2nd June to 7th June, Catania, Wendy heads home

We really enjoyed our 5 day stay in Marzamemi, exploring the local area on borrowed bikes. Wendy was due to fly home on the 7th June, so we left to sail back up the coast to Catania, stopping for a night at Syracuse on the way. We had time for a quick look around Catania together before Wendy left. Dave is here for two more days waiting for our friend Paul to join for the sail across the foot of Italy to Corfu.

The lovely old church in the village square at Marzamemi.

Wendy's favourite beach, at the nature reserve  

The nature reserve looking back to the old tuna factory we visited with Becky.

We spent one night at anchor in the grand harbour at Syracuse on our way to Catania

Catania is not a particularly attractive city but it does have some nice buildings and squares

This Roman theatre lay under medieval housing until it was excavated in the 1950's. It is now use for public performances once again. 

Underneath the theatre

This elephant is the symbol of the city and stands in a grand square outside the cathedral

30th May to 1st June, Porto di Marzamemi

We had a really good sail down the coast to Marzamemi, where we plan to spend a few lazy days before heading back up the coast to Syracuse and then Catania, in time for Wendy's flight home.

The old harbour at Marzamemi, now surrounded by cafe's and restaurants.

Wendy liked this tiny café.

We are now close enough to the nature reserve we visited by car, to ride their on bikes kindly loaned by the marina. Wendy went for a swim, but Dave decided it was still too cold.

Dry stone walls, just like home!

26th to 30th May , Syracuse and the south

Becky joining us was an excuse to rent a car and explore the south east corner of Sicily. First on the list was Etna, which dominates a large part of the east coast. When you have driven to the highest car park, you can take cable cars higher up the mountain, (Etna is a ski resort in winter), then 4 wheel drive buses up close to the active crater.

Etna from the coast

Dad and daughter on the town quay in Syracuse

Becky near the summit of Etna 

 In the south east of Sicily there are a number of town which were destroyed by earthquake in 1693, and rebuilt in an opulent Baroque style. In 2001, eight towns were selected by UNESCO as World Heritage sites. The most spectacular is Noto.

Becky in the bell tower at Noto

Noto Cathedral and public buildings from the bell tower of the former nunnery. 

Several of the wide staircases in Noto have been given this rather amusing treatment (clue, the people on the staircase are real)

 A part of the south east coast, which includes sandy beaches and salt marches has been designated a nature reserve.

Mother and daughter cooling their toes after exploring a part of the nature reserve.

 We drove Becky to the airport on Sunday then went south again to visit another of the UNESCO designated towns, Ragusa Ibla, our last day before taking Cara Mara to the southern tip of Sicily to the tiny town of Porto di Marzamemi.

Ragusa  Ibla was largely abandoned in favour a new town Ragusa Superiore. Recent renovation of its narrow Baroque style buildings on the medieval street plan has made it a lovely place to wander. (When we returned to our car in a suspiciously empty multi-storey car park we found there was no way to pay, and so no way to leave. Ooops!) 

18th to 25th May, Milazzo, Riposta and Syracuse

From the Aolie Islands we sailed back to Milazzo, not the loveliest of towns, as the view from the promenade is dominated by an oil refinery, but still interesting with good beaches, some nice old buildings and a huge fortress on the hill above the town. Wendy and Jon, went shopping from the many old men with small fishing boats pulled up on the beach and came back with a rather boney but still very nice dinner.
From Milazzo we sailed along the north coast of Sicily and into the Straight of Messina, 2 miles wide at its narrowest point between Sicily and Italy. In ancient times the Straight had a fearsome reputation, complete with storms and a whirlpool, but it was very busy but otherwise benign when we passed through. The only excitement provided by a coastguard motorboat which stopped Cara Mara and informed us we couldn't anchor at Taormina our planned destination; as unknown to us, it was about to host the G7 conference.
We stayed down the coast at Riposta, (which Wendy had been looking forward to anyway, as it was reported to be the best marina in Sicily) and used the train to visit Taormina the following day. It is a hilltop town, very lovely, but full of shops aimed at the rich and famous, and packed with tourists, and for the G7 conference armed police and soldiers. Not really our scene.
Our next sail brought us to Syracuse, once the second most important Greek city, rivalling Athens for power and wealth. The oldest part of the city dating back to 700 BC, is on Ortiga, an island joined by a bridge, where you can tie up for 5 nights free of charge on the town quay. It was here that we said goodbye to Stuart an Jon and were really pleased to see Becky, who has joined us for a few day. Tomorrow we will hire a car to visit Etna and see more of Sicily, before she flies home on Sunday.

