VALENCIA TO CANARY ISLANDS

CALPE////MOON RISING

We arrived back in Valencia Sept. 1st to find D.W. Crow docked beside us.  It sure was nice to see a familiar face from Licata.  Bob and Martha are fellow Canaks from Niagara, also heading west to the Canary Islands.  We got together for cocktails a few evenings and decided Saturday Sept.6th would be the day to leave.  Unfortunately we didn’t do any sightseeing, the heat prevented me from doing anything.  We were all very glad to be out on the water where the sea breeze brings some relief from the sweltering heat.  

We headed to Denia and even managed to sail a few hours as the wind was in our favor.  Bob had mentioned to turn right after the Denia harbour entrance Marina El Portet.  Lively place, good facilities and 27 Euro is very reasonable price {the sangria wasn’t bad either}.  Again, the heat prevented us from going to dinner until 9:30 and even that was pushing it.  Now I finally understanding why most Spaniards don’t eat until 10 pm.  Al Furno must be the most popular place in town.  All tables were taken outside and there was a lineup to get in.  Inside was slightly air conditioned so our choice was easy.  We ordered 5 different tapas and even took one home. 

The morning took us to the anchorage just outside of Denia harbour so we could put on our snorkeling gear and check out the water intake that cools the engine.  Just as the skipper had suspected, the covering was closed with barnacle growth and the propeller didn’t look great either. Since the salt water makes a person very buoyant we strapped an extra fifty pounds of weights around my waist. I managed to scrape off most of the little crusties and clear the intake, but the propeller would be a different issue.  We decided to stay the day and night in the anchorage, this would allow us to pull out all our diving equipment, incl. air tank to see if everything works the way it’s meant to work.  

Decked out in full diving gear the skipper cleaned the propeller, but was happy to be finished.

The evening brought a lightening storm and wind gusts up to 27 knots.

Stopped in Calpe, Torrevieja, and Cartagena with high heat and humidity.  Can’t really do much before sun goes down.  Now we are moving on to the area called Costa Blanca due to the white coastline of hotel resorts.  A new stop for us was the town of Garrucha, the “Mecca” of fish and a 1.5 km white marble balustrade lined with restaurants overlooking the wide beach.  Docking in 17 knot winds was made even more difficult because the marinero was inexperienced, let’s just leave it at that.

September 14th we arrived in Almerimar.  Everything seemed familiar, even docked almost in the very same slip as on our previous visit April, 2011.  

Stayed 6 days in Almerimar at which time we changed the V-berth mattresses and had new sheets made; had extra piece welded on to solar panel carrier..

EL TONEL////1st EVENING IN ALMERIMAR

TONI AND ANNI ////60th WEDDING ANNIVERSARY

Unfortunately our very dear friend Anni past away Sept. 14/2014 from lung cancer, but fortunately we had a last visit with her in August.  She is still often in out thoughts and we will remember her always.

Passerelle in Gibraltar, we had to deboard at the bow

Squeezed between a Scot and a Brit directly in front of the washrooms and marina office we spent 12 days in expensive Gibraltar before heading across to the other side of the airport runway to La Lenia.

Thanksgiving weekend we got together with Bob and Martha (Canadian couple from Licata)  who were now at Marina Bay on the Gibraltar side.  They walked across the border into Spain and we had a great night eating tapas and drinking great spanish wine known as the best tapas bar in La Lenia, Chimenea.  Didn't get home until 12:30.

Our Moroccan destination was Rabat, 2 days and one night of travel.  Unfortunately the harbour was closed due to the extra large swell directly facing the entrance, so our only choice was to continue on to Mohammendia, 40 nm south.  We encountered many fishing boats and a lot of heavy fog as a result of the colder water from the Canary Current. 

While docking the skipper noticed that the boat wasn't steering as it should so the next day it was time to put on a snorkel and mask to check out the propeller.  Look what was wrapped around the blades in the propeller.  The stench in this port was starting to become a problem so we headed a little farther down the coast to another large resort town, Agadir.  
The check-in procedure is somewhat lengthy but easy.  Police, customs and immigration officers come on board and leave with your passport and ship's papers to be returned upon departure.

