Coming Home

Our plans of coming home seem to be going full speed ahead. Mike spent the entire morning researching marinas and looking into yacht brokers. We think we may have found a marina in Sibari which is on the west side of the Gulf of Taranto. Despite the limited research we have done, our pilot guide gives it a great review. As well as finding a very favorable review on-line from our cruiser friend, Martin from Seattle. They are also really affordable, and actually cheaper than Yacht Marine in Marmaris. So maybe our decision to call it quits has come at a good time, when we are close to a marina that will work for us. And not empty our bank accounts like the marinas on the west coast of Italy would most likely do. With all of this, our plan at this moment is to head to Taranto (about 45 miles north) tomorrow where we will meet Mike’s dad and step-mother who are arriving from Vienna on Monday! It will be good to spend some time with family and talk about all of these changes with them. Maybe with them on board, we will take the boat to Sibari and then start the process of putting her away once they return home. From there, we don’t know. Travel through Italy by train, maybe do some volunteer work in Kenya, go to Mike’s family’s apartment in Vienna, make a trip to Morrocco to meet up with our good friend, Steve? This will give us a couple of months and put us home just before Christmas. And even that sounds too far away! But it just feels so surreal to even type these words. Really? After all of the work (and money) we have poured into Independence, we are going to leave her? And time will tell, it could be for good or we may have a chance to return. Even though we will plan to list her with a broker, the chances of her selling quickly in this market are pretty slim. So the option of returning next year or sometime in the near future, to continue this adventure is still there. Even though our excitement of returning home is outweighing sailing on Independence, we are still really sad to be planning the end of this adventure with her.
And our feelings of being done are only enhanced by this weather. Autumn has seriously arrived. And bringing along unpredictable weather. The entire day was cool, gray and rainy. And this afternoon, we realized why the marina manager doesn’t want us to stay here with strong northerly winds. Out of nowhere, the wind changed direction and started blowing hard which sent swell into the harbor. We were really being bounced around so started to wonder how much room we had under our keel and got out the zinc line just to be sure. We ended up having about 2 or 3 feet so were fine in this weather. I sure don’t want to be here tomorrow when even stronger winds are predicted. But after hunkering down in our dry and warm cabin all day, we eventually made it into town after siesta where we enjoyed more pizza(!) and more gelato(!). After a bit more entertainment from sitting in the plazas and people watching, we headed back to the boat so we could get an early start tomorrow for Taranto.

Italy is yummy!

Change in Motion

I woke up this morning with a little apprehension about moving to our new marina. The wind was blowing and it’s tight quarters where we are headed. Luckily, two men greeted us on the docks, one who carried a bow line forward on the neighboring boat and the other on the dock to fend us off and catch a stern line. Mike, once again, did a great job getting Indy gently into place despite the wind blowing right on our beam. We were happy to be settled and then headed into town for some errands…and food! And then it was back to the boat to enjoy siesta before venturing back out again in the late afternoon. After a drink and yummy snacks, and more pizza for dinner we found ourselves wondering what to do the rest of the evening. Since there are 2 movie theaters in town, we decided to take advantage. But no luck, they were all dubbed over in Italian. This area is such a contrast to Turkey and Greece and has been the most non-English speaking region we have been to yet. Even in Istanbul and the coast of Turkey it seemed like most people spoke English. Here we find that people who can speak a bit of our native tongue will at first adamantly deny that they do but then reluctantly succumb. Thankfully, Italian seems more intuitive than Turkish or Greek, and with Mike’s broken Spanish we seem to be getting by. It is actually nice to be in a country where you are forced to learn and attempt to speak the language instead of being really lazy and letting the locals practice their language skills. But after the movie was a no-go, we wandered into a shop to buy a bottle of wine to take back to the boat. It happened to be a shop called ‘La Dispensa Della Nonna’ which seems to have some notoriety. They have been in that location since 1925 and produce their own olive oil. The shop keeper was a very interesting character and Mike was able to communicate with him in Spanish. He let us sample the olive oil, even went in the back and gave us a sample of some red local red wine, a variety called Negroamaro, which was absolutely delicious, like velvet. Needless to say, we walked out of his shop with 2 bottles of wine and a bottle of olive oil!
And our conversation about the boat vs. home continues. We are finding ourselves being strongly pulled towards the latter. It feels like this is all happening so fast but it truly feels right. And the change in Mike is already evident. Some of the weight has already been lifted from his shoulders just by us getting close to making the decision to put the boat up. It’s good to see the smile back on his face.

