water any thoughts of King going back to shore evaporated.....much to the disappointment of Julia's new friend.

June 2 - June 6 

A group groan was heard throughout Ostinato as the alarm went off at 0400. The destination was Rociella which would take us up the east coast of Sicily to Italy's toe.  While the wind was from the south it was light and required the motor to remain on most of the trip to enable us to arrive before dark. Apparently we made better time than anticipated as our arrival was at 1700 ( and why did we get up so early?) giving us time to catch our breath before we fell into bed to prepare to do it all over again the following morning. It was a nice surprise when we slipped out of the marina the next morning to find that Luda and Dave on Bob Cat had joined caught up with us in our trek north to Gallipoli. The winds were up and down but we were able to get a bit of real sailing under our belts. Julia has had a tough time with seasickness.  The medication, of course made her terribly sleepy but she was a trooper and took her 2 hour watches.   During our stops at ports along the way, Julia's Italian has grown rapidly.  She told us she was not surprised that with our pronunciation no one could understand our attempts to speak the language and we gladly let her take on the roll of ship's translator.  From Rociella, to Crotone where we anchored off the beach, to the fisherman's quay in Gallipoli  to check out of Italy, and then, finally, to the anchorage in Santa Maria di Leuca located on the heel of Italy's boot in 4 days.  Lucky for us, the wind was from the NW making the anchorage in Leuca quiet as we prepared to cross the Aegean to Albania the next morning. No idea what we would find for internet connections in Albania so everyone spent time responding to emails and making a few Skype calls. 

June 7 - Greece!
Plans are like the wind, they change. Weather reports had indicated the NW winds would continue, making a direct sail to our destination of Vlore, Albania possible. It was not to be. A mile off shore we radioed Bob Cat, which had left the anchorage an hour earlier, that we would be joining them in Nisis Othoni, Greece.  We would wait there until winds would allow us to move north. It was a good decision. Winds intensified throughout the day with gusts in the low 30s. Lucky for us, it was a short day.  We arrived on the small Greek island at 1300 where we anchored next to Bob Cat on the southern side in clear calm waters.  By evening the tiny anchorage was filled. We celebrated our arrival with a glass, or two, of Prosecco on Bob Cat and then slipped into the island for a lovely Greek dinner ashore. Absolutely nothing better than a Greek salad in Greece!

June 8 -14   Albania

The wind laid down overnight as predicted and Ostinato slid out of the anchorage at 0600 heading north to our next port, Vlore, Albania. This trip accomplished two things. It allowed us to see a country not open to tourism until the 1990s, making it a bit off the beaten path, and to restart the clock on VAT which can be charged on foreign yachts staying in the EU over 18 months (20%!).  While Albania looks more to the west and the European Union these days a few things continue to be tied up in bureaucratic procedures....Albania is not a sailing country. It boasts of only one tourist marina in the entire country, no chartering companies, and fuel must be hand delivered. A yacht can check in at only 5 harbors and must repeat the process as you move from harbor to harbor.  The charges, about €60-80 for a 12 meter boat, is charged at each port making the ordeal an expensive one should you wish to explore the coast. For us, we cleared in at Vlore and then moved 5 miles south to the tourist marina in Orikum. When it came time to depart, while the marina manager tried to intercede for us, we were required to return to Vlore to check out again. 

Those small buildings are bunkers that still line Albania's coast line.

Mountains surrounded the marina

No one answered our calls on the radio as King guided Ostinato into the marina but I finally saw the guy on the quay frantically waving for our attention to let us know where to tie up. Besides the bad news of no lazy lines to assist with the required med mooring, we managed to tie up using the anchor without embarrassing ourselves. Julia was thrilled to see they had showers that were located directly behind Ostinato's berth and after checking us in, King returned with wifi codes and a rental car!  Wahoo!

The crew was off the boat and into the car before 9 the next morning in search for an ATM to get a bit Lek (Albanian

Where the H' are we Gladys?

 currency) and our first destination, the Greek ruins of Apollonia.  The trip was guided by Gladys our Google GPS who apparently was quite surprised to find herself in Albania where she had no clue how to get around.  After leading us onto a farm road meant for tractors, we finally came to a group decision that she could no longer be trusted. At one point, Julia and I would pile out of the car in hopes of giving it a bit more clearance as she passed over huge boulders.  King bravely navigated holes in the road that could swallow a Volkswagen van. After an hour of slowly making our way across the farm, an older German bicyclist, complete with spandex and helmet came toward us.  We stopped to see if he really, really intended to go that way or if he possibly had his Gladys's cousin.  He gratefully turned around and began peddling back in the direction from whence he came.....making better time than the car.  No thanks to Gladys, we did eventually reach the site....just in time for the museum to close for siesta.  Oh well.  Lucky for us, even though we had no Lek, Euros were accepted at the entrance and the ruins remained open for us to stroll about.  King found a sign by a steep stairway that indicated if you were up for the climb you would reach a restaurant.  He was even willing to climb up first to see if it was actually open.....the man was desperate for food and drink!  The food was great and cheap, the views spectacular and we were invited to join in a party and take a stab at doing traditional Albanian folk dancing.  Truly one of the highlights of our time in Albania.

Julia was first to join in the dancing but soon all 3 of us joined the fun.