In Agadir you can soak up some sun on the wide,clean beaches or cool off at one of the many the beachfront bars and cafes that line the palm lined boulevards.  If a little action is called for you can ride a camel, rent a beach buggy or check out the local market.

Wanting to experience the local cuisine we headed towards the fish market.  On our way we met a man who's English was clearly better than our French who led us thru several fish stall to a friend of his restaurant stall #20.  We made our fish selection from the choices behind the glass partition and asked to please take our seat at the table.
Moroccans are famous for their hospitality, and it is moroccan etiquette to offer tea to any visitors.  The tea is prepared with a generous amount of spearmint leaves and a very large piece of cubed sugar and ceremoniously prepared in front of guests.  The leaves and sugar are placed into the tea pot with the boiling water and then poured into small glasses, holding the pot about 30cm above the glasses. Then it is put back into the pot and poured again.  Mint tea is Morocco's nation beverage and favourite pastime. GREAT EXPERIENCE!!!!

Our seafood platter of prawns, sardines, sea beam, squid and mackerel arrived quickly.  Although eating utensils were on the table, the locals were not making use of them; so we threw our inhibitions to the wind and enjoyed our meal.

With Morocco being the only north African country without oil they must take advantage of other resources.  The ocean off Morocco's Atlantic coast is one of the richest fishing grounds in the world.

After a week in Agadir the wind forecast seemed favourable so we decided to make the jump across to Lanzarote, one of the 7 Canary Islands.  We had our sails up 80% of the time during the 2 days and 2 nights.  

MARCH 1/2014 TRIP TO MONTAFON

Have been so looking forward to our time in Montafon. 

 Montafon is a valley in Austria consisting of 10 small towns known best for skiing, hiking and mountain biking. 

We flew into Zurich, rented a car and checked into our hotel 2 hours later.  

We stayed in Vital-Zentrum Felbermayer, a wellness hotel in Gaschurn.  
OMG what a beautiful place.

GASCHURN, MONTAFON

GASCHURN, MONTAFON

OLBIA TO VALENCIA MAY 21 TO JUNE 15 2014

I'M GOING TO MAKE THIS LAST ENTRY SHORT AND SWEET.

WE WERE DOCKED IN OLBIA FOR THREE DAYS ALONG THE CITY QUAY.  DID A LITTLE WALK ABOUT AND SHOPPED FOR PROVISIONS AT THE BIG SUPERMARKET.  WE WERE INVITED TO TEA ONE AFTERNOON BY A VERY LOVELY COUPLE FROM BREMEN.  THE EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION BETWEEN CRUISERS IS INVALUABLE.  EVERY COUPLE HAS A TOTALLY NEW FASCINATING STORY.

NEXT WE SET OUR SIGHTS ON PUNTA MARANA; CALLING AHEAD TO FIND OUT ABOUT  THE OVERNIGHT CHARGE  WAS UNFRUITFUL BECAUSE MY ITALIAN IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH TO UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING AND THE PERSON ON THE OTHER END DID NOT SPEAK ANY ENGLISH.  HA, LET'S JUST GO THERE.  IT TURNS OUT THE HARBOUR WAS NOT REALLY OPEN YET, ITS MORE OF A RESORT MARINA, MEANING THEY WEREN'T EXPECTING ANY VISITORS FOR ANOTHER WEEK OR SO, BUT WE DOCKED AT THE FUEL DOCK AND WENT TO FIND THE PERSON IN CHARGE.  MARCO, THE HARBOURMASTER WAS VERY HELPFUL AND CHARGED US ONLY 30 ERUOS INSTEAD OF THE 50 EUROS DURING THE SEASON.

