Time flies and I have been slack with recording this time around. For a few reasons – we have had quite a bit of time with people on board and I find that I don’t have the space to sit and record. Also, many of the places we have visited this year we have been before and I did not feel the need to record them again unless it was warranted and finally there is now so much content out there on everything that I find myself retreating from recording and photographing again unless it is warranted.
We had the kids with us for 2 weeks which was a lot of fun and constant as it is with small children. On the final day we were to drop them into the Station in Firenze – they are training back to Rome and we are driving to Pisa, dropping off the van, training to Piombino, ferrying to Portoferraio and onto Marley.
Thank goodness we left lots of time to get to the station. Because – a Fun Run – right in the middle of the city and we are now navigating our way around road closures and police standing guard. Finally we got out of the city centre and back on to the motorway to drive right around the city and come from the other side. Success – 1 hour later and 30 minutes until their train.
We headed back to Pisa, got to the station, got the train and ran for the ferry rather than waiting 1 hour for the next one, By 2.30 we were back on Marley – all safe and sound – tomorrow we are going to sail around to Porto Azzurro on the south coast of Elba.
We are in a spell of beautiful weather. It’s very calm and stable with 24C days and 17C nights. Wind during the day perfect for easy sailing. These periods are lovely but they do not last. We can see that in the coming week there will be major rain across northern Italy – the type of rain that brings flooding. For the moment though we are fine and we have a nice sail to Porto Azzurro and decide to take the us up the hill to the village of Capoliveri. It sits in the saddle and is very nice, very old. Elba has become a mecca for camping, walking and bike riding. Capoliveri is very poplar as a southern stop and offers enormous views south, east and west. The village itself is a meeting point. Tonight is a surprise – Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne – an American blues and boogie woogie pianist, is playing in Piazza Matteoti – the final free concert for the Summer Series.
Isola di Giglio – we head further south, Giglio is a favourite and you will remember the terrible sinking of the Costa Concordia – this happened on the shores of Giglio. Small and rocky with a tiny village and a castle on the hill, it very nice. It’s possible to take the ferry from Porto San Stefano on the Tuscan coast. A lovely holiday island. Such crystal clear water. But now the weather forecast is looking dire and we have 3 or 4 days before we need to be somewhere safe. In the end we decide to head back to the Blue Dolphin and then drive to Lago di Garda in the North and stay in Sirmione. It’s about 650kms of autostrada – 5 hours! Love driving in Italy. The countryside is looking fantastic. For all the news about extreme temperatures and dry rivers we see the opposite. Green, green, green and the Arno big and full and the Po also big and full. The summer weather here is so different to our Australian weather. The temperature can be high but the sun is much softer, the humidity higher and nighttimes are damp – the dewpoint makes sure that plants get moisture at night. And we are at 46 degrees north – as a comparison – Hobart is 42 Degrees south.
Isola di Sirmione – Lago di Garda. Sirmione is famous for Catullus’ Grotto (100BC), thermal springs and Castello Scaligero (1300AD). It is a tiny medieval village and a drawbridge to connect to the mainland. It has become a thriving tourist destination. The touristy part is confined to the castle end where all the food and shops are plus boat trips and then the frenzy becomes olive groves and lines of Cyprus with beautiful villas. It’s quiet and a world away. Our hotel is all the way through to the end and I have to stop and check with the hotel by phone: “am I supposed to drive through all these people?” “oh yes” comes the answer with a chuckle. Luckily for me and my confidence there are now 2 other cars waiting at the drawbridge for the light to go green, One is a vintage Red Ferrari – making a lot of noise!. I have an electric car – and of course the pedestrians have no idea I am right there at their heels. The Ferrari clears the path and we gingerly make our way through the tiniest streets, people have to press-up against walls, but you can’t help feeling their toes are at risk. It is very tight. At one point we have an Attendant who walks in front and moves people out of the way because they are reluctant! Over the next few days I drove in and out a few times with much more confidence and also leaving early in the morning meant that we exited the Island with all the small commercial vehicles that were restocking everywhere and no punters at this time.
