Treleavens' Travels

by Andrea Treleaven on 21 Jun 2005 Mount Etna was a great sight as we approached in the early morning red sunrise, but soon it disappeared behind cloud.

Apparently it is not visible very often, so we were spoiled, as it clouded over after we anchored.

We enter past Cape Andrea and into San Andrea Cove to find the small bays beneath Taormina are not suitable for anchorage, as the tourists boats have taken over, so we head south and find a much bigger and very calm bay at Porto Naxos.

We have read that Taormina is the most beautiful town in Italy - and with some frustration with the local transport, we find our way up the hill. Perched on a rocky bluff, we enter the main street of Corso Umberto to find Antique shops, designer wear, coffee shops filled with marzipan fruits and delicious pastries.

Beautiful mixes of old grey stone and modern stainless steel. Overhead there is a mix of very old wrought iron balconies, iron clocks and carvings.

Time to just sit and take in the atmosphere, with a delicious cappuccino and almond biscuit doing what Italians do best, passing the time, day dreaming.

It’s now very hot, so we decline seeing the Greco Roman Theatre in favour of a Sicilian Pizza and cold Sicilian beer. We love the excuse for a siesta in the afternoon, so back at the Cadiz, we are out for the count.

Giving up on the public transport we have learnt to pay up and take taxis.

Ristorante Da Nino is well worth the expense and a delicious fish meal of small red prawns, steamed mussels, sword fish, tomato and eggplant pasta - and to finish - pistachio gelato.

Leaving the next morning, we sight another Australian flag and find Terry and Christine Moran on their Lagoon 440 catamaran. It’s really a small world when you know they are in the Mediterranean and you wake to find them anchored beside you.

On the move, we are heading north now, through the narrow Strait of Messina, where Italy kicked Sicily into the sea. We are wing and wing, blowing 20 knots and don’t miss a beat, holding onto that beer and campari and soda.

It’s very narrow with lots of ferries, overflows and whirl pools in different areas.

The Mediterranean is a beautiful blue and its decisions, decisions!! Which way to go - east or west? Sardinia or west coast of Italy? The west coast wins, via the Aeolian Islands and back to the coast of Italy to Tropea, Amalfi Coast, then Capri.

We arrive at the island of Vulcano and anchor on the west side, climb to the smoking crater and down to a sulphuric mud bath with a swim in the bubbling hot sea, all too good. Kevin finds out that wearing shoes is a good idea when bursts of steam suddenly appear from the ground.

At Lipari Marina we have to get all the black sand out of the dinghy, wash cloths and wash ash off the boat from the volcano, which is constantly spewing out smoke and ash - another excuse for a siesta, then into the village for dinner.

The village comes alive with teenagers parading the latest clothes and boys with their black glossy hair all spiked up, young children playing ball in the square with coke cans, while the locals just do the every day things.

Dinner is local caper and anchovy pasta, sword fish, stuffed sardines and zucchini flowers.

Our trip home in the dinghy across the bay is not exactly what you would call safety at sea, but we have had a wonderful time shopping. If you could just see the five of us!!

On the move again, we pass the island of Panarea and can imagine renting a villa on this exclusive island for a few weeks.

Stromboli, the oldest lighthouse in the world, is alive, puffing smoke with lava running down the side, very black one side, green on the other and wild yellow flowers - a wonderful contrast.

A right-hand turn back to the coast of Italy to Tropea and a very gentle sail all afternoon. Tropea has cliff top houses and the only white sand beach we have seen in along time.

This is onion country and Ian is giving me a hard time because all we have come for is the onion jam. This is a very pleasant marina and Pip (Lavis) and I have had a wonderful morning swim beneath the cliff houses.

Another Aussie yacht, Caperata, pulls in beside us, with Mike Edgar and Jacqueline Woodhead from South Australia aboard, along with their big Alsatian dog Texas.

Their yacht came over on the Dock Express, a purpose built moving floating dock, and they are here for two years. All Texas wanted to do was get ashore after holding himself for the whole of their overnight sail.

We leave Tropea, with onions of course; onion chilli jam, pickled onions and onions hanging in the yacht - and yes, we are all still friends!

Leaving at midday, in a thunder storm, we set the sails and head for the Amalfi Coast 130 miles away. One other thing that we acquired in Tropea, was more $4 red wine and by lunch time, we are a pretty happy bunch. One thing about our vintage, we had the best of music, so we rock ‘n’ roll our sailing miles away.

On the way to Amalfi, after a beautiful roast leg of lamb for dinner, we stop at the small village of Palinuro for a short sleep and swim; the best of the season. It was recommended by an Italian sailing couple - and I must say, our best source of information is still just chatting to our fellow yachties.

On the move – have to go.