THE RESTAURANT HOWEVER WAS OPEN AND WE HAD A VERY DELICIOUS PASTA LUNCH (BEST RAVIOLI I EVER ATE) AND THE EVENING PIZZA WAS JUST AS TOP NOTCH.
NEXT MORNING WE HEADED TO THE ANCHORAGE JUST OUTSIDE THE HARBOUR TO HANG SOME LAUNDRY FROM THE NIGHT BEFORE.  FILLING OUR TANKS WITH WATER IS ALWAYS A PRIORITY.

WE AR TRAVELLING SLOWER THAN WE NORMALLY WOULD BECAUSE WE ARE ALLOWING OUR FRIENDS GABI AND GERALD FROM VIVAMARE TO CATCH US FOR ONE FINAL REUNION.

SARDINIA IS WELL KNOWN FOR ITS COSTA SMERALDA, OR EMERALD COAST, AN AFFLUENT , HIGHLY DEVELOPED TOURIST AREA SITUATED ON THE NORTH EAST COAST OF SARDINIA.  IT HAS BECOME A PLAYGROUND FOR THE RICH AND FAMOUS AND FAMOUS FOR THE KM LONG STRETCHES OF  WHITE SANDY BEACH, LUXURY VILLAS  AND 5 STAR HOTELS.  ON ONE HAND YOU WANT TO AVOID THE OVERLY EXPENSIVE PLACES YET YOU WANT TO SEE WANT ALL THE HOOPLA IS ABOUT.

PORTO ROTONDA WILL BE THE MARINA TO MEET WITH VIVAMARE.  THIS SEEMED LIKE A GOOD TIME TO RENT A CAR AND EXPLORE SARDINIA A BIT.

TAVERNA

HEAVEN

  THIS IS THE PLACE WHERE A REGULAR BEER WILL COST 5 EURO INSTEAD OF 2 EURO JUST FOR THE VIEW.....IT WAS REALLY WORTH IT.

MARINA RESTAURANT (1 OF 10) HAD SPECTACULAR FOOD AND NOT OVER PRICED.

REUNITING WITH VIVAMARE THEN TOOK US TO LA MADDALENA ISLAND, A GREAT LITTLE TOWN HARBOUR, BUSY WITH WITH FERRY TRAFFIC EVERY HOUR.

LA CALETTA MAY 15/14 TO OLBIA MAY 24/14

Before continuing with the individual places we visit I'd just like to put Sardinia into perspective in regard to other parts of Italy we have visited.  We are travelling along the east coast stopping at marinas or ports occasionally for water and provisions.

Sardinia is part of Italy and the 2nd largest island in the Mediterranean after Sicily and before Cyprus. It does have a Mediterranean climate, the winter months are longer and wetter than in Sicily.  Southern Sicily still enjoys many warm days during November, December and January.  Sardinia has much more rain during these months.  Sicily has almost 3 times the inhabitants of Sardinia.  Sardinia is home to nearly 4 million sheep and almost no agriculture.  Sardinians specialize more in cheese, wine and olive oil.
Some forests are (cork oak) which grows naturally ; and accounts for 80% of Italian cork products.  They also have a fair size tuna fishing industry and exported primarily to Japan.  The terrain is mostly hilly with over 50 artificial lakes and dams that supply water and electricity.

 After our squall encounter we arrived in La Caletta, meaning small bay, with almost zero wind but were forced to stay 5 days due to very high winds.  The choppy waters slam against the hull that make sleeping in the aft cabin impossible.
Checking our weather APP frequently we realized we will be in La Caletta several days so the skipper brings out the bikes and so we can at least explore the small town.  In July and August  this sleepy town of 1000 inhabitants transforms into a summer resort of 10,000 sun seekers.

LA CALETTA FISHING BOATS

The backroads took us to an out-of-the-way restaurant.  I know you're thinking fancy/smancy but.....

GIOVANNA'S OUTSIDE

GIOVANNA'S INSIDE

While passing this establishment on our bikes, Giovanna came outside and persuaded us to come and eat a lamb dinner the next evening.  As her only guest we had her full attention and somehow in 3 different languages we managed to communicate quite well.
Most of these small local places don't have menus or a wine list.  Choices are usually fish, pasta or lamb, except the in the last town there was horse on the menu.  Giovanna's warm hospitality makes our dinner a very pleasant experience.

