Croatia is everything we hoped it would be, and far, far more. We went home for a couple of weeks to enjoy a little bit of rain, wind and fog and a wedding (congrats Davina and James) and then, with great excitement and much checking of the weather forecast, hopped on a flight or two back down to Dubrovnik.
Since we’ve been back, the weather has been exactly as the forecast predicted: endless blue skies, cloudless days, warm balmy nights and just the occasional light wind rising in the afternoons. Perfect.
More guests came down to Zaffina with us, this time Christian, Adam, Leonie and Brian. On the way back from the airport, our taxi driver dropped Adam and me off at a big supermarket where we did a huge trolley dash in readiness for their time with us. Adam was highly amused by the café alongside the store which went by the appetising name of Café Scorpion! The rest of their first day with us went exploring the port and the pool and then in the evening we took them into Dubrovnik and gave them an idea of why we had raved about the city quite so much! In the early evening light, it looked even more beautiful than last time we’d seen it and quite a bit more crowded as, with all of Italy taking the month of August off and heading off on holiday, this really is the height of the season in Croatia. Fortunately we’d managed to book the restaurant we had promised to take them to, and overlooking the little fishing harbour, we dined on octopus, black rice, fresh fish and tender steak. After dinner we drank cocktails at a popular outside bar until the boys decided to drop ice cubes down the back of Frank’s trousers and we headed back to Zaffina. A good start to any holiday!
We’d promised ourselves that if we had a good sea, we’d move straight up towards Hvar the day after our arrival and sure enough, the wind was down and the sea was calm so once the port formalities were completed, we meandered back up the winding channel that connects the marina with the sea and pointed the boat to the north. Our only problem was that the plotter wasn’t plotting and navigation had to be done manually but in such perfect conditions and an easy sailing ground, it wasn’t a problem.
By the afternoon we’d reached a small island just south of Hvar where we’d anchored once before, and decided to drop anchor there again, this time slightly deeper into the inlet. A bit of a breeze had come up towards the end of our trip and was blowing across the anchorage which made life a little awkward when I swam ashore with the rope – the first time we tried to tie on, Zaffina pulled away before we were attached and the end of the rope shot back into the water and promptly coiled itself into innumerable knots. As I tried to untangle the knitting, Frank had the difficult job of trying to keep Zaffina in place until eventually we were secured by both anchor and mooring rope to the land. The boys swam ashore to check out the nearest café/bar whilst the rest of us lazed on board until the sun dropped in the sky and we broke out the barbeque for dinner. Afterwards, the six of us piled in to the dinghy and returned to the bar for liqueurs and ice creams, where we played a silly rhyming charades game until the staff, fed up with their clientele (not just us) turned all the lights off to encourage all to depart!
We woke to perfect conditions on Sunday and after demolishing a few croissants and swimming in the fish filled water around the boat, we upped anchor for the short trip to Hvar. Frank called up a marina on the nearby island of Parmezana but was told there was no room. However, once we got close, we decided to nose in and see if perhaps a space was available and thank goodness we did…berths are obviously allocated on a first come first serve basis, and with just four spaces left, we were given a perfect position near the marina entrance.
The marina here is more of a winding inlet with permanent pontoons around the edge than a proper construction but it is absolutely lovely. Crazy paved pathways lead from the boats throughout the island and the scent of pine, lavender and herbs hangs in the air. The ever present cicadas start their music when the sun comes up and serenade us throughout the day and on the other side of the island, just a ten minute walk away, there are two or three tiny, crowded beaches and some shady restaurants around a teeming anchorage. The taxi service runs from here to Hvar whenever there are at least five people ready to go, although they prefer to make you wait until they have a full boat, and can take between ten minutes and half an hour depending on which of their boats is running when you want to leave!
We opted for dinner in Hvar on Sunday night, and the town proved as beautiful as we had hoped. Our chosen restaurant had views over the main square and the marina, the food was good, the wine flowed and the music was…well, there was music! After cocktails at a noisy rooftop bar, Frank and I caught the boat back to Parmezana whilst our guests stayed behind to sample the nightlife. Their return coincided with the sunrise the following morning, as they’d decided to experience the full moon party, along with around 996 other people! (And bumped into several Jersey acquaintances whilst they were there!!)
Naturally yesterday was a somewhat quiet day – well, to start with anyhow! Frank and I left them all in their pits whilst we pottered across to have breakfast in Hvar and explore the town, another maze of tiny, winding streets dotted with tiny, cave-like shops. On our return, the four party-goers were waiting for the boat-taxi, bleary eyed and weary looking, (and one, who shall remain nameless, with a multitude of cactus thorns in his foot!) but ready to face the remains of the day! They took off for town as we prepared for an afternoon on the beach, where we spent a considerable amount of time cooling off in the deliciously refreshing water of the Adriatic.
All, especially the Famous Four who had had an eventful afternoon in town, had a quiet evening on Zaffina! I don’t think they’ll forget Hvar in a hurry, nor do I think Hvar will forget them (although not for want of trying!) Today we’re hoping to strike out for Vis, a few miles to the west of here, but we’ll be sorry to leave Parmezana as it’s such a delightful little island and such a perfect marina. We'll be back!
Tuesday, 16 August 2011
Friday, 22 July 2011
Friday 22nd July 2011
And after a zillion loads of washing, our next guests arrived! Actually, we managed to squeeze in a couple of lovely nights at anchor whilst we were still on our own, off the island of Sipan just a stone's throw from Dubrovnik. A deep inlet close to the village of Sipan gives great shelter and was the perfect place to drop the hook and this time when we put a line to shore, it was a far more manageable swim than my previous marathon effort.
Someone had recommended a restaurant in Sipan, so we booked it for our second night here and turned up in the dinghy to find we had the best table, in the corner of the terrace right over the water - gorgeous. The meal was pretty gorgeous as well! No menu - the waiter just came and asked if we wanted meat or fish and when we opted for fish, course after course was presented to us, including tuna carpaccio, a risotto to die for, octopus meatballs and a mouthwatering bass. Before we left, we booked a table for two nights hence and spent the interim looking forward to it!
Our next guests arrived on Friday, so we pottered back to Cavtat, where we had a rather awkward arrival, to pick them up. As we needed to fill the water tank, we were allowed briefly on a berth between two superyachts, but as we reversed back into position on the anchor, we ran out of chain and had to start the whole procedure again, all this with the entire crew of both the aforementioned massive craft looking on. Not good! Of course, by the time we were onto the second manoeuvre, the wind was blowing and Zaffina was continuously being pushed towards one or other of our neighbours, much to their horror. Eventually we got into place and it was with considerable relief that we were finally tied up.
Our guests arrived whilst I was out doing a quick supermarket sweep, and as soon as we were all on board and the water tank was filled (at a cost of £50!!) we were back out to sea and heading towards Sipan again. We spent the first of another two nights there in an inlet we'd visited with our previous visitors, where there is nothing but an abandoned hotel on the shore, and the second night back near the village where together we all enjoyed the meal Frank and I had been eagerly anticipating for two days.
