Stromboli....The Oldest Lighthouse

Traveling south from the Italian Island of Ischia we made straightway for the Island of Stromboli. How we love the islands!!! Stromboli is probably the "oldest lighthouse in the world". It is the oldest "active" volcano from ancient times to the present and guided Odysseus towards the Strait of Messina. Unlike Vesuvius, Etna, and Mt. St. Helens it releases its pressure bit by bit, day by day, instead of building up to a big bang. A beautiful island with a very small village that we anchored off of.

How fortunate for us to be anchored here with the natures fireworks on full moon. As sun set we sailed to the other side of the island (the active volcano side), catching a spectacular sunset.





Along the back side we caught this picture of the smoke plumes billowing above the cone but unfortunately our camera couldn't focus on the actual fire display once it got dark. But you'll just have to take our word for it--- it was fiery and spectacular and quite a celebration for Mother Moon........














We were in awe floating on water between the fiery sunset, fire billowing into the sky and the fullness of the moon. Awe-struck and oh so thankful....We have a beautiful Mother!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


It was an unusual experience to wake up and see volcanic ash all over the boat. We have had lots of "things" dirty the boat....... but ash......that's a first.

Stromboli...........thank you!

Italian Islands

After our energy clearing ritual after Tunisa we had a peaceful 2 night motor-sail north to the Italian islands off of Naples. We landed mid-day on the picturesque island of Capri. It is reported to be the most famous and beautiful of all of Italy's islands. It has monumental limestone cliffs, dramatic and awesome but a little to busy and hectic with day traffic from Naples for our taste. So we spent a quiet night there and then moved on to the island of Ischia the next day.


To us, Ischia is the crown jewel of Italian islands. Lush, green and tropical as it is a volcanic island.
We found a quiet cove right under this castle and dropped anchor for days. This is our picture window right off the stern of EcstaSea. It is an Argonese castle first built in 474 BC, then destroyed and rebuilt many times over the years. It was great fun to tour and explore it.



This is a picture of the boat from the top of the castle....



















We toured most of the island, eating at a little mom and pop restaurant almost every day. Real homemade italian cooking.
We spent a day of R&R at a thermal hotsprings called Poseidon Gardens. See Richard with Poseidon!!!!!
They had a number of pools with varying degrees of heat and beautiful pagodas to lounge under and with several glasses of wine we were soooo happy.






Enjoyed our stay immensely on Ischia but needed to move to the close island of Procida for better protection from a storm heading our way. And what a storm with thunder and lightening and buckets of rain all night. We kept thinking we should be more concerned or worried than we were but felt so safe that we slept like babies. The rain has continued for several days now and we are happy being cocooned and "rocked in the bosom of EcstaSea".....
In fact it truly is like being in the womb--surrounded by water, Yemaya below and the heavens pouring all around us---Divine!!!!!

Time to move on now and travel south to the volcanic islands off of Sicily.
Did we mention that we LOOOVE this Life?

Tunisia

TOTO, I DON'T THINK WE ARE IN KANSAS ANYMORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fully aware that we create our own reality and life experiences whether it be landing in Kansas, Oz or Tunisia, we have to admit that the Tunisian trip was quite a surprise.

Many of you are probably wondering why Tunisia at all so here is the logical, easy explanation. Since we have an American boat not registered in the European Union we have to leave the EU every 18 months or we have to pay an exorbitant tax. Soooo, our 18 months were about up and the easiest way to alleviate this situation was to make a quick trip to Tunisia (the closest non EU country). So we picked EcsaSea up in Sardinia where she had wintered and traveled south.

We are wanting to share our Tunisian experience with you, fully aware that it is just "a story", albeit "our story" without conveying the negativity and challenges we had. Thinking that we are pretty open minded and hearted, we were surprised at how quickly the circumstances challenged that assumption. One of our purposeful intentions is to "have an opinion" without "being our opinion" and to be aware of our judgments. Tunisia reminded us that we still have a ways to go on that one.....

