Month: July 2013

The joys of cruising are diverse and there is something about every day that brings one type of benefit or another.  The last two days have given us both ends of the rainbow.

Saturday we arrived in Bigovo, a small quiet town in a big bay in Zaliv Traste.  The bay captured every breeze and we had a swim before lunch on Mercier.  We then unloaded the zodiak and motored to the village.  A local came and took our lines and told us to tie up to the dock and helped us ashore.  We went to the a stone cafe with open rooms in deep shade to have a drink.  The cafe was filled with curios and artifacts, the ceiling was a mass of nets like sharks fins. swordfish bills and a giant lobster carcapace. The walls held photos of fish that had been caught and dogs that kept the fishermen happy. Alas no Aperol Spritz!  Mineral water and beer had to suffice.

After a small walk along the waterfront, Louise swam back to Mercier, while we motored back for a swim.  Once back on Mercier we were all in the water, beating back the heat of the day and enjoying the quiet relaxing pace of Bigovo. In the cool of the evening, we watched a young fisherman lay his nets in the sunset.

On Sunday, we had a short , leisurely motor to Porto Montenegro, a new, terribly- swish resort.  This may have been the nicest marina we have been in, clear instructions on where to go and ultra-clean modern facilities. Wonderful showers are available, something those at home might not even consider, but luxury here.

We walked to old Tivat, but it was hot and Sunday and hot.

Great shops, markets and wonderful cafes and some of the best ice cream we have had en route.

Louise and Gaila did a tour of some lovely shops (lovely airconditioning) and purchased sarongs. As glamourous as it is, you can’t jump into the marina to swim and cool off and the boat doesn’t swing to capture the breeze on the bow.

Here’s the thing, we have enjoyed both immensley.

We had a stopover in Calabria at the Marina of Roccella Ionica.  We had heard that silting to the entrance of the harbour could be a problem and we should stay to the left.  Since a yacht, just about the same size was stuck in the middle of a sand bar, we thank Heikell for the information.  He is rather like a patron saint of yachties in the Med.  On this approach, you could see who read Heikell and who was stuck on a sandbar.

Upon entering, we found a small tidy marina of Roccella Ionica run by Francesco Lombardi.  We were assisted with getting our documents stamped by the Coast Guard and information given about the nearby restaurant.  Since we had arrived just hours before sundown, we were in a queue of boats. It was like Friday night on the harbour bridge.  He did get everyone’s papers processed.  There was a great energy and a great welcome to Marina of Roccella Ionica.

We dress and walk around the marina to the restaurant. There were hundreds of people from the local community as well as many yachties, sitting under a large waxing moon at the outdoor tables. There were tables for twenty and tables for two, children and puppies wandered through the table. Pizza was served, not by a slice or a pie but in either a half metre or metre, on a long narrow board.  We had fish and pasta but everyone’s food looked good. The camaraderie of whole families in the restaurant, children playing clap hands and dancing, wishing Auguri for someone’s birthday, made for a fairytale evening.

Another early start found us sailing for ten hours to Santa Maria di Leuca.  We all keep watch for lobster pots and ships, but James and Louise do Sudoku.  Louise is also sketching every day.  Frosty and Gaila are writing and journaling. We also listen to talking books and podcasts. There is no small amount of chatting and cooking going on.

We arrive at Santa Maria di Leuca about 5:00pm.  As we sail in, the brass band strikes up an Italian song and we are wondering why they are so excited by our arrival? Ah, but no.  It is the boat behind us with a large number of Italian Youth Sailors, who are circumnavigating Italy and being feted at different ports during their summer holidays.

We shower and go straight out to a lovely restaurant, walking under the full moon, which was extremely large and beautiful.  As we go, we pick out the house we want for our Italian fixer upper.  There are some beautiful houses here and lovely gardens too. We all have a favorite, each usually a bit run down but quite grand with colonades.

The next morning, James goes with all our paperwork and hands in our Italian cruising permit.  The border patrol actually drives to us from about sixty minutes away, saving us a long sail to Brindisi. They stamp us out of the EU, we are off to Montenegro.  Just one last gelato before we go!

Gozo is small and quiet but with some jewel-like bays and a beach so beautiful that Odysseus spent seven years with Calypso here.  The Big O sat on Ir-Ramla il Hamra, the golden red sand beach and missed his sweet Penelope while being held hostage by the nymph Calypso in a nearby cave.  Luckily, Penelope was the original Pretty Woman, so he eventually made it home.

