Palermo, ciao bella

As sometimes happens, we chose to stay in a marina which is at the far reaches of town.  Usually, as is the case here in Aquasanta, you just jump on a bus and go into town with the locals. Greater Palermo is a city of around a million and it is noisy, dirty, bustling and energetic. Palermo is a synonym of chaos, but a very likeable chaos.

We asked the bus driver if the bus would take us to Palermo ‘Centro’ and he waved us on the bus.  We ride into town, not quite knowing where we were on the map, but then the driver calls Centro and we get off the bus. We turn left and a horn blares, it is our very sweet bus driver telling us to go the other way and then turn again. We find ourselves quickly on the main street in town.  Palermo is friendly.

the large church in the background
the large church in the background

We find so many shops, especially shoe shops.  On a street adjacent to a big church, you will find a whole street of baby shops for all the wee babes being baptised and one funeral parlour.

The Opera House in Piazza Guiseppe Verdi
The Opera House in Piazza Guiseppe Verdi

Sicily seems to have been conquered by every nation, but it was always the outpost.  That usually meant these nations and emperors took the people’s wealth home with them and left the people in poverty.  The Catholic Church was seemingly the only exception, Palermo like most Italian towns has a large number of churches, many old and ornate.  Most of the landmark buildings in Palermo are gorgeous and ostentatious churches. They have chandeliers hanging from the ceilings and they are ornate and gilt.

Incredible wealth in the church, this one has statues on the ceiling  (and lots of them)
Incredible wealth in the church, this one has gilt statues on the ceiling (and lots of them)
This is one of four corners dating from 15th century
This is one of four corners dating from 15th century

The museum is mainly full of religious art, of churches damaged over the ages or in the bombing of WWll.  There are a few older stone sculptures but it would seem 90% of the art is religious.

Just one of many fountains which have lots of sculptures
Just one of many fountains which have lots of sculptures

There is a high street or fashion centre in Palermo, all the fashion houses are on a main boulevard and there are so many shoe shops at Sydney prices.  There are plenty of restaurants from street food to trattoria and restaurants. Almost strangely, we had to track down a gelateria, we only saw a few, but we did see fish sellers and Signora Fruit and Vegetable was happy to pose for a picture.

Friendly green grocer
Friendly green grocer
Fish monger, note the remnants of the swordfish
Fish monger, note the remnants of the swordfish

Now onto to Termini Imerese, what will we find there?

 

San Vito lo Capo, Trapani and Couscouseria

We took a 40 minute bus ride to Trapani, a busy port we sailed by on Monday.  As it is a commercial port, they have many additional rules to follow and the port isn’t as clean as San Vito lo Capo.

Trapani has a beautiful old Centro historico and a lovely park. It is a very big town, but we went down to the port and old town and wandered around looking at the almost patchwork of different architectural styles, as Trapani has evolved over the centuries. Each church isn’t only influenced by the order of priests but of the time it was built.

Preparing the flowers for a church service
Preparing the flowers for a church service (in a Jesuit church)

We also enjoyed the green space of Villa Margharita, with old giant figs and geese and other birds in enclosures. It was a cool place to be in the midday heat  and there were quite a few tourists there, because other than a few restaurants, everything closes for several hours at lunch.

Rococco style building in Trapani
Ornately styled buildings in Trapani

Some of the buildings in the Corso Victor Emmanuel and the Palazzo Cavarretta are so Rococo giving the impression they are made of nougat and meringue.  In the afternoon, we were on the old wall over looking the sea, which in the mornings holds a market and discovered a Gelateria who had beautiful ices and gelato, but also pastries.  The cannoli shells were there above the gelato and you could have your shelf stuffed with ricotta ice cream or the traditional ricotta mixture. We sat outside on ottomans and enjoyed the ambience.

Back in San Vito lo Capo, we walked along the foreshore and then along the beach.