Limone – Lago di Garda. This is a town where everything is lemons, it’s all about the lemons and you can buy everything and anything lemon. It’s very touristy, very cute – don’t visit in August. It’s now late September and it’s still crowded but ok. From here there is an amazing pathway – Ciclopedonale di Limone – it’s both a pedestrian and bicycle path 4.5 kms long from the centre of Limone to Trentino – Alto Adige/ South Tyrol border . In parts it is suspended 50 meters above the lake – suspended from the cliff walls. Fantastic. One of the other interesting elements are the enormous retaining walls built into the cliffs around Limone – they are terraced and have pillars on every level. They look abandoned but there are too many of them for that. We discover they are actually solariums for growing lemons and in winter they put in place timber framework and glass panels and enclose these giant solariums.
Malcesine – Monte Baldo. The mountains opposite Limone are 2,500m and there is a Funivia at Malcesine to go up. Teday is fine, no wind to speak of so we take a ferry boat across. A 30 minute trip – this part of the Lake is quite narrow. A quick walk through the town and into the queue. The group who are waiting are parachutists with these huge packs and they are chomping at the bit to get up the mountain. It goes up in 2 stages and will take about 20 minutes. This is their 5th jump of the day – perhaps they will get one more in before the Funivia shuts. And we have to watch the weather as there are some enormous clouds billowing up behind the mountains. Very funny as Rog and I in our shorts, t-shirts and Birkenstocks head out to the point to watch the parachutists. Most people are rugged up in Puffers, beanies, gloves – anyone would think it’s winter. It’s fresh – as you would expect at1800m but not cold! It’s very exciting watching these guys run off the edge and floating off into the blue. The trip down can be as fast or slow as they like with some flying so high it’s as if they could vanish into the ether.
The drive back to Sirmione is a very windy, curving, slow lake edge drive. Very beautiful with tunnels hewn out of the granite, glimpses of the lake edge. You know that you are in the mountains. The enormous Cyprus, fir and oak trees – it’s so green and abundant. Fabulous vintage hotels at each small town. You can choose to drive or take your time and village hop on a ferry. Botanical gardens to visit, walks to be had, cycle if you wish or get on a boat. The Riva sports boat is from the north end of the Lake at Riva. The quintessential lake boat – glamour plus.
Back to the Blue Dolphin and as we approach the city of Rome we enter the deluge that has been working its way up the country. Torrential rain, fog, flooding and by evening – all gone. Tomorrow we are heading further south to Picinisco to spend a couple of days there. We are covering some ground. First we are picking up friends who have flown in today – the 4 of us will head off for a few days. Next week the weather improves and we will get a few more days of sailing in. It’s very handy having Marley in the Tiber – so easy and central. We know the area well now and have equipped ourselves with all the essential services. Just like home.
Picinisco – a few days in the mountains and the Sunday sees a celebration and recognition of a group of Piciniscani men who died on the Arandora Star in 1940. These men were emigrants from Picinisco to the Uk, mainly in the North, and in 1940 were suddenly declared ‘enemy aliens’ and deported by ship Arandora Star to Canada. The ship was torpedoed off Ireland – 450 people died and 22 of them were from Picinisco. Our family name “Ferri” was among the dead.
Final sailing days to Ponza and Ventotene – a last window of opportunity before we pack up for the year. Ponza – one of the Pontine Islands near Naples – it’s more of a cliff edge than an island – it’s a lovely days sail and plenty of anchorages. Most of the businesses now have shut up shop for winter and the locals have their town back. It’s rather nice to see how it all is without the overlay of tourism. The ferries still come and go from Gaeta and Terracini and the fishermen head out every evening – some in the tiniest boats.
That’s it from me. Time to pack up to go home – we have thoroughly enjoyed being here at the end of season. See you all very soon
With love and ciao ciao – xx
