Reggio di Calabria

We left Stromboli in the background early in the morning and started the sail to Messina Straits. Messina is famous as being the little gap between Sicily and the main land. For years there have been plans to build a bridge across the Straits, but no work as yet started.

The sail was uneventful bar a few meeting with dolphins and a sea turtle but I was a little to slow with the camera so it will have to wait until the next time. We sailed most of the way, and at times we sailed faster than the wind speed, but like the rest of the med, the wind died as we neared the mouth of the Straits and so we motored  the last few miles to the marina. 

On leaving Stromboli we noticed a small leak in the repaired muffler. At this point the muffler had been welded once in Palermo and now it was leaking again. 

Out with the fold-able bikes and off we were in search of a welding company. Not one mile for the port we found a guy who spoke no English but said he could do it. We waited and sure enough he did what he seemed to indicate he was going to do... and we were on our way again. Italy is an interesting place, and garages like the place that did the welding are like scenes from a movie. Lots of shouting, smoking and general confusion. Not really sure what was going on :)

On the way back to the boat we passed a grocery store and decided to stop in order to buy some supplies for dinner. Joseph offered to cook and so it was going to be steak night :) I love my meat! Later that night Joseph cooked the steak and it was fantastic...

The next morning the wind picked up and so we planned another day in port. Joseph started the process of putting the boat back together and testing the newly welded part. The big stainless piece to the left was the cause of all the problems. Once installed we tested.... but to our disappointment it still leaked! UHGGG

We went on deck to take a break only to find a bag of fresh croissants!!! We had read about this... a "local" guy stops by and drops of fresh croissants in return he offers taxi and "other" services. The food was a welcome sight and we ate the lure :) Saverio, taxi driver, sometime ormeggiatori, fixer and supplier of liquid victuals! (his homemade red wine was delicious). He is actually mentioned in our Italian Waters Pilot book!

Joseph started to call around to see about getting a replacement muffler, in fears that ours was not fixable... but it turns out that it's custom... like many of the boat parts are and might take a while to get a new one made up. So we needed to find another welding company... one that specialized in stainless steel... and our new "friend"... the fixer might be able to help. 

Sure enough Saverio knew just the guy he said.  We took the muffler off again and hoped in the back of his "taxi" ... a Mercedes with all the equipment to be a taxi but we believe he did not have license to operate as one. He took us to a metal yard and this looked like it might be the right kind of place. They had lots of stainless steel "stuff" and big welders. On entering one of the warehouses I saw what can only described as a picture of the godfather and a shrine... see left -> We needed no more evidence we might be mixing with the wrong problem... Joseph said it was all ok, as long as they liked us :)

One the way back from the welding guys, our fixer had a little surprise for us. Now after where we just were, I wasn't sure what that might mean. But it all turned out ok. He had a vintage caddy with NJ plates in his garage. I think he's seen one too many movies.. if you get my drift.

After dropping us back to the boat, the fixer invited us to dinner. Now how can you say no to that. 8pm he said !!! And so it was, at 8pm sharp he and his girl friend showed up in the white taxi that we had become so used to seeing. We were off to the middle of no where for a traditional dinner... It started out slow. The girl friend, Christina had no English, but good food and wine livened things up and by the time it was time to leave we were all in a good mood :)

The next morning we packed up again and headed for the seas... one more stop before Greece :)

 

la mia famiglia viene a visitare !!!

  We arrived into Trapani Sicily exhausted from our overnight sail. We spent the evening and a bit of the day resting and organizing before heading onto Palermo to meet up with uncle Lenny, aunt Sue, Kristine, Caitlin, and Tracy. We were so excited to see all of them.

We arrived into Palermo during a huge thunderstorm that might I add was not predicted. Joseph spends 40% of his time reading and understanding the weather. Due to the mountains here in Italy the weather is always changing. The storm was loud and brought a lot of rain. Once we were all tied up the drying out the cleaning began.  I did not have to much to do, just organizing and collecting the dirty clothes. I could not wait to do laundry. I know that sounds lame but when it is not accessible it can be tough.

Joseph arranged for us to get a ride to the airport from one of the workers at the marina. He took us to Palermo airport to meet our guests. It was so great to see all of there smiling faces! Lenny had arranged for a 7-passenger van that fit all of us.  We took the crowd to their hotel to check in. Then we hit the streets of Palermo to find a restaurant to eat. Everyone was starving. We celebrated our engagement with wine and laughter. I really enjoyed hearing and catching up on the entire goings on of home. 

 

The following day we took the group to see Agrigento because thunderstorms were predicted so sailing was out. Joseph knew a bit about Agrigento because he use to live and work in Catania, Sicily. He had never been but knew it was a must see. We packed everyone into the van and headed to the other side of the island. Agrigento enjoys fame and notoriety in equal measure. Fame for its awe-inspiring Greek temples; notoriety for the rampant abusivismo (illegal building) that has overrun the medieval hilltop town with high rise-rise tower blocks. 