Late afternoon at San Vito lo Capo
Late afternoon at San Vito lo Capo

We had read quite a bit about the September Couscous festival and decided to go to a couscouseria for dinner.  We both ordered different flavours of couscous. They first create the broth to go with your meal, mine was a broth of citrus and tuna; James had a tomato based broth with mixed seafood.  But each of our couscous was a match to our broth.  James’ couscous had a tomato colour with prawns, shrimp and fish. My couscous was a brownish hue with almonds, citrus and eggplant.  You then spoon the broth from your individual bowl onto your mound of couscous.  It was very tasty and quite a different presentation.  Not the generic couscous that we have prepared with meals,not the much plainer alternative.

This morning we sailed off in a wonderful procession of boats to Zingaro, water temperature of 24 degrees, so we anchored and swam with half a dozen other boats.  Then we continued on to the feudal village of Scopello, with it’s craggy rocks off the town, one with an ancient fortification perched atop of it.

Scopello, quite magical place
Scopello, quite magical place

Finally we reached Castellammare del Golfo, we wandered up to the old Castle and looked back to the boats in the harbour.  It was siesta, it’s taken very seriously here.

Approach to Castellammare del Golfo
Approach to Castellammare del Golfo

Sicily: Favignana and San Vito lo Capo

The first thing we noticed about Favignana, an island 7 kilometres off the coast of Trapani, is the crystal clear water. We look at the plotter, which tells us we are in nine metres of water and we can see the bottom. The clarity is beautiful. We are in Italy’s largest marine reserve.

The beach in the harbour at Favignana
The beach in the harbour at Favignana

Many of you will say that you have never heard of Favignana, but if you read Homer’s Odyssey, in a bid to extract yourself from high school, you will know it as Goat Island. This island was the last stop before the Cyclop’s island and was full of goats, which fed the big O’s crew for awhile.

View of the tuna cannery & township of Favignana
View of the tuna cannery & township of Favignana

From the 15th Century, the island was famous for it’s tuna catches and fishermen. In the 19th Century, a wealthy industrialist, Florio built a major tuna cannery on the island, bringing prosperity to the small island and its inhabitants.

Painting of tuna fishing of the past
Painting of tuna fishing of the past

The Arabs were here in the early Middle Ages and they brought the ancient fishing technique called Mattanza, trapping scores of bluefish tuna.  They seemed to be on very long flat boats and they had enormous anchors to hold them fast.  When they switched to long line boats, many of these anchors came onto the beach – a veritable anchor’s graveyard.  Behemoth anchors rusting in silvered wood on the beach near the marina.

Anchor graveyard
Anchor graveyard

We were here on a Sunday, so we weren’t surprised at the number of people riding bikes, scooters and eating gelato even before passeggiata.   Just before sunset, a ferry  came in and engorged a large number of tourists, back to Trapani, home and work on Monday.

Isola Formica, we passed this on the way to San Vito Lo Capo - it is part of the Isole Egadi, and was also the site of a tuna cannery
Isola Formica, we passed this on the way to San Vito Lo Capo – it is part of the Isole Egadi, and was also the site of a tuna cannery

Monday found us on our way to San Vito lo Capo on the Costa Gaia, one of Italy’s most beautiful beaches. San Vito explodes with colour as you approach the beach before turning into the marina.  Brightly coloured umbrellas, beach towels and cossies across the light sand beach animate this patch of Sicily’s coast.

The beach at San Vito Lo Capo
The beach at San Vito Lo Capo

Unlike most of the ancient ports we visit, San Vito lo Capo seems to have been developed in the early 1950’s.  The main street reminds me of Coney Island without the rides, lots of lights, souvenir stores and Havianna stores up and down the street. We will explore a bit more today.

 

Cagliari, Transit to Sicily, Isole Egadi

Cagliari is Sardinia’s capital  as well as it’s largest city. As a town it is very large and spread out, so we only saw some of the sights. Cagliari’s history, starts with the Neolithic period and like all of Italy has had many rulers throughout the ages.

