THE MOUNTAIN VILLAGES OF MADONIE REGIONAL PARK

Envoy is currently in Gouvia Marina at the Greek island of Corfu undergoing maintenance.
Our last posting included a picture of a classic-looking 90 metre older-style ship. A reader informs us this is in fact a vessel called Nero, built in China in 2007 and currently for sale at 60 million Euros. But although a replica she still looks great.
With Doug and Mary we hired a car and driver for a day tour of mountain villages near Cefalu within the Madonie Regional Park on Sicily’s central northern coast.

Morning coffee in the village of Glatteri with our guide, Marco

The Gibilmanna monastery and its church dating from the 17th century were of special significance to Marco as he got married here

The monastery’s stunning gold altar

A beautiful archway leads into a hidden courtyard

The mountains of the Regional Park rise to nearly 2,000 metres

At the village of Pollina we came across a group of young boys playing soccer and Mary asked them to line up for a group photo – they were happy to oblige

Pollina is set on a mountain top

View of Cefalu area from Pollina

Laurie, Di, Mary and Doug at Pollina

Nuvarra is yet another stunning village

Our favourite village was Castelbuono where we enjoyed a sumptuous lunch of wild boar hocks in the stunning wood-paneled Ristorante Nangalarruni, set in the middle of a maze of cobbled lanes - we’d never have found it without our guide.

Wild boar hocks for lunch

The castle here was built in 1316 and remains in great shape, supposedly haunted by a ghostly apparition of Queen Constance Chiaramonte.
After leaving Cefalu we’d planned to berth at Marina Capo D’Orlando. Arriving outside the marina with a 20 knot onshore wind and one to two metre swells we peered inside but couldn’t see any yacht masts or larger motor vessels, but did notice some sand banks and apparent silting. Not wanting to take any chances in the adverse lee-shore conditions we cruised on to anchor inside a lagoon sheltered by an extensive sandbank south east of Capo Tindari, near the village of Marinello. While most of the anchorages along this coast are fully exposed except to the south, this one had reasonable shelter from all directions except the east, and we stayed a couple of nights.
August is peak holiday time and ashore is busy with mostly local tourists, while large RHIBs between five to nine metres predominate on the water. There are no apparent safe boating regulations, such as we have in New Zealand, so all day long RHIBs, jet skis, ferries and other vessels travel at speed close inshore and close to other vessels, creating large wakes and making us thankful for our flopper stoppers.

TECHNICAL – nothing to report

ENVOY CRUISES WEST ALONG THE NORTH COAST OF SICILY

You can’t write about Sicily without mentioning the Mafia, which has been heavily entwined in Sicily’s more recent history. Tourists don’t come into contact with the Mafia and have nothing to fear from them, but it’s estimated that 70 per cent of Sicilian businesses pay protection money or “pizzo” to the Mafia ranging from about 200 Euros (NZ$312) per month for a small shop or bar to Euro 5,000 (NZ$7,800) for a supermarket. Back in 2004 the Italian Mafia’s total annual income was estimated at 90 billion Euros (NZ$141b), of which about a third was generated in Sicily, and their total assets estimated at over a trillion Euros.
Thankfully the murder of anti-Mafia judges and police has ceased, but while a good part of the Mafia leadership are serving lengthy prison sentences the organization apparently continues to thrive, and still has tentacles in the highest levels of society.
After Amy’s departure we left Trapani for the last time, heading east and anchoring off north coast beaches – Scialandra, Capo Rama, Mondello and Porticello.

Views from our anchorage at Scialandra

We find many modern super yachts lacking in style but this grand old lady looks stunning

Along the coast of Sicily there are dozens of ancient watch towers

Although a few other boats were anchored off these beaches, none of them offer complete shelter and fortunately the winds were either southerly or very light northerlies with little swell. Again we were surprised by the very large number of RHIBs – at Mondello there were several hundred at anchor with people just sunbathing and swimming off them. In New Zealand you’d normally beach your RHIB or anchor it very close to shore and spend your time ashore, but here motor boats are not allowed in swimming areas so they have to anchor outside the buoyed swimming area. Considering the way Italians drive their small craft this is a very sensible precaution.

You rarely see a rooster tail like the one from this 70 footer

We bypassed Palermo and headed to Cefalu, anchoring off the marina and with some protection from a large marina breakwater. This is a great, picturesque anchorage, protected from all except NE winds and dominated by La Rocca (the rock), 278 metres high and the site of Il Castello, a ruined Norman castle. 

Cefalu and La Rocca viewed from the sea

Some swell penetrates the anchorage but our flopper stoppers kept us comfortable as well as keeping other boats from passing too closely.

Envoy in stunning Cefalu anchorage

View from Envoy at anchor in Cefalu

Cefalu’s extremely crowded sandy beach is quite typical

Many people choose to swim off less crowded rocks

Here in Cefalu our Kiwi friends Doug and Mary joined us for two weeks and we had no qualms about leaving Envoy unattended at anchor while we did some day trips ashore; although we’d spent some time in Cefalu in 2007 it was great to revisit this absolutely stunning medieval town with Doug and Mary.
A highlight is the Duomo di Cefalu, a stunning church built in the 12th century.