CAPO CODA CAVALLO ANCHORAGE

Finally, moving on to a  quiet anchorage and a much prettier view.  We stay only one night...the water is still too cold for swimming...16 degrees...no thank you!!!!!

We head toward the larger city and harbour of Olbia only 15nm away.  The wind has picked up considerably even in the narrow canal leading into the harbour, the wind meter is reading 25 knots.  We decide  to pass the new expensive marina (80 euros/night) on the left and head into city quay that is free of charge.  All fenders along one side...the skipper is docking on the port side with  2 fellow cruisers on shore to help secure the lines.

11th CENTURY CHURCH - BASILICA SIMPLICIO

 Very simple granite construction with wooden ceiling (not original) and a small bell tower in Spanish style from the Spanish rule in the 1800's

BAXMANN VISIT IN KIEL Apr.4-7,2014

April 1, 2014 we flew into Hamburg and picked up our rental car and headed straight to Delmenhorst for Erik's birthday.

Celebrated Erik's birthday with a very delicious dinner out with 8 of us in attendance.  Everybody had schnitzel of some kind.

ROHN MEN

It was only a short visit in Delmenhorst, but very nice to be with family.  Christian comes by every day (he's sleeping at Silke's place while we're there).  We also spent an afternoon visiting with Helga and Peter. 

Friday morning we headed further north with Kiel as our destination.

Agnes welcomed us with a champagne drink and a light lunch.  They live in beautiful house in a small suburb of Kiel within walking distance of their marina and boat.  Saturday and Sunday was spent sightseeing and eating.  Agnes had prepared a most delicious  fish dish (marinated herring) a northern German specialty.  The 2nd night we all enjoyed a Sicilian pasta dish with several bottles of Quinogues wine.  We have known Agnes and Manfred for over 40 years, attended their wedding, but had lost touch until the internet brought us back together and they subsequently visited us in Sicily 2 years ago.  Their hospitality was so generous and warm, hopefully they will visit us in Canada one day.

BICYCLING IN THE RAIN

GERMAN COFFEE TIME

GERMAN BREAKFAST

After another fabulous breakfast we sadly had to catch our flight back to Cantania where Guiseppe gratefully pick us up for our drive back to Simple Abundance.

ARBATAX

With dinghy repair under control we leave Villasimius on a beautiful sunny day with quite the breeze....15knts, really looking forward to taking out the jenny.  By the time we were on course the wind had died and we motored all the way to Porto Corallo.  Really just another marina without a town or infrastructure.  However, we did have dinner out in the only restaurant for miles where the skipper chose "cavallo" (horse) from the menu.  It was a lovely quiet, mild evening without any insects.

Upon arrival in Arbatax the next afternoon no one in the marina answered our VHF call to direct has to our berth and help with docking.  So we headed for the fuel dock and filled her up, 250 euros later we were helped into a berth by the friendly marinaro.

After a quick shower and marina office check-in we had a visit from the Guardia Finanzia for about an hour.  They are a law enforcement  agency and part of the Italian armed forces.  They are essentially responsible for anything to do with smuggling... drugs, alcohol and especially people.  They asked for all documents regarding the boat, passports, and where and when we had travelled in the last year.  They also wanted to go below to look around. At first the experience was a little unsettling, but they  were courteous and even recommended a restaurant.

ROCCE ROSSE

The next morning called for a little sightseeing excursion; a brief walk from our boat took us to the rocce rosse, Sardinia's most famous cliff.
 The port in Arbatax is dedicated to the building of oil platforms, gas rigs and a hugh wharf for commercial vessels.

ARBATAX HARBOUR

Next morning was bright and sunny with a stiff breeze so we decided to move on to an anchorage with a nicer view.  Wind was good 12 knts, mainsail was up, we both had smiles on our faces to finally be sailing again.  That lasted all of 15 minutes, then the wind died off with just 5 or 6 knts dead on the nose.  We noticed the waves were suddenly bigger and the sky was clouding over; we don't remember rain in the forecast.