One of the two Torre in the Castello area
One of the two Torre in the Castello area

The Castello is a Pisan fortress up above the Marina district and it has several gates and two towers.  Towers mean stairs which also means stunning views from  the outdoor cafes looking onto the whole city.

Stunning views fro Castello Cagliari
Stunning views from Castello Cagliari

In the east of town is a beautiful and busy beach called Poetto. It was absolutely alive with teenagers, all being seen on the beach.   Nearby, are the salt marshes, which are home to the graceful flamingoes that fly over the city just before sunset each day.

Two days in Cagliari were spent on boat maintenance, which means we will have to visit again to visit the Flamingos and the wineries.

Shopping trolleys tethered to the wall at Marina Sant'Elmo
Shopping trolleys tethered to the wall at Marina Sant’Elmo

We have a certain number of ‘Euro Days’ – we only have 90 days to spend in the Euro Zone every six months. While we wanted to visit a bit more of Cagliari, we have to be out of of the EU by the end of July.  This informs our decisions about how long we can stay on each island or in each port, so that we get to Corfu and out before our time is up.  Luckily at this stage, Croatia hasn’t signed the agreement so after our ‘Euro Days’ are up, we can spend several months in Croatia and also hope to see Montenegro.

We had a very light wind with calm seas on our passage to Sicily from Sardinia.  It was warm enough to camp in the cockpit and we both stood watch while the other cat napped. It was very serene and then suddenly we had a small pod of dolphins come and travel with us for about 20 minutes, but this was the comedy troupe.  These young dolphins were doing belly flops, side flops and surfing the bow wave with great enthusiasm.  They loved our applause and seemed quite happy to pose for photographs.

Dolphin showing off
Dolphin showing off

In Osti Antica, dolphins were an oft repeated mural in the warehouses and shops. Dolphins were very popular with the sailors in ancient Rome and now. A pod of dolphins visiting brings an infusion of enthusiasm and laughter and we were both energised by their gymnastics and happy spirit.

another dolphin posing
another dolphin posing

Our next port is  Favignana or Odysseus’s Goat Island in the Isole Aegadi group. We look out into the distance and think we can see them rising out of the mists.

Isola Marettimo first of the Egadi archipelago
Isola Marettimo first of the Egadi archipelago

Capo San Marco, Carloforte and Porto Teulada

We have had a few days to miss the Swannos & our very fun travel with them on Mercier. We had excellent weather and saw some wonderful ports. As soon as they left the sky went gray, so we took ourselves for a walk on the Bastione or sea wall of Alghero.  That night we went to a wonderful restaurant, Ristorante O with Irish Masterchef E. O’Neill. There are so many great restaurants in Alghero, nice clothing shops too.

Roman ruins at Capo San Marco
Roman ruins at Capo San Marco

Monday, we anchored in Capo San Marco, an incredible mooring right in front of Roman ruins.The moorings were large and when we pulled one up, there were mussels under the mooring.   There are no restaurants or shops only ruins and new excavations, but we had a lovely dinner on the boat and chatted about who was having a birthday this month:

Happy Birthday ( a bit late) to Richard and to my baby sister Linda, who had a wonderful 50th birthday on the 6th. Gai is on the 11th, Colin is going to have a wonderful birthday on June 12th, Happy birthday! Susan B is the 16th, Rowena is the 17th – know you two will be spoiled by your sweet husbands. Our nephew Mike too, Happy Birthday. We wish you all a very happy birthday.

We also spent a few hours trying to work with “Follow me” until we found our blog is not set for follow me,sorry it isn’t working and we will try again.

Early the next day, we woke up and found it was an early departure because the  breeze freshens in the afternoon. Next port of call is Carloforte which is quite a nice town, with a salt marsh and flamingos.  It seems there are several reserves for flamingos in South Western Sardinia. We found a gelaterie and we walked all around the town.  In our marina, there was a very nice little cafe, and they had lovely couches, great music and Aperol spritzers.