Several surprises for us were:
Entering the harbor at Side Bou Saiid we ran aground as there was a shallow sand bar that no one had bothered to mark in any way. Who's to know? It was a rude start but no damage and no problem thankfully.
Going through customs upon entering a new country we were surprised as the customs agent inquired if some of our liquor was for him. Particularly the unopened Vodka bottle. So the price for an easy entry was 1 bottle of vodka for a Moslem man, plus a bag to disguise it as he took it off the boat. This practice continued with every one we met. Does forced tips = bribes?
Willow as well as Richard was painfully aware of the yoke of patriarchy prevailing through out the land. Richard always being the free thinker that he is, wants to start a new business here. "Rent a Birka" or possibly paper disposible birkas, cheap. Affording the western woman traveler the opportunity to fit in, without the unnecessary expense of buying her own. After all, it's unlikely that a western woman would ever again wear her birka to a prom, social event or even a halloween party. No birkas were seen but lots of head scarves and no man would address Willow---always asking for her husband. You know how well that went over for her.....They are pleased that they are the first Moslem country to outlaw polygamy but there still exists a heaviness in regards to women.
They are a secular country but a young one so old customs still prevail.
Flies........Everwhere flies, annoying, buzzing and irritating as hell. Did we mention the flies?
Richard broke the flyswatter and Willow couldn't find anyone who understood or anywhere to buy one as it doesn't exist in their awareness and apparently flies aren't a problem for them.

Willow got a tattoo on her hand before she could protest as she was just walking down the street. It supposedly shows she is married but we aren't quite sure as one of the dock hands was always pointing at it and laughing. Hopefully it will fade in a few weeks.
What's up with this toilet thing? No toilet paper but a funny little flexible tube with a valve. Kind of a crude do-it-yourself bidet.
There's so much more but we think you get the idea........

Tunisia is a very young country. Only 50 years old and has had only 2 presidents during that time. And we did have a great time sightseeing in the Medina (the old city of Tunis) as we strolled through the underground maze of little shops set back in time. It is set within the boundaries of 7 mosques, which unfortunately we weren't able to go into. We also visited the ancient ruins of Carthage. Once it was one of the largest cities in history founded in 814 BC it was well known for for it's size and fame and was the capital of the huge Punic Empire which covered the whole Mediteranean for centuries. Very impressive.





Museum of ancient relics, statues, and mosaics found in Carthage.










Carthage bath houses still standing by the sea.









We realize it is unfair to evaluate a place after only 3 days but 3 days was totally enough for us
and we were happy to sail away.

After traveling a hair-raising night with tankers and freighters all trying to run us over as we sailed north, we realized that we were bringing with us all of the negativity we had created while in Tunisia. We had small but significant challenges on the boat, one of which had Willow going up the mast to fix the problem. EcstaSea has a carbon pole which Willow was hoisted above resulting in millions of carbon fibers like little prickly cactus stuck in her arms and legs by the time she was finished . We finally just had to laugh out loud at the irony of prickly, irritating stickers all over us --physically, emotionally and even spiritually.And with that awareness a strong desire to "let it go".......
And to help us with that intention 8 dolphins appeared to playfully remind us to let go. The stayed and jumped and played along the bow for a very long time and we knew they were there to remind us to clear the energy and start fresh again. So we ceremoniously made a gift of the prickly clothing to the sea.




What a view!!!!!








And feeling free and clear of the darkness we had conjured up we continued sailing north peacefully and easefully.

PS..... Did we remember to mention the flies????????

Timelessness

Once again we have entered the world of "Timelessness" as we sway with the gentle movement of the wind and sea anchored here on the southern coast of Sardinia. Lapping waves, a cool breeze, aqua blue water, green hills, cloudless skies, rocky cliffs, seagulls......but mostly, timelessness.

Soooo, back to time. Our time in Alghero, Sardinia
where EcstaSea was wintered has been sweet. We felt like we were coming back home, to a place familiar where we enjoyed our favorite lasagne and sunset walks along the old seawall licking our coconut and chocolate gelatos.

