Bonifacio, Corsica

After enjoying a few days anchored at full moon we began moving north to the French island of Corsica. Blown and battered by the winds and Yemaya for a few days we once again renewed our respect for Mother Nature and her powerful presence. And once again we are reminded of the "contrast experience", knowing that we certainly wouldn't appreciate the calm without the storm. What an awesome teacher and guru Mother Nature is as we learn to "just be" with what it is, without judgment. And without getting caught in the "good or bad " of whatever it is, we can just flow with it and know that it is just another new and unique experience. At least this is our aspiration..............

Coming into the ancient port town of Bonifacio on the southern coast of Corsica was beyond words. Sheer cliffs of limestone on either side with the old ruins and walls of the city looming above us as we pulled into port. Hopefully the pictures will give some indication of it's magnificence. We are certainly getting our exercise as we climb up and down from the old city to the port below.











We are learning our french and find the people friendly and more than willing to help us as we bumble along.















Once again, we are sometimes overwhelmed with the newness of it all and are thankful to have each other to learn and grow together through each new country and challenge. Life remains adventurous and expansive and real. And for these small wonders, we are thankful......................

Sardenian Pictures

Here are a few pictures of our time on Sardenia...............

Leaving Sardinia

Well, it's almost time for another full moon (Friday, Sept 4) and we have had an unforgettable and glorious month sailing and cruising around the Italian island of Sardinia. As we continued down the eastern coast to the south end we found the most beautiful clear and blue turquoise water that either of us have ever seen. We wish that pictures could convey the clarity of it but unfortunately they don't, so you will just have to take our word for it.

We stayed a few days in the funky little town of Olbia where we were serenaded late into the night with lively accordian music (concerts in the town square) and woke up early to the dreadful sound of the bugle of the coast guard ship next to us. Not our choices in musical concertos!!!!!!

Cruising down the coast we passed the Fava Castle (12th century) and numerous caves and grottos all along the steep cliffs dropping into the sea. Also saw Cala Luna, reported to be one of, if not the most, photographed and picturesque beaches in the Mediterranean. And always the clear blue, blue, blue water...........

We anchored in a beautiful cove near the town of Villisimius and watched flocks of pink flamingos fly and land in a small salt pond near the beach. We took the dingy ashore and watched them as neither of us had ever seen them in the wild and R has always had a fascination with them.
"Molto Bello!!! (Very Beautiful)

Next we stayed a few days in the port city of Cagliari. We were disappointed in the lack of "joi de vivre" in the Sards here and the city lacked life and vitality (and good food). Willow has ventured into the world of eating fish if it doesn't look like fish since last year on the boat. So we went to an upscale retaurant where we were surprised but pleased that they would bread and fry the shrimp for us. Imagine our shock as they came breaded and fried complete with their scales, little legs, antenna and eyes!!!!! They do love their fish here but we can't seem to appreciate it in the same way, as we really don't want to have that intimate of a relationship with our fish as they do.

We had a grand sail at 8 1/2 knots to the south west corner of the island and anchored near the old town of Nora where we went ashore and saw the Phoenician and Roman ruins of a theatre,
baths and and mosaic dating back to 238BC. We also enjoyed a local celebration of some sort of saint as 2 bulls carried a cart with a statue to the beach for a ceremony, followed by great fireworks over the ocean. Great fun altho we really didn't have a clue.

Before heading up the wild west coast we spent days anchored in the bluest of waters, swimming and lazing under cliffs and the milky way and scorpio in the night skies. For all of this we are sooooo thankful........

Giving heed to the strong NW winds called the mistrals we quickly headed up the west coast and back into our favorite little port town of Alghero where we had started this journey a month ago.

We have loved seeing so many of the pre-historic Nuragic towers all over the island. There are about 7000 of them all over the island and date back as far as 2000BC. The inner island is poorer than others we have encountered and we have not found much fun or beauty in the port towns along the way (except for Alghero).
We have learned a cautious respect for the winds along this island (much more powerful than around the Balaerics), we have admired the breath-taking beauty of the land and blue water and
now we are ready to move on to the French island of Corsica. We are sailing off to find our perfect anchorage in a secluded cove to marvel in the magic of the fullness of Mother Moon in a few days.
Sail away in your own magic and fullness......................

Sardinia, Italy

After a sweet and easeful passage from the Balearic Islands we arrived on the east coast of the island of Sardinia in the little town of Alghero. After docking a little Italian guy rode by on his bicycle and yelled "Viva America" to us---what a wonderful welcome to Italy!! That same wonderful Italian (Christopher) later asked us if he could kiss our American flag- go figure.....

