The Rock of Gibraltar

We spent a couple of days mid-month exploring the infamous and fascinating Rock of Gibraltar. There are many interesting sights accessed by narrow roads, walkways, and trails.

First we rode the cable car close to the top where, eventually, standing on the spine at the top, we got some great views looking back into the Med from which we came, and across to Africa about 23 km away and north to mainland Spain. We walked for hours going from one end to the other, up and down trails from 1 sight to the next.

The Rock of Gibraltar

On our way up

One stop was at St. Michael's Cave, a large natural cavern where millennia of water seeps through the limestone produced stalactites and stalagmites which are now illuminated with colourful lights. St. Michael's was used as early as 40,000 BC by prehistoric man and is only 1 of more than 150 caves in the Rock.

1,000,000 visitors per year

Crossing the 71-m so called frightening suspension bridge over a 50-m gorge we found to be very non-frightening but great views looking down on the town.

Easy walk across for the brave-hearted

There are so many monkeys in the upper regions, mostly around the tourist sites. They seem to be an attraction for the tourists, many who can't wait to go to the Apes Den. These are Barbary Macaque monkeys (not apes) and not indigenous to the Rock.

Grooming buddies

As monkeys usually are, these are mischievous and opportunist when it comes to snatching anything edible. One we didn't see managed to very quickly grab half our lunch and run away. They will eat anything. Another very quietly snuck a package of strong cough drops hidden in our backpack pocket - which he persisted in eating while making a hilarious sour face with his mouth in a large O-shape - Oh my goodness, what did I grab this time?! Another we saw enjoying an ice cream that he obviously absconded from an unwary tourist.

These scoundrels are routinely fed fruit by staff to keep them up there on the upper slopes so that they don't invade the town below. They also have a sterilization program so that their numbers are limited to around 300. These unique Old World monkeys are tailless, just as apes are.

I wonder what's in here?

Much of the history of the Rock has to do with military control and occupation. In the most recent episodes of war, great huge guns were placed on the ridge during the 2nd World War. These guns could lob shells across the strait to Africa, just over 23 km.

Africa in the distance

On our second day visit to the Rock, we toured military battery tunnels dug during various war periods, most notable the Great Siege and World War II. We saw only a small fraction of tunnelling but apparently the mountain is a Swiss cheese of passageways and rooms carved out over time.

Looking down a long passageway

We were recently told that the Rock has more kilometres of tunnels than kilometres of roads in all of Gibraltar and that the not-so-secret underwater submarine caves that enable subs to sneak in undetected then surface within the protection of the Rock.

The Great Siege tunnels were dug by hand in the 1780s with crowbars, sledgehammers, and gunpowder blasts.

Hard at work

All along parts of the tunnel there would be openings for cannon firing. Original plans were to place a gun on top of an area called the Notch but upon reaching the area, it was decided to place 7 guns within the big rock outcropping where only the barrels would protrude out the Notch instead, giving a 180 degree view.

Top of the Notch with openings below

World War II tunnels, built with the help of machinery, were eventually joined to the Great Siege tunnels and in total there are now 55 km of tunnels. There are more than just tunnels. There are large rooms for hospital, supplies, and occupation for a virtual city where up to 16,000 soldiers could hold out for months. There are also tunnels for escape as the last option.

Jordan in World War II tunnels

From the tunnels, we could look down to the airport runway below. This scene will be different in the future as a new road is being constructed below the runway at the far eastern side of the peninsula. So soon there will be no more waiting for planes to land or take off by cars and pedestrians trying to cross the border between Spain and Gibraltar.

Busy runway crossing

After our second day of long trekking on the Rock, it was nice to be settled in for the evening on Sea Turtle.

GIBRALTAR - Gib-ahoy

We moved Sea Turtle about 2.5 NM from the Spanish town of La Linea to the Ocean Village Marina in Gibraltar (Gib) under very windy conditions on October 3rd, N36°08.972' W005°21.318'. (Unfortunately there is nowhere to anchor in Gib which normally is our preference.) The Marina is just on the other side of the Gib airport runway that virtually separates the 2 countries.

Runway in center crossing east and west

Sea Turtle moored as plane lands

We have now been meeting more passage-making sailors here compared to the hordes of vacationing sailors in the Med. It is the time of year for those of us who want to do the Atlantic crossing to start exiting the Med and head down to the Canary Islands as the jump-off point. We have met a few Canadian sailors too.