Sardinian Flamingos in the salt pans near the marina
Sardinian Flamingos in the salt pans near the marina
Nice buildings in Carloforte
Nice buildings in Carloforte
Wall built by Victor Emmanuel to protect the town from Tunisian pirates (this is on the far side of town away from the port)
Wall built by Victor Emmanuel to protect the town from Tunisian pirates (this is on the far side of town away from the port)
An interesting sight in Carloforte
An interesting sight in Carloforte

We left early again this morning and arrived in a mistral at Porto Teulada, there is a town about 8 kilometres away and we were very happy to get to the marina before the wind, possibly a mistral came by. With any luck, we will leave early to be in Cagliari, because Teulada is perfectly quiet for one day but two days wouldn’t be nearly as fun.

Stintino, the Fornelli Straits and Capo Caccia

In the Med, although we are on a sailboat, we are often motor sailing. Usually because there isn’t enough wind, there is too much wind or the wind is coming from where you are going, otherwise known as Rules of the Med.

Thursday’s sail from Castelsardo to Stintino, was a ripper.  The sun was shining and we departed the marina. We were saying goodbye to the Citadel and the breeze filled in to the NE.  This was very reminiscent of  an old fashioned Sydney North Easter.

James and Donald had the spinnaker out ‘tout suite’. Swanno was on the bow feeding the spinnaker out of the bag, Sue and I were in the pit and we were pulling it up. Suddenly, we see Swanno lurch, then the spinnaker pulling him over the side of the boat. He pulled himself and the spinnaker back in – sigh of relief from the pit and the captain. Swanno’s balance tested and he won gold. Very happy not to have a man overboard exercise in Sardinia.

Under spinnaker
Under spinnaker

We arrived at Stintino, a small fishing village and went for a small walk around the marinas and through the town. We had a lovely dinner as we listened to the church bells ring out Ave Maria.

Overlooking Stintino Harbour
Overlooking Stintino Harbour

We left very early the next morning, in very light winds and motored through the Fornelli Straits. The water was like glass and you could look down 3 metres and see weed and sea cucumbers through the aqua water. The water was crystal clear, the sky was blue, the sun was out.  On the passage, dolphins came and said hello and then continued on their way. But there were more surprises ahead.

Sighting Capo Caccia, a marine reserve one hour west of Alghero, we are surprised at how tall and how beautiful this majestic limestone promontory is . Capo Caccia is a striking vision as you approach it from the sea. We slowed to look at an excursion boat seemingly stuck in a cave entrance.  Then rounded this 186 metre towering headland and found the sun shining, azure waters and the water was 20.3C.   The water was warming up, so we stopped the boat and most of the crew had a magnificent swim.

Cappo Caccia
Cappo Caccia

In the cliffs, there were small holes that the wind had created. We saw pigeons flying in and out. We could also view swallows, large gulls and a peregrine falcon. A fleet of kayakers came by in their red kayaks and yellow vests gliding right next to the dive boat where everyone was dressed in black.

Donald & Kayaker at Cappo Caccio
Donald & Kayakers at Cappo Caccio

Eventually it was time to head into the fortress city of Alghero, and a wander through the old fortress, the markets and of course the hunt for the wonderful gelato.

Sue, James & Donald on the rampart overlooking Alghero Harbour
Sue, James & Donald on the rampart overlooking Alghero Harbour

Tonight is Sue and Swannos last night and we have a wonderful meal and then back to Mercier to celebrate the 150 miles we have sailed together over the past week.  It has been so much fun. Same time next year?

A Tale of Two Citadels

In case you missed the last blog, we had a lovely detour into Bonifacio.  Sue hadn’t been there for 31 years and Donald hadn’t been there ever, so a trip seemed mandatory.  Bonifacio is so lovely that I was ready to return after a week.

