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 […]
Sardinia, Italy Worldwide financial crisis? Recession? Drastic cuts in consumer spending? Definitely not in Sardinia. We arrived in the north of Sardinia, Italy in early August. We had heard about August in the Med, and while last year in the Balearic Islands in Spain seemed very busy, it was nothing compared to what we were […]
Capraia, Italy It looked like the Caribbean, a small rugged island, clear turquoise water. But it was Italy, Capraia, a tiny island that doesn’t thrive on tourism, but thrives on nature instead. We pulled into the island’s only real anchorage, looking for the 15-foot depth that our cruising guide promised, but found 90, 60, 40 […]
Tuscany, Italy We’ve known Chris and Donna forever; Chris was one of Larry’s college roommates. Sometime in the mid 1980’s we began taking trips together. It all started with a Thanksgiving escape to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. By the end of our time there, we had planned a vacation for the next year to Cozumel. […]
Tuscany, Italy After a while at anchor, we decided it was time for a road trip through Tuscany. We parked Berkeley East and acquired a nifty little Fiat Panda for the journey. The Fiat Panda is a very popular car in Italy, those who aren’t driving Ferraris, seem to be driving Pandas, so we felt […]
