38:37.581N 015:03.914E

SV Eleonora
Michael A. Andronov
Sat 14 Sep 2019 11:27
UTC. 1000
Panarea Island. 

We are locales right there, where the blue dot is showing (bottom, SW): 



We arrived  yesterday late afternoon, after making the land fall on  the Stromboli, and proceeding to the Panarea nearby, with its small islands or rocks… 

Stromboli… 
It is just a volcano.  Active volcano.  As we were passing around, it has been nearly constantly ‘puffing’ into  the sky the clouds of black smoke,  and a few times — the fire has been seen under that smoke….  The traces of lava on the NNW side of the island…. That part of the lava path is still ’smoking’… Probably from the recent eruption…  
Actually,  as far as the eye can see — it is covered with lava at about 75-80%. No vegetation, approximately the same  amount of surface… 

There are 2  villages around… One — on the East, NE part of the Island, and one — on the SW…. No connection between those, except the ferries, which are coming to the jetties… 
Jetties look old, and nearly ready to collapse… 

It is was a really warm,  late September day… No people on the beaches…  I failed to see any traces of activity — no fields, no agriculture,  no fishing boats…. But there are villages…  Small… As usual — churches…  So, people are definitely living there… What are they doing ?  No idea… The pilot says — the island very popular with tourists — July, August…  What about the rest 10 month ?  No idea… As soon as have a good Internet — I would Google… 

But for sure — there is some infrastructure supported —  cables with electricity, desalinator plant,  ferries coming and going… Somebody is paying for all that… 

Turning around the Stromboli, and one can see the most of the Lipary archipelago,  with high islands raising from the water… 
The mind immediately finds the comparison — ‘local Caribbean Islands’…. And indeed, there is some comparison possible… To degree… 

Another 5-7 miles, and we are approaching the Panarea Islands.  Actually, the group of the Panarea Islands, singe besides the Panarea itself, there is a group of  smaller ( no occupied ) islands around.   The area is also in the middle of volcanic activity…  I got from the book and the manual  the anchorage near the island Lisca Blanca… Wanted to stop there… 
Should be a lot of bubbles  coming from the water, and natural hot springs… 

But may be I’ve been too tired, may be the fact that it was a bit late already, and the anchorage is not suited for the night… and finally, the strong smell of ‘rotten eggs’ coming from the water — made me go straight to the Panarea Island and drop the anchor there… 

Part of the island looks to be well occupied.  The rest — Nature Reservation and park… Part of the occupied territory is known by the villas, belong to famous…  Local St. Barth ? ;-) 

Before I started sailing, I talked in Montreal for quite a few people, who had spent quite a time in the Caribbean… What scared me at that time, that people whom I knew as keen sailors,  who were dreaming to go travelling on boat,  started to talk like … ‘… all islands are the same… same sunsets… same small sandy islands, named the same ’Sandy Islands’… can show you the photos, and even ourselves we can not say which island is on the photo…’…  I’ve been always thinking… ‘If one day  I were going sailing, I would have never become the same…’….

Years passed.  I’m at the beginning of my travelling… Yes, the Islands and places are still different.   The Sea and the Oceans are different, and skies are different at night!   The smell of the Ocean and the full Moon over it during the passage(s) — are different… 
Nevertheless,  I started to see the point of my friends:
“… 
— ( my friends and the book…) Stromboli is an active volcano!  So interesting!  So exacting!  So unique!!!  
— ( myself ). Ye, ye, ye… Have you seen the Monsarat ? Have you seen Guadeloupe ?   The similar active volcanos,  similar black beaches, with similar black sand, and traces of lava after eruption… 
… 
— (  my friends and the book…). Near Panarea, you can anchor, and swim in the volcanic bubbles… 
— ( myself ).  Ye, ye… My diving instructor, Josh, during my PADI courses on Carriacou Island, Caribbean was telling me that we were going to dive into champagne…  We did.  The streams of bubbles, the result of the volcanic activity, was coming from the ground…  providing the illusion that we were diving in the huge natural bath, full of champagne… 
— ( my friend… ) You are on Panarea know.  You should see the water is sparkling ! It is plankton… It is so nice!  It is even sparkling in the toilet, when you flush!!!! 
—  ( myself )…. Ye… You have probably never crossed the Gulf Stream… And probably, have never been at night around the Saba Island, Caribbean…  
The thoughts like those — scare me.  Am I becoming cynical ?  Am I loosing possibility to wonder and to enjoy around?  Or is it natural process,  causing my change, deformation ? 
I do not know…  But one thing for sure… More I’m travelling and see places — more similarities I  see, and , at the same time — more differences… 

The major difference — the people around and the history behind…  At least, at this point of the time! ;-) ( It would be really scary, I guess , to  find out that it is an illusion too! ;-)).

Secondly, the whole approach of comparing the places like that — just by comparing the ‘physical environment’… I start to feel it is wrong… I call it the ’tourist’ approach. ‘ … Volcano — checked, the mud bath —checked, the restaurant — checked, swimming and water — checked… ‘.  Compare in categories — better/worse, the best… ,  I started to feel it is wrong by definition… But, I still can not say what is the right way to do it… 

The idea crossed my mind… May be it is time to re-read the Bernard Moitessier,  ‘Long Way ‘?  We will see… ;-) 

Meantime, everything is under control on the boat. 
Today — a day of rest.   The 100+ night trip has taken its tall…  Then — probably, ‘drifting’ from island to island… Salina, Lipari,  Vulcano … And then, as the ‘weather windows’ appears to cross to Sicily…  

That is all for now,

Talk to you soon, 
M.

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