The Victoria Shadow Association

AEOLIAN ISLANDS, MALTA and SICILY

June - July 2010

Once the wind finally eased, we left Cefalu early on 23 June to head for the Aeolian Islands. After a morning motoring in an uncomfortable swell left over from the recent gale, the wind filled in during the afternoon and we enjoyed a great sail across to Volcano. As we approached the island the live volcano which dominates the landscape could be seen gently smoking and as we entered the anchorage at Porto di Levante the smell of rotten eggs filled the air! Anchoring was a little tricky as the mountainous terrain means the water is very deep close to the shore so the shallower waters were quite crowded with yachts but eventually we were settled.

The following morning we set off to walk up to the crater of the volcano and after a 45 minute climb up the steep path we reached the summit. It was well worth the effort. The crater is huge, dating from the last eruption in 1890 and it is possible to walk most of the way around its rim. Clouds of sulphurous steam rise from cracks in the crater, hinting at the activity beneath. The views from the top are spectacular across to the other islands as far as Stromboli some 30 miles away.

While in Volcano we also had a mud bath in the warm mud pool near the beach which is supposedly good for the health. After half an hour bathing in the rather smelly mud, we washed off by swimming in the hot spring that bubbles up in the sea nearby, although for a hot spring it was surprisingly chilly! It wasn’t a wholly unpleasant experience but some weeks and several washes later our swimming trunks still have a whiff of sulphur!

From Volcano we also took a trip to see the neighbouring islands of Lipari and Panarea, rather upmarket holiday destinations and finally to the highlight of the trip, Stromboli. Unlike Volcano, which smoulders and builds up pressure until eventually it may erupt again, Stromboli erupts continually to let off steam. Every 15 minutes or so it sends a large puff of smoke into the air, sometimes accompanied by fireworks and lava flow, best viewed at night. It wasn’t at its most spectacular the evening we were there but we were treated to two brief firework displays by the smoking giant.

We very much enjoyed our time in the Aeolian Islands and after a few days weighed anchor and headed towards the notorious tidal gateway of the Strait of Messina. The strait separates mainland Italy and Sicily and at its northern end is only 1.5 miles wide. As the sea funnels through the narrow gap strong tides, whirlpools and water spouts are created (for the classical scholars amongst you, these are Scilla and Charybidis of whom Odysseus was warned on his passage through the strait). I am sure that on a rough day, particularly with strong wind over tide, this can be an unpleasant place to sail but on this day it was benign with calm seas, favourable tide and light winds. At its maximum the tide reached 4 knots and seemed much less challenging than sailing the rocky shores of the Alderney Race and the Little Russell or even the Needles Channel. However, the tide certainly helped us on our way and by lunchtime we had already reached our intended destination of Messina. The wind was freshening so we decided to carry on further south before stopping for the night.

While in the strait we were lucky witness the strange swordfish boats which operate in the area and have evolved to catch the fish which migrate through the strait. These large boats have a huge 10 metre mast with a crow’s nest on the top from which the captain steers the boat following the shoals of fish that apparently sleep on the surface during the day. Once spotted, harpooners on the enormous bowsprit attempt to spear the fish.

Once south of Messina, the sea breeze filled in and rapidly increased to force 5-6 from astern as it funnelled through the strait. This gave us a fast and lively sail to reach Taormina by the evening, a total of 62 miles that day. The anchorage lies off the beach under the picturesque town of Taormina perched high above. A popular tourist resort, it was once a favourite of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.

Although pleasant, the anchorage is rather rolly and after a slightly sleepless night we weighed anchor in the morning and headed a few miles further south to Riposto. Having spent the last 2 weeks at anchor we decided to treat ourselves to a few nights in the marina from where we planned to visit Etna which overshadows the town. It was a bit of a shock to find that from 30 June prices had risen to a hefty 66€ a night but we gritted our teeth and paid for 3 nights. The town was celebrating the feast of St Peter and St Paul and was lively and busy with excellent lights up the main street, reminiscent of Oxford Street at Christmas and very loud and colourful fireworks.

From here we caught the Ferrovia Circumetnea, a little train which takes you on a 56 mile circuit of Mount Etna (or is supposed to) from Riposto to Catania. The first half of the trip was lovely, going through picturesque countryside with stunning views of the volcano and the surrounding valleys. Then it turned into something reminiscent of British Rail – we all had to get off the train and onto a replacement bus service due to engineering works! After about an hour the bus reached another station where everyone (including the train driver) expected there to be a train to continue the journey. However it soon became clear there would be no train so it was back on the bus for the rest of the journey. Hot and frustrated (and a little grumpy) we finally reached Catania in time to have a quick look at the town. This is Sicily’s second city and a busy, rather grimy port but with some attractive squares in the centre of town. Simon said it reminded him of Southampton! We then caught the state rail back to Riposto. That was impressive – clean, air conditioned and comfortable even in the rush hour, on time and only 2.70€ for a 30 kilometre journey!

