Pozzuoli's Amphitheatre id huge and has 2/3 the Capacity of the Roman Colliseum After three weeks of sailing, we finally arrived in Pozzuoli, where Apostle Paul ended the sea leg of his journey. After a few days rest, he walked for three weeks on the famous Via Appia to the Roman capital where he was to be tried for his alleged crime of bringing gentiles to the Temple in Jerusalem. On the way, he was welcomed by many Christian followers. They had heard of his arrival. The emp

Amalfi today at 5 pm - People were queuing on the Pier for their Return Trip to Salerno It is change-over day today. After a fabulous week which took us from Messina to Salerno, Team 2 left this morning at 8 am to return home. Team 3 boards at 3 pm. Within minutes of the safety briefing, "My Lotty" lifted anchor. We are off to Capri and hope that the waves allow us to visit Amalfi on the way. The weather improved since yesterday and the waves are back to 1/2 meter high. Am

Paestum's Temple of Poseidon was built a two Decades before the Parthenon in Athens Last night we could not stay in Agropoli. A bad weather system with lightning and thunder storms was moving in from the west. We needed a more secure anchor place. Luckily, Captain Mario had booked a berth at Marina d'Arechio near Salerno - just in case. Here, we were safe when gales started blowing. It rained all night - we hardly noticed. Paestum from the Air - the City had 50'000 inhabitant

Spanish King Philip II (1527 - 1598) was never able to balance his State Budget Yesterday was a full day. Four islands in 24 hours : Climbing Monte Vulcano after sunrise, swimming in the waters of Lipari and excursion to its charming capital in the afternoon, Panarea for dinner and Stromboli for the eruptions! Stromboli Eruption a few Minutes past Midnight Yesterday’s beautiful events stretched into the morning. At 6.30 am we bumped into a fisherman checking his Gamberini tra

The majestic Greek Theatre in Tyndaris has been partially refurbished and hosts many musical and theatrical performance every summer Last night, there was a big party in Milazzo. After dinner, we went ashore to find out what people were celebrating. The entire town was on the beach promenade. Families with small babies. Couples dressed up elegantly. Elderly women in their Sunday gowns - their hubbies in shorts. Teenage girls and boys trying to impress each other. On stage, th

Taormina's Clock Tower is a time less Symbol of the Towns 2'400 Years - with an equally time less Mount Etna at the back After a good night's sleep on the open waters south of Taormina, protected from swells by an invisible underwater ridge, we got up early this morning. The goal was to beat the Cruise Boat crowd. Coming from Messina and Catania, they arrive by coach at around 11 am. If we managed to get to Taormina by 9 am, we'd have the charming town for 2 hours to ourselve

The Neighbourhood between our Marina and Catania's Town Center was once wealthy but is now a bit run down Walking from Catania's Yacht Harbour to the town center is quite an experience. We passed through a decommissioned, old customs building, walked through an ugly car park, crossed under the battrered arches of Sicily's Ionian Railway Line and finally ended in a rough, but once wealthy neighbourhood. The contrast between the beauty of the buildings and how badly they a

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

Ara Pacis Augustae - Alter of the Peace of Augustus to Honor the Return of Augustus from Campaigning in Spain in 9 BC Preparing for this year's sailing from Malta to Pozzuoli made me cover many ancient cultures and empires. Articles on Etruscans followed pieces about Carthage. Notes on the Greek by stories on the Phoenicians. Reviewing my blogs I noticed that I barely talked about Rome. And when I did, mostly about its Imperial Time. Made me wonder why I did so until I realiz

Some Calabrian Wine Estates are located spectacularly on the Mediterranean Coast Learning about wines is a bit time consuming but not too difficult. For most wines, knowing the location and type of grape gets you far. Until you arrive in Calabria. Here, every grape seems to be "Greco" - from Greece. Even though none are actually planted in Greece. The wine brochures are full of references to Magna Graecia, when Greek settlers came over in the 7th century BC and settled most o