Throughout the Med, we have had very little tide differences, but with Gib so close to the Atlantic, we are now seeing about a 4-foot tide range.

Gibraltar is actually a UK territory. It is in the EU but outside of the Schengen Group of countries that control immigration. As a small peninsula (less than 7 sq km), the 'Rock' dominates not only the skyline but the land surface area. Available land for development is at a premium.

Gibraltar is short on hotel rooms so one enterprise's solution was to build a 7-deck cruiseship named Sunborn and dock it permanently here. In luxury, it offers 5-star rooms, restaurants, a Casino, conference rooms, spa, etc. Built in Malaysia, its only passage was from the deck of the world's largest transport ship to the dock at Ocean Village Marina here where it will stay. Website: https://www.sunborngibraltar.com.

Sunborn - floating hotel

Gibraltarians drive on the right side of the road, as do Canadians, but of course in Great Britain they drive on the left. As Gib is a territory of UK, they get a lot of visitors from there. Consequently they can easily get confused by looking in the wrong direction before crossing a road. So to keep the Brits safe, "Look Left" or "Look Right" is painted on the beginning of the proper crosswalks. Hmmm, wonder how many Brit casualties did it take to initiate that?

As a tourist, Gib offers a lot to see for the size of it. Because of its unique dominant geography and strategic land/sea location, many historical events have occurred here, We spent a couple of interesting hours at the Gibraltar Museum learning about it. Over many centuries, the Rock was occupied and fought over by a wide range of inhabitants: Moors, Spanish, and British to name a few.

Going back much further, evidence was found here of Neanderthal life. We saw such displays of medieval artifacts (tools, bone fragments, skulls) discovered in the shore caves. The Museum is actually built over a 14th century Moorish bathhouse where we descended down into.

Elaborate Moorish bathhouse (copied from internet)

We spent another couple of hours strolling through the Botanical Gardens where some very interesting plants and trees have been planted with some well over 200 years old and plants brought in from other parts of the world as well as indigenous species.

Scene with Moorish brick castle and key in grass

1 of many interesting plants

We needed to slow our pace of travel so knowing we would be in Gib for some time, we undertook some boat jobs and equipment updates including a new instant hot water heater, some new electronics and nav aids, a new Genoa and staysail, and watermaker parts and repair.

Some cold weather settled in so Jordan thought it was time to hook up the bus heater (cabin heat that comes from the engine). While doing that, he noticed a broken engine mount but fortunately was able to just barely get it off for repairs without having to lift the motor.

We also learned of a new-ish product by Garmin that we think is well worth mentioning for passages. It is the Garmin InReach Explorer+. It looks like a small handheld GPS but it is actually much more. It works like a satellite phone (in fact uses the Iridium satellites) but for texting. It has an SOS button essentially working as an EPIRB, giving a Mayday and GPS fix but with the additional feature of being able to text back and forth as you float in your life raft. For us, we simply want to text either land bases (or other boats) for weather checks or perhaps sign up for a weather package.

So we phoned Mountain Equipment Co-Op (MEC) in Victoria and paid for one and our sailor friend Glen Wilson who was back there for a visit picked it up and will bring it back to the Canary Islands where we will meet up with him before we do the crossing. The unit costs much less than a satellite phone and you pay for a usage plan by the month which you can start and stop anytime. The cost of the variable plans are also very reasonable (check it out on their website).

Mainland Spain

With a disappointing exit from Ibiza Spain on September 27th at 15:00, we embarked on our 3-day passage to mainland Spain rather than the originally intended Gibraltar. Half an hour from Ibiza, spirits picked up when Jordan landed a tuna. Delicious fish again. So there is fish in the Med. It must be the new rod and reel.

This was an uneventful passage with little or no wind so it was motor-sailing. Dolphins were plentiful, especially around Gibraltar.

Nearing Gibraltar, the seas were flecked with so many freighters lying ahull in deep water (too deep to anchor) waiting for port clearance. We wanted to arrive after a rising sun so we had slowed down our speed to time our arrival.

Rock of Gibraltar

We arrived to the Bay of Gibraltar under cloudy skies and anchored behind a breakwater in Spanish waters in front of the town of La Linea de la Concepcion. We went ashore to the Policia, a 20-minute walk away over at the border, and got our passports stamped for exiting Spain.