New batteries were due to be fitted on Zaffina, so we took ourselves into Dubrovnik Marina on Sunday night in anticipation and all was carried out quickly and successfully on Monday morning, leaving us the rest of the day for a visit to the city. Even having seen it before, we were still bowled over by the beauty and majesty of this walled citadel and we discovered another fabulous restaurant for lunch with views over a busy little port where the tourist boats arrive and depart. In the evening we dined in one of the lively squares, songbirds swooping overhead and crowds milling about throughout the meal.
It was back to Cavtat (now known as Satnav)over a bumpy sea the next day. We attempted to get back on the private mooring which had proved so useful a couple of weeks ago, but it was impossible to lift the rope required to attach Zaffina's stern and in the end we had to abandon our attempt and instead drop the anchor in a bay close to the port. It wasn't as sheltered as we had hoped and the wind was constant, so what had promised to be a relaxing day on the water turned into quite a noisy, breezy one. Our guests left early the following morning but, with no spaces available in the marina and the sea too rough to make a dash down to Montenegro, we stayed put and endured a very forgettable 18 hours of rock and roll. The wind finally abated some time during the night before last and early yesterday morning we went back into port in order to complete the tedious check out facilities (we asked if we could go ashore in the dinghy to do the paperwork but no, we had to move Zaffina and tie up briefly on the quayside, which turned into another saga when the anchor chain started to play up!)Finally we were on our way and within a couple of hours, entering the Boka Kotorska and approaching Porto Montenegro. The further we went, the more the wind came up again and we were glad that we had set off so early in the morning; it wasn't until we got into the fjord that the water flattened out until it was silky smooth for our approach into port.
And here we are, back in Montenegro and giving Zaffina a good clean inside and out. The weather is still extremely hot - we read that Croatia has had the hottest first half of July in the last 100 years! - although there's a bit of cloud around and there was a shower at some point during the night. Fuel in Montenegro is less than half the price we'd have to pay in Croatia so as soon as the forecast is good (more gusts predicted over the weekend), we'll book up to refuel and then head back north. Since we were last here just two weeks ago, amazing changes have been wrought on the quayside. About eight new shops and several bars have opened in buildings which were still under construction a fortnight ago, a rough area has been transformed into a small park complete with dozens of fully grown trees, the yacht club and swimming pool have opened and a bakery is almost ready to start baking! Now all that's needed is a few superyachts to provide the custom to keep everyone in business, but they all seem to have disappeared! Guess we'll just have to do our best!!
Someone had recommended a restaurant in Sipan, so we booked it for our second night here and turned up in the dinghy to find we had the best table, in the corner of the terrace right over the water - gorgeous. The meal was pretty gorgeous as well! No menu - the waiter just came and asked if we wanted meat or fish and when we opted for fish, course after course was presented to us, including tuna carpaccio, a risotto to die for, octopus meatballs and a mouthwatering bass. Before we left, we booked a table for two nights hence and spent the interim looking forward to it!
Our next guests arrived on Friday, so we pottered back to Cavtat, where we had a rather awkward arrival, to pick them up. As we needed to fill the water tank, we were allowed briefly on a berth between two superyachts, but as we reversed back into position on the anchor, we ran out of chain and had to start the whole procedure again, all this with the entire crew of both the aforementioned massive craft looking on. Not good! Of course, by the time we were onto the second manoeuvre, the wind was blowing and Zaffina was continuously being pushed towards one or other of our neighbours, much to their horror. Eventually we got into place and it was with considerable relief that we were finally tied up.
Our guests arrived whilst I was out doing a quick supermarket sweep, and as soon as we were all on board and the water tank was filled (at a cost of £50!!) we were back out to sea and heading towards Sipan again. We spent the first of another two nights there in an inlet we'd visited with our previous visitors, where there is nothing but an abandoned hotel on the shore, and the second night back near the village where together we all enjoyed the meal Frank and I had been eagerly anticipating for two days.
New batteries were due to be fitted on Zaffina, so we took ourselves into Dubrovnik Marina on Sunday night in anticipation and all was carried out quickly and successfully on Monday morning, leaving us the rest of the day for a visit to the city. Even having seen it before, we were still bowled over by the beauty and majesty of this walled citadel and we discovered another fabulous restaurant for lunch with views over a busy little port where the tourist boats arrive and depart. In the evening we dined in one of the lively squares, songbirds swooping overhead and crowds milling about throughout the meal.
It was back to Cavtat (now known as Satnav)over a bumpy sea the next day. We attempted to get back on the private mooring which had proved so useful a couple of weeks ago, but it was impossible to lift the rope required to attach Zaffina's stern and in the end we had to abandon our attempt and instead drop the anchor in a bay close to the port. It wasn't as sheltered as we had hoped and the wind was constant, so what had promised to be a relaxing day on the water turned into quite a noisy, breezy one. Our guests left early the following morning but, with no spaces available in the marina and the sea too rough to make a dash down to Montenegro, we stayed put and endured a very forgettable 18 hours of rock and roll. The wind finally abated some time during the night before last and early yesterday morning we went back into port in order to complete the tedious check out facilities (we asked if we could go ashore in the dinghy to do the paperwork but no, we had to move Zaffina and tie up briefly on the quayside, which turned into another saga when the anchor chain started to play up!)Finally we were on our way and within a couple of hours, entering the Boka Kotorska and approaching Porto Montenegro. The further we went, the more the wind came up again and we were glad that we had set off so early in the morning; it wasn't until we got into the fjord that the water flattened out until it was silky smooth for our approach into port.
And here we are, back in Montenegro and giving Zaffina a good clean inside and out. The weather is still extremely hot - we read that Croatia has had the hottest first half of July in the last 100 years! - although there's a bit of cloud around and there was a shower at some point during the night. Fuel in Montenegro is less than half the price we'd have to pay in Croatia so as soon as the forecast is good (more gusts predicted over the weekend), we'll book up to refuel and then head back north. Since we were last here just two weeks ago, amazing changes have been wrought on the quayside. About eight new shops and several bars have opened in buildings which were still under construction a fortnight ago, a rough area has been transformed into a small park complete with dozens of fully grown trees, the yacht club and swimming pool have opened and a bakery is almost ready to start baking! Now all that's needed is a few superyachts to provide the custom to keep everyone in business, but they all seem to have disappeared! Guess we'll just have to do our best!!
Tuesday, 12 July 2011
Tuesday 12th July
Our visitors came, and our visitors went home! The last ten days have been hectic and writing this blog is one of the tasks that somehow got ignored whilst we had a full boat. My other excuse is the fact that we've had problems getting online (it's always tricky in another country when you don't know the systems and, even if you do manage to buy a sim card, you can't ready the instructions!)
Regular visitors to Zaffina, Tim and Annabelle, arrived in Montenegro 12 days ago, along with Charles and Liz, and as anticipated, the weather immediately took a turn for the worse. It was still hot though, but the overhead expanse of blue was obscured by grey tinged clouds by the time our guests boarded, and it was a few days before things settled down again. We stayed in port for the first night, then took ourselves off to explore the fjord, spending a glorious, still, night at anchor before heading back to the ancient walled town of Kotor. Saturday night was spent at Le Galeon, a restaurant Frank and I had already visited, but this time we sat on the covered terrace as the rain belted down around us. It didn't dampen the spirits and the evening was punctuated by much laughter and culminated in the six of us abandoning our seats and dancing to the live music - something the other diners and staff clearly weren't used to!