The Monastery door

Our next stop was the Greek Monastery, Ardenica, that had been left for ruin during Albania's communist period as an atheist state.  King decided to skip this one and proceeded to take an nap in the car (too much dancing) while Julia and I climbed the hill.....there's always a hill!.... We were met at the top by a large wooden door in the stone wall that surrounded the monastery.  There were no signs giving hours or even to indicate that we were in the right place.  I tried the door....it didn't budge.  I knocked.....no response.  I peered through a small hole in the wood .....no people around.  We turned to leave when suddenly the door creaked open and a little man beckoned us in without making a sound.  While he spoke no English he gave us a personal tour of the sanctuary, telling us, sometimes by pantomime, at times only using one word, about each of the frescoes that adorned the walls and led us through tiny rooms used by the priests. The beauty was breath taking and his efforts to ensure we understood what we were seeing put me close to tears. As we entered we were told no cameras. Soon, he was taking pictures of Julia with her camera. I was allowed a few shots.......A perfect day. The following morning took us on a long drive to the UNESCO city of Barat and its 13th century citadel. While we didn't find ourselves transversing any farms, even the roads that were paved were in a sad state. And we let Gladys do it again..... sending two hours out of the way jeopardizing our ability to get the car back the marina on time.  I think poor King, who had done all the driving, was glad we only had the car for 2 days.

The tiny archeology museum
included a few WOW items

We were back to walking and buses for our final trip which took us into the near by city of Vlore. We got a lift in by the Marina manager who showed us where to catch a volkswagon size bus (a la the Dominican Republic) for our return. Our day started at the Museum of Independence. We were met with a 20 something, serious faced women who seemed less than thrilled at our arrival. After tickets and change was provided....she had to go to a nearby restaurant...she guided us inside and magically became our animated tour guide. A one woman show. It took a bit but by the 3rd room she had warmed to us and it was obvious she truly loved sharing the story of her county's revolution. She shared she had met other cruisers, Merv and Judy on Thorang La the month before and was amazed that we knew them also and that they had recommended we stop at the museum. After that, we were family. At one point, other people began to gather in the courtyard seeking entrance. When we offered that we could finish out the visit on our own she quickly dismissed the idea....."they can wait!"  We spent the rest of the day wandering about Vlore, checking out tiny museums and park statues. Julia, who is a language major, bought books in Albanian, including a copy of one of its earliest written works. The day was finished with a stop for gelato, of course, and then we caught the bus back to the marina......for which we were charged double the going rate.  The joys of tourism.

 
It would still be another day before we could leave Albania. Storms hit the coastal region with a blow. Thunder and lightening lit up the skies and the rains were finally enough to get rid of the dirt that settles on deck in the Med. A good day to play dominoes!  Julia won - this grandchild cannot lose.
The weather finally cleared and so it was back to our 0600 alarms. No need to hurry however, the authorities in Vlore will not be on duty until 0730. Our agent was at the dock waiting for us and made it a quick and relatively painless exit. By 0800 we were heading west. Destination:  Otranto Italy.


June 14-17 - Otranto, Italy - The trip back across the Adriatic was uneventful. We arrived in the

We hiked 3 miles only to find MTV

anchorage at 1600 and began the preparations to check-in to Italy once again. The marina was full (only 6 slips) but the anchorage provided good protection so we camped out a few days waiting until the winds would allow us to move south. The old town is small but filled with shops, churches to explore and multiple gelato stands that must be sampled. After we had visited every shop and walked around the castle several times, we took a 3 mile hike to what the signage indicated were caves.....we would know it better as a sink hole. The setting was quite arresting and a music video being taped while we were there gave it a bit of a twist. The Festival of Lights started on our last night in Otranto. What a surprise to see our singer from the video doing Italian folk music for the evening.

The Old Town was decorated for the Light Festival in Otranto

The winds finally moved a bit to the east and we decided to go for it.  Julia's time was running out and we wanted to get her a bit closer to southern Italy for her next stop, Pompeii.  The destination was Crotone which would take us across the arch to the toe.  Unfortunately, the seas were still a bit confused.  Julia was looking a bit green so all agreed to cut the day short.  We would stop again in the anchorage Santa Maria di Leuca where we had left Italy just a week before.  The sloppy seas moved around into the anchorage so unfortunately, stopping provided only minor relief.  Only a Dominoes challenge coaxed Julia out of bed.  We hauled anchor again early the next morning with hopes the forecasted N winds would arrive soon. What we had was a smorgasbord.....no wind, to wind on the nose, to 30 knots on the beam to 15 on our stern and then all around again.  And did I mention the rain?  Julia stayed in her cabin most of the day.  King and I dug out our fowlies and made the best of another day of "that's not what was forecasted"!  We arrived safe in Crotone 8 hours later and were soon greeted by the crew of Dakini, neighbors from Marina di Ragusa.  Waiting for weather is always more fun with friends.




How is it that sweet Julia's time is already over?  Surely she just arrived.  We ate dinner on the open air roof of a local restaurant with music floating up from the bar across the street for our final night to celebrate my birthday and Father's Day.  There is something about the first time your granddaughter takes you out for dinner that is wonderful and sad at the same time.  Can she really be that grown up!?  Next morning there was not a taxi in site so she threw her backpack on her back for our 2 mile walk to the train station.  With promises to text us when she arrived in Pompeii, when she left Pompeii, when she arrived in Rome and when she departed Rome for Madrid where she will begin her summer job, we watched the 1 car train rumble down the tracks.  

That smile has captured our hearts since the day she was born

Greek ruins in Apollonia

The "caves" in Otronto

That's all folks!