SQUALL SKY

Within seconds the wind gusts picked up and we were in the middle of a rain squall with 40knt winds.  Quick to react, the skipper double reefed the mail sail and we just held on and hoped the squall would end as soon as it started.  The term reefing just means to reduce the area of a sail in order to stabilize the boat and avoid any damage.  Luck was on our side and within 15 minutes the wind was back below 20 knts.  Ideal wind speed is around 15 knts.  Looking ahead...was there more on the horizon?

LICATA - SARDINIA MAY 2014

So another cruising season as finally arrived.  With the skipper's winter TO DO list completed we waited for a weather window to open that hopefully would give us a chance to sail.   Leaving Licata was bitter-sweet...saying goodbye to so many wonderful new friends and of course our sailing companions for the last 4 years Gaby and Gerald was especially hard.

Farewell Dinner @Mulino

Our short term plan is Sardinia, Balearic Islands, Valencia, Spain  park Simple Abundance during the hot, expensive summer months July and August to spend some time playing with the grandbabies in Canada.

Our long term plan for Sept. and Oct. is maybe a visit to Morocco
before heading to the Canary Islands where I will go ashore while the men-folk Wolfgang, brother Erik and Nephew Christian  take part in the ARC (Atlantic Rally Crossing)..Las Palmas to St. Lucia.  I chose not to do the Atlantic crossing by boat, rather by plan.  We will all be together again in the Caribbean in time to enjoy a rum punch while listening to steel drums sitting under a palm tree wiggling our toes in the sand by Christmas.

We dropped our lines May 6th and only knew we were headed west.  Winds were light from the south east...too light in fact.  The jenny was out but the engine was still running. We had a choice - continue motoring or  spend one night in Sciacca, 50nm up the Sicilian west coast and check the weather again in the morning. We spend hours sitting in the cockpit watching the boat slip thru the water gracefully...watching the white bow wave spinning its white lacy designs.  Sometimes for miles we see "Velella", a type of very small jellyfish that live on the water surface.  They are deep blue in color, but their most obvious feature is a small stiff sail that catches the wind and propels them on the surface of the sea.

SCIACCA MARINA

 After checking in for 1 FREE night and the best spaghetti frutta de mare we've ever had, we knew we'd made the right decision.  Next planned stop was Favignana, an island just  north west of Trapani, Sicily.  Our selected  anchorage was not sheltered enough so we chose to go into the marina on the north side of the island.
Next morning we set the autopilot towards Sardinia and settled in with our cushions and electronic toys for the 24 hour trip.

The passage was quiet with only a few freighters to keep track of on our plotter display. However,  sometime during the 1/2 moon lit night, the skipper noticed our dinghy loosing air, so he put her on life support and pumped air into her every half hour or so.

Arriving in Marina Villasimius in southern Sardinia around 10am, all we really wanted to do was catch up on a few hours sleep.  After a light lunch and a short snooze it was time to inspect the dinghy for the slow leak. A quick check exposed the culprit was in the bottom right rear side.  Armed with his scalpel, the skipper/surgeon carefully de-layered the PVC.  With the acetone soaked rag and the right mixture of glue she will be reconstructed layer by layer?????
Well the story doesn't end there!  Mother's Day morning brings a new revelation.  While pumping up the dinghy and organizing his thoughts about dinghy reconstruction the skipper realizes he has taken apart the wrong side.  This called for  a stiff drink and more glue.  Shit sometimes happens.....we had a good laugh and went to the beach.

VILLASIMIUS BEACH

SICILY - WINTER 2014

MAP OF SICILY

Spending considerable time in Sicily I wanted to describe this beautiful place in a little more detail.

Sicily is more than just the largest, volcanic island in the Mediterranean.   Sicily is where the mountains meet the sea.  Culturally and historically it is unique in its  archeology, art, history and breathtaking scenery.  Mount Etna is the largest active volcano in Europe and still plagues Catania (city at the base of Etna) with black ash during occasional weak explosions.