Alghero is a delightful old Catalan city with Spanish and Gothic style buildings and the old walled town with towers and twisting, little cobblestone streets full of life and music and laughter. Our first night we walked along the harbor and saw full feather dressed American Indians singing and playing their flutes. Are we really in Italy?????
We thoroughly enjoyed our meanderings in Alghero along with great pizza and pasta and people watching. It's fun to hear the lilt of the Italian language altho we understand very little of it yet.

We left the city and spent a few days at a beautiful anchorage near Capo Caccia, a 150meter high cliff dropping staight into the sea. Cool, clear water and our first swim in Italy. There is a huge cave called Neptune's Grotto that we visited and it was too awesome for words.

Then we cruised on up to the northern coast and over to another little island called Asinara. Asinara is now a marine reserve but had previously been a quarantine island, then a first world war POW camp, and later a "super-prison" for organized crime (Mafia). It was like our Alcatraz. Now as a reserve it is a safe haven for rare white donkeys that may we say brayed "HEE-HAA" all night long!

Moving on we traveled over to the islands of the Archipelago of La Maddalena ( a group of seven islands between the northern coast of Sardinia and the southern coast of Corsica). Enjoyed the coves in and about these islands and then cruised down the north-east coast to the Costa Smeralda which is the playground for the "rich and famous". This time of year the people with mega yachts- some much longer than football fields, many with helicopters on their upper decks come to this area to display and compare the size of their toys. Great fun to watch as we anchor alongside of them and watch their crew, butlers and maids cater to their every whim and still somehow feel that we are having much more fun than they are.

So here we are ready to celebrate the full moon and lunar eclipse tonight in our little bit of ocean paradise. Wishing each of you your own paradise wherever it may be.................

Menorca

We had a perfect sailing day from the Island of Mallorca over to the Island of Menorca on our last hurrah on the Balaeric Islands of Spain. Coming up the east coast of Menorca we saw this awesome view of the caves with the typical torres (ancient lookout tower)as seen all over the islands. Menorca has the greatest concentration of prehistoric remains in the entire Mediterranean and the port city of Mahon is supposedly where mayonnaise was created. We of course have totally gotten on board with the local custom of eating aioli (mayonnaise with garlic) with just about everything.Yummmmm.

We spent just a few days moored in the harbor of Mahon, getting ready for our passage to Sardinia. Soooo, we are ready and leave tomorrow morning for about a 30 hour cruise to the Italian island of Sardinia and new adventures..........

Palma, Mallorca

Full Moon never ceases to amaze and delight us and this last full moon and lunar eclipse in Cabo Malgrats did not disappoint us. As usual, everyone in the cala (cove) left at sunset and we were anchored all by ourselves, and we claimed it as OURS! Mother Moon rose over the cliffs and we were blessed by a shooting star, bright and red that we were sure dropped right into the ocean before our very eyes. We lay on the foredeck for hours being rocked by Yemaya and basking in the fullness of light. What a life........

Cruising back into Palma for the first time this year we were excited as we saw the cathedral high and mighty as we came into port. Palma is one of the most beautiful seaside cities of the world and since we have become so familiar with it last year and this, it is one of those cities that we call "Ours".

While getting some work done on the boat we also took plenty of time to enjoy our favorite restaurants and long walks in the evenings along the old city, listening to music here and there. One evening we were sure we had been transported back in time as we sat in a little pizza joint and listened to quintessential Bob Dylan. Altho Barcelona had more variety and cheaper prices in restaurants than here, Richard says the best Indian food in all the world is here and he just couldn't get enough of "Chicken Tika Masala". Willow says it's just too hot to eat.....
The first day we arrived they broke a record at 106 degrees and 100% humidity. Makes us appreciate that dry hot desert heat.

Right before we left Palma the Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior docked just 200 yards from us. For those who are too young to know about or remember Greenpeace from times long ago here's some info: The first Rainbow Warrior was sunk by the French as they were protesting nuclear testing in the south Pacific in the mid 80's. This ship was commissioned in 89 and has been active in all the oceans of the world every since. We are proud and pleased to know that they are still active, protecting our waters and environment even now.

Our time here in Palma and Mallorca is drawing to a close and we are sailing away for the island of Mennorca on our way to new territories of Sardenia and Corsica. New islands, new languages, new food, new adventures for expansion of all that is..........

A few things we have learned and a few things we now question as a consequence of our sailing experiences: According to Richard---All speedos should require a permit!!!! And it should be a woman or group of women who judge the individual applicants after they have submitted full disclosure, especially a picture. Otherwise we are all subject to our aesthetic values being irreparably damaged. On the other hand, how is it that we puritans ever believed we needed bathing suits at all. We’ve grown accustomed to the freedom of the “au naturel” swimming experience. Is skinny-dipping was only for the skinny? Nooooooo. No speedos, no speedos, no speedos!!!!