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 Cittadella in Victoria, Gozo's Capital, was modernized from 1599 - 1620 With less than 10% of Malta's population, Gozo, the northern island, was seldom at the heart of Malta's history. Its bays are narrow, the good harbours few, the sandy beaches in the north small. The island is better known for its high cliffs and hills. Though the limestone and sandy soil is not ideal for agriculture. In 1551, the island was raided by Turkish Corsairs who enslaved the entire population

Greek Helmets excavated under the Temple of Athena in Velia (Elea). Geopolitics these days are interesting. With Russia’s unsuccessful war against the Ukraine, we witness the demise of one of the last empires. China’s rise to superpower is slowed down by unforgivable demographics, a lack of energy and an exorbitant debt burden. And the USA is trying to reverse its relative decline by “Make America Great Again”. Geopolitics are nothing new. More amazing though is seeing them b

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

Misenium in Roman Time 2'000 Years ago - modern Miseno looks still bery much the same In 49 BC, Julius Caesar built a giant new naval base in Fréjus (Forum Julium). 23 years later, his adopted son Augustus moved the fleet to a new base in Misenium (Miseno) near Naples. What happened? What made Caesar's huge investment suddenly so irrelevant? After the fleet moved away, Frejus slowed down, silted and eventually decayed. This old Roman Port is now a good 1'000 meters inland fro

The Roman Theatre in Fréjus is partially restored & sits 1'000 people - 7'500 in Roman Time Since I was a student, I planned to visit - never got around it. Last time I tried was in 2023 but a 2-day Mistral forced us to skip Fréjus and shelter in Porquerolles - a good 70 miles to the west. But now it was time. Caesar's harbour fascinated me for the longest time. Why would Julius Caesar build his main naval base here in France? The answer is twofold: The upcoming civil war and

The Straits of Messina with a typical big Swirl at the Entrance In 2021, five years ago, we crossed the Straits of Messina twice. First on our way to the Aeolian Islands. Then on the way back to Calabria. At one point of the return crossing, the AFAET, our boat in 2021, was caught by a giant swirl. Within seconds it was 45 degrees off course - no problem for a modern sailer with a strong engine. The autopilat put us back on track. For ancient sail ships or galleys the problem

The US 6th Fleet during a Visit in Istanbul in March 1950. Visible is an Iowa Class Battleship, the Aircraft Carrier USS Midway and several Destroyers As an active officer during the Cold War, I always knew that NATO's Southern Command was located in Naples. Though I never visited and never bothered to ask why it was situated there. The threat by the Red Fleet was understood after 1973's Yom Kippur War between Israel on the one side and Egypt and Syria on the other. As office

Shipyard Drawing of the Fernandino I from 1817 in Naples Only 100 days to the start of our summer trip! It will take us from Malta to Pozzuoli, the journey Apostle Paul made in Spring 60 AD on his way to Rome. His voyage took place at a time when it was inconceivable that anything else than wind could power naval transport. Today, every sailboat has an engine to motor into the harbour when there is too little or too much wind. Times have changed. Robert Fulton's Clermont esta

Horatio Nelson (1758 - 1805) portraited in 1799 As someone with a keen interest in military history, I know quite a bit about Horatio Nelson. The British Admiral defeated Napoleon’s joint French - Spanish Fleet at Trafalgar in 1805 which prevented the invasion of England. One of London’s largest squares is named after his triumph. His column stands tall in the middle of Trafalgar Square. An uncounted number of English pubs carry Nelson's name. His victory paved the way for a

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

Castello Aragonese d'Ischia was first built by Hieron, the Ruler of Syracuse, in 474 BC When sailing around the Golf of Naples, you may notice the many Aragon (it merged in 1479 with Castile and became Spanish) castles sitting prominently on rocky outcrops high above the waves. Why are they there and what was their purpose? We will have the chance to visit many of them during our third week of sailing this September. More surprisingly is that many of them were modernized duri

Scuba Divers are allowed to explore the Submarine Archeology Park in Baiae Despite fumes, frequent tremors and occasional eruptions, Greeks loved to live in and around the Bay of Naples. Nea Polis (Naples), Kumai (Cumae), Pithekousai (Ischia), Dicaearchia (Pozzuoli) and Poseidonia (Paestum) are the best known ancient Greek settlements which still exist today. The Romans loved loved living there too as did the Etruscans (founders of Capua) and the Samnites (founders of Pompeii

The Isola Ferdinandea appeared in 1831 a few Miles northwest of Pantelleria Growing up in the Swiss mountains, my understanding of the sea was limited. For the longest time I believed tsunamis – as depicted in Japanese paintings – were a myth, or an exaggeration at best. It took the tsunami in the Indian Ocean in July 2006 killing thousands in Sri Lanka, Java and Thailand to make me understand that such rare events were real. Geology of the Marsili Sea Mount and the Aeolian I

Etna Eruption at Night - Catania in the Foreground During the Holy Year in 2025, I had the chance to walk through all four Holy Doors in Rome. Was also invited to a private visit of the Sistine Chapel. For 20 minutes, we silently admired Michelangelo’s frescos where cardinals appoint their Popes. Having seen the ceiling during previous visits - sandwiched between dozens of other visitors - I focused on the artist’s “Last Judgement”. At the bottom, there are demons and devil

The Castle of Populonia stands on the Acropolis of Fufluna, the ancient Etruscan Port During years of sailing along ancient trade routes, we dropped anchor in many old Greek ports. There was usually a port basin for the ships, a rocky outcrop with an acropolis, somewhere temples for major deities and dual use buildings which lined the quays. Marseille, Knidos, Miletus and Rhodes are good examples. The Etruscan Federation at its Peak in the 7th Century When Greek explorers

Etruscan Buccheri (simple pottery) exported to Sardinia, now in the National Archeology Museum in Calgari At times, I stumble on fascinating facts which stare into my face for years without me noticing. Happened again last week when I wrote about Campi Flegrei , the large cauldron west of Naples. As I was searching for craters, I came across the Greek colony of Cumae, a settlement with acropolis, port and long town walls. In 474 BC, 6 years after the Athenians destroyed the P

The Roman Naval Base of Misenum 200 AD - the Italian Port of Miseno in 2022 AD Over the last ten years, we visited many ancient ports. Some were silted like Miletus , Kaunos , Andriake or Patara . Others lost their purpose and were abandoned - Knidos , Fréjus , Kelenderis or Caesarea come to my mind. A few are still in use – such as Piraeus, Messina, Pozzuoli and Miseno. All these ports were part of Rome’s far-flung network that comprised 200 major and 3’000 minor

Am often asked “what was the highlight" of the 2025 trip? Most people expect an answer like the "Turquoise Beach of Kasos", or the...

The tiny old Harbor of Kasos accommodates a few Fishing and Leisure Boats Last evening, we could not find a well-protected by on Kasos so...