MOUNT ETNA

The countryside glows with orange and lemon orchards.

Northeastern Sicily has the lush forests, the central regions are rugged with rolling hills.  Vineyards, olive groves, and almond fields complete the picture.  The Sicilian inland terrain is mostly hilly and intensively cultivated wherever possible.  Sicily lives mainly from agriculture and fishing although tourism has gained importance in the last few years.

Sicily has been a Greek colony, a Roman province, and Arab emirate and a Norman kingdom.
For example, Agrigento, a city on the southern coast best known as the site of the ancient Greek city Akragas has the famous Valley of the Temples (it is a ridge rather than a valley) constructed during the 5th and 6th centuries BC.  They constitute some of the largest and best preserved ancient buildings outside of Greece.

TEMPLE JUNO

Rich Romans built large estates that produced grain which was exported to Rome.
The Villa Romana del Casale is the largest remaining villa with the most complex collection of Roman mosaics in the world.

RONMANA DEL CASALE MOSAICS

ROMANA DEL CASALE MOSAICS

Other traces of Roman architecture can be found in the amphitheaters in Taromina and Catania.


APRIL 25, 1943 LIBERATION DAY IN SICILY

April 25th is a holiday celebrated every year.  Most stores and places of business are closed with families out and about enjoying the warm weather and the many yachts at "il porto" (marina).  Liberation Day is the celebration of the l943 landing of the Allied troops on Sicily.  it's actually better known as the Allied Invasion of Sicily in which the Allies took Sicily from Nazi Germany.  It was a large scale amphibious and airborne operation followed by 6 weeks of land combat.  Later that same year Mussolini was ousted from power.

For tonight's dinner I'm preparing a typical Sicilian dish "veal piccata", tender veal topped with lemon sauce and capers.   Capers are actually the flower bud of the caper plant and has long, spiny branches growing over rocks.  Sicilian capers are distinctively more flowery than those from the more northern regions and are preserved in dry salt not vinegar.  From May to September, approx. every 10 days the plants are picked over by hand early in the morning before the flowers open.  Then the capers (about pea-sized) are put into sea salt for 2 months before they are sold.

May 2, 2014

From May 3 to 6 in Licata celebrations are held in honour of the patron martyr Sant'Angelo.  In the three day festival a hugh market is erected on the main roads throughout the town with singers and musicians performing in Sant'Angelo square.
This square is also the place of our favorite cafe' where we enjoy meeting with friends over a cappichino or glass of wine.

Sant'Angelo Square with Valentina

MARINA DI CALA DEL SOLE....LICATA/SICILY.....OCT. 19, 2013

After spending the summer exploring beautiful Greek Islands and some really phenomenal Turkish coastline we arrived in our winter-home Licata, Sicily on Oct. 19th 2013 together with Vivamare. We are welcomed with a fanfare of bells, whistles and horns from friends who had arrived earlier in the month.  What a great feeling to arrive in such a familiar place.  The only difference we notice immediately is the number of occupied berths is considerably more than it was in 2011 when the marina opened and we were one of the very first cruisers staying the winter. 

Marina di Cala del Sole

With approx. 30-35 other live-a-board yachts and approx. 60 permanent people living on board, the marina has turned into a vibrant community; many Brits, French and Germans...most everyone speaks English.   There is a meeting room with tables and chairs and a book exchange.  In addition people have organized all sorts of activities including yoga, Pilates, choir, art classes, walking tours, wine tasting tours. The daily 9am VHF radio net keeps everyone informed about car or taxi sharing, lost and found items, parts and services needed, ladies coffee, progressive dinners and everybody's favorite, "Happy Hour" at the Cafe Letterario.

Caffe Letterario

I wake up most mornings around  6am, but stay in bed until I hear the skipper up.   He puts the kettle on and makes tea.  I do my stretching exercises in the meantime.  Everything progresses very slowly most mornings.  We usually don't finish breakfast much before 10am.  