Duomo di Cefalu viewed from the sea

And from land

We found this very talented model maker in Cefalu - he charged us a Euro for taking his picture

TECHNICAL I changed the Lugger engine oil and filter after 200 hours, a job made easy by the 12 volt oil-change pump. Our large RHIB had been in the water for 9 weeks and was becoming increasingly difficult to keep clean (it’s not anti fouled), so we swapped it over for the small RHIB, which is OK while there’s only two of us aboard. The small RHIB is suspended from Envoy’s transom when not in use so marine growth isn’t an issue. The large RHIB is too heavy to suspend in that way and we tow it.

ENVOY LOG As at 17/8/14, we’d spent 130 days aboard and cruised 1,166 miles for 212 engine hours.

AMY’S VISIT TO SICILY

Envoy is now back at Taormina having completed a 15 week circumnavigation of Sicily.
Although we’d already spent six weeks in the Trapani and Egadi Islands area we always find some new places of interest and different things to do with new visitors, and this proved to be the case with our daughter, Amy.
Having been settled by Greeks, Corinthians, Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans and Spanish the Egadis have a fascinating legacy of history culminating in the tuna trade. Since the 1960s tourism has taken over as the major activity.
Most of the jellyfish had gone although there was still the odd one around - I jump in the water first with my mask on to do a quick check. The water is a tropical 27d so we stay in for ages.
We cruised to Marettimo and berthed in a small marina – quite expensive at 85 Euros (NZ$133) per night, but at islands like this there’s no good shelter for anchoring with any wind. Here we dined at a great restaurant overlooking the marina, La Scalatta, made famous after a visit and positive reviews from Jamie Oliver. There are no menus and the chef, Giovanni, serves whatever delicious fare he feels like preparing, with a heavy fresh seafood bias. Giovanni served us a culinary six course treat of bruschetta, clam chowder, grilled tuna, prawn risotto, mixed grilled fish and cassata and lemon gateau, of course washed down with various local wine varieties.

Jamie Oliver with Giovanni

Laurie and Amy pose with Giovanni

Laurie and Amy enjoying La Scaletta’s ambience

Amy tucks into the clam chowder

Next day we went around the island by tour boat visiting many deep sea caves and the two metre swell made it an adrenalin rush for all inside the caves, with waves bouncing us around and the thunder of blowholes.

The castle perched atop the craggy peak used to be a political prison

Inside the sea caves was a real adrenalin rush

Looking out from inside a sea cave

After cruising back to Levanzo Island we did a guided four wheel drive trip to see a cave – Grotta del Genovese which has some 14,000 year old cave paintings depicting deer, horses, cows, tuna and dolphins. 

Amy and Laurie alongside the Landrover

Entrance to Grotta del Genovese

Shopping in Favignana was of course compulsory for the girls and we found a fantastic delicatessen loaded with delicious treats.

Amy and Di enjoy a gelato break while shopping

Amy and Laurie in atmospheric delicatessen

Preparing snacks in delicatessen

Envoy’s saloon table set for dinner

TECHNICAL – nothing to report

ENVOY LOG As at 10/8/14, we’d spent 124 days aboard and cruised 1,072 miles for 197 engine hours.

BACK IN SICILY’S EGADI ISLANDS

John, Alice and Lily enjoyed their remaining time with us at the Egadi Islands - strolling in Favignana village with stops for cappuccino and delicious cannole, going ashore to sunbathe and swim, John and Alice doing a day-long bike tour of the island.
The wind was mostly 15-20 knots and every couple of days changed from NW to SE requiring us to move from one side of Favignana Island to the other, sometimes anchoring, other times picking up a mooring buoy for 25 Euros (about NZ$39). There was some slight swell wherever we anchored so we used our flopper stoppers most of the time and sometimes an additional anchor to keep our stern to the swell.

John and Laurie deploy stern anchor

At one beach we met some retired mainland Italians, Francesco and Lilian, who have a holiday house at Favignana. Lilian never had children of her own and would have cuddled Lily forever.

We meet Francesco and Lilian ashore

One of our favourite swimming beaches with RHIB anchored

A great anchorage on the southern side of Favignana Island

Favignana is the only island with reasonably sheltered anchorages, the two other islands being subject to swell. Because these islands are a Marine Protected Area cruising in some parts is not allowed, while anchoring in other areas is also not allowed.

Envoy on mooring in Cala Freddo, Lovanzo Island

Two fabulous weeks passed all too quickly, and we headed back to Trapani to take John, Alice and Lily to Palermo airport – a wonderful time, many more to come.