Sunday started with a headache.
The weather was still iffy and having decided to stay in Kotor marina for another night, we wandered into the walled town to find somewhere for lunch. We hit lucky with a little restaurant which had only been open for a couple of days, where the staff were eager to please and the rooftop terrace gave us a lovely view over a square buzzing with tourists. After lunch, we continued our exploration of the town, and Charles, Liz, Frank and I somehow found ourselves on the path leading up to the castle which stands high on the cliffside overlooking the fjord. Tim and Annabelle had the good sense to abandon us and head back to Zaffina, whilst we climbed, and climbed, and climbed. By now, the sun had decided to come out again and blast heat at us, and whilst the views were amazing, the hike to the top was pretty exhausting, and the price of the bottled drinks on sale got progressively more expensive the higher we climbed! It wasn't quite the Itex Walk, but it still felt like quite an achievement when we reached the top, and quite a relief when we reached the bottom again!
Our main task on Sunday was to refuel in Porto Montenegro. Fuel here is half the price of Croatia or Italy but there is one stipulation - you have to leave the country within 24 hours of refuelling, so Monday morning saw us up and out at around 7am, and finally on our way to Croatia. As we left the fjord, the heavens opened, and instead of the glorious arrival in bright sunshine which we had anticipated, we sailed into Cavtat in the pouring rain!
Tim had been offered use of a mooring in Cavtat and once we had finished our check in formalities, we manoevred Zaffina into the space which was just a stone's throw from the picturesque waterfront. It wasn't until the middle of the afternoon that the last raindrops fell and the sun eventually came back out, but since then, the weather has just got better and better.
The four of us went for a walk around the little town before finding a restaurant on the quay for dinner, and the following morning Tim and I zipped up to the supermarket and fruit & veg market for a fridge restock in readiness for nights at anchor. Once back on board, we left harbour and headed north past Dubrovnik. We had heard about all the islands off the coast of Croatia, but hearing about them and seeing them are two different things! There are dozens and dozens of islands, all with inlets and coves to explore, and the sea conditions were perfect as we made our way to Mljet. We had also heard about the habit of pulling into a cove and being offered lazy lines by restaurateurs, and sure enough, when we got to our destination, we were immediately offered a mooring on the quayside lined with restaurants. The deal is that if you take the line, you eat at the restaurant, so it was a relief to discover that we had chosen well, and the restaurant we moored up to was probably the best in the village!
Mljet was lovely and is already earmarked as a place to return to, but we wanted to explore further with guests on board, and the next day our destination was the island of Korcula, where we anchored off in a wide bay and spent the afternoon swimming, eating and sunbathing. And maybe drinking a little wine. In the evening we went into Korcula Town which we had been told was lovely and sure enough, it lived up to expectations - another ancient, walled town, oozing with character. We ate dinner outside the walled town, in another new restaurant, and again we had a fabulous meal, after which we decided we ought to at least have a look at the town centre. As we walked across the bridge and under an arched gate in the moonlight, our feet treading on stones worn smooth by centuries of footsteps, the town bells chimed for midnight and it was a magical, memorable experience.
The morning brought us back down to earth! As we came to pull out of our mooring we had been warned to drop back properly before engaging the engines, for fear of getting one of the ropes tangled. What the marina staff had failed to tell us was that the rope was actually already caught around the prop, and must have been since we arrived as they had given us the wrong lazy lines...cue another diver and a long delay as the whole fiasco was sorted out. By the time we left Korcula (with the marina having admitted it was their fault) it was early afternoon and the day was baking hot. We had another glorious trip up to an island whose name I can't even remember, just south of Hvar. We dropped anchor in a secluded inlet and then Frank decided we should follow local practice and drop a line back to shore and attach it to a tree. No prizes for guessing who had to swim ashore, which turned out to be a much greater distance than originally anticipated, and it wasn't until three ropes were tied together that our line finally reached the chosen tree! Still, it was worth it for the fantastic anchorage, a great barbeque and the glorious evening we spent under the stars. When I went back for the rope prior to our departure the following day, I kept hold of it after untying from the tree, and thoroughly enjoyed being pulled rapidly across the water and back to Zaffina! Not quite waterskiing, but fun nevertheless!
Our next anchorage was quite a contrast, in a busy bay where all size and manner of boats were moored. Again the weather was beautiful and the water warm, and the time passed all too quickly. In the morning we passed close to Hvar Town as we moved back southwards, and immediately promised ourselves that we will make a visit later in the season as it looked lovely. However, time was running out for our guests, and we had to get back down to Dubrovnik, a four hour trip away. The sea conditions were exceptional - some of the best we've ever experienced, and Zaffina glided across water which barely had a ripple in it. Before we reached the town, we stopped at another small island and chose a bay in which to drop the hook for the afternoon. It was another great choice, and just a stone's throw from Dubrovnik but only a couple of other boats shared the anchorage so we had a peaceful afternoon in the sun. The water, by the way, is deliciously warm but still refreshing.
Early evening saw us heading up to the Dubrovnik Marina, and yesterday we decided the explore the town itself. Dubrovnik is fabulous; if you haven't been here, then put it on your list of places you must visit. The temperature was 36C in the shade, so sightseeing was pretty exhausting but worth it. We had seen plenty of pictures of the town but nothing quite prepares you for the impact it makes, and we wandered around marvelling at the beauty of it. After returning to the marina for a swim in the pool, we got a taxi back into Dubrovnik (it's about 10 mins away by car) and ate at a stunning restaurant overlooking the sea. It was a memorable last night for our guests and again, the evening air rang with laughter.
And today? Well today is quiet. Everyone has gone except for Frank and me, the boat has been cleaned externally and the fourth batch of washing is in the machine! It's very hot and I think that very shortly the pool is going to prove an irresistible attraction!
Regular visitors to Zaffina, Tim and Annabelle, arrived in Montenegro 12 days ago, along with Charles and Liz, and as anticipated, the weather immediately took a turn for the worse. It was still hot though, but the overhead expanse of blue was obscured by grey tinged clouds by the time our guests boarded, and it was a few days before things settled down again. We stayed in port for the first night, then took ourselves off to explore the fjord, spending a glorious, still, night at anchor before heading back to the ancient walled town of Kotor. Saturday night was spent at Le Galeon, a restaurant Frank and I had already visited, but this time we sat on the covered terrace as the rain belted down around us. It didn't dampen the spirits and the evening was punctuated by much laughter and culminated in the six of us abandoning our seats and dancing to the live music - something the other diners and staff clearly weren't used to!
Sunday started with a headache.
