Ancona, Italy We know how crazy it sounds that we would need a break from sailing around the Med. But sometimes a little land time, away from the boat, is a good change of pace. We have always wanted to see Umbria, the central region of Italy, some call it “the green heart of Italy,” […]

43 36.68’N:13 28.95’E May is considered a “fringe” month for cruising. It can still be a little cool and windy, but sometimes that beats the summer heat and dead calm conditions that require motoring. The crowds are less in May, which leaves plenty of space to anchor or dock. But towns and marinas are often […]

Bari, Italy With weather becoming a problem again, we pulled Berkeley East into a marina, rented a car and did a few daytrips around Puglia. Unlike much of Italy, the terrain in Puglia is nearly flat, which made for easier driving in our nifty little Fiat 500. Most of our driving in Italy has been […]

Otranto, Italy As we were preparing to leave Siracusa, we were exchanging some emails with friends about our upcoming plan: a two-day/overnight passage across the Straight of Messina to the heel of Italy. One friend wrote back and said, “Have fun tomorrow.” We could only chuckle at that, as overnight passages are seldom fun. Sailing […]

Siracusa, Sicily Italy A cruiser’s life is all about the weather. We often have to wait for a better weather window in order to get where we want to go. Since we have no real schedule, a day here, two days there, is really no big deal. But when days become a week or more, […]