Our short cut into town

Change

Since the weather wasn’t conducive to heading south to Crotone, we decided to head up the coast, into the Gulf of Taranto, to the town of Gallipoli. Our pilot book describes it as a place not to pass and the description sounded enchanting. So we untied our lines and motor-sailed the 30 or so miles north. Upon arrival we hailed the marina on the VHF only to find out we could only stay one night which was a bit disconcerting since some strong southerlies were supposed to blow the next day and there are really limited options where we can go. But we took advantage of the sure thing for tonight. After spending an hour and a half in the very chic marina office checking in (I could tell because I got to watch an entire episode of a really bad, but entertaining, MTV reality show dubbed in Italian) we headed off in search of a new home for tomorrow. We finally came to a very low key marina/boat yard where we met the very friendly (and English speaking) Lucca. After much consideration and looking at the weather, he decided that it would be safe for us to tie up. But once the wind starts to blow from the north/northwest we would have to move elsewhere. We were just happy to have a place to go. Then it was back to the marina to try and find the Port Police once again. Well, we are trying at least. Instead we found Customs waiting for us outside the office. In very broken English they explained that it isn’t routine for them to look at our papers but they are having problems with illegal immigrants, mostly from Kurdistan. And yesterday alone they found 32 illegal immigrants smuggled in by boat! We happily obliged and they even walked out to the boat. But only to tell us that we are ‘good people’ and they did not feel the need to board. On their departure, we asked if we need to seek out the Port Police to check in to the country and once again were told not to worry about it. This better not come back to bite us! But we were happy to be done with logistics and headed off into the old town. The old medieval town is located on the small island which juts out into the sea and is connected to the new town and mainland by a small bridge. Once again, we wound our way through the small alleys and I admired the shuttered windows, the overly large, adorned doors, the balconies with laundry hanging out to dry. It is a dramatic place but sadly a bit touristy. But Mike took advantage of coming across a barber shop. He has been waiting to get to Italy for a haircut and it was good timing because he needed one! And since I was strolling around, I was glad to hear that I didn’t miss anything…no flaming q-tips to sear off ear hairs this time around. We then found ourselves needing to go back to the boat to put on some warmer clothes before finding a spot for dinner! What happened to our rule of limiting meals out, especially when we are having to pay 63 euro a night for a marina?! But the idea of making a pot of beans on board just doesn’t sound appealing, AT ALL. As we were walking out of the marina we were greeted by a very friendly Italian man who repeatedly gestured the offer to give us a ride. All we could understand was that his name was Francesco, he lived in Lecce and it is bellisimo! He may have even been asking us if we wanted to go to Lecce with him but the short ride into town was as far as we wanted to travel that night. We actually found the new town much more fun and real and enjoyed walking along the wide, tree lined sidewalks, and past the numerous plazas and churches. But once again, a stop at Vodaphone, then we were on the search for more pizza. We spotted a very packed restaurant and decided to look at the menu, unfortunately no pizza, but the Italian patrons appeared to be enjoying the pasta. And finally, good red wine. Oh, it has been too long. After a nice meal, we made a stop to a patisseria for some coffee and dessert which, unknowingly, was the spot to be…on a Tuesday night…at 10:30pm. Europeans must be bored out of their minds when they come to the United States! Here everyone takes to the streets and the plazas until the wee hours. And the kids too! It appeared that there may be one elderly chaperone, sitting on a bench, for each 15 kids out there. But obviously, the chaperones didn’t care and were too busy chatting with one another because the kids were going crazy setting off fireworks, running, screaming. We are actually surprised we didn’t see any missing fingers. And this was followed by a stop in the neighboring plaza which was the playground for the smaller kids and old men sleeping on benches. Much more peaceful and quiet than the firecrackers and screaming kids across the street.
We also want to share that today may the beginning of a change in plans. Mike has voiced that he is tired. Tired of being tired, and tired of being stressed out. Which has been the case for the past 5+ months. Don’t get me wrong. It’s been an amazing experience and we realize how lucky we are for being able to come here and pursue this dream, but the reality is that I don’t know how much fun we’re having anymore. And we both have to admit to feeling a little homesick. The thought of continuing to push west at a rapid pace, facing the inevitably uncomfortable (or dangerous) seas due to the changes in weather just aren’t appealing. We are beginning to question our drive and desire to continue with the attempt to cross the Atlantic. Are we doing it just to say we’ve done it? Are we doing it because this is the absolute perfect boat that we can’t live without? We want to enjoy this time of being away and actually have fun. So what do we do? The idea of finding a marina, maybe on the west coast of Italy near Rome, sounds really, really good. We could have a home base while we explore and not have the worries of facing the oncoming Fall and Winter weather. Maybe we come back and do this second leg next year when we have more energy and didn’t waste it all by working on the boat. Maybe our feelings will change and we will continue our plans of heading west. Wow, we will see what happens.