The pen we were given was a pen right at the dock, 50 inches to the nearest restaurant.  Donald actually jumped off at the end of the arm, to check that there would be enough room and to take the stern lines. We backed down to the space and 39 diners put down their forks and watched James put Mercier into the confined space. At the best of times, mooring and anchoring are a tense task.  With the feeling the whole of Bonifacio was watching, the pressure was certainly on.  Thank goodness for James great eyesight and bow thrusters!  Donald took the stern lines and bounded back on board.  There was a collective sigh of relief by the crew and the diners had to continue with their lunches without any amusing incidents to fill their postcards. Not to worry, a few charter yachts, which berthed on the next arm, gave them ample material to send home.

 

Luckily, it was only a week, since James and I had been to Bonifacio.  Did I mention that my friend Sue is a fitness trainer?   Not to mention, Donald is hyperfit  and has incredible balance*.  Sue says like a ‘monkey on springs’.   James and I had climbed to the Citadel three times last week, so we could almost keep up with the Swannos as they bounded up the steps.  Sue saw amazing changes since she had last been in Bonifacio, so I will let her tell us about it.

Sue taking a photo of petanque players in the Citadel at Bonifacio
Sue taking a photo of petanque players in the Citadel at Bonifacio

SUE: ‘ 31 years since I last sailed into Bonifaccio & was delighted when we berthed in almost exactly the same position as on that last visit. However the ‘town Quay’ of the past where visiting yachts simply dropped anchor & reversed stern to the main street has now been replaced by a large number of pontoons accommodating the unbelievable number of visiting yachts that now seem to frequent the pretty ports of the med. The restaurants of the quay all now have their few street tables of the past sitting in glamorous waterfront annexes complete with retractable roofs, wicker flooring & cane lounges. The waterfront by day was teeming with people & there is a whole new development on the opposite side of the fjiord like bay which appears to be still being added to. However as we climbed the steps to the old town, admired the spectacular views & strolled around the charming little streets very little appeared to have changed at all which I found strangely relieving. A memory of one of the favourite places of my youthful travel can hold its place & so grateful to James & Gaila for the opportunity to revisit.’

In the Citadel at Bonifacio
In the Citadel at Bonifacio

We walked out to the edge of the citadel before dinner to gaze across to Sardinia.

We had another lovely dinner at Stella D’Oro, we went back so Sue and Donald could also taste these typical Corsican dishes. Then a lovely walk down to Mercier.  It was an early departure planned for the morning, to make up the time well spent in going those extra ten miles.

In the morning, it was once again bright and sunny and we motor sailed into Castelsardo in the early afternoon.  We were all telling ourselves it would be a “quiet day”; no super yachts, none of the excitement of Bonifacio.  We were all pleasantly surprised when Castelsardo came into view.  The old city is up on a granite outcrop, with the castle built in the 12th century by the Doria Family and today’s town built around it still exists from about 1624.  The streets and the buildings are essentially  the same today.

The Castle at Castelsardo
The Castle at Castelsardo

The old castle is now a museum, mainly of beautiful pieces dell’apprezzata basketry on display including for sailors, a ‘boat’ made of lake reeds with marsh hay to create a Fassoi boat, used by fishermen from local islands.

On the Rampart Castelsardo
On the Rampart Castelsardo

We climbed up to the ramparts passing cross bows, a rock throwing catapult and drawbridges.  The views from the ramparts were beautiful vineyards in the distance and we could see Corsica in the distance.  On the ramparts baby seagulls were learning to fly, being encouraged by their mothers.  It was a noisy affair with the chicks crying out “Wait for me” and the mothers squawking back encouragement.

After our Aperol Spritzers, we walked back down to Mercier and a ‘ Sue cooked’ dinner.  We enjoy the aromas from the cockpit, with a bit of Swiss jazz radio in the background.

