Sicily, Italy With just two weeks left, we looked at our options. We wanted a bit of relaxation and a bit of touring, so we decided to sail along the south coast of Sicily, to the west corner and the Egadi Islands. On our way to the Egadi Islands we stopped for the night in […]

Sicily, Italy Since we started cruising, quite a few people have visited us on Berkeley East. Family, friends, neighbors, business collegues, cruising buddies. Some came for the sailing. Others wanted to see a country, or island, that we were at. A few wanted the cruising “living the dream” experience. Some came just to hang out […]

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 […]

Aeolian Islands, Italy Between Tropea and Sicily lies a group of seven volcanic islands (two of which are active volcanoes) called the Aeolians. In August, ferries and hydrofoils run non-stop each day from mainland Italy and Sicily to the islands, carrying thousands of visitors embarking on the quintessential Italian holiday. The water is turquoise and […]

Tropea, Italy I’ve done casual sailing since college. But the more we talked about cruising one day, the more I thought I should get some proper training. So when we moved to Australia in 1997, I decided that Sydney Harbour would be the perfect spot to really learn the ropes. I gathered some friends together, […]

Amalfi, Italy With visitors on their way, we were on a schedule, but we made quick stops to explore Sorrento, Positano and Amalfi. It was the third week of August and we noticed a big change. It was actually more crowded and it was hot, like an oven, with no wind. Sorrento stands on a […]

Capri, Italy We knew about Capri, the dramatic limestone mastiffs seen in photos and movies. It is clearly Italy’s most famous island. But we had never heard of Ischia or Procida, the two islands just northwest of Capri. In contrast to Capri’s rugged grey cliffs, Ischia is green with pine woods and vineyards. It is […]

Pontine Islands, Italy While Sardinia was interesting in August, we wanted to experience this month (when all of Europe goes on vacation) in multiple locations. So we said farewell to the mega yacht mania of Sardinia and headed for the Pontine Islands. The Pontines are 150 miles east of Sardinia, with nothing in between, so […]