Monday 13 October 2014 - Modica

We have been off the boat for the last three days and we have discovered that driving in Sicily is more frustrating, worrying and dangerous than sailing has ever been!  But perhaps I better go back to the beginning. 

By last Thursday we got most of the preparation of the boat done.  Richard got the last of the lines off including the lazy jack lines, the main sheet and swapping over main halyard, so the old one is being used to hold up the passerelle.  I got the washing done (though I did leave a few things over, which I shall have to take home) and I cleaned out all the food cupboards, getting rid or all my spare food.  Then we wrapped all the winches and spare lines up in plastic bags and taped them closed to stop sand getting in.

We were now ready to get the car.  The idea to pick up a car at Catania airport turned out to be a big mistake.  Richard had made enquiries locally about hiring one here and returning it to the airport.  They wanted a 75 Euro charge for that and Richard decided that was too much.  He also went to a cheap website to find a car.  He had a terrible time collecting the car.  The two bus rides took over 2 hours with a half hour wait between buses.  Then he had a two hour drive back, making a total trip of nearly 5 hours!  After taking bus fares in to account, 75 Euros would have been well worth it to avoid that journey.  Also when he got there he found that he had hired from rent a wreck.  The car is awful.  There are at least 4-5 bashes in it, it is rusting at the front and the offside wing mirror fell off!  But he said he was just too tired and anxious to get back in daylight to do anything about it.  You live and learn.

We finished off the last jobs on Friday morning, packed up and went on our way.  It was quite a long drive to Taormina, but fairly uneventful.  Driving around Taormina was a bit fraught, with restricted access to the roads, but it was very well sign-posted and the signs took us to the hotel, albeit in the most round about manner to avoid the pedestrian streets!  The hotel is very smart and they took the car away to park, much to our relief.

We had a lovely two days walking all around Taormina, which I really do remember from our last visit over 6 years ago.  We spent both late afternoons by the pool cooling off.  We had our posh two Michelin star dinner on the second night.  We were a bit surprised at the beginning of our meal to be given a menu of their different types of bottles of water – about 15 to 20 different types.

Then we were off to Ragusa.  This was where we discovered our travel plans were not so clever.  The journey from Taormina to Ragusa town was very difficult.  We did not have a proper map and it was much longer than we expected.  It was not helped by a half an hour queue to get through the toll booth just outside Catania!  We did stop for lunch in Noto, a beautiful Baroque town and had a little walk around.  We did not want to eat much because there was to be another 2 Michelin star dinner that night.  We tried to follow the road signs out of Noto to Ragusa, but we were sent off the route by a diversion.  We misunderstood the diversion signs and after an hour wound up back in Noto!

We did finally get to Ragusa, but then we had a terrible time trying to find our way to the old town called Ragusa Ibla.  We had a map, but we didn’t understand it because we did not realise this part of town is all tiny streets, many with stairs!  We tried to use google maps and it took us part way, but then seemed to give up.  We followed signs to the hotel, which were in appropriate places, but that just took us up narrower and narrower streets, where we were sure we should not have been driving (although there were some other cars there).  Eventually we knocked the broken wing mirror and it fell off again and is now in pieces (though Richard says it is not much different than when he last put it together).  Finally in desperation we telephoned the hotel, only to be told they have no parking and we should park on the road we were on and walk up.  It was only around the corner and we realised then that we had driven right past it as we first entered the old town about half an hour earlier!

By this stage both of us were wound up and it a bad mood, so it was just as well that the hotel was nice and the room very attractive.  We finally walked around the city a bit and relaxed and had a drink.  Dinner was excellent.  For a change we didn’t do the tasting menu and had their specialties as set out in the guide.  It also turned out to be really good value at just over 200 Euro including drinks and coffee.

This morning we had a proper walking tour around the town, seeing all the UNESCO registered buildings.  I particularly like one building on the Cathedral Square, not listed, but very pretty that houses the local Conversation Club!  We have a last Coffee Granita and then set off to Modica.

This time we are able to work out what roads we are supposed to drive on and find our way out of town and on the direct road to Modica, with much less hassle.  We get to Modica which is another old city with a lower and upper town.  Richard is sure it is in the upper town and just drives up.  Luckily we find the hotel with little drama and dump the car in front, creating a traffic jam, leaving it to the hotel to park.