As far as the beauty of Ramla Bay, you could be mistaken for thinking that you are in Palm Beach in NSW. The sand is a similar golden red and the water equally bright blue.

Sailing to Dwejra Bay, we passed Xliendi Beach where we had lunch and walked the headland the day before.  Dwejra is a collapsed cave, leaving a circular bay with two entrances/exits partially protected  by a rock in the middle of the opening.  Idyllic for a swim and lunch, we went early so we could make it back to Valetta before evening.

We were lucky to see the Azure Window at Dwejra.  It is falling down bit by bit.  It frames the view of the azure sea from land and the land from sea.  There is a small market at Dwejra Bay and maybe a cantina, but its natural beauty sees every one visit by boat, bus or car.

Malta and Gozo have a splendid bus system, beautifully air-conditioned and nice drivers. The island is small and you can take the bus and then walk. If it gets too warm, just take the round the city bus.

We met a wonderful bus driver, who has an Australian wife.  We were going down a narrow street, when we saw a wedding party leave for the church.  The whole procession was being videoed, the street was too narrow for us to pass, so we waited and admired the wedding.  We also admired the patient bus driver who didn’t want to rush the bride.

If anyone tried to see the blog earlier today, the site was down because someone was trying to hack us. Funny since we probably have a readership of about 20 friends and family.  We think its sorted out now. The other wonderful news is that someone let us know there is a good gelato shop in Sliema, we shall investigate.

Ciao Ciao for now.

There are three inhabited islands in the country of Malta, Malta, Gozo and Comino. We have been touring around all three.

Mdina was the first capital of Malta, a walled fortress in the middle of the island, built by intrepid Phoenician sailors about 600 BC.  If you stand in the Citadel in Victoria on Gozo, a smaller island to the west of the island Malta, you see several hill top villages.  This is what I think looking at the 7 Hills of Rome would have looked like in the Middle Ages. A church and houses on each hilltop, surrounded by walls, to keep the enemy out.

The importance of keeping the enemy out was made apparent by the sign on the church of St Agatha in Mdina, to the effect: When the Saracens were attacking, the people of Mdina could see their boats come into the harbour, so Mdina shut its gates.  A woman had a dream; she was visited in the dream by St Agatha, who said that every man in the village should hold up St Agatha’ s statute or picture around the bastion.  The Saracens could see there were so many men to fight, it would be a difficult battle.  They left Mdina and went back to their boats.  The note went on to say, the Saracens went over to Gozo and took the entire population of the island away as slaves. (The people of Gozo may not have had a direct line to St Agatha.)

Both hill top fortresses are still robust and stark in their beauty. They inform us that life was not easy and safety has always been an important factor in life.

Gozo is very quiet compared to Malta, with lovely beaches and its historic hilltop towns.

Comino is the small island between the two. Good marinas but the anchorages are very joggly.  We stopped at Comino for a swim, first going to the Blue Grotto which literally overflowing with boats, several ferries with boom boxes and joy riding speed boats zooming past to add to the wash.  We went to the next small bay next door and had lunch and a swim.

Today we will go and explore more in Gozo, have a swim and climb to see citadels.  The one thing we have missed is gelato, it seems unnatural to climb all those stairs without it. They do have ice cream in Malta, but it’s just not the same.

We left the beautiful ornate Baroque Catatania and motored down to another Baroque but creamy white Siracusa.

Stunning limestone buildings, white against the azure blue skies and classical in their architecture. The 1693 earthquake meant the city was rebuilt with many beautiful Sicilian Baroque buildings.

Siracusa has a definite Greek inheritance, they were here early and excavation of two Doric Apollo’s Temple and Pallas Athena temple has been converted years ago into the Catholic Duomo.

There is a natural spring of fresh water called the Font of Arethusa. The darling nymph was turned into a spring to save her from the river god Alpheus. They end up mingled together in Ortygia, on the beautiful island in Siracusa. If fact, last night we could see fresh water bubbling into the harbour.

Having missed Vivid Sydney, we were very pleased that the Festa presented us with an opportunity for Vivid Ortygia.  The 5th Century BC Temple of Athena, with many of its Doric columns intact, has been transformed into the Duomo today,  The theatrical edifice was awash in lights and there was dancing and music playing under the pastel washed columns.

There were children out and enjoying the music and dancing, wanting nothing more than to join in with the dancing.

Around the corner young artists were busy creating art of their own.