Several ladies love to organize, so holidays are a priority.  There was a pot luck Halloween party; everyone was in costume with a DJ and 80's music playing.  We had a Christmas Eve dinner, New Years Eve bash and an intimate Valentines dinner.  Of course when "happy hour" runs into "dinner hour" nobody feels much like cooking so our corner Pizzeria Mulino is always welcoming.

LONDON, ONTARIO

We flew to Sudbury Nov. 10th for Ryland's birthday on the 12th; he turned 3 years old.   After a few doctors appointments and visits with friends we arrived in London for too short a visit with Tanja and family.  The first snow storm of the season, what a whopper.

For Ryland's birthday we all went to Science North; his absolute favourite place.  For dinner I made homemade Mac& Cheese, dad brought home a chocolate cupcake and a NEMO balloon.  The children's party took place on Saturday, but we had left for our visit in London. 

Happy to be away from the snow we arrived back on Simple Abundance in marina Dec. 10th.  Christmas decorations started to appear around town and on several boats.

MARINA DEL CALA DI SOLE

Marina staff invited cruisers to Xmas party with prosecco and panettone and presented us with a new BBQ for Sunday lunches on the dock. 

NAV STATION

2014 presented the skipper with 2 challenging projects; 1...installation of SSB radio (purchased in Canada and stowed in luggage).  #2...installation of two new solar panels (delivered to marina).

The SSB radio will come in handy for the planned Atlantic crossing Nov/Dec 2014.  It is used for long-range communication, emails, chatting with friends and downloading weather info. from anywhere in the world.  Mounting the radio in the nav station, attaching the tuner in the outside locker and running the wires to connect the two units was only half the job (about 4 days of heavy duty aerobic exercise),  Next, a thin layer of copper sheeting was glued into the hull (directly under my bed in the aft cabin).  This step took another 2 days of measuring, cutting and being cramped into small spaces a 5 year old would have a problem with.  A full week of intensive labour was rewarded by a clear radio voice transmission on the first test.

COPPER FOIL

SKIPPER IN LOCKER

TUNER IN LOCKER

The solar panel installation was a little less trouble. 

The whole month of January was windy and rainy.  At least the many social events meant we left our cabin once in a while.  February brought a little relief with a visit to the Quignonus wineyard including their famous BBQ.  The uncomfortable weather also gave us a chance to watch the Winter Olympics in Sochi.

Cabin fever was setting in mid February, so Vivamare and Simple Abundance decided to explore a little more of Sicily.

MT ETNA

MARKET IN CALTANISSETTA

We wanted to see a little more of the inland towns.  Our first stop took us into the market in Caltanissetta, situated among rolling hills and other small towns, known primarily for its sulfur mines of the early 1900's.  Today the area is heavily reliant on agriculture.  The beautiful produce displayed, each bowl only 1 Euro.  Prices we only dream about in Canada.  Spring in Sicily is gorgeous; the many different shades of green and yellow from the wild flowers is breathtaking.

Unfortunately the day ended with the tragic news that a fellow cruiser in the marina had been struck by a car while riding his bike earlier that day.  Philip had just recently given us (other live-aboards) an entertaining slide show presentation of his time cruising Albania and Montenegro.  A little memorial was held  on the day Philip would have turned 60.  The captain's room is now Philip's Hall in dedication.

SCALA DEI TURCHI AT CAPO BIANCO

With the sun shining and a picnic lunch packed we headed off again several days later to Scala dei Turchi, a rocky cliff on the coast of Realmonte, near Porto Empedocle.  The attraction is its unusual white colour.  It lies between two sandy beaches and is accessed through a limestone rock formation in the shape of a staircase, hence the name.  It was definitely worth the climb.  

One more job the skipper needed to finish before leaving for Montafon; moving the bilge pump for better access and maintenance. Two days spent in the narrow bilge beside the generator brought a few scratches on both arms, but the skipper never gives up, now he could go on his ski vacation with a clear conscience.