Kingdom of Neptune to Tuscan islands
Ischia to Elba
On the island of Procida, there was a colourful fishing port which looked like a Dr Seuss illustration, buildings stacked up on top of each other with tunnels and stairs weaving up through them.
There is a great fishing industry on the island, where the fishing trawlers come into port and unload onto small dories to bring the catch onto the quay, then it is wheeled straight into the fish shops on the port front. After finding our way around the port town, we picked up Glen and Tracey from the Naples ferry after they had been on official business at the Olympics and headed for Isola Ischia. We had a night anchored in the port, and sent the crew ashore to explore the castle with its fascinating torture museum, while Bill and I did a bit of running around town finding necessary things.
Tracey and Glen have ordered the same model boat as Moonshadow, and were keen to experience how we set up and use our boat, so lots of boat chat was had during the week they were with us. Glen and Bill kept optimising the sail trim, and we now bounce the halyards up to pull the sails up, which is much faster than using the electric winches, and better for our muscles. The only thing we were lacking was WIND…
Our agenda was to keep heading north, so next day we set sail for Ventotene, a volcanic island within the Pontine Islands, with a historic past. In Roman times, it was used to exile some unpopular nobility, including Julia, daughter of Caesar Augustus, plus Nero and his wife Octavia. Julia was exiled for her adulterous ways, and kept her lovers entertained on the island, while Nero’s wife Octavia was sent there before he had her beheaded and presented to his mistress… nice…
We anchored overnight in a remote bay with crumbling sandstone cliffs, (they have a lot of land slips in Ventotene) and swam around while another Italian Wally dog kept us entertained.
Another day of motoring followed as the wind was light again, and we headed for Isla Ponza. This island had a definite pirate vibe, with lots of natural and hand dug caves around the coastline, sheer cliffs and a great fishing port, full of interesting shops and 3 chandleries, so Bill was happy! Ponza’s history goes back to the Palaeolithic era, then after the Roman’s arrived, Augustus built a villa there. Ponza was also used to exile naughty folk, including Caligula’s brother’s and sister. After the fall of Rome, pirates ruled amok until the early 19th century.
We found a Rosteria which had cooked chickens and bits of other beasts, plus good sourdough, yay! Mary had given me some starter to make bread however it didn’t survive Moonshadow’s fridge and looked like paint thinner after a few days. It was so nice to be back in the land of good bread, even though my belly doesn’t thank me for it…
After anchoring outside the harbour overnight, we spent the morning exploring the port, then headed out to Palmarola, a remote island just off Ponza. With Moonshadow safely anchored in crystal clear water, we paddled around to explore the many caves and unusual rock formations which were great to paddle through.
Bill was concerned that there were not many safe anchorages along the mainland coast between Naples and Livorno, with Rome in the middle, so we decided to sail (wishful thinking) overnight to Isola Elba, which is the largest of the Tuscan islands. He split us into 3 watches and we motored through the starry night, dodging ferries and cruise ships pouring out of Civitavecchia, the main port of Rome.
We dropped anchor in Campo after lunch the following day, then promptly jumped in the sea to cool off before hitting the sack to catch up on some sleep after night watch.
In the evening, we went ashore to find supper amid a village festival which featured a steam punk brass band dressed up as gimps, and a homemade merry-go-round which was made and motored by bicycle parts, very cool!
The locals followed their odd brass band through the streets then at midnight there was a brilliant fireworks display on the quay which we watched from the foredeck of Moonshadow.
It seemed weird to be in Tuscany on an island, however the architecture is typical and the island is lush and verdant, the first time we have seen dirt on an island in a while! Elba is a relaxed weekend version of the islands further south, without hordes of tourists or ugly souvenir shops, such a nice change…they make local wine, which is drinkable, and an odd almond meal cake which is nearly edible.
The heat was starting to really get to us, so we floated for a few days around the coast of Elba, dropping Glen and Tracey off to catch their taxi, ferry, train and planes home, and getting ready for the arrival of Matthew and Cindy.