EcstaSea was wonderfully tended to and taken
care of all winter by our friend Dominic.
Thank you Dominic--- we could never have made it without your generous help and communication skills.
EcstaSea was polished and waxed while out of the water and she sparkles like new. With just a few matters to tend to she was in the water and ready to sail on as were we.

We spent our first night at anchor at our favorite cove below Capo Caccio and slept like babies with the gentle rocking movement all night long. The wind and Yemaya have been extremely gentle with us as we are adapting to an ever moving home. So gentle, in fact with so little wind and waves we have had to motor down the west coast.

Our first day out we expressed our desire to see dolphins and there they were playing out a ways off of our portside stern. Well, the next day we were smart enough to ask them to come and play up close and personal with us and no more had we asked and there they were. Four big beautiful dolphins swimming at our bow, rolling over to look up at us as we hung over the sides getting as close as we could. We aren't quite sure what the proper dolphin language, is but we did our best as we whooped and hollered as they jumped out of the water and seemed to take as much delight in us as we did in them. The reminder for us: to ask specifically for what we want..........

So here we are bobbing at the southern end of Sardinia enjoying the timelessness before we embark on our adventure to Tunisia in a few days.

Leaving Tucson

This is a picture of our Tucson home looking out at the mountains from our back yard. We were blessed one morning with a visit from a beautiful hawk as he sat and meditated beside the Buddha on our back wall. We settled well into our life and home here in the wonderful desert this winter enjoying the abundant sunshine and warmth and now it is time once again to leave and move on to our sailing home.

We are consciously aware not to call Tucson exclusively "home" as we are equally at home on EcstaSea wherever we are--be it Spain, France or wherever. Home is truly "where the heart is" and we aspire to be aware that our heart is always with us in the "Here and Now.....ever Present" and we love the transient, traveling home we have created with each other.
And with that said, we want to express appreciation for our wonderful friends in Sardinia, Italy who have watched over our sailing home while we have been here in Tucson. Dominic who lets us relax here as he overseas the boats well-being, and his Dad, Tony. Thank you.................
Hi to our playful friend Christopher, who rides his bike to greet us when we are there.


We love and appreciate living on a constantly moving ocean home and also our solid, stable desert home with it's beautiful mountains right outside our windows. One extreme to another and we have adapted quite well, even if we do say so ourselves!

So...... the months have passed and winter has come and gone. Where? we are not sure......... Time................. What a mystery!!!!!!!!!

We experience on EcstaSea the timelessness of the ocean, and it is our intention to live within that timelessness with ease and naturalness. We have attempted to continue to play within that mysterious realm as we re-entered a more time-based reality here in Tucson.

And how did we do? Good question. We have found it a bit more challenging as there are clocks all around us (even in the car, on the microwave, on the cell phone-everywhere) and time based input from media as well as appointments to keep, etc. We acknowledge that we have fewer demands on our time at this point in our life, however we are surprised at how easily and unconsciously we can fall into the world of tick-tock. So, we continue to remind each other and find bursts of timelessness even here.

It's been an awesome winter with much time and love with family and friends. And now it is time to journey on.............. See you wherever, in and on EcstaSea!!!!!!!!!!!!

Monaco

Well, here we are in Monte Carlo, for what turned out to be an over-the -top wildly fun week!!! We ventured to Monaco to meet our dear friends, Carol and Larry Cobb. Larry is the fantastic drummer for the Kevin Costner band Modern West, and Costner and the band were in Monte Carlo for a benefit concert. Sooo, meeting with our friends we were able to be band "groupies" and play in their world all week long.



The first day we boarded a 92 ft yacht and motored over to Cannes for a wonderful lunch on the beach with Costner, the band and their wives. It was a treat for us to experience the difference between a fast motor yacht and our sail boat, re-enforcing our preference for EcstaSea. Back in Monte Carlo we enjoyed a quiet evening on the yacht, listening to the band jam and just play around.