Sue tenderising the meat with special implement
Sue tenderising the meat with special implement

Several other sailors are walking back up the steep hill to town for dinner  stop by and chat about which way we are headed tomorrow and we hear about where they have just been.  A beautiful pork dinner arrives as we sit outside watching Vivid Castelsardo, colors being beamed onto the granite cliff behind the marina. .   It is warmer now and we last outside until coffee.  We all agree Castelsardo has been a marvelous surprise.

Rene, how about these doors for the Nand V?
Rene, how about these doors for the Nand V?

Swannos, Sunshine & Superyachts

I should say I know I shouldn’t use alliteration but this all fits together so smoothly.  Let me explain – Sue and Swanno arrived yesterday about 5 PM to a windy evening in Olbia but at least the sun was shining.

A minute to drop off the bags and the four of us go into Oblia to visit friend’s Kate and Mike on Voyager of Noosa at the Olbia Yacht Club near the centre of town.  We had a nice little bottle of Mercier Champagne and had a tour of Voyager. Then off to a very nice Sardinian trattoria for a lovely dinner.

This morning, we were up and away early, it was clear, sunny and the breeze was light. We sailed pass acres of mussel farms as we sailed north towards Porto Cervo.  As we were sailing out of the Golfo Aranci, we came across a pod of dolphins fishing, glistening in the sun. They sailed around the boat, not wanting to be distracted from their fishing.

Swanno polishing the stainless
Swanno polishing the stainless

There was enough wind and enough sailors on board to christen the code zero. Swanno and James were up the bow putting the Code up and we sailed off Porto Cervo right to the middle of the Super Yachts on Day three of the Dubois series.

There were a number of Dubois yachts racing (14) and another group of Dubois yachts just there as spectators. It felt like Mercier was a dingy in comparison. These yachts are between 100 feet and 190 feet long- amazing to watch, all seemed to have had about 20+ crew to keep them moving.

Two of the Superyachts
Two of the Superyachts
Watching the Superyacht action
Watching the Superyacht action

We are on our way to the La Maddelena and we have been told about a lovely protected bay to anchor in for the evening. The astonishing fact is that none of us are wearing jackets or scarves or sweaters. – it is sunny, the wind is light and it is warm.  We have a lovely Italian meal on the back deck with music and sunshine. Perfetto!

We wake early to another sunny day.  We are sailing north to the top of Sardinia. We are on our way to a small fishing village.  James points out Bonifacio, across the straits and says “Bonifacio is just about 11 miles away.  We all digest the fact that one of the more picturesque towns in all of the Mediterranean is just a few miles away,  A quick discussion, a few calculations, smiles; we tack and sail to Bonifacio.  Minutes later, a flock of flamingoes soars by overhead. It is a vision of pink, grey and black, shining in the sun, we think we have made the right decision.

Flock of Flamingos flying by
Flock of Flamingos flying by
The crew in Bonifacio
The crew in Bonifacio

 

 

The Ride of Your Life

Here we are in Marina di Olbia, a newish marina in Sardinia. A very swish Marina- clean and modern but not Porto Cervo prices.  Very nicely laid out with stainless bollards, beautiful warm showers, Auchan (supermarket) right down the street and our favourite houseboat cafe just 50 yards away. Also bike paths and a free shuttle to Olbia city,.  A great place by all accounts to winter your boat.  Just last night we took our passegiata at sunset overlooking islands. mussel farms and a myriad of granite outcroppings around the full expanse of Marina di Olbia.

Part of Our Paesagiata
Part of Our Paesagiata

Here’s the thing, it has been too cool until yesterday to sit outside and just enjoy a coffee on the deck. Anywhere you turn people in are speaking In Italian, German, Dutch, French and English about the unseasonable weather.  “Froid, bagnato, troppo vento, ijskoud and damn cold, what!”, you get the idea.