Buongiorno!

The wind continued to blow for the rest of the night and in the morning we thought we would be in this anchorage for a whole other day. But just at the time Mike had flagged down our neighbor for an updated weather report, the wind seemed to subside and waters appeared to grow calmer. With the visible improvements and favorable forecasts we decided to try this a second time. We pulled anchor and were motoring out of the harbour by 9am. But today’s plan was to do a shorter jump directly to Santa Maria di Leuca since there are some southerlies forecasted and our Italian neighbor warned us of those being dangerous in the area of Crotone. And we are definitely avoiding anything like that forecasted because you get enough surprises as it is! We found a different world out there this morning, some residual swell from the previous day but the winds and seas were much kinder. And it was a good day for seeing some marine life, I swear I saw a manta ray jump out of the water and we also had a visit from some dolphins. And yesterday we passed right by a sleepy sea turtle. And like I have said before, the winds are too light, too strong or right on your nose in the Mediterranean. And this was proven yesterday and again today. But today was just the opposite where there wasn’t much of a chance for raising the sails since we had 2 out of the 3… winds were light and right on our nose, but there must have been a current because the second half of our trip we were averaging 7.5 knots. And buongiorno Italia! We arrived to Santa Maria di Leuca around 3pm! Once we were tied up, we quickly changed out of our grubby boat clothes and headed into town. But first, there is the slog to get all of our paperwork in order, especially after arriving into a new country. So we took the long walk to find Port Police so we could check into the country. Instead we found the Coast Guards office who told us the Port Police won’t be there until tomorrow morning. And then once the marina office opened after siesta, they told us we don’t even need to bother with checking in to the country. How strange compared to Turkey, and especially Greece, who want to see every piece of paperwork you have. So we happily gave up and walked around the town. One of our first stops was for some gelato where I sampled the fig and Mike sampled the hazelnut. Yummy. And then we spot the tiny Panini sandwiches in the counter and had to get one with salami and one with prosciutto. Delicious. We are off to a good start! Then it was fun perusing the grocery store and looking at all of the yummy food on the shelves and buying a bottle of local red wine. Since we had satiated our hunger, we decided to head back to the boat to enjoy our wine and wait for dinner. PIZZA. We were so excited. After relaxing for a bit, we grabbed our jackets to head out into the cool night air and found an open air restaurant just above the harbour. And since I have heard my friends rave about the Prosecco in Italy, I was looking forward to a glass. And to my delight they had a Prosecco cocktail on the menu… named a ‘Serena Pro Fizz’! And it gets even better….the carafe that it came in had the name ‘Serena’ written right on it. What a welcome into Italy! It was just really hard not to slip the empty carafe into my bag as a memento! And the meal just gets better. We had the most incredible pizza ever. One with spicy salami and the other was a bit of a surprise due to our non-existent Italian and the waitresses non-existent English. But it was the perfect combination to the kick of the salami, it was prosciutto and artichoke (carciofo for future reference). They were both divine and we ate until our hearts content. And it was only followed by a delicious appertif. I was feeling amazing and at the top of the world. That is until I returned to the boat only to find myself so incredibly sleepy, so sleepy that I couldn’t even brush my teeth. I found myself on the daybed and pretty much just passed out in a happy, delirious food coma.

Mussolini's ceremonial gateway into Italy

How welcoming is this?!

