Sunrise over the Straits of Messina at 6.55 am At 5 am this morning, Captain Mario started the engine. We wanted to get to the Straits of Messina before the wind picked up. Today's plan was to visit Scilla Castle on the Calabrian side, then anchor for lunch at Capo Pelore, Sicily's most eastern point and to sail after lunch to Messina at 3 pm, right on time for our walk through town. We made good progress. By 9 am we reached the Straits, announced our position to traffic cont

Latomie del Paradiso - Quarry of Paradise got its name from the lush Garden which is now growing inside - it was anything but a Paradise during Greek time Yesterday's decision to cross early from Malta to Sicily was perfect. We lifted anchor at 6 am. The sea was flat as if Poseidon had ironed it. It was a hazy day. The sun was barely visible at sunrise. On the way we crossed a few container ships. One was huge with 200'000 BRT and a width of 60 meters. We were crossing the in

A traditional Ferryboat crossing from La Valetta to Birgu, where "My Lotty" is anchored. At the back the impressive Fort Sant' Angelo, former Headquarter of the Knights of Saint-John After months of waiting and planning, J - Day has arrived. As I write, we are loading our luggage and get our cabins ready. So exciting to be finally on board of "My Lotty". Mario, our Italian Captain, Antonio, his Number 2, Martina, our host, and Jose, our Portugese Chef will look after us for

The Ferrovia Tirrenia on the Coast of Calabria during bad Weather near Lamezia Terme When doing the contingency planing for sailing this summer, the.title of the book"The Importance of Being Idle" came to my mind. I read it a good 30 years ago. These days, most people are in a rush and always on the go. Stephen Robins, the book's author, makes the case that being idle allows you to contemplate everything a bit longer and focus on the essential. For him, being idle is a tool t

Hippocrates (Father of modern Medicin), Socrates (Philosopher), Leonidas (Spartan King who fought the Persians with his famous 300 at the Thermophylae) and Pericles (Leader of Athens who defeated the Persian Fleet at Salamis) all had Beards This summer, on our way from Malta to Pozzuoli, we will visit several ancient Greek and Roman sites. Thanks to EU funding, most of them now have their own on-site museum - though many suffer from the "Oggi Chiuso" syndrome. But occasionall

Every August, the shores of the Tyrrhenain and Adriatic sea are a place of joy and happiness. Whilst the country's biggest towns like Milan and Rome are largely shut down and taken over by international tourists, Italy's population moves to the sea and the mountains. Business comes to a stand still. An estimated 90% close for August. There are no workers on construction sites. The pace of industrial production slows to a trickle. With the exception of fashion and food, most s

One of the many beautiful Baroque Fountains in Noto at the Piazza San Francesco Whether you walk through Syracuse, Catania, Noto, Modica or Ragusa, you are surrounded by churches and palaces in Spanish Baroque Sicilian Style or simply Sicilian Baroque. What distinguishes these buildings from their European cousins is the exuberance, the lavish use of decorations and local materials. In Sicily's south, they are made from honey-coloured tufa. Further north, in Catania, dark sto

Conca di Marini - Half Way between Amalfi and Positano Between June and September, around 5 million tourists visit the Amalfi. More than three quarter come from abroad. Visitors from the United States lead the pack followed by English and German people. The Amalfi coast has become the ultimate bucket list destination. The dramatic scenery with steep cliffs, turquois waters and idyllic villages is the perfect back-ground for the mandatory instagram selfie. Half of the 5.6 mill

Exactly eight weeks ago, I talked about food in Campania. Time to honor my promise to come back after I run out of time and space. With approximately 500 km of Tyrrhenian Sea coast line, seafood is prominently present on Campania's menus. Since there are so many Campania dishes, am going to focus on "mare". I will cover "terra" in another blog. Fishermen sell their Catch of the Day every morning on the Piers - we will be happy Buyers! People in Campania are very proud of thei

Pallagrello Nero from Caserta Province is rich in Tannins, deeply colored and ages well When planning this blog a few weeks ago I wondered how much research I had to do. I knew so little about wines from Campania. Turns out that one of my old favorites is from here. Always believed that Greco di Tufo was from Puglia. As a student, I loved it. Not only for its golden, sunny color but for its attractive value. Greco di Tufo is a dry, quite bold wine with nice fruity notes. You

Rhodes Pavillon in the Mostra d'Oltramare - Remember the Deer from Rhodes Harbour? When you ask young Italians about Italy’s colonial past or which African countries Italy ruled, you get a blank stare. Whilst the British Empire made it into common knowhow, the Italian Empire never got that far. Italy’s colonial ambitions started with Eritrea in 1882, followed by Somalia in 1889, Libya in 1911, the Dodecanese in 1912, the brutal conquest of Ethiopia in 1935 and finally the ann

The 1.5 sqkm Island of Ventotene with the Villa Julia in the Foreground A good two hours by ferry from Gaeta lies the small island of Ventotene. The little spot in the Tyrrhenian has a surface of 1.54 square kilometers. During wintertime, 18 people live here. On a nice summer day, tourists bring the number to above 100. The island is just 1/14 the size of Saint Barth. No cars. A pedestrian paradise. Had Julia, Emperor Augustus’ only daughter, not lived here for five years, no

The contemporary Umbrian Cuisine is more diversified than Etruscan Food who consisted mainly of Stews, Pot au Feu, Soups and all types of Porridges Putting menu plans and wine lists together for our summer sailing is one of my preferred activities. Fabulous Italian dishes come to my mind like Spaghetti Vongole, Parmigiano Melanzzane, Safran Risotto, Tomato Salade with Basil, Verdure Grigliate, Bruschetta, all sorts of sea food and delicious cold cuts. Italy’s mediterranean cu

Pointed Arches in the Duomo di Sant Andrea, Amalfi We will visit Amalfi and its Duomo in Week 3 this summer A good year ago, Notre Dame in Paris opened its doors again. It was closed for five years for refurbishment after it burnt down in spring 2019. I vividly remember the TV pictures of the flames licking up the roof and how the spire collapsed. Next to the Duomo of Milan, Notre Dame is the world's most famous Gothic church. My favorite though is the smaller Cathedral o

Koroni - View from the East on the Venetian Bastions and the Modern Town Our choice of Porto Kagio for last night was excellent. Whilst...

Riding out 2-Meter-Waves today was actually quite enjoyable We are lucky having sailed to Crete yesterday. Now on the way to Agios...

Can't believe it - am getting to the end of my long list of blog topics before setting sail on the 19th of July. In two weeks time we...

The old Venetian Port of Candia (Heraklion) is now full of Leisure Sail Boats When you ask Greeks living on Crete what they think of the...

Summer Salad with Oranges, Goat Cheese & Olives My fever over the last three days disrupted my blogging. Being sick is always boring....

Porto Lago (today Lakki), the Italian Naval Base, was built entirely in Art Deco Style Arriving by ferry in Kos, Kalimnos, Leros, Nisiros...