Heading to Naples and crew change-May 23

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We left Porto Vecchio on Ventotene Island around 10:30 after a breakfast of Eggs’ in-a-hole, and filled water tanks. Page and Alan had found some “delectables” to eat for our lunch, so we were well set for the day. We will head to Procida which is very near to the mainland and Naples. From there it would be a 10 mile ride to the Bay of Naples on Monday.

Isola di Procida is, unfortunately, a bustling, dirty town filled with tourists of all nationalities. Because of its near location to the mainland, there are countless ferries coming and going. We found a small internet point down from our marina and caught up with some email while savoring more cassis. I do have to admit though, the hospitality at the bars and cafes are wonderful. They are not yet tired of the tourist. Maybe that will change at the end of the season.

 

Monday AM. Page and Alan decided to take one of the passenger ferrys across to the mainland early in the morning to ensure they would make their scheduled 12pm train to Rome. Mike, Ken and I left the marina and sailed into the Bay of Naples. We had been directed to go to the marina near the Old City, but found it was private and they would not let us stay. Finding room in any marina near Naples proved to be difficult but after 4 hours of motoring from one marina to another, we found a great one in Castallmmare across from Naples. Only difficulty would be to have Charlie find us. It would require his taking a train or expensive cab. This all worked out and Charlie arrived around mid-night after his plane, bus, taxi adventure.

The next morning Mike took the train to the airport, and Charlie and I took trips to the market and fish markets for food and ice. Some fish markets would give us ice, but others would charge us for it. This ice is treated to freeze at a higher freeze point so you cannot use it in beverages, but at least our food would stay cold. At 10AM, after paying our 50 Euros for the marina, we left for Isla di Capri . Arrived at 12:30 to Capri, got a great berth (although expensive 130 Euro’s), and set off to explore for the remainder of the day. Capri is beautiful, and you sure get your exercise walking to the city center which is on top of the hill.


Mt. Vesuvius

Porto Vecchio ( Ventotene)

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Our little harbor

Saturday, we left Ponza and made our way to Ventotene Isola which was about a 20 mile ride. We arrived in Ventotene which is one of the largest of the Southeastern group of the Pontine Islands mid-afternoon on Saturday. The old port is called Port Vecchio and very small and built around rock and manmade jetties. We tied up bow in due to the protruding rock ledge under the water at the quay side. Busy dive area and the port was mainly comprised of dive shops and dive boats coming and going. The Captianarie in Italy is more commonly called the Ormeggiatori and it is never truly clear which person holds that title. We had a lovely afternoon visiting the town and hanging out in the main plaza drinking cassis. We had filled the water tanks so we could take hot showers on the boat. One of the true pleasures of this boat when you have water and good shore power is our shower!. Ken and I found a pleasant restaurant and made plans to have a dinner date Saturday night. Page cooked back at the boat for Mike and Alan.

Pontine Islands – Ponzi Harbor May 20

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Ponza harbor village is very busy, but very small. We had a great dock, tying up along side the pontoon. Again, electric, but undrinkable water. We washed down the boat, along with dockside showers and laundry and then set off to check out the local provisioning options.


Where this hilltop cemetary, La Rotonda della Madonna, once stood a prominent Roman’s villa. Below, where the openings at the water level are, you can still find the swimming pool for the rich man’s family where fresh sea water moved in and out.

In the afternoon, Ken, myself and Mike took the local boat tour through the natural and manmade viaducts along the rocky edges outside of the harbor. The rocky cliffs had mix of lava and natural rock. It was quite impressive and the water was sparkling and clear. On one cliff where once a proment villa stood, now housed the town’s cemetery. Below, was a grotto that contained a man-made seawater swimming pool for the Villa’s wealthy resident. We were not sure how they made their way from the top of the cliff where their Villa once stood, to the waters edge below and into the grotto where the swimming pool was.

In the evening Page and I decided to go off and have dinner of good Italian Pizza. The guys stayed at the boat and Ken and Mike later went off to dinner somewhere. From what they said, they were “over-fed”! Page and I had a lovely time and continued to catch up and reminisce about our families and the wonderful childhood times we had at our cottages at Devils Lake.