After a freshen up we go in to town.  We have another lot of walking to do.  This town, unlike the others has its main sights in the lower town and our hotel (in a lovely palazzo) is in the upper town!  There are said to be over 300 steps between them.  But intrepid as we are we walk down.  Richard thinks we might be able to take a bus back up.  We walk around, have a little bite to eat and find the shop the town is famous for - a confectioners.  There we buy a huge amount of chocolate, though Richard is too chicken to buy their special biscuits filled with chocolate and beef!  Then we make the walk back up to our hotel.  It turns out that there are 420 steps back up!  My Nike band is loving it.

Wednesday 8 October 2014 - Marina di Ragusa

I haven’t written because really there is not much to tell.  The weather has improved and it has been really nice and sunny and not too hot.  We have got a lot of jobs done.  The sails are off and have gone to the sail makers to be cleaned and stored for the winter.  Richard has taken most of the lines off.  We have bought two new mooring lines with special metal springs to make the boat more secure for the winter.

I have done some of the washing.  I will need to do the rest tomorrow so that all the linens are more or less clean when we return.  I may even get around to washing some of the lines.

The marina is large and because of that I have been on the bike regularly.  We cycle into the town most days to buy what we need day by day so there will not be food left over.  I am getting a bit better on the bike, but I still am unwilling to cycle down hill and it still makes me nervous.

I have developed a new obsession.  It is coffee granita with cream.  There is an ice cream parlour on the main square that does a wonderful one.  Much better than iced coffee and very welcome after riding there on the bike.

Today we went to the beach for a swim, having made ourselves very hot cleaning and working on the boat.  There is a lovely beach right around the corner from the marina and there are bike racks to use when you get there.  In fact there are bike racks all over the town and marina, and everyone is riding bikes.  I guess I will have to persist.

We have booked a hire car from Catania airport and Richard will take two long bus rides there to get it tomorrow.  We hope we can get all the remaining tasks done before he goes.  We have booked hotels for the following four nights, so tomorrow is the last night on the boat.

We have found the marina to be really nice and very friendly.  There is a huge community of liveaboards, from all over Europe, who will stay here all winter and then there are those like us who go home.  Lots of Brits, including a second Southerly 105 called Tinkerbell (we met one in Rome owned by Peter and Wendy).  We have met some of the people and they all love it here.  Drinks parties every Monday and happy hour on Friday.  Social events and some practical matters such as filling gas bottles are discussed over the VHF radio each morning.  We have concluded that it is a very good place to winter.  The only problems are that southerly winds blow desert sand from Africa which eventually covers the entire boat and we are told repairs are very expensive.  We will get quotes.  If it is terrible, we might make a first stop next season in Malta, where we are told repairs are much cheaper.

Sunday 5 October 2014 - Marina di Ragusa

The weather forecast for the day was for rain, but when we woke up it was brilliant sunshine and very warm.  We had a leisurely breakfast while we left the mainsail up to dry out after yesterday’s rain.  Then we flaked it and put it in the sail bag.  We will need to have it valetted as it is quite dirty in parts.  That is another thing we shall have to arrange.  While we are at it we want to have new cars sewed on at the same time so it goes up and down the mast more smoothly. 

After we put the sail away we take out the bikes and cycle into town.  I am quite proud of myself for having made it there and back without mishap.  I have managed to learn to ride slowly through crowds of people, much to my surprise.  In the town we found the main square and managed to buy bread and some milk.  We also stop and have a café granita, which I really enjoy.

We get back to the boat and it is still very hot.  I even change in to my bikini and consider whether we should go to the beach this afternoon.  We were beginning to wish that we had sailed from Siracusa today in the bright sun, instead of yesterday’s trip in the rain.  But as I am sitting in the cockpit and Richard is putting away the sail bag I notice a huge black cloud on its way here.  Richard just manages to get all the gear he put out to dry away when it hit.  First there was a huge wind.  It went up to 25 knots in minutes and eventually hit 46 knots!  I’m not sure we have seen winds that strong before and that is here in a protected harbour.  As Richard tries to get everything in the one thing he has no time to rescue is my sailing gloves, left out to dry.  They both get picked up by the wind and blow off the boat!  I am certain that they are in the water and that is the end of them, but no, they have just landed in the cockpit of the next boat, so we can recover them later.  The wind is pushing us back on the pontoon and it is clear that we are too close to it and there is a bollard we are about to hit.  So as the rain starts to come down in torrents, Richard is putting the engine on to move forward, away from the pontoon. The wind is too strong to try to tighten up on the forward lines.  It is all a bit exciting to say the least. But it does prove that we are in a good place and the boat is not moving about as much as we had feared, so that augurs well for the rest of the winter.  After about 15 minutes the wind drops again and Richard is able to switch off the engine.  We are now really glad that we decided to come here yesterday, not today.

