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!