Great name, just missing the prefix 'Dis' from the home port
Great name, just missing the prefix ‘Dis’ from the home port

It was so windy, you walk into the wind head down, to create a smaller profile and quickly to get out of the wind.  I was surprised to see a boat’s name catch my eye – The Ride of Your Life beside me on the pontoon.  It stopped me in my tracks, we do have the ride of our lives on our boats.  We love the feeling of a beam reach on a fair wind. We enjoy running downwind on a fresh breeze or being heeled over in 20 knots while rounding a mark. So even if it is blowing 25 knots, there is plenty to smile about.  I think about Bill Gilbert who can always pull the positive from any weather.  Davo will always say let’s do the Friday twilight,” because by 6PM, the rain will be gone.” I think about Bill Merrington who sailed as much as he could in his 98 years, rarely leaving Eventide on her mooring.  How do you enjoy “the ride of your life”?

The Houseboat Restaurant
The Houseboat Restaurant

Yesterday, the sun came out and Kate and Mike Rider came over from their yacht Voyager of Noosa on bike & by foot from Olbia.  It is hard to explain how lovely it is to talk to someone from home especially since we were able to have coffee in the cockpit and sunshine. We really appreciated former Beneteau dealer, Mike’s expert advice and helpful suggestions.

Today is the second sunny day in a row, the sun is out and so is the bike.  The Swannos are coming tonight, so we are looking towards going to the La Maddalenas tomorrow after the six of us enjoy a nice dinner in a quiet Sunday night Olbia

Ciao Bella.

The sun shines in Costa Smeralda

This morning, we left Bonifacio in the rain.  We had a walk to the Piazza, amidst all the building and paving works. Even in the drizzle, grey skies and cold morning, Bonifacio was picturesque.  As you sail past, you can see houses on limestone cliffs that seem fixed and solid but from the sea you see large rocks of limestone which have been undermined, the huge blocks resting at the bottom of the cliff.

All these houses have been undermined like yesterday's photo
All these houses have been undermined like yesterday’s photo

The trip to Sardinia is cold, short and easy – as long as you have an autopilot that can dodge all the reefs, rocks and islands in the Straights of Bonifacio.  Even with a Coursemaster, you have to be diligent, because there is so much traffic.  In the straights, you will see large cruise ships, ferries, sailing boats, cargo ships and fishing boats and all the RIBs*, making it quite an exercise in concentration.  James likes the autopilot, he feels like the captain overseeing his ship and directing his helmsman.

 

Strange rock formations of Sardinia
Strange rock formations of Sardinia

Porto Cervo is overcast as we arrive and but then the sun comes out and we revel in the warmth and sunshine. James sailed here in 1980 and can see the changes.

The harbour and marina are well laid out, if slightly empty.  The Costa Smeralda has such a reputation for being incredibly expensive, that several fellow cruisers have said they will bypass it. At this time of year, the tariff isn’t too expensive and the hot showers are worth it.**

Superyachts starting to assemble in Port Cervo
Superyachts starting to assemble in Port Cervo

June 1 must be the start of the season, because there are two regattas coming up and several super yachts have come in since we arrived. Kokomo is here but flying a Cayman Island flag.  There is not a varnished mast to be seen.  These masts are like church spires rising  200 feet in the air and maybe 8 feet across at the top.  We have a photo to share with you – raising the club burgee on a Super Yacht.

Raising the burgee on a superyacht
Raising the burgee on a superyacht (note the burgee is some 6 feet high)
To give some perspective the guy in the previous photo is at the top of the mast in the foreground ( not as tall as the one behind)
To give some perspective the guy in the previous photo is at the top of the mast in the foreground (not as tall as the one behind)

We wish we could share the scents of the fresh bread baking wafting from the Boulangerie in the morning and the church bells ringing here in Porto Cervo and the jazz streaming from Swiss Jazz.  At the moment, we only have bandwidth for words and photos, so we hope you enjoy them.

Expecting 35 yachts of just this size
Expecting 35 yachts of just this size

Ciao Bella

*RIB – Rubber inflatable boats
**Showers – we paid E2.5 for cold showers one day

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