The weather was still iffy and having decided to stay in Kotor marina for another night, we wandered into the walled town to find somewhere for lunch. We hit lucky with a little restaurant which had only been open for a couple of days, where the staff were eager to please and the rooftop terrace gave us a lovely view over a square buzzing with tourists. After lunch, we continued our exploration of the town, and Charles, Liz, Frank and I somehow found ourselves on the path leading up to the castle which stands high on the cliffside overlooking the fjord. Tim and Annabelle had the good sense to abandon us and head back to Zaffina, whilst we climbed, and climbed, and climbed. By now, the sun had decided to come out again and blast heat at us, and whilst the views were amazing, the hike to the top was pretty exhausting, and the price of the bottled drinks on sale got progressively more expensive the higher we climbed! It wasn't quite the Itex Walk, but it still felt like quite an achievement when we reached the top, and quite a relief when we reached the bottom again!
Our main task on Sunday was to refuel in Porto Montenegro. Fuel here is half the price of Croatia or Italy but there is one stipulation - you have to leave the country within 24 hours of refuelling, so Monday morning saw us up and out at around 7am, and finally on our way to Croatia. As we left the fjord, the heavens opened, and instead of the glorious arrival in bright sunshine which we had anticipated, we sailed into Cavtat in the pouring rain!
Tim had been offered use of a mooring in Cavtat and once we had finished our check in formalities, we manoevred Zaffina into the space which was just a stone's throw from the picturesque waterfront. It wasn't until the middle of the afternoon that the last raindrops fell and the sun eventually came back out, but since then, the weather has just got better and better.
The four of us went for a walk around the little town before finding a restaurant on the quay for dinner, and the following morning Tim and I zipped up to the supermarket and fruit & veg market for a fridge restock in readiness for nights at anchor. Once back on board, we left harbour and headed north past Dubrovnik. We had heard about all the islands off the coast of Croatia, but hearing about them and seeing them are two different things! There are dozens and dozens of islands, all with inlets and coves to explore, and the sea conditions were perfect as we made our way to Mljet. We had also heard about the habit of pulling into a cove and being offered lazy lines by restaurateurs, and sure enough, when we got to our destination, we were immediately offered a mooring on the quayside lined with restaurants. The deal is that if you take the line, you eat at the restaurant, so it was a relief to discover that we had chosen well, and the restaurant we moored up to was probably the best in the village!
Mljet was lovely and is already earmarked as a place to return to, but we wanted to explore further with guests on board, and the next day our destination was the island of Korcula, where we anchored off in a wide bay and spent the afternoon swimming, eating and sunbathing. And maybe drinking a little wine. In the evening we went into Korcula Town which we had been told was lovely and sure enough, it lived up to expectations - another ancient, walled town, oozing with character. We ate dinner outside the walled town, in another new restaurant, and again we had a fabulous meal, after which we decided we ought to at least have a look at the town centre. As we walked across the bridge and under an arched gate in the moonlight, our feet treading on stones worn smooth by centuries of footsteps, the town bells chimed for midnight and it was a magical, memorable experience.
The morning brought us back down to earth! As we came to pull out of our mooring we had been warned to drop back properly before engaging the engines, for fear of getting one of the ropes tangled. What the marina staff had failed to tell us was that the rope was actually already caught around the prop, and must have been since we arrived as they had given us the wrong lazy lines...cue another diver and a long delay as the whole fiasco was sorted out. By the time we left Korcula (with the marina having admitted it was their fault) it was early afternoon and the day was baking hot. We had another glorious trip up to an island whose name I can't even remember, just south of Hvar. We dropped anchor in a secluded inlet and then Frank decided we should follow local practice and drop a line back to shore and attach it to a tree. No prizes for guessing who had to swim ashore, which turned out to be a much greater distance than originally anticipated, and it wasn't until three ropes were tied together that our line finally reached the chosen tree! Still, it was worth it for the fantastic anchorage, a great barbeque and the glorious evening we spent under the stars. When I went back for the rope prior to our departure the following day, I kept hold of it after untying from the tree, and thoroughly enjoyed being pulled rapidly across the water and back to Zaffina! Not quite waterskiing, but fun nevertheless!
Our next anchorage was quite a contrast, in a busy bay where all size and manner of boats were moored. Again the weather was beautiful and the water warm, and the time passed all too quickly. In the morning we passed close to Hvar Town as we moved back southwards, and immediately promised ourselves that we will make a visit later in the season as it looked lovely. However, time was running out for our guests, and we had to get back down to Dubrovnik, a four hour trip away. The sea conditions were exceptional - some of the best we've ever experienced, and Zaffina glided across water which barely had a ripple in it. Before we reached the town, we stopped at another small island and chose a bay in which to drop the hook for the afternoon. It was another great choice, and just a stone's throw from Dubrovnik but only a couple of other boats shared the anchorage so we had a peaceful afternoon in the sun. The water, by the way, is deliciously warm but still refreshing.
Early evening saw us heading up to the Dubrovnik Marina, and yesterday we decided the explore the town itself. Dubrovnik is fabulous; if you haven't been here, then put it on your list of places you must visit. The temperature was 36C in the shade, so sightseeing was pretty exhausting but worth it. We had seen plenty of pictures of the town but nothing quite prepares you for the impact it makes, and we wandered around marvelling at the beauty of it. After returning to the marina for a swim in the pool, we got a taxi back into Dubrovnik (it's about 10 mins away by car) and ate at a stunning restaurant overlooking the sea. It was a memorable last night for our guests and again, the evening air rang with laughter.
And today? Well today is quiet. Everyone has gone except for Frank and me, the boat has been cleaned externally and the fourth batch of washing is in the machine! It's very hot and I think that very shortly the pool is going to prove an irresistible attraction!
Wednesday, 29 June 2011
Wednesday 29th June
Our first few nights in the country were spent in Porto Montenegro, a modern marina where we feel like a little tiddler compared to our superyacht neighbours. The facilities are good here, there's a few restaurants around and the town is within easy walking distance. We didn't want to do anything much to start with, and were both quite happy to stay in port doing chores on Zaffina, visiting the nearby beach and wandering into town for provisions. Shopping in the supermarket involves loads of guesswork, as I really can't understand a word on the labels and it's easy to muddle something like mustard with mayonnaise when it's in a pot with a picture of yellowy sauce on the label! Still, so far so good (pretty much!) Local taste seems to run to very smoky cold meat and I haven't yet managed to find anywhere selling plain old unsmoked ham or even a light parma ham, but it means there's a lot of trial and error going on in the galley. Oh, and they seem to like liquid yoghurt rather than milk.
When eventually we set out to explore, we moved deeper into the fjord, which is utterly stunning. If you've seen adverts for Montenegro, you'll have an idea of what it's like, especially as the first landmark we came across was the tiny island used in all their tourist campaigns, dominated by a large church which is in turn dominated by a sky blue cupola. We dropped the anchor in a bay within spitting distance of this iconic isle and settled down for a glorious afternoon and evening on the hook. The water was as still as glass as the sun went down and as the lights in the nearby towns came on, they were reflected at great length on the motionless sea. We dined by candlelight, hardly believing our good fortune, and a good bottle of wine helped us sleep that night. Just as well really, as the wind came up with a vengeance in the early hours, and the peaceful image of the night before was well and truly shattered by dawn!
By 7am we were on the move, searching for shelter, but it seemed that wherever we went, the wind changed direction and followed us. Our anometer recorded blasts of around 40mph. Eventually we opted for the far corner of the fjord, which seemed less blustery than elsewhere and again put down the anchor. The wind ebbed and flowed throughout the day, sometimes simply not there at all, other times blowing a hooley, rising and falling with no warning whatsoever. By early evening we had had enough, and this time our search for shelter took us into the town of Kotor, where we tied up with relief.
