We departed Sardinia, bright and early, on August 4th for a 30ish hour sail to the Egadi islands. The sail was, thankfully, uneventful and we cheerfully arrived in what quickly became one of our favorite regions due to the Egadi’s natural beauty both above and below the water. For the first time since entering the Mediterranean, we saw colorful fish, eels, starfish, and abundant sea life. Snorkeling in the crystal clear water was incredible. The Egadi islands also provided us with some nice hiking opportunities, and we enjoyed a quieter flavor of tourism amongst Italian families of modest means who have lived and vacationed in the region for generations. A favorite moment happened on the island of Levanzo when we entered the town’s only market in search of a place to withdraw some cash. The helpful grocer redirected us to the post office, with directions that began “Turn right at the old lady”. Despite the fact that the path she sent us on featured multiple old ladies watching the world go by from their front stoops, we wound through the narrow streets and eventually made our way to the post office.

After we had our fill of snorkeling and hikes we departed the Egadis and traveled along the north side of Sicily to reach Palermo. Ruby, Jasper, and Jasper’s friend, Mya met us there for the start of their Italian adventure. August was hot and busy in Sicily, but we had a great time exploring Palermo’s historic streets, devouring pasta, and absorbing the local culture. I mean, what could feel more Sicilian than a gaggle of nuns keeping cool with some gelato?

After we left Palermo, the bulk of our time with the kids was spent exploring a volcanic island chain just north of Sicily, called the Aeolian Islands. Highlights included black sand beaches, loads of swimming, a hike up to a smoldering volcano crater (on the aptly named Isolo di Volcano), and a trip to the Island of Stromboli where we got to experience a second active volcano. Wikipedia tells me that mount Stromboli has been in almost continuous eruption for 2000-5000 years (give or take). Throughout our day on Stromboli, we swam and watched clouds of smoke rise. Once the sun set, we sailed to the active side of the volcano where we let the boat bob around so we could gape at the lava eruptions. It was incredible.

After a week in the Aeolians, we parked the boat in a marina on the mainland, near the tip of Italy’s boot, so that we could travel with the kids to Rome for a few days. Rome gave us a chance to end their trip in a special way and to celebrate Neil’s birthday with….. you guessed it – more pasta. It was a quick trip but we found time to see the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Vatican, Sistine Chapel, Trevi Fountain and creepy Capuchin Crypts.

After our good byes, a long train ride back to the boat and a very long week of sailing to get across the bottom of Italy followed. It was a bit of a slog, but there were some special moments including several sea turtle sightings, a few dolphin encounters, and a wonderful dinner at a family owned restaurant in Salerno. There, the teenage son sat with us and the mother insisted we try everything we ordered plus all the food she brought out to her family, including her freshly made tiramisu and special lemoncello.

The sea is warm this time of year which makes swimming fun, but also can make storms and wind systems unpredictably strong. We’ve been a bit spooked since an encounter in the Aeolian Islands with the now infamous sailing yacht “Bayesian”. It anchored near us one night, and due to the size and striking beauty of the boat we looked it up online where we found gorgeous photos and videos, and learned that it had the world’s tallest aluminum mast (72 meters). I have such a vivid memory of sailing past it as we departed that morning. The following night, Bayesian headed back toward Sicily where it was struck by an intense localized storm system and rapidly sunk. Since this unsettling close encounter, we’ve added another layer to our armamentarium of weather tracking systems called the CAPE Index which measures atmospheric instability. We’re doing everything we can to stay safe.

Our final stop in Italy was the pretty town of Otronto, which is on the heel of the boot. We enjoyed a couple days of rest there, wandered though the old walled city, and enjoyed fireworks over the harbor. It felt like a good send-off as we prepare for our final long sail of the season, an overnight to Albania and Greece.