From Riposto we headed for Siracusa, some 40 miles south, motoring on a hot and windless day. We anchored in the large harbour overlooking the attractive old town and were pleased to see the crews of two boats we had met last season in Sardinia and catch up on their news. Siracusa has lots to see. As well as the old town there is a large archaeological park with Greek and Roman amphitheatres and huge caverns called Latomie which were enormous stone quarries from which the stone used to build the city was dug. However it is getting increasingly hot for sightseeing with temperatures well into the mid 30’s every day.

After a few days we left Siracusa and its harbour full of lively jumping fish and headed for Malta. We anchored overnight in the fishing harbour of Porto Palo on Sicily’s southern tip and left at 6.30am the following morning to cross to Malta, about 55 miles south west. Once the wind filled in mid morning we had a cracking sail. The wind had rather more south in it than was ideal so we had to beat across with the wind between 50 and 60 degrees off the nose but in a lively force 4-5 wind we had an enjoyable and quick sail, reaching the Maltese coast by 3pm and heading for Msida Creek just outside Valletta. We were keen to moor here to meet up with some friends and also because it is very reasonably priced at 14€ plus tax a night, although there are no facilities. There wasn’t much space for visitors but we managed to squeeze on the end of the quay and spent a week here, catching up with friends and exploring the island.

We enjoyed Malta and found everyone friendly and helpful. Valletta is a busy town served by a fleet of historic buses dating from the 1950’s. Its historic centre is on a peninsula protruding into the harbour, fortified by the high walls of its bastion. The ornate cathedral and Grand Palace are closely associated with the Knights of St John who ruled Malta for nearly three centuries. As well as exploring Valletta we visited the small town of Mosta, famous for its church which boasts the third largest dome in Europe after St Peter’s in Rome and St Paul’s in London. We explored Mdina, a small walled city with beautiful medieval buildings, which was the historic capital of the island and nearby Rabat, where St Paul is said to have lived in a cave after he was shipwrecked on the shores of Malta. Rabat also has extensive catacombs which were the city’s ancient burial grounds and are now a slightly grizzly tourist attraction (and a welcome break from the heat of the day!).

After a week sightseeing it was time to move on and explore Malta’s smaller neighbours, Gozo and Comino. We spent a lovely couple of days anchored in St Niklaw Bay on tiny Comino, swimming in the crystal clear water and generally taking it easy before heading for Mgarr harbour on Gozo, its main port. Despite being busy with ferries and many other boats, the place has a relaxed feel and the locals still bring their horses down in the evening for a cooling dip in the sea. From here we spent a day exploring the island, which is 6 miles by 4 miles, visiting the capital Victoria with its walled citadel high on a hill in the centre of the island. The town was celebrating the feast of St George, marked by flags, statues, a marching band and lots of very loud fireworks, by day and night.

The coast of Gozo consists of high limestone and sandstone cliffs creating spectacular natural arches, caves and grottos, popular with divers. However, it has few beaches and so we took a ferry back to Comino to see the Blue Lagoon, a popular bay famous for its clear turquoise waters. It was a lovely place to swim but was absolutely packed with day trippers – too popular for its own good.

We left Mgarr after 3 nights and decided to entertain ourselves by spending an afternoon circumnavigating the island. This proved less relaxing than anticipated as a stiff force 5-6 sea breeze got up and forced us to beat around the top of the island hard on the wind in a very choppy sea. Around the high headlands the wind was very fluky but eventually we were able to bear away onto a more comfortable point of sail to complete the trip in 6 hours! We then planned to anchor for a couple of nights on Comino before heading back to Sicily but in the night Jo developed raging toothache and we had to return to Mgarr for an urgent visit to the dentist. An abscess was diagnosed and antibiotics prescribed so we set of again the following day, hoping they will take effect soon!

Leaving Mgarr about 7am we headed north towards Sicily, some 60 miles away. However the wind remained light for most of the day and we only managed to sail for 2.5 hours, making for a slow passage, eventually anchoring off Capo Passero on Sicily’s southern tip about 6.30pm. The highlight of the day was seeing a large turtle swimming by just a few feet from the boat. After a pleasant evening and peaceful night in this quiet anchorage behind a rocky island, we set sail for Siracusa where we are now anchored. From here we plan to cross to Rocella Ionica on the heel of Italy and from there to the Ionian Islands of Greece.

Simon and Jo