After sorting everything out we retreat to the saloon.  It is about 1:30pm, so we have lunch.  The rain keeps on quite heavily until about 4:00pm; as soon as it stops Richard is able to adjust all the mooring lines and is much happier.  This is really the first day of this whole summer when the weather was so bad that we had to stay in the boat all afternoon.  We really can’t complain about that!

We are having Roger and Lynn from the Oyster around for drinks this evening. So I put our dinner together to be ready to stick in the oven after our drinks.  I am making an Eggplant Parmigiana, one of my favourite meals.  We take advantage of a lull in the rain and go for showers and then have a very pleasant evening with our guests.  They say there are 10 or 11 large Oysters here for the winter!  During the high winds their wind gauge, at the top of their very tall mast, read 76 knots.

The weather is iffy again for tomorrow, but we hope it will be OK in the morning to get more sails off.

Saturday 4 October 2014 - Marina di Ragusa

The weather forecast is for rain, but we decide to go anyway.  The Oyster is also going.  For the first few hours it seems the forecast got it wrong.  There are a few light showers but it is mainly bright.  The sea, which started out very choppy turns calm and there is little wind.  So as ever we are motoring.

At about 1:30 the rain starts.  It is fairly heavy and seems well set in.  We can just stay dry under the bimini and spray hood, so no need for wet weather gear yet.

We did not buy any bread for lunch, so we just live on biscuits and Richard has a cuppa soup.  Before we get to the marina the rain seems to have stopped.  We make it to the Ragusa at about three thirty.  A rib comes to meet us.  We first go to the fuel pontoon.  May as well make sure that the tank is topped up for the winter.  For a change we manage not to spill diesel all over the decks!  We have used nearly 100 litres of fuel since we last filled up.

They show us to our berth.  It is tucked away with a lot of small boats.  It is a bit of a way from anything, but it does seem a nice protected spot.  The marina is large and we will need to use the bicycles!  But even I can see that it will be necessary. 

We have a walk around and buy an ice cream.  Then back to the boat.  As it is now dry Richard puts up the mainsail to try to dry it off.  We hope the weather won’t be too bad as we have to take all the sails and ropes off.  I have sussed out the laundry facilities.  They have washers and dryers here, so I will have to start to have a go soon.

Every one here is very friendly.  So we are pleased with the stop.  We finally drink my birthday champagne as a welcome to our new home.  We have dinner aboard and all is fine.  Tomorrow the work begins.

Friday 5 October 2014 - Marzamemi

Richard woke up early at about 6:45 and I followed 15 minutes later.  The idea is to get away by 8:00am to get to Marzamemi before the forecast rain starts.  We manage to leave on time having paid for our really pleasant three days here in Siracusa.  The weather does not look like it will rain.  There are some clouds around, but it is very bright and there is little wind.

We take turns having a little nap in the morning.  I do the second watch. Richard had put up the genoa, but I can’t see that it is doing anything.  The wind (all 4 knots of it) has shifted around a bit and I try taking the sail over to the other side.  But in such light wind, it won’t do anything.  So I take the sail in myself, which is unusual.  But I do a neat job of it.

We get to Marzamemi in very good time.  We arrive just after 12:30.  We have trouble finding a person to show us where to moor.  I have called them up on the radio and although he seems to speak good English, he doesn’t understand that we are already in the harbour and we see him leave the harbour in his rib to find us!  But eventually we get together and are moored up just fine. 

I don’t really have anything much on board for lunch, particularly without any bread, so we go out to eat instead.  We have a Frito Misto (mixed fried fish), which we’ve hardly had at all so far.  It is still very nice weather.  So we walk in to town.  There is very little doing here, although we were warned that they take their siesta time here very seriously!

Back at the harbour we find that the Oyster has arrived.  We finally meet them properly, Roger and Lynn and their son Charles.  We have tea on board, which is fun.  They will leave for Ragusa tomorrow.  We will see what the weather does, but Richard thinks that even if it is raining, we should go if the wind is OK.