Kotor is a World Heritage Site and you can see why - it's a picturesque, walled town, with tiny winding alleys too narrow for cars, leading to sunlit squares full of restaurants and cafes. We dined well in surroundings which probably hadn't changed in centuries, calamari stuffed with prawns for me, and common sole - although it didn't look that common to us - for Frank, and an ice cream on the way back to the boat.
There was a little market set up in an arcade near the port and the following morning I spent a ridiculous amount on beautiful fresh fruit and veg, discovering later in the day that most of it could be bought for half the price in a nearby supermarket! Still, part of the pleasure was in the selection and purchase...I'm always a sucker for ripe cherries and soft, velvet peaches! We dined out again in the evening, and had the best meal we've had so far in Montenegro at a beautiful restaurant on the quayside opposite the town, looking across at the floodlit walls and castle above.
After two nights in port, we were determined to get back out on the water, and on Monday we again took ourselves off into the fjord, and again found the wind was all over the place. We anchored in the same position as we had previously and this time the wind was dying away rather than coming up, leading to a lovely (and only slightly blowy) night. Things were dead calm when the sun rose, and Frank and I lay on the bow, pouring over the crossword and watching a tiny fishing boat dropping its net nearby. At this point, alarm bells perhaps should have been going off...a few minutes later, as the fishing boat drifted off, so the net drifted towards us, and with a sudden gust of wind, Zaffina and the fishing net were as one. Not a good combination. A furious fisherman returned and started yelling at us - pretty rich as he was the one who had laid the net in such close proximity - and by tugging at the rope, he managed to completely entangle it. We dived beneath the stern to try to release it but to no avail; net and prop were united and no amount of tugging was going to clear the problem. To cut a long story short, a diver was eventually called for, who managed to release the net within minutes, and then, surprise surprise, we were given the bill for his services! Not a good start to the day - we agreed to pay a proportion of the charge and, with a crowd now watching from the quayside, pulled up the anchor and went on our way.
More wind.
Someone said that Montenegro would be the perfect cruising ground if it wasn't for this wind which comes and goes without warning, and I think they were right. We'd hoped to go to Perast, another small and pretty town, but we gave it a miss when we saw the swell nearby, and instead headed into the outer part of this inland sea where we found a fairly sheltered anchorage behind a private island, and here we settled for the rest of the day. A nearby boat was flying the St Helier Yacht Club pennant and turned out to be Lady A, belonging to Tony & Vesna Able whom we had been told were down here (thanks Peter G!)- they left shortly afterwards, but briefly came alongside to say hello en route - they are in Porto Montenegro so we'll meet up soon.
Another near drama later in the evening, when a small yacht chose to drop its anchor in close proximity to Zaffina. We were sure that, at some point, we would drift too close to one another, and sure enough, as the evening drew on and dark descended, we realised that their bow was remarkably near to our stern. They immediately decided that it was our problem (a bit rich as we'd been in position well before they arrived) but they eventually agreed to move and at last we could relax and enjoy what was left of the evening. And finally we had a perfectly still night at sea, which was followed by an early morning skinny dip and a return into Porto Montenegro for work to be done on the outboard.
Just as well, cause that wind's come up, yet again, and it's blowing a gale out there. Anyone would think we had visitors due to arrive tomorrow!
When eventually we set out to explore, we moved deeper into the fjord, which is utterly stunning. If you've seen adverts for Montenegro, you'll have an idea of what it's like, especially as the first landmark we came across was the tiny island used in all their tourist campaigns, dominated by a large church which is in turn dominated by a sky blue cupola. We dropped the anchor in a bay within spitting distance of this iconic isle and settled down for a glorious afternoon and evening on the hook. The water was as still as glass as the sun went down and as the lights in the nearby towns came on, they were reflected at great length on the motionless sea. We dined by candlelight, hardly believing our good fortune, and a good bottle of wine helped us sleep that night. Just as well really, as the wind came up with a vengeance in the early hours, and the peaceful image of the night before was well and truly shattered by dawn!
By 7am we were on the move, searching for shelter, but it seemed that wherever we went, the wind changed direction and followed us. Our anometer recorded blasts of around 40mph. Eventually we opted for the far corner of the fjord, which seemed less blustery than elsewhere and again put down the anchor. The wind ebbed and flowed throughout the day, sometimes simply not there at all, other times blowing a hooley, rising and falling with no warning whatsoever. By early evening we had had enough, and this time our search for shelter took us into the town of Kotor, where we tied up with relief.
Kotor is a World Heritage Site and you can see why - it's a picturesque, walled town, with tiny winding alleys too narrow for cars, leading to sunlit squares full of restaurants and cafes. We dined well in surroundings which probably hadn't changed in centuries, calamari stuffed with prawns for me, and common sole - although it didn't look that common to us - for Frank, and an ice cream on the way back to the boat.
There was a little market set up in an arcade near the port and the following morning I spent a ridiculous amount on beautiful fresh fruit and veg, discovering later in the day that most of it could be bought for half the price in a nearby supermarket! Still, part of the pleasure was in the selection and purchase...I'm always a sucker for ripe cherries and soft, velvet peaches! We dined out again in the evening, and had the best meal we've had so far in Montenegro at a beautiful restaurant on the quayside opposite the town, looking across at the floodlit walls and castle above.
After two nights in port, we were determined to get back out on the water, and on Monday we again took ourselves off into the fjord, and again found the wind was all over the place. We anchored in the same position as we had previously and this time the wind was dying away rather than coming up, leading to a lovely (and only slightly blowy) night. Things were dead calm when the sun rose, and Frank and I lay on the bow, pouring over the crossword and watching a tiny fishing boat dropping its net nearby. At this point, alarm bells perhaps should have been going off...a few minutes later, as the fishing boat drifted off, so the net drifted towards us, and with a sudden gust of wind, Zaffina and the fishing net were as one. Not a good combination. A furious fisherman returned and started yelling at us - pretty rich as he was the one who had laid the net in such close proximity - and by tugging at the rope, he managed to completely entangle it. We dived beneath the stern to try to release it but to no avail; net and prop were united and no amount of tugging was going to clear the problem. To cut a long story short, a diver was eventually called for, who managed to release the net within minutes, and then, surprise surprise, we were given the bill for his services! Not a good start to the day - we agreed to pay a proportion of the charge and, with a crowd now watching from the quayside, pulled up the anchor and went on our way.
More wind.
Someone said that Montenegro would be the perfect cruising ground if it wasn't for this wind which comes and goes without warning, and I think they were right. We'd hoped to go to Perast, another small and pretty town, but we gave it a miss when we saw the swell nearby, and instead headed into the outer part of this inland sea where we found a fairly sheltered anchorage behind a private island, and here we settled for the rest of the day. A nearby boat was flying the St Helier Yacht Club pennant and turned out to be Lady A, belonging to Tony & Vesna Able whom we had been told were down here (thanks Peter G!)- they left shortly afterwards, but briefly came alongside to say hello en route - they are in Porto Montenegro so we'll meet up soon.
