September 16 , 2001 Gaeta, Italy September 3 , 2001 Stromboli: The Lighthouse Of The Mediterranean August 26 , 2001 Cefalu: Another Medieval Jewel August 23 , 2001 Sicily: Land of Lovely Desserts August 15 , 2001 En Route to North Africa August 10 , 2001 Ormeggiatori August 8, 2001 Supermarkets and Amphora August 6 , 2001 Sailing South in Sardinia August 2 , 2001 La Vie en Corsica July 30, 2001 Jonathan Joins Us July 27, 2001 One Sea, Seven Colors July 24, 2001 Say What? July 23, 2001 "Va Bene" July 21, 2001 Venturing Into Italy July 20, 2001 And The Mistral Blew July 18, 2001 The Spell Of Menorca July 12, 2001 Culture And Concerts July 7, 2001 Cha Chas July 6, 2001 Red Dust July 4, 2001 Rare Birds July 3, 2001 Clear Empty Water June 27 , 2001 Quick Friends June 22 , 2001 Reconnecting June 13, 2001 Eastern Hemisphere June 6, 2001 A Weekend in Cartegena May 30 , 2001 A Time Or A Place May 29 , 2001 Several Lovely Sails May 21 , 2001 Free At Last May 25, 2001 On The Hard May 18, 2001 A Boat Again May 14, 2001 Time Warp to Morocco May 03, 2001 Still On Stilts in Malaga

 August 23, 2001 

Hats in Tunis

A spectacular 26 hour passage with force 4-5 winds(15-20 kts) to Bizerte, Tunisia; a few days to explore and rest; and then another glorious 26 hour overnight sail brought us to the Egadi Islands off the west coast of Sicily.

Refreshed with sleep and several swims in clear, clean water, we motored from Favignano Island in the Egadis to Trapani, on the northwest coast of Sicily, and rafted three deep in a dirty and smelly commercial harbor for a wonderful three days.

Trapani is a bustling harbor and the old town is an architectural mix reflecting the Arabic and Aragonese influences dating from the Middle Ages. But it is Italian now with wonderful panaficios (bakeries), and chic trattorias and cafes everywhere. Sicilian desserts are my delight and I am in heaven here. We have found fewer people speaking English since entering Italian waters, and our Italian is extremely limited, but most people have been delightful in trying to understand us and to get us to understand them.

Trapani felt good, but the real treat was Erice, a medieval jewel sitting 2,480 feet above Trapani, atop the only mountain in Western Sicily, Mt San Giuliano, overlooking the gently sloping plains and the Mediterranean Sea. This village, still occupied by descendants of the Aragonese who founded it, has cobbled streets, an intact castle, several beautiful Norman churches and much appreciated, cool breezes.

We have been struck since our landfall in Sicily that we are seeing clouds for the first time this season. First hazy, Chesapeake Bay summer type clouds in the Egadi Islands, then fluffy cumulus clouds, and in Erice, fast moving ribbons covered the steeples, then were briskly blown away by the wind. Even the beautiful blue Mediterranean sky can use enhancement at times.