We have dinner on board.  I try out a recipe for Steak Piazziola, which isn’t bad, but the meat as expected is not good, but then that is the idea of this dish.  Can’t seem to keep awake, so it is early to bed with the idea of an early start again, and then finally to our destination.

Thursday 2 October 2014 - Siracusa

I did not post yesterday because from a sailing point of view, there is nothing to report.  It was to just be a day for my birthday celebrations.  The only sailing news was that we had coffee on the Southerly 42 boat we saw yesterday and met Adrian and Pennie, the owners.  They are headed to Malta for the winter, but will be going to Greece as we are next season.  As we know two other Southerly boats in the area we might even be able to arrange a mini - rally next year.

The weather has been sunny and hot.  We went out for a very nice dinner for my birthday and had some interesting food.  The only problem was that I tried a cannoli (special Sicilian sweet) at teatime and it so filled me up that I could hardly face eating dinner!  But we managed and enjoyed ourselves.

Today was devoted to domestic matters.  We found the launderette and left two weeks worth of linens with them to do a service wash.  Then we finally went to the market which is wonderful.  I have stocked up on fresh food for at least 4 days!

The afternoon starts very hot and then suddenly the sky clouds over.  The weather has definitely turned.  We walk into town and get rained on quite a lot.  The forecast for the next few days is for rain.  We really cannot decide what to do, but think we will try to move on tomorrow.  If the forecast is correct we might beat the rain into the next port and then it is only one more hop to Ragusa.  We shall see how it looks tomorrow.

After all these weeks of seeing virtually no other English boats, the marina is now full of them.  The Oyster we met earlier is here and an Island Packet all also headed for Ragusa.  We guess we will start regularly meeting the English contingent now.

Tuesday 30 September 2014 - Siracusa

We had an excellent night’s sleep with a steady boat and no noise.  But we have slept in a bit too long, so when we leave, it is nearly 9:30.  At first I don’t think much about that because Richard said at first the Siracusa was only 15 miles away.  However once he started to seriously plot it, the distance went to 25 and finally 30 miles!  It is all a bit difficult because the chip in our plotter does not cover this part of the Sicilian coast.  So he is working from charts downloaded to my I-Pad, and paper charts.  He has even got out his Portland plotter, which only a few days ago he said he hadn’t used in years!

So it is a long day at sea.  We don’t even pretend to sail today.  Richard hasn’t even undone the sail cover!  There is little wind and even when the wind gets up to 6 knots in the afternoon, it is on the nose.  But it is a nice day and we have a pleasant trip.  We stop for some lunch, but that is a bit of an ersatz affair because we are basically out of food.  I had hoped to make some toast and serve it with the last of my long life jar of pate, but the bread has gone mouldy.  I find some toasts that I use for canapés and we have the pate on that.  We will have to find fresh food soon.

So we make it to Siracusa.  Richard’s plotting turns out to be on the spot.  We are a bit shocked to find large rocks in the entrance to the harbour that are not marked at all!  It is clear and we can see the water breaking over them, but what would happen in the dark, or in bad visibility, heaven only knows.  Another Costa Concordia in the making?  We find the marina which has been recommended and it is in a lovely spot right in the heart of the old city on the island.  We get a very nice berth well inside the harbour.  It all looks delightful.  This is a very beautiful city.  When we have settled in our berth we are delighted to see two other Southerlys.  One has no one on it, but the other does and we say hello.  They tell us the bad news.  Southerly has gone bust again and this time it is the end of the marque.  I am very sad about that.

We decide to walk into town to see if we can buy some food and maybe ice to make drinks.  We find a little supermarket, but it does not have much in it.  Richard does manage to buy a bottle of champagne for my birthday tomorrow, and some ice.  We will either have to have pasta again on board or eat out.  Richard says that my birthday making me 68 marks my truly being old.  I already knew that.  The other day when we were mooring up in Lipari, an elderly American on a charter boat was watching us and was heard so say “the little old lady is doing all the work”.  So I think that is definitive proof that I am officially old!

After a walk around the town and a coffee granita, right opposite the Greek Temple to Apollo, I start to feel very tired.  We go back to the boat.  I don’t feel like cooking so in the end we go along the waterfront and have a pizza.  It is pleasant enough.  We meet a Norwegian couple and have a nice chat.  It is fun to be somewhere so international.  

So back to the boat and soon off to bed.