Another near drama later in the evening, when a small yacht chose to drop its anchor in close proximity to Zaffina. We were sure that, at some point, we would drift too close to one another, and sure enough, as the evening drew on and dark descended, we realised that their bow was remarkably near to our stern. They immediately decided that it was our problem (a bit rich as we'd been in position well before they arrived) but they eventually agreed to move and at last we could relax and enjoy what was left of the evening. And finally we had a perfectly still night at sea, which was followed by an early morning skinny dip and a return into Porto Montenegro for work to be done on the outboard.
Just as well, cause that wind's come up, yet again, and it's blowing a gale out there. Anyone would think we had visitors due to arrive tomorrow!
Tuesday, 21 June 2011
TUESDAY 21ST JUNE 2011
Ok, where were we? Oh yes, back in Riposto - that seems like such a long time ago! We left Zaffina there and went back home to Jersey for a week and when we got back to Sicily it seemed as if summer had really set in. When we arrived, Etna was puffing gently and it was a great feeling to get back on board, under the shadow of the great volcano. Forecast checked and rechecked, fridge restocked, fresh flowers bought and we were ready for the off on Friday. First stop was the refuelling pontoon - the price has gone up and up since we started our long trip from the UK three years ago and now we just gulp and hand over the credit cards once it's all totted up. Once we were refuelled, we struck out across the channel towards Italy, sad to be leaving Sicily behind but excited at the prospect of new ports and new places.
We set our sights on a tiny port called Roccello Ionica and had a lovely trip across, passing the southernmost tip of Italy, the extreme toe of the boot, en route. We covered around 70 miles before we turned into the marina, although to call it a marina is a bit of an exaggeration - it is just a tiny port, no staff to help us in so we went side-to against a wall, and no facilities which was a bit of a pain as our generator refused to work. We had a cold dinner on board then popped along to the nearby pizza restaurant for pudding and coffee, and just let the warm evening wrap itself around us as we watched people tucking into the most enormous, rectangular pizzas!
In the morning I popped back on shore to get some coffee from the restaurant, which was open at 7.30am, and we were back at sea by 8. Our first encounter with dolphins was a brief one, a couple just put in an appearance and then disappeared, but a short while later we were surrounded by them and what a performace they gave us; it must have been a whole school of teenage show offs! We lingered a bit to watch the show, then reluctantly set off again, as we had around 120 miles to cover. Frank sat on the bow for a while, just enjoying the view, and saw three turtles in the water, diving for cover as Zaffina approached. At one point, a whole shoal of tiny flying fish erupted into our bow wake and flew alongside us for a while. Again the sea conditions were great so it was an easy trip and by the time we put into Santa Maria di Leucca - on the heel of Italy - the temperature was up into the 30s.
This is the place where Mussolini decided to build a ceremonial entrance into Italy, so there is an enormous double stone staircase reaching from the marina high onto the cliff above where a towering lighthouse stands sentinel over the coast. Originally, the two flights of steps must have had a huge water feature - waterfalls and fountains probably - cascading down between them but now there's barely a trickle, although it doesn't take much imagination to conjur up a picture of it in its heyday. We walked (slowly) to the top, where a bridal party was just emerging into the sunshine from an elegant church, and we watched for a while as the bride and groom posed for dozens and dozens of photographs, whilst their guests wandered off to a nearby cafe, obviously knowing they had a long wait before the reception!
Sadly we were only able to spend one night in Santa Maria as the wind was due to rise and if we didn't move on the following morning, things would be tricky in the Adriatic.
So...at 6am (yes, really) we were on our way again. The wind had already risen but it was behind us which meant that although the water was churning and there was quite a swell, Zaffina took it all easily and gave us a comfortable ride. It was a long and not particularly enjoyable trip - Frank descibed it was long, lonely and lumpy and I think that about sums it up. We were at sea for the best part of eight hours and for about half of the journey we couldn't see another boat. The wind was stronger than forecast and as we finally turned towards Montenegro, we were battling against the swell and about 2 miles out we got a good soaking. By then there was also a certain amount of cloud cover, so it wasn't the glorious arrival we had anticipated, but as we turned into the fjord, the water calmed and the clouds receded, and our jaws dropped - it is simply gorgeous here!
We hadn't booked and had a moments worry when we called up Porto Montenegro to ask for a berth and they said they'd come back to us. Fortunately, there was room and it was with delight and relief that we tied up, both pretty exhausted but elated that the long trip was behind us. In three days we did over 350 miles which is quite a journey, but it was worth every moment.
We spent yesterday giving Zaffina a thorough clean both inside and out, then pottered along to the nearby beach for a couple of hours of sunshine and swimming. It's a fraction cooler here than it was in Santa Maria, which means you don't break out in a sweat the moment you get into the sun; instead it takes about 5 minutes!
It's strange being in a country where we really don't speak any of the language - oh, not quite true, I've learnt to say thank you in Montenegran! We can't wait to explore but we'll have another night or two here in port whilst we get the generator looked at and also the outboard on the dinghy which has been playing up, before we venturefurther up the fjord and into picture postcard-land.
We set our sights on a tiny port called Roccello Ionica and had a lovely trip across, passing the southernmost tip of Italy, the extreme toe of the boot, en route. We covered around 70 miles before we turned into the marina, although to call it a marina is a bit of an exaggeration - it is just a tiny port, no staff to help us in so we went side-to against a wall, and no facilities which was a bit of a pain as our generator refused to work. We had a cold dinner on board then popped along to the nearby pizza restaurant for pudding and coffee, and just let the warm evening wrap itself around us as we watched people tucking into the most enormous, rectangular pizzas!
In the morning I popped back on shore to get some coffee from the restaurant, which was open at 7.30am, and we were back at sea by 8. Our first encounter with dolphins was a brief one, a couple just put in an appearance and then disappeared, but a short while later we were surrounded by them and what a performace they gave us; it must have been a whole school of teenage show offs! We lingered a bit to watch the show, then reluctantly set off again, as we had around 120 miles to cover. Frank sat on the bow for a while, just enjoying the view, and saw three turtles in the water, diving for cover as Zaffina approached. At one point, a whole shoal of tiny flying fish erupted into our bow wake and flew alongside us for a while. Again the sea conditions were great so it was an easy trip and by the time we put into Santa Maria di Leucca - on the heel of Italy - the temperature was up into the 30s.
This is the place where Mussolini decided to build a ceremonial entrance into Italy, so there is an enormous double stone staircase reaching from the marina high onto the cliff above where a towering lighthouse stands sentinel over the coast. Originally, the two flights of steps must have had a huge water feature - waterfalls and fountains probably - cascading down between them but now there's barely a trickle, although it doesn't take much imagination to conjur up a picture of it in its heyday. We walked (slowly) to the top, where a bridal party was just emerging into the sunshine from an elegant church, and we watched for a while as the bride and groom posed for dozens and dozens of photographs, whilst their guests wandered off to a nearby cafe, obviously knowing they had a long wait before the reception!
Sadly we were only able to spend one night in Santa Maria as the wind was due to rise and if we didn't move on the following morning, things would be tricky in the Adriatic.