Gibraltar is a peninsula which is predominantly the 'rock' mountain, the infamous Rock of Gibraltar. It is separated from Spain by a narrow flat portion of land where the Gibraltar airport is. In fact the airport extends to the shore line (and beyond) on both sides and the Spain/Gibraltar border runs along one side of the airport land. To get from mainland Spain to Gibraltar, one has to go through passport control at the border, then traffic and pedestrians cross the runway when the green light is on and there you are, in Gibraltar.

Looking south at the Rock

After being diligent about calculating the days allowed in the Schengen Group of countries, none of the officials anywhere have looked to see or inquired as to how many days we had been in those countries! But you never know when they will...

So after getting our passports stamped showing exit from Spain, we phoned for a marina spot over in Gibraltar and found out we had to wait for a spot for 3 days. Oops.

Normally when you check out of a country, you must leave right away, but in this case no one monitored our physical departure after we walked out of the Policia office. So we were not concerned that we were staying another 3 days before motoring over to Gibraltar.

The next day, we discreetly went ashore to check things out. We found the town to be fairly basic as far as architecture goes...

Basic but colourful architecture seen from Sea Turtle

...but passed by some unusual buildings that we found interesting.

Cool and colourful

We started searching for a lunch spot as we walked the very narrow, one-way streets, past many places selling excellent fresh produce. We then found the large and very clean indoor market full of fresh meats, cheeses, olives, clothing, shoes, and whatever else you could think of.

In the market, we came across Carlos and Eduardos Tapas Bar. With the help of the gregarious gent, we picked out several tapas and some wine. The meal and wine was spectacular, served with bread and the BEST green olives ever. He pointed us to where we could buy the olives in the market to take home with us. Now we just need the recipes for the extraordinaire tapas!

Passage from Ibiza Island to mainland Spain Sep 27 to 30
N36°09.692' W005°21.783' Sep 30 La Linea de la Conception

Ibiza Island

Another overnight passage from Es Trenc Beach of Mallorca Island brought us to Ibiza Island (both islands of Spain).

Under a full moon, we motor-sailed for a few hours, then were able to sail the rest. However the winds kicked in a little too much, and when the waves built, they came at us at the uncomfortable angle on port quarter, rolling and rocking us a lot while double reefed.

The coastline again presented us with a variety of textured vertical cliffs spotted with homes of typical Mediterranean architecture. Cliffs were occasionally interrupted with coves and bays, a few with sandy beaches.

We found it difficult to find a suitable anchorage and skirted in and out of several coves until we finally decided on Cala Tarida. This cove provided good protection from the predicted winds for the next couple of days.

Under cloudy skies, we could spot a few beach restaurants so we went ashore for a break from Sea Turtle. The surf was coming in hard and I got wet as we landed the dinghy. But no problem; we had pizza and Jordan enjoyed Sex on the Beach - the drink, that is - outrageously priced at 12 Euros (about $18 CAD)!

Splurging for Sex on the Beach at shore restaurants

Returning to the dinghy after dinner, we discovered it swamped with water from the crashing surf. A quick bail out and we made it safely back to Sea Turtle.

Wishing to now check out of Spain and stop the Schengen clock, we next motored to a larger marina, Sant Antoni de Portmany, where we anchored outside of the breakwater. At the marina, we filled our tanks for the passage to Gibraltar and went to see the Harbour Master.

We were shocked when she told us that we could not check out of Spain unless we returned to the other side of the Island of Ibiza, a day's sail in the wrong direction!!

Then, to top it off, the port officials would not allow us to bring our dinghy into the marina so we could buy a few last minute groceries for our 3-day passage! This is not a marina, or port for that matter, which we would recommend as it seems their main concern is to cater to large luxury yachts, such as this...

Well, that is, except for this trimaran and dinghy near the marina. Zoom in for a closer look! Yes, this boat and dinghy are in actual usage...

We soon discovered from other boaters that we could find small supermarkets across the harbour from the dreaded marina and have no problem leaving the dinghy at the shore. So with tanks and larders full, Jordan quickly cleaned the prop and we were off.

Wind predictions were favourable for the next 3 days for the run to Gibraltar. Actually our next stop was to check out of Spain at La Linea de la Conception, which is right beside Gibraltar, and at that time our Schengan clock would stop. It just meant that we added 3 unnecessary days to our 90-cay Visa Limit.