It was free to get in and a great way to see some older part of Sicily. There was a lot of walking involved and it turned out to be very hot. I think overall everyone enjoyed themselves. (I do not have pictures of Agrigento because my camera was left in the car)..not naming names..hahaha

 

We went home to the boat for some happy hour snacks and drinks. I really enjoyed showing the boat to my cousins and aunt and uncle because until you are on it you do not really understand how living on it is. They were all very impressed and I think Joseph felt very proud as did I.

We went out to dinner (can’t remember where) and enjoyed a delicious array of desserts after. We took cannoli eating to a whole new level! I loved that the girls and Sue and Lenny all got into the dessert eating and drinking after dinner.

The following day was reserved for sailing. We got a fairly early start after I finished my laundry at the local lavanderia, which I might add are hard to find here.  We all piled onto Zimbabalooba and went out for a day sail. 

      Tracy was the first to drive and did a great job as Lenny helped pull up the main sail. Kristine showed some amazing skills at driving the boat and getting our speed up to 6.5 knots.  Caitlin was very good at winching and Sue documented the day with her camera. We went about 10miles west along the coast and anchored for a swim and Joseph and I made lunch. The whole gang jumped off the side of the boat and enjoyed a swim in the warm Mediterranean.  Caitlin faced her fears, after much coaching and taunting leaped off the side of the boat. 

 

 It was so nice to be with family and sharing the boat experience with them.   The following day they were scheduled to fly out of Trapani to continue there adventure in Rome.  We decided that we would take the morning and show them Cefula.       

It is a beautiful old city overlooking the ocean just west of Palermo. We walked around the city and enjoyed some light shopping. I had arranged for us to go to this pizza joint I had read about that had over 66 types of pizza on the menu. As we walked up to the door I noticed it did not look open. I was so bummed and once again annoyed with one of Trip advisors recommendation being a bust. They were only open for dinner. Joseph quickly sprung into action and we back to the old city for lunch. We went on with one of the local hotels recommendations for pizza on the water. The view was great and the pizza was awesome!

 

It was sad to see everyone go. I am so grateful for their visit and the time they came to spend with us. 

 

Life Changing Event

When we returned to Sicily we had to rent a car to get back to the boat.  Now, renting a car should be easy right, well not in Sardinia. Joseph had previously booked online and when we turned up at the airport the rental car attendant was trying to double charge us. I have noticed a running theme here in Italy, they charge whatever they want unless you speak up. An hour and a half later we were on the road and the price was reduced. It took us three hours to drive back down to the southern coast of Sardinia. Zimbabalooba was left in great shape thanks to Christian and Joy. We spent the day doing laundry and grocery shopping for our 195-mile trip from Sardinia to Sicily. Now the weather window for this crossing was good so we decided to leave. We were feeling excited for this crossing because we knew were going to see family on the other side.

 

As I was taking a shower in the back of the boat, yes we shower outside sometimes and use the hose with the warm water being heated through the engine.  I noticed something moving above the water. We quickly grabbed the binoculars to get a better look. It was like a black stick and another type of pole sticking up and moving through the water. Joseph was very quick to realize it was a submarine! It must have been an old Italian diesel sub. We only saw the periscope and smoke stack.  I am sure they saw more of me then I did of them! It was really neat and I had been hoping we would see one.

It was during my evening shift that my life would change for the better. I usually do the 9-2 shift during an overnight sail. I was doing great reading my book by red light and making sure we did not hit any other boats. I have to go down every hour and record our whereabouts in the log. I think I have mentioned this before. It was at this time that Joseph got up from bed and came up on deck to see how I was doing. Now normally he would not get up at all because he knows the sleep is important and also cause I usually will not wake up again till 8am.

It was a little after midnight when he arrived on deck. I remember saying to him if your going to stay up then I will go to bed. He said no wait aren’t the stars so beautiful. I was surprised by his romanticism.  He said a lot of other sweet things then out of no were he got down on one knee with the red light on his head and asked me to marry him. I said yes!  He gave me a placement ring to hold the spot on my finger till we pick out what ring I want. Joseph is the most thoughtful and selfless man I have ever known. I am excited to spend the rest of my life with him.

We made it into Trapani, Sicily after 42 hours at sea. We were both exhausted!

We could not wait to call our parents and families and tell them the good news. My brother Joe was defiantly the most excited for us; it was great to share our news with our families!

 

Joseph and I celebrated in style the following night with dinner at a delicious fish restaurant and ice cream to follow. Now the ice cream or Gelato as the Italians like to call it is truly an experience. The good gelateria’s have over 16 flavors. My favorite part about getting ice cream is that they let you try as many as you want!So far I am partial to the chocolate and the candy bar flavors. Joseph really likes the café flavor but it is very strong.   

I scream you scream we all scream for ice cream!

 

More blogs to come!

Helicopter ...