So...at 6am (yes, really) we were on our way again. The wind had already risen but it was behind us which meant that although the water was churning and there was quite a swell, Zaffina took it all easily and gave us a comfortable ride. It was a long and not particularly enjoyable trip - Frank descibed it was long, lonely and lumpy and I think that about sums it up. We were at sea for the best part of eight hours and for about half of the journey we couldn't see another boat. The wind was stronger than forecast and as we finally turned towards Montenegro, we were battling against the swell and about 2 miles out we got a good soaking. By then there was also a certain amount of cloud cover, so it wasn't the glorious arrival we had anticipated, but as we turned into the fjord, the water calmed and the clouds receded, and our jaws dropped - it is simply gorgeous here!
We hadn't booked and had a moments worry when we called up Porto Montenegro to ask for a berth and they said they'd come back to us. Fortunately, there was room and it was with delight and relief that we tied up, both pretty exhausted but elated that the long trip was behind us. In three days we did over 350 miles which is quite a journey, but it was worth every moment.
We spent yesterday giving Zaffina a thorough clean both inside and out, then pottered along to the nearby beach for a couple of hours of sunshine and swimming. It's a fraction cooler here than it was in Santa Maria, which means you don't break out in a sweat the moment you get into the sun; instead it takes about 5 minutes!
It's strange being in a country where we really don't speak any of the language - oh, not quite true, I've learnt to say thank you in Montenegran! We can't wait to explore but we'll have another night or two here in port whilst we get the generator looked at and also the outboard on the dinghy which has been playing up, before we venturefurther up the fjord and into picture postcard-land.
Saturday, 4 June 2011
Saturday 4 June 2011
Doesn't time fly when you're having fun?
We ended up spending two nights in Portarosa cause the weather was very iffy. Rather than sitting round on board, we hired a car for a day and set off to explore the area, but we got stuck on a back road through small and not very attractive towns and it wasn't until we got to Milazzo that we hit the coast and things improved - mainly because that was the point at which we found a very good restaurant for lunch!
Whilst in port we also took the opportunity to get an engineer on board to have a look at a few things including the grey water pump which had been playing up. Arturo spoke perfect english, which made things so much easier, and worked into the early evening to make sure everything was fixed properly. Brilliant!
The forecast for Thursday was a bit iffy, with the possibility of thunderstorms around but with gentle winds, we decided to make a move anyhow. We could only just make out the Aeolian Islands as we came out of port and there was a lot of dark cloud over mainland Sicily but the sea was calm, which was the main thing, and remained that way as we glided along the north coast of the island.
The Messina Straits are the stuff of legend - literally! Think Scylla and Charybdis and this is where it all happened. Scylla was, apparently, a multi-headed sea monster who would reach from the cliffs to the water to pluck unlucky seamen from their boats and eat them, whilst Charybdis was (or were?) the whirlpools on the opposite side of the Straits, waiting for boats sailing too close to avoid the monster. Fortunately Scylla was having a bad hair day as we went through and didn't put in an appearance with any of the multiple heads, but we did sea many a whirlpool on the surface of the water towards the Sicilian side of the Straits, and apparently things settled down considerably after an earthquake in the region in 1793 so goodness knows what it was like before that!
We had also read about some unusual fishing craft, the swordfish boats, and we lucky enough to see one in action. They have a high mast sticking up from the centre of the boat and another one sticking forward at the bow. The skipper sits high up in the gantry and spots swordfish, which apparently like to have a little doze on the water round here. Once sighted, he approaches the fish and the harpoonist, whose place is at the end of the horizontal mast, does the messy business and hooks the fish. We saw the whole procedure as we passed one of these boats, and at the end, the fishermen proudly held up their catch for me to take a photo!
The west coast of Sicily is utterly gorgeous - villages trailing along the seafront in the traditional faded pastel hues of this part of the world, and small towns clinging impossibly to the sides of towering hills. We slowed as we went past Taormina and immediately vowed to get a hire car and explore from the land. The sea conditions remained terrific for the whole trip, although through the Straits it was fascinating to sea how the wind whipped up whitecaps in tiny, isolated areas.
Our first night around here was spent in Riposto, in the shadow of Mount Etna which put on quite a display for us, the spumes of smoke illuminated in shades of pink and gold by the dying sun as it slid below the horizon.
Yesterday we went up to the fish market, where I'm sure we saw "our" swordfish, to stock up with fresh fruit and veg. The stallholder insisted on singing at the top of his voice as he served us, until other customers told him in no uncertain terms to shut up! (Maybe they were scared that we'd join in...) Once back on board, we were quick to move out of port and onto the calmest sea imaginable. We pottered across the bay at a lazy 10 knots and dropped the anchor beneath Taormina, where we enjoyed an idyllic day in the sunshine. We had promised ourselves a night there as well, but the generator decided not to work, which meant the batteries wouldn't be recharged, so in the end we came back into port and enjoyed a roast dinner in the cockpit, savouring the warm evening along with the red wine!
And today it's warm but overcast, so we're hoping to find an engineer to take a look at the generator before we pick up a hire car and go off for a spot of exploring!
We ended up spending two nights in Portarosa cause the weather was very iffy. Rather than sitting round on board, we hired a car for a day and set off to explore the area, but we got stuck on a back road through small and not very attractive towns and it wasn't until we got to Milazzo that we hit the coast and things improved - mainly because that was the point at which we found a very good restaurant for lunch!
Whilst in port we also took the opportunity to get an engineer on board to have a look at a few things including the grey water pump which had been playing up. Arturo spoke perfect english, which made things so much easier, and worked into the early evening to make sure everything was fixed properly. Brilliant!
The forecast for Thursday was a bit iffy, with the possibility of thunderstorms around but with gentle winds, we decided to make a move anyhow. We could only just make out the Aeolian Islands as we came out of port and there was a lot of dark cloud over mainland Sicily but the sea was calm, which was the main thing, and remained that way as we glided along the north coast of the island.
The Messina Straits are the stuff of legend - literally! Think Scylla and Charybdis and this is where it all happened. Scylla was, apparently, a multi-headed sea monster who would reach from the cliffs to the water to pluck unlucky seamen from their boats and eat them, whilst Charybdis was (or were?) the whirlpools on the opposite side of the Straits, waiting for boats sailing too close to avoid the monster. Fortunately Scylla was having a bad hair day as we went through and didn't put in an appearance with any of the multiple heads, but we did sea many a whirlpool on the surface of the water towards the Sicilian side of the Straits, and apparently things settled down considerably after an earthquake in the region in 1793 so goodness knows what it was like before that!
We had also read about some unusual fishing craft, the swordfish boats, and we lucky enough to see one in action. They have a high mast sticking up from the centre of the boat and another one sticking forward at the bow. The skipper sits high up in the gantry and spots swordfish, which apparently like to have a little doze on the water round here. Once sighted, he approaches the fish and the harpoonist, whose place is at the end of the horizontal mast, does the messy business and hooks the fish. We saw the whole procedure as we passed one of these boats, and at the end, the fishermen proudly held up their catch for me to take a photo!