(We as Canadians are only allowed 90 days in any 180-day period to spend in European countries that are members of Schengen Group.)

Passage from Mallorca to Ibiza Sep 24 to 25
N38°56.268' E001°14.053' Sep 25 Ibiza Island (Cala Tarida)
N38°58.690' E001°17.812' Sep 27 Ibiza Island (Sant Antoni de Portmany)

Figuera and Es Trenc

A delightful stop was at the charming port of Capo Figuera (Mallarca Spain) where life along the tight inner harbour seems lost in time. Anchoring was not allowed so we Med-moored to the small pier breakwater next to 2 large catamarans.

Small fishing boats bring in their daily bounty as they have for decades while men sit mending nets stretched out on shore. Quaint little houses built at water's edge lined the steep slopes, each with a boat shed underneath.

Picturesque Figuera

Knotting nets

We strolled the narrow walk in front around the harbour where it would be interrupted by small concrete ramps with a keel groove that ushered the traditional llaut boat into its boathouse through green painted doors.

On our walk, we came across a different style of llaut on the hard with a small cabin cruiser rather than just a canvas canopy. Llauts are apparently very stable in rough seas, making them excellent for fishermen.

Jordan and llaut boat on the hard

The newer homes and shops were mostly on top of the steep reddish cliffs leaving the quaintness of below intact.

Dramatic cliffs

Our last stop in Mallorca was around the point to a very long, sandy, and popular beach, Es Trenc, where we anchored for a short rest before the next passage.

The beach looked quite inviting but a little too far to swim to, so we launched the dinghy to go ashore, but we were quickly turned away by the watchful lifeguard. No dinghies allowed. Unfortunately, we found this to be true of most of the beaches in the areas we anchored.

We soon left for our overnight passage to Ibiza, another Spanish island...

Our anchorages:
N39°19.899' E003°10.219' Sep 23 Cala Figuera
N39°20.555' E002°58.922' Sep 24 Es Trenc Beach

Snorkelling at Mondrago

We hopped down the coast of Mallorca Island (Spain) finding nice coves to tuck into for the next few days. One popular cove where we stopped for a few hours was Cala Mondrago with 2 small sandy beaches in a Y-shaped cove and within the National Park.

But what drew us here were caves. The coastline is vertical cliffs dramatized by a variety of types of rocks and erosion over eons of time leaving caves and arches to explore. So that's what we did by dinghy, snorkelling into them or actually taking the dinghy right inside.

Caves everywhere

Judy in the blue

Above and below

From our dinghy, we had a chat with 2 lovely ladies swimming next to their traditional wooden boat. They told us all about these beautiful vessels unique to the Balearic Islands. The ancient technique is passed from generation to generation. The boats which we have been noticing are called llauts and are obviously nicely restored or replicated with pride.

Traditional old-style boat

Crowning touch

Also popular in the area is free climbing the craggy cliffs where it's safe to fall into the water below. Still too dangerous for me!

Our anchorage:
N39°21.000' E003°11.279' Sep 23 Cala Mondrago

3 coves of Mallorca

The best known of the 4 Balearic Islands of Spain is Mallorca (aka Majorca), the middle and largest 1. So that was our next destination after leaving Menorca, a half day sail away as we continued our westward travels. We anchored at Cala Sa Nau.

But just before arriving, Jordan landed a small tuna with his new rod that replaced the old one lost in the storm a couple of weeks ago. This was the first fish caught in the Med. Jordan had just about given up on fishing but now he and Chanty are reinvigorated!

She loves fresh fish and nothing gets her more excited when the jingle of the bell on the rod goes off and Jordan hollers "Fish, fish!" and away those 2 go with excitement to the stern to reel in their trophy.

Watching and waiting for the bell to ring

Well, trophy is a stretch for this 1, a small tuna rendering barely enough for the 3 of us. Anytime we even just say the word 'fish' in conversation, Chanty perks up and meows "Where?" So in conversation, we avoid the word, just spelling it, "Should we have f-i-s-h for dinner tonight?" So far she hasn't caught on.

But back to Sa Nau: This tiny cove lined with limestone cliffs soon became infested with numerous day-boats all coming to enjoy the scene and small beach area at the head of the head of the cove. The sandy beach was equipped with a small stand that served drinks and food, straw canopied tables and seats, foot shower, and muscled lifeguard. The atmosphere was filled with splashing water and raucous laughter but at night we had it all to ourselves.