The next day we got a special treat as we were invited aboard the super mega yacht Lady Moura. Lady Moura is a 200 million, 340 ft long vessel owned by a Saudi billionaire that we have seen all over the Med last year and this summer. We got the full tour and it was spectacular in an unreal sort of way. The best part was the fantastic lunch served aboard with truly the best food we have ever tasted. We left with the realization that the only aspect of that lifestyle we envied was the food and the cooks!!!!!

Here's a picture of our beloved EcstaSea overlooking the harbor from the palace gardens........Hmmmm, Lady Moura or EcstaSea..........We'll take EcstaSea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kevin Costner being a friend of Prince Albert afforded us a tour of the private quarters in the palace unseen to the public. Inside the residence and the beautiful gardens gave us a glimpse of the life of Princess Grace. She designed the pool and garden area herself and it had such a tranquil energy. We have toured many palaces in our travels but this was the first one that is still very much lived in and still a working palace in every way.


The next day it was truly our privelege to take a few of the band members and their wives out on EcstaSea for an exciting sail along the coast. She sailed strong, powerful and free as always. We truly enjoyed getting to know the band and their wives, all of them authentically wonderful in their own way and are proud to call them friends.

We got all dressed up (different for us as we have spent the last 5 months barely dressed at all along the islands) and Richard pretended to be Bond, James Bond with his Pussy Willow and we went to the Casino. Lost a few euros but had great fun with the rich and famous making their appearances.
And yes, Willow will take Stone, Richard Stone over Bond any day!!!!!!
The final event was the benefit concert by Costner and the band at the Moods nightclub. The concert was a benefit performance for Prince Albert's charity. Costner and Modern West are truly a first rate band and it was an awesome performance.We are grateful to Kevin and our dear friends, Carol and Larry for their generosity and inclusivity in allowing us to share in this wildly fun and outrageous week. Thank you...........


Richard's big "aha" from this experience of interacting with billionaires and celebrities is this: "They would all benefit tremendously from hanging out with us more, but we just don't have the time!" (ha ha)

And with that said, we are once again ready to enjoy our life of peaceful solitary togetherness and sail away on EcstaSea.

We are sailing south to Sardenia where we will put EcstaSea up for the winter and we will arrive back in our Tucson home around the first of November. What an awesome summer it has been and we are forever grateful for this time in our lives........................

French Riviera

France, specifically the French Riviera has been so much more than we could have imagined......
Sunny, sweet sails and breathtaking beauty as we have travelled from St Tropez to Cannes, Nice and on to Monaco. After our "Dream come True" time in St Tropez, we sailed into Cannes right in the middle of a Classic Sailboat Regatta and amazingly enough secured a berth for the night. Seeing the old beautiful boats under full sail and at the dock was quite a treat. We were berthed 100 yards from the auditorium of the Cannes Film Festival and right in the heart of all the "happenings". We walked along the beach and along the very upscale shopping streets enjoying our surroundings as well as our Hagen Das icecream. Meandering through the old town area and up the cobblestone twisting streets we had a romantic French dinner outside, complete with rose petals adorning the floor as well as our table. It reminded us of the rose petals scattered at our feet during our wedding.

Once again we craved the sweet solitude of a tranquil anchorage and found it between two islands off the coast near Cannes---Ile Ste-Marguerite and Ile St-Honorat. On Ile Ste-Marguerite there is a 17th century fort which is famous for imprisoning the "Man in the Iron Mask." His identity has never been established and the mask was really made of velvet, but the mystery and theories are still intriguing.
On the other island, Ile St-Honorat there remains a fortified tower built in 1073 and a monastery founded in the 4th century. It is a green beautiful island and was wonderful to walk and explore. We came upon a little stone chapel in the woods and thought it was a great photo-op until we saw about 10 robed monks in deep meditation within. It is still an active Cisterian monastery. We climbed the old stone stairs of the tower and tasted some wine made on the island before returning to EcstaSea.


We spent a number of timeless days anchored between these two beautiful islands in blue, clear waters as we celebrated the Full Moon on Yemaya. It was Harvest Moon and she rose pinkish-gold out of the sea.................













Enjoyed a few days at the harbor in Nice, relishing the good food, sights and sounds before moving on to Monaco.