August in Italy

Taormina, Italy

We arrived in Milazzo, Sicily on August 30th. We had been cruising in Italy for the entire month of August, from Sardinia to Ponza, to Capri, down Italy’s mainland coast, and now to Sicily. We had been told by many that August was a tough month in the Med. It is the month when all of Europe goes on holiday. It is very expensive, very crowded, very hot, sometimes insufferable. We wanted first-hand knowledge, so we pushed on, discovering that most of information we had been given was correct, but also finding pockets of fun in interesting places, moments well worth the effort.

Upon our arrival in Milazzo, it looked as if August was finally over. The docks were nearly empty. We spent an afternoon and evening looking around the commercial port / working town, and found little evidence of the August mania. The city was free of tourists, the restaurants and shops were quiet, some were even closed. It was something we had been waiting for every day for the past month, but it was strange.

As we sailed on through Sicily, the end of August became more and more apparent. The long stretches of beaches were empty. We saw fewer boats moving about. We headed through the Strait of Messina into the Ionian Sea and down the east coast. The wind and current were pushing Berkeley East at a nice 9 knots, so we continued onto Taormina. As we entered the large bay below the historic town, we saw just a handful of boats. At that moment we knew, August was really gone.

Berkeley East at anchor below the town of Taormina and no, we did not trade her in for a cruise ship

We stayed in Taormina for several days catching up on work, and savoring the peace and quiet of September.

In general, we think August in the Med should be spent hiding away on Berkeley East, in a quiet cove (if one can be found), with several good books and a few simple boat projects. Land travel and marinas should be reserved for other months when all of Europe is at home.

Moon over Mt Etna – Berkeley East at anchor with Mt. Etna in the background – Europe’s tallest active volcano

Previous Comments

22 Sep 2011

Linda Dawkins

Your pictures are so beautiful. I need to talk to you guys about how you get those fantastic night shots from a moving platform (BE). Mine always turn out blurry. I love ALL of your pictures!