The Bridge over the Messina Straits as approved by the Meloni Government on 6 Aug 2025 A good year ago, the Italian Government under Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni approved the latest iteration of the Messina Straits Bridge project. It is now before Italy's Audit Commission which will or will not approve the project. Wonder how Italy managed to give itself a political structure where a project approved by Government and Parliament can be challenged... But that is beside this p

Castello di Fiuzzi with the Isola di Dino on the Tyrrhenian Shores of Calabria Calabria is known for many things. The beautiful beaches. The pictoresque villages. The steep mountains. The high frequency of earthquakes (see later blog). Its upcoming and promising wines (also covered in a later blog). And the Ndrangheta, its Mafia. View from the Castello Longobardo Normanno di Malvito towards Calabria's Mountains According to Wikipedia, the Ndrangheta is today a highly sophist

The Seicento (Fiat 600) was Italy's answer to the VW Beetle and the Renault 2CV. From 1957 to 1960, 2.7 million Seicento were produced in Turin. It was an Italian Pop Item Anybody who once spent a winter in Milan knows the longing for sun, warm air and blue skies. Milan, actually most of the Po Valley, are from October to March covered by a layer of dense fog. The days are short, grey, wet and cold. Nearly 20 million people live in the Provinces of Piedmont, Lombardia and Ven

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

Looking out to the island of Ischia, located right between scenic Pozzuoli and vibrant Naples, there is a big empty plot of deserted industrial land - the old Ivla Steel Mill of Bagnoli. Closed in 2020, after decades of failed rescue attempts, the mill was closed, the workers sent home and most of the buildings dismantled. From the air, the space looks like a big dental gap - and probably is. The mill that employed once thousands is now guarded by a few security guards. The f

Stone Pine Trees dominate the Italian Peninsula - I planted 20 of them in my Garden This year’s journey from Malta to Pozzuoli will take us along mountainous coasts, many covered by large forest. Some are ancient. Others planted during reforestations over the last 100 years. During summer time, there are often forest fires attracting international media attention. Was it always like this? Were forests in Roman time also frequently on fire? Were they actually the same forests?

Amalfi's medieval Townwall towards the East - Just beyond the Walls is the Village of Atrani, where Amalfi's Wealthy had their Villas and where its Doge was "crowned" Writing about the Amalfi coast – the former Duchy of Amalfi – is challenging. Everybody knows it, has been there or has it on the bucket list. About 5 million tourists visit Amalfi every year – a town of 4’600 inhabitants. The Amalfi coast was discovered by English nobility in the 19 th century. Without railway

Roman Nobles loved to dress in Silk. It was a Status Symbol like no other and astronomically expensive Amongst the precious goods Roman cargo ships brought from the Levant to the port of Pozzuoli was silk. Like today, silk was shipped in bales. 100 yards of a 45 inches wide fabric (1.15 meters) rolled up on a long stick. At a density of 8 momme (silk quality standard measure), one square yard of silk weights one ounce or 28.35 grams. Our 45 inches wide silk band thus weights

Roman Alter Dedicated to Hermes at the Mines in Munigua in Spain It is common knowledge that the Roman Empire did not collapse because of the invasion of German tribes. It was undone by inflation which ruined its economy and tax base. The Roman state spent too much. 70% of its expenditures were related to military spending. The budget shortfall prevented the Empire from paying the mercenaries it had hired. We tend to forget that since Constantine the Great, 60’000 Gothic sold

The well preserved Greek Temples in Paestum attract every summer Thousands of Tourists The piece I wrote two days ago showed a photo of the Castello Aragonese di Agropoli . A few kilometers north of it lies Paestum, a town founded by Greek colonists from Sybaris in 600 BC. Its original name was Poseidonia. Pictures of Paestum made me wonder why the town had such big temples. Three of them are well preserved and attract thousands of tourists every summer. They are almost as la