Italy Interrupted

We awoke to a beautiful, sunny morning. The air was cool and the waters were still, a perfect morning to set off. After a quick stop at the fuel dock we started heading north up the west coast of Corfu and still weren’t quite sure where we were ultimately headed. Since the seas and winds were calm, and the weather forecasts showed favorable conditions today and tomorrow, we were planning to head to Crotone (about 150 miles, 25 hours) with Santa Maria di Leuca being a bail out point. And if our timing was good and the weather was still with us, maybe we would push all the way to Siracusa, Sicily (another 24 hours or so). Around the north side of Corfu the winds were around 8-10 knots and we even had a chance to raise all of our sails, the genoa, main and mizzen. It was good to know that the mail sail went up with ease but only for the winds to quickly die down. We just couldn’t bare only going 2-3 knots with so many miles ahead of us, so we dropped sails and turned the engine on again. Everything was going well and I was actually quite excited about doing a night crossing. Especially enjoying a night crossing without being sea sick like I was when we sailed from Cyprus to Turkey. But around 3pm the winds started to pick up, more than we saw forecasted. As we were passing the islands north of Corfu (our last bail out point before Italy) the winds and seas just continued to grow stronger and bigger. We decided to keep going with hopes that it would grow calmer but it only got worse. Once we were past the island of Othoni and out of the lee, the winds were blowing 25 to 30 knots with gusts up to 35. And the seas had rollers about 10+ feet high that were coming at our starboard bow and broadside which were knocking us around quite a bit. After I went down below to use the head and was just happy I to make it out of there without being injured, I realized that I wasn’t having fun anymore. Mike was also not having any fun, especially with the thought of having to deal with these conditions throughout the night with no where to go to for safe harbour. So we decided to turn the boat around and head back to Othoni where it sounded like there was a reasonable anchorage. And this was good timing because the Meclizine I take for sea sickness wasn’t quite up to battle with the rolly seas and it was all I could do to read the pilot book and help Mike navigate getting into the anchorage. And wouldn’t you know that there was a unmarked shoal directly in front of the entrance that was absolutely impossible to see with the chop and white caps. But we made it in safely, got a good hold and were really happy to be there. Only a little disappointed since we had imagined ourselves greeting Italy in the morning.

Leaving the marina in Corfu

Albania!

Staying Put

We awoke to gray skies and rain this morning. Actually the rain continued through the night and the sound of rain drops hitting the deck was so welcomed. After looking at the weather forecast, at probably 4 or 5 different web sites, we made the decision to stay put. Initially we thought of heading to some islands north of Corfu in order to get a jump on our crossing to Italy, but it was still calling for a Force 5-6, just out of the marina, with thunderstorms. In addition, the forecasts always show really variable weather patterns in between us and Italy. The maps look like a vertical rainbow, the colors indicating different wind speeds, anywhere from a Force 6 or 7 (winds around 24-28 knots) to a Force 2 or 3 (winds around 8 to 12 knots, much more favorable!). It makes the planning really difficult, especially if we are considering doing an open crossing overnight to Crotone, Italy. We really don’t want to be stuck out in a Force 7, at night, with 50 miles to the nearest safe harbour. So with all of that information and the winds subsiding tomorrow, our cozy cabin on a rainy day was just too hard to resist. And we made the most of it by watching movies, making nachos, and just hanging out which was the best part. I think we really needed this day to spend together, no boat projects, no decisions to make. Just spending the day together.

Rainy Corfu

Today we officially checked out of Greece with the Port Police. If weather allows, we are planning to start our passage to Italy tomorrow! After a final grocery shop, we took the bus into Corfu town to spend a little more time in that amazing city. But first, we had to drop off our transit log at Customs in town. Mike was tempted to blow it off but I felt that we should abide by the rules when we can. So after what seemed like a really long walk through the rain (yes, rain!), we were told that since a cruise ship was in port, customs was at the very end of the harbour which made for an even longer walk in the rain. It was actually rather enjoyable, except for the blisters forming on my toes, which were unaccustomed to wet leather. It was about then that we realized that we didn’t have our passports, and it would be a big bummer to get all the way there just to be told that we didn’t have all the documents we needed. But we figured we had made it that far and went for it. We finally found the customs man in the tiny office, in the huge building, amongst the masses of cruise ship tourists. We handed him our transit log and he didn’t seem to quite know what we wanted or needed. He then simply said “OK”, and we quickly walked out. We were left with a feeling that our transit log mostly likely ended up in the garbage can after all of that. Oh well. The rain was picking up and my feet were starting to really hurt, so we hopped a bus back to the old town centre and walked the empty, wet alley ways in search of a cozy taverna. After our waiter loudly scoffed at us for sitting at a covered outside table (allright, it was a little cold and wet), we moved inside to a much warmer and drier spot. And what a find! Forget about my previous mention of being bored with Greek food. What turned into just a stop for a beer, turned into a meal and it was delicious! Probably some of the best food we have had in Greece. We finally managed to pull ourselves away and walk back to our bus, but only after an obligatory stop at Vodaphone and an impromptu stop at H&M where we indulged in a sweater for Mike and a pair of leggings for me. Wow. Sweaters and leggings. How times have so quickly changed! Although it was starting to get dark, we weren’t ready to head home yet, so we found another café to sit in and watch the rainy world go by as we enjoyed a warm pick-me-up. Eventually, our (hopefully) dry and cozy boat was calling to us, so we headed back to watch re-runs of ‘True Blood’ and sip on Baileys as we snuggled on the day bed. Perfect. Well, except for the really leaky window we found. Shit. More boat projects…