The fortress at Milazzo, overlooking oil refineries.

We were followed through the Straights by this aircraft carrier and its escort of two frigates

Taormina, you can usually anchor off the beach at the bottom of the hill and use a cable car to visit, but definitely  not this day!

The Greek theatre above Taormina being dressed up for G7 visitors.

Etna from the marina at Riposta.

Wendy with Archimedes, Syracuse most famous son. The genius was killed here when Romans took the city after a 2 year siege, ending the city's 200 year dominance of the Western Mediterranean.

Its quite a surprise to enter the Duomo and see columns from the Templo di Atena, dating from 5th century BC.

Wendy and Becky overlooking the Roman amphitheatre at Syracuse. 

Athens sent a huge fleet to attacked the upstarts at Syracuse. The sailors who survived apparently ended their days here in the cities stone mines.

13th to 17th May, the Aeolian Islands

Stuart joined us in Cefalu and we set off for the Aeolian's, a group of volcanic islands 20-30 miles off the north coast of Sicily. The weather was very settled, which was great as we planned to anchor and the islands have a bad reputation for windy conditions, dating by to Ulysses. The highlight of the trip was our visits to Stromboli, which is still very active and sends spouts of red hot rocks high into the air and down into the sea on its northern face. We went out in Cara Mara at night and were rewarded with this amazing sight. Sadly, we enjoyed it so much no one thought to take photo's.

Stuart on route to Panarea

Jon at the bow, not too much wind  to trouble us that day.

Stromboli with its peak in the cloud.

Wendy enjoying a therapeutic mud bath on Vulcano

Stuart and Jon setting off round the steaming sulphurous crater of Vulcano 

Dave on Vulcano

Wendy on Vulcano

8th to 13th May, San Vito, Palermo, Cefalu

Dave and Wendy sailed to the pretty seaside town of San Vito, then on to Palermo to meet Jon for his first trip on Cara Mara. We had been warned that Palermo could be dirty and chaotic but really enjoyed our stay. There are many magnificent churches and other buildings an some great street markets and food stalls. Wendy and I were incredibly fortunate to visit the opera house as the orchestra and choir were practising the finale of Mahler's 2nd symphony, which was just fantastic.

Dolphins coming to play on the way to Palermo, the first we have seen since entering the Med.

one of Palermo's wonderful churches

Some of the churches are covered in these stunning mosaics, now almost 1000 years old.

Palermo cathedral

Palermo opera house, we weren't allowed to photograph the orchestra and choir

4th to 7th May

We really enjoyed our stay in Trapani with Chris. We spent Thursday taking the cable car to the hilltop village of Irice; still populated today, it was first settled by the Elymnians, who claimed decent from the Trojans, then in turn by the Carthaginians, Romans, Arabs and Normans, who have all left their mark. We rented a car Friday and Saturday as Chris need to be at Palermo airport for 7am. This gave us the opportunity to see some of the West of the Island, we visited the ruins of the Ancient cities of Segesta, which like Irice dates back to 12^th century BC and its rival, Selinus which reached its peak in 5^th century BC, before being sacked by the Carthaginian and then destroyed by earthquake.

We have visited many impressive cathedrals over the last 3 summers but by far the most amazing is the Norman cathedral at Monreale, which contains the most impressive and extensive area of Christian medieval mosaics in the world. Dropping Chris early in the morning meant we were there by 8.30, which was lucky as by the time we left it was completely swamped by other tourists.

Today we sailed 20 miles up the coast to the pretty resort of San Vito.

The Norman castle at Irice

Theatre at Segesta 

The temple at Segesta

Norman cathedral at Monreale,

San Vito