The west coast of Sicily is utterly gorgeous - villages trailing along the seafront in the traditional faded pastel hues of this part of the world, and small towns clinging impossibly to the sides of towering hills. We slowed as we went past Taormina and immediately vowed to get a hire car and explore from the land. The sea conditions remained terrific for the whole trip, although through the Straits it was fascinating to sea how the wind whipped up whitecaps in tiny, isolated areas.
Our first night around here was spent in Riposto, in the shadow of Mount Etna which put on quite a display for us, the spumes of smoke illuminated in shades of pink and gold by the dying sun as it slid below the horizon.
Yesterday we went up to the fish market, where I'm sure we saw "our" swordfish, to stock up with fresh fruit and veg. The stallholder insisted on singing at the top of his voice as he served us, until other customers told him in no uncertain terms to shut up! (Maybe they were scared that we'd join in...) Once back on board, we were quick to move out of port and onto the calmest sea imaginable. We pottered across the bay at a lazy 10 knots and dropped the anchor beneath Taormina, where we enjoyed an idyllic day in the sunshine. We had promised ourselves a night there as well, but the generator decided not to work, which meant the batteries wouldn't be recharged, so in the end we came back into port and enjoyed a roast dinner in the cockpit, savouring the warm evening along with the red wine!
And today it's warm but overcast, so we're hoping to find an engineer to take a look at the generator before we pick up a hire car and go off for a spot of exploring!
Wednesday 1 June 2011
Frank flew down to Sardinia last week and I followed at the weekend, just in time to see the closing ceremony for the Jeux des Iles which had taken place in Sicily. Jersey achieved eighth place, an amazing result considering the size of the teams entered by islands that are closer, geographically, to this one. I think half of the population of Sardinia had entered, together with most Corsicans so Jersey’s comparatively small number put on a fantastic competition.
On Sunday morning we were ready to head off into the bright blue yonder; as usual, we intended to get under way at about 9am but by the time we had pottered around and refuelled, it was nearer to midday before we were finally out at sea, but that really didn’t matter in the slightest as conditions were excellent for our crossing to the Aeolian Islands. The first three hours or so were pretty boring, with just the occasional fish jumping from the water to entertain us until we saw the outline of the first island, Alicuda, appearing out of the mist. When we got close, we saw it was little more than a large rock with a few homes scattered about; a pretty inhospitable place to live and no sign of any roads so those whose houses are high up the hillside must be very fit! With a light wind springing up and increasing cloud cover, we turned to the east and skirted the south coast of Filicuda, which had little more to recommend it than its smaller neighbour, and then decided to pass between the islands of Salina and Lipara in search of some shelter. So far we weren’t overly impressed with the Aeolians – the volcanic sand makes the beaches look less than welcoming, and we hadn’t seen anywhere that looked particularly attractive. Fortunately things were about to change! Lipari Town promised the best shelter and as we approached the coast, we could tell that we had hit gold! In fact, the only thing we didn’t really enjoy during our two night stay was the mooring – on a pontoon which was constantly rocked by wake from the many ferries and hydrofoils heading in and out of port, whenever possible at breakneck speed!
Lipari is sensational! We instantly fell in love with the place, and seeing it before the season was properly under way was just perfect; it was buzzing, but not overcrowded. The town is a maze of narrow streets, coloured by gift shops, cafes and food stalls. Perched high in the centre, dividing the stretch of seafront, is a castle and church, whilst the harbour area (commercial and fishing craft only, so on the opposite side to our mooring) is an idyllic postcard scene come to life. The weather also played its part, the encroaching clouds of our arrival having dispersed and been replaced with a wide arc of blue sky and it would have been hard to improve upon our brief stay.
Yesterday we meandered north, to Panarea, from where we could see Stromboli gently puffing in the background, and found one of those perfect anchorages in which to drop the hook. What can I say? The Mediterranean is already warm the sea is clear, ripe melon and parma ham compliment one another beautifully, rose wine slips down so very easily when the sun is shining…all the ingredients for a memorable afternoon. Sadly the various weather forecasts we checked all suggested that the conditions would not be favourable for a night at anchor, so late in the afternoon we started making our way back to mainland Sicily, passing close to the island of Volcanoe en route – as the name suggests, another volcanic outcrop, also with wisps of smoke constantly rising from its caldera.
We thought that Portarosa was going to be something special, but it’s not! It has turned out to be a pretty soulless marina and worse still, the wind that was forecast never materialised, so last night would have been just perfect at anchor.
Still, you can’t win them all, and life is pretty good!
On Sunday morning we were ready to head off into the bright blue yonder; as usual, we intended to get under way at about 9am but by the time we had pottered around and refuelled, it was nearer to midday before we were finally out at sea, but that really didn’t matter in the slightest as conditions were excellent for our crossing to the Aeolian Islands. The first three hours or so were pretty boring, with just the occasional fish jumping from the water to entertain us until we saw the outline of the first island, Alicuda, appearing out of the mist. When we got close, we saw it was little more than a large rock with a few homes scattered about; a pretty inhospitable place to live and no sign of any roads so those whose houses are high up the hillside must be very fit! With a light wind springing up and increasing cloud cover, we turned to the east and skirted the south coast of Filicuda, which had little more to recommend it than its smaller neighbour, and then decided to pass between the islands of Salina and Lipara in search of some shelter. So far we weren’t overly impressed with the Aeolians – the volcanic sand makes the beaches look less than welcoming, and we hadn’t seen anywhere that looked particularly attractive. Fortunately things were about to change! Lipari Town promised the best shelter and as we approached the coast, we could tell that we had hit gold! In fact, the only thing we didn’t really enjoy during our two night stay was the mooring – on a pontoon which was constantly rocked by wake from the many ferries and hydrofoils heading in and out of port, whenever possible at breakneck speed!
Lipari is sensational! We instantly fell in love with the place, and seeing it before the season was properly under way was just perfect; it was buzzing, but not overcrowded. The town is a maze of narrow streets, coloured by gift shops, cafes and food stalls. Perched high in the centre, dividing the stretch of seafront, is a castle and church, whilst the harbour area (commercial and fishing craft only, so on the opposite side to our mooring) is an idyllic postcard scene come to life. The weather also played its part, the encroaching clouds of our arrival having dispersed and been replaced with a wide arc of blue sky and it would have been hard to improve upon our brief stay.
Yesterday we meandered north, to Panarea, from where we could see Stromboli gently puffing in the background, and found one of those perfect anchorages in which to drop the hook. What can I say? The Mediterranean is already warm the sea is clear, ripe melon and parma ham compliment one another beautifully, rose wine slips down so very easily when the sun is shining…all the ingredients for a memorable afternoon. Sadly the various weather forecasts we checked all suggested that the conditions would not be favourable for a night at anchor, so late in the afternoon we started making our way back to mainland Sicily, passing close to the island of Volcanoe en route – as the name suggests, another volcanic outcrop, also with wisps of smoke constantly rising from its caldera.
We thought that Portarosa was going to be something special, but it’s not! It has turned out to be a pretty soulless marina and worse still, the wind that was forecast never materialised, so last night would have been just perfect at anchor.
Still, you can’t win them all, and life is pretty good!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)