Getting ready for the busy day

Two days later, we moved to Cala d'Or, only half an hour away. Here, surrounding the cove, the scene was all white, mostly million dollar mansions up on the low cliff sides where Sea Turtle nestled between them. The public sandy beach at the head of the cove was swarming with throngs of people beneath the pine trees.

Waterfront home

We took the dinghy around to the next inlet where the boats in the marina Med-moored in front of the cafes and shops occupied every available space. We stopped for dinghy fuel, coffee, and a few groceries at the little but well stocked market.

Half hour later, we continued down the coast of Mallorca and tied up to a mooring ball at Porto Petro with a few other boats at a secluded sandy beach.

At inlet by Porto Petro

Our anchorages:
N39°23.582' E003°14.939' Sep 20 Cala Sa Nau
N39°22.196' E003°13.869' Sep 22 Cala d'Or
N39°21.430' E003°12.661' Sep 22 Porto Petro

SPAIN - Menorca Island

This time we made a 2.5-day passage of, again, mostly motor-sailing where we arrived at the port of Mahon on the east coast of the Spanish Island of Menorca, This long, deep inlet was full of marinas and floating docks. We Med-moored to a floating detached dock (NOT connected to land) directly in front of small Isla del Rey inside the inlet.

Chanty loved the floating dock as she could at last run around freely off the boat, checking out other boats Med-moored and the fish in the water. Her cat memory was no doubt sparked from the time she grew up hanging around the boats and docks at a marina in Langkawi Malaysia where she adopted us.

Fishing on the floating dock

The capital of Menorca is Mahon (aka Mao) and has a long and interesting sea-going history. The streets of this quietly elegant town rose steeply up from the harbour where we found the town larger than it appeared from the waters below. Up we traversed to what appeared to be similar to many of the old towns we have seen in the Med, but slightly more modern looking. And a frequent stop for cruiseship passengers.

Steep road to Mahon

We even saw a beautiful mermaid at the harbour...

It poured hard off and on for a couple of days where we hid out beneath leaky umbrellas of outdoor cafes while Sea Turtle was getting some of the salt washed off.

Passage from Sardinia Italy to Spain Sep 14 to 17
N39°53.255' E004°17.108' Sep 17 Menorca Island ((Isla del Rey)

Sardinia

For our 3-day passage to Sardinia Island, we departed Syracuse (Sicily Island) on September 8th, then dropped down and around the SE tip of Sicily then westward along the south coast before heading to open sea. The prediction was for some good sailing winds but they didn't show up so it was mostly lonely sailing or motor-sailing without seeing much traffic, just a couple of fishing boats.

Most of the summer sailors have gone back home now. We were visited by a couple of dolphins though which is always a welcomed sight no matter how many times we have them.

We arrived at the SE tip of Sardinia and dropped the hook among a few others at Capo Carbonara, a large bay open to the south. It was a splendid setting where the emerald waters met sandy beaches backed by rolling hills painted a fresh green by the vegetation that was thirsty from the summer heat. It reminded us of some parts of southern California at certain times of the year.

There is also the nice large Marina di Villasimius with associated facilities, but the town of Villasimius is a couple of kilometres inland.

Until now we had developed a serious doubt about the Med having any real sandy beaches, but surprise surprise, there were a couple of pristine stretches that were obviously a cherished destination for sun worshipers.

We swam around Sea Turtle where we had a mischievous watcher sitting on the prop of the outboard engine affixed to the stern...

Chanty's perch

While at anchor, we had a ring side seat for the GC32 Racing Tour of 2018 where 9.75 m (32 ft) racing catamarans streaked across the water at about 40+ knots (74 km/hr; 46 mph), speeds enabled by foils that lifted them completely out of the water.

Lifted up high

After a couple of days of getting used to relaxation, we were caught a little off guard when a fresh wind from the south put us on a lee shore with some short steep waves bucking us up and down. So we quickly upped anchor, and after pounding head on into the waves for half an hour, we made it around the point to Porto Giunco and joined a few prudent other boats at the protected cove.

The next day the winds and seas abated so we returned to the marina for fuel before our escape and passage to Menorca Island of Spain. But before leaving, we had one last purchase. Prosciutto is a dry-cured ham of Italy, and even though we are vegetarians, we had to buy a small amount of this delicious treat while in Italy. Yum!!