We drove back from the airport via Monreale, visiting the awesome Cathedral, commissioned by the Norman, William 11, and completed in 1184. This is considered the greatest example of Norman architecture in Sicily and one of the best in Italy. Countless paintings inside depict Biblical history in gold leaf, making you wonder how it has all survived Sicily’s tempestuous history.

Monreale Cathedral

Monreale Cathedral Cathedral’s naive has paintings in gold leaf

In Trapani we refueled for the first time this year taking on 804 litres of diesel plus 40 litres of petrol for the RHIB.
With nearly two weeks before the arrival of our daughter, Amy, it was back to Favignana again. A few days later we met some Australians – Gary and Vanessa and their children Marina (7) and Elliot (14) aboard their 13m yacht Neptune 11. They sailed from Brisbane six years ago and only Vanessa has been back one time since, so interestingly Marina has spent nearly her whole life aboard the yacht with no memory of Australia. Gary and Vanessa provide education but they do plan to sail home during the next two years, crossing the Atlantic and the Pacific, partly so their children can receive a more formal education.
Gary is a talented sax player, formerly playing in bands and we had one great evening playing guitar and sax aboard Neptune 11.

Gary and Laurie jamming

Although many people live the cruising life it’s very rare to meet people firstly with children aboard and secondly who don’t return home every year or so.
One day we were enjoying a quiet swim in a sandy cove when a 9 metre RHIB with about eight noisy Italians motored up right beside us. They introduced themselves and produced a bag of sea eggs (known in New Zealand as kina). One of them proceeded to break open some kina and spread their roes on slices of fresh bread for us, as they asked us al sorts of questions to satisfy their curiosity. We are surprised to meet some Italians who don’t know where New Zealand is – one said “close to Scotland isn’t it”.
One night we took a mooring in a Favignana Island bay called Cala Rossa (Cove of Blood). Here in 241BC a Roman fleet of 200 ships defeated a Carthaginian fleet of 400, taking 15,000 prisoners and making the sea red with the blood of those killed. All around this part of the island are Carthaginian ruins, laid waste by the Romans.
Then it was back to Trapani again, just two hours away, to meet Amy.

TECHNICAL – nothing to report

ENVOY LOG As at 1/8/14, we’d spent 115 days aboard and cruised 983 miles for 180 engine hours.

STUNNING CASTELLAMARE DEL GOLFO

Yachts can anchor inside the sheltered harbour at Castellamare del Golfo, but wanting to explore by rental car for a couple of days we moored stern-to a jetty for Euro 60 (NZ$94) per night including power and water. This is a delightful spot with helpful staff, the obligatory ancient castle and the picturesque sea front lined with inviting bars and restaurants.

Castellamare del Golfo marina and village

Envoy initially anchored at Castellamare del Golfo before mooring stern-to a jetty

First stop with our car was Segesta, originally home to Bronze Age Elymians, descended from legendary Trojans, and the stunning and serene site of a never-completed but well preserved Doric temple dating from 430 BC.

Spectacular Doric temple at Segesta

Laurie, Lily and John before temple

What makes this site particularly great is the location of the temple on the edge of a deep rugged gorge surrounded by lush fertile farmland.

Di, Laurie, John and Lily view gorge by temple

The next stop was Palermo to visit the ghoulish Catacombs of the Capuchins where about 8,000 mummified bodies of people who died in the 1600s to 1800s are displayed for all to see in a gloomy labyrinth of corridors. Some are lying down while others are standing against the walls supported by cords. Included are the bodies of men, women, children and even babies, mostly reasonably intact and dressed in clothing of the period. The body of one young girl is said to be so well preserved as to be almost lifelike, but she didn’t look that way to us. It was very macabre and we all agreed the bodies looked like they were props from Michael Jackson’s DVD, Thriller. This was interesting but we wouldn’t want to do it again. If you want to see some macabre pictures Google Palermo catacombs.

We finished the day with a cooling swim at a stony beach, finding a small rock pool ideal for Lily to splash around in.

Next day we visited Scopello, a small and sleepy atmospheric village based around an 18th century baglio (fortified manor house).

Scopello’s main square

The owners of a hotel invited us onto their rear balcony to look below to the coastal site of an old tonnara (tuna processing factory). This is sheltered from the open sea by several small islands and a very popular spot for swimming, despite the fact you have to pay and can only sit on concrete.

View of tonnara from hotel 

Sicilians love kids and people wanted to hold Lily – the hotel owner with Lily

View of tonnara from the sea – the hotel we looked down from is upper left

John and Laurie snorkeled around the coast adjacent to the tonnara

Now we had a family conference and a change of plans. John and Alice decided they’d like to spend their remaining week back at the Egadi Islands, rather than exploring mainland Sicily. Fortunately the seven hour return trip was in nice calm conditions unlike our outward trip.

Alice and John on Envoy’s bow with paravanes out

TECHNICAL - nothing to report.

ENVOY LOG As at 22/7/14, we’d spent 105 days aboard and cruised 925 miles for 168 engine hours.