 An underground chapel within a church

Bainis Eireannach... Irish Wedding!

  

So Joseph’s father Frank collected us at the airport, not sure if he recognized Joseph but he recognized me! We headed to Joseph’s parents house. In all the confusion and excitement of our arrival Frank went around the round about twice. He was trying to give us a nice tour. A lot of things can prepare you for driving in Ireland but in reality those first five minutes in the front passenger seat staring out the window on the wrong side of the road is better then any roller coaster at Disneyland. It was not Franks driving but more my brain telling me something was wrong. Next thing you know we are pulled up outside the house only to be greeted by a one eyed cat named (no name). The house is a lovely bungalow as they call them in Ireland overlooking Frank’s farm. The chickens had gone to sleep…that’s right chickens on the back yard. We all headed inside to find Auntie Maureen Frank’s sister was there to greet us. It has been a long day but we finally made it.

 Frank's farm
feeding the horses with Frank!

 The next morning the house was a bustle with appointment making for nails, hair, and Joseph desperately needed a shave.  Frank dropped us into town to do some shopping. At this point in our sailing journey I have read over 15 books. Normally I do not enjoy reading but on the boat there lots of time for reading. So it was time to add some more books to my collection. Joseph said he knew just the spot. Three and a half hours later toting 20 books enough to see me through to December, we took the bus to Mary Bernadette’s house for dinner. Frank and Auntie Maureen joined us there.  Mary made a delicious steak dinner. Her house is beautiful and very well organized! We had a lovely evening filled with wine and laughter.

The following day was the wedding. We woke up early enough to have a fry up with Frank and I headed off to get my hair colored and cut. I was a bit apprehensive to have this done anywhere but home although Mary assured me that this girl was good.  Turns out Mary had never even met the stylist but her friends had and everything worked out ok. Frank picked me up and even paid my tip. I still had not made it to an ATM in Ireland. On a side note Irish people tend to be a bit fanatical about weddings. It is important to look your best so instead of wearing a hat these folk put birds in their hair or at least that what I would call it. (check out you tube.Put A Bird On It) Alison that’s for you!

                                                                                      

 

 Back at the farm, we dressed up and made our way to the wedding. The church was part of the University College Cork grounds. It was where the groom, Joseph’s friend Michael had graduated from which turns out is a requirement to get married there.

The church was beautiful. Built over 800 years ago when the university was founded. We were on time for a change thanks to Frank keeping us on schedule.

The ceremony began, I don’t know if it was to save money or to keep it entertaining but one of the bridesmaids who are sister to the bride played the violin. She also did a reading and sang a song. The bride Claire looked beautiful. It was a full mass but moved along quickly. During the service the heal on my $10.00 TJMaxx black pump broke. I was like nooooo…

Joseph assured me there would be a cobbler near by.  As the church emptied out and the mandatory group photo began, Joseph was already one the case to find me a cobbler.

We were off to meet the cobbler. He recommended doing both heals and charged me 10.00 euro, which is equivalent to $13.00. He did say that now people would see me not hear me coming.  Off to the reception we went. We arrived a little late because Joseph decided to take me on a tour of Cork during Friday night traffic. The reception was at Castle martyr. It was beautiful place for a reception. Apparently it use to be a boarding school for boys run by brothers. The place was huge and now is used for functions and it has golf course.

The meal was spectacular even if they did forget to give my vegetables. Joseph made sure I got my greens because he wants to keep me healthy. We danced the night away to a live band until 4am. It was a blast. Then we headed back to Swan Lake, Bed and Breakfast, no lie it was named after the lake with swans on it in the front.

We had good nights sleep and drove back to Ballygarven the following day to watch the all Ireland hurling match between Cork and Claire. If you have never seen this game it is a cross between hockey and lacrosse.  What an exciting game it was! I’m definitely an armchair supporter. Cork lost but it was one hell of a game. Then it was time to jump back in the car to go back to Castlemartyr for the day after the wedding barbeque. The barbeque was held at Pat Shorts Pub. It was nice to visit with all of our new friends from the night before. I was hurting and could not drink anymore. We brought Joseph’s sister along to see if we could find her a man but none of the grooms hurling buddies showed up due to the defeat that Cork had endured earlier in the day. Better luck next time Mary! (Joseph told me to write that)

We enjoyed our last day in Cork with a trip to mass and dinner at Mary B’s house. Frank was not feeling well so Mary made us dinner in. Later that afternoon we headed to Fermoy to visit with Mary and John Noonan. Mary has been a family friend for as long as I can remember. Joseph and I had a great visit with Mary, John, Dennis, and Noreen, Mary’s sister. Mary made her brown bread, which I love, and also some delicious merigue pie. We really enjoyed our time at Cregg farm and look forward to many more visits!

Mary and John showing off the pot holder that Joan Bergin made for them!

   An oldie but a goodie...Joseph, Mary, & Fergus!!!

 The following day we left cork and headed back to the boat in Sardinia.