Passage from Syracuse to Sardinia Sep 08 to 11
N39°07.700' E009°30.024' Sep 11 Capo Carbonara (Sardinia, Italy)
N39°07.110' E009°31.533' Sep 13 Porto Giunco
N39°07.475' E009°30.301' Sep 14 Return to Capo Carbonara

Syracuse

We arrived in Syracuse on the island of Sicily (Italy) after a very rough ride from Otrano Italy on August 29th. We anchored in the big protected bay (N37°03.573' E015°16.910') not far off the city and with the Old Town in plain sight.

Going ashore, our first walkabout was of course the Old Town which is actually an island called Ortigia and is connected to the mainland of Sicily by 2 short 1-way bridges. We thought it to be typical of previous old towns of which we have now seen scores of, but still they all have their unique charm.

There was the impressive fountain in the center of the roundabout with the ubiquitous cafes around the square. A great place for pastry and an Americano, Jordan's usual or, my favourite, an ice coffee, while people watching.

Fountain of Diana

Continuing the stroll through the narrow alleys, we came to the elaborate grand open Piazza Duoma surrounded with decorative architecture and the Cathedral of Syracuse with its elaborate baroque facade and ancient columns, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2005.

Cathedral of Syracuse

And of course the historic Venetian buildings in Old Town Ortigia.

Balconied buildings

We visited the Museum of Leonardo Da Vinci and Archimede. Interesting to discover that Da Vinci, besides being the famous painter, made detailed sketches and designs in a multitude of subjects well ahead of eventual modern applications of which included such things as the workings of gears, airplane wings, the drill, human anatomy, etc. Apparently he was inspired by Archimedes who lived centuries before in Syracuse. The interactive Museum displayed these sketches and working examples.

Samples and sketches (copied from internet)

We decided it was necessary to order a new dinghy as our old one kept leaking air even after several repair jobs. The chandlery gave us a deal on a new RIB they were able to locate only 3 delivery days away. We took the time to do a few boat jobs and make our daily visit to sidewalk cafes and even an excursion to the beautiful town of Noto (more about it below).

Boat jobs included repairing the broken running backstay, plumbing in a shower on the aft deck making our portable solar shower redundant, sewing a flag for Spain - our next country stop, and sewing new pillowcases and storage cases to match our new bedspread.

Wandering around Syracuse, many of the Venetian-style buildings were a bit run down, needing paint and/or repairs. Compared to other towns, the streets seemed to be littered with rubbish even though there are numerous trash bins about! Sadly, this displays an overall untidy appearance of a touristy town.

Old-style architecture

An odd modern structure that garnered a lot of controversy is the massive and conical concrete basilica that towers above all other buildings. This juxtaposed tower in an otherwise Venetian-style city pays homage to a bas-relief of a so-called "weeping Madonna" and is supposedly built in the shape of a tear.

New-style architecture

It was interesting to find that very few here spoke English and most menus were only in Italian. This of course made eating and purchasing items more adventurous. We thought it unusual that English was more prevalent in Croatian than Italy.

When our new dinghy arrived, we had to transport it to the water. So we got our trusty collapsible dolly, which no cruising sailor should be without, and walked it from the chandlery to a back alley boat lot for assembly and launch. We decided to forego the champagne as too hard to break on pvc!

From retailer to water

Pumping it up

Then, what to do with the old? It wasn't all that bad other than having to do a quick top-up pump each or every other day. It was 6 years old and we didn't want the worry of more seam leaks but it still had a use for someone. Jordan met Tom, a retired Brit living on his large power boat in a marina who was dinghy-less and so he said he would gladly accept our donation (which included a pump).

Tom, a friendly spirited and talkative man, with his favourite straw hat, invited us to go with him in his car to the hillside town of Noto, a UNESCO World Heritage Site about 40 km away. It is distinguished for its fine example of baroque architecture of golden sandstone. On the way back we got a tour of Tom's art studio at Cassibile where he had a number of projects on the go.

Entry arch to Noto

Samples of Noto's baroque architecture

When we got a favourable forecast, we decided it was time to make a run to Mallorca Spain with a day or 2 stop-over at the south end of Sardinia, the latter being about a 3-day passage. After a quick basic provisioning and fuel top-up, we made our escape leaving at 16:00 on September 8th.