Off we go to Malta part 4

St Barbara's Web Diary
Peter & Sue Goldsmith
Mon 27 Apr 2009 17:20


Still at anchor in Marzamemi Sicily

37:43.98N 15:07.24E

18.00 27th April

Another peaceful night on a marina pontoon and we awoke to find the day
overcast and very cool, disappointingly un-Italian. The three of us lay in
bed, reading and dozing, a tone that would continue for most of the day,
save for a brief walk into town. Town perhaps overstates Marzamemi,
difficult to place a finger on where town is. A walk along the coast road, a
kilometre or so past what looked like holiday homes and flats still closed
before the season, there was evidence of a very busy, even lively resort,
dive centre, yacht chandlers, cafes, music bars and nightclubs, but all
closed. At the end of the old harbour, now rather surrounded by new but
seemingly empty buildings, is an old fishing village, crumbling single
storey houses, their backs to the sea, a twist of narrow streets, decaying
and deserted. A lovely looking place just waiting for someone to take some
interest in it.

Walking back towards the marina we visited a couple of shops filled only
with tourist gifts, local speciality produce including cured tuna, olive
paste and Sicilian sundried tomatoes, but no amount of wondering helped us
find a shop that sold anything to eat on a normal day. I don't want anyone
to worry that we're going to go hungry, Peter has lots of tins left from
Thailand, and maybe even earlier. When Clive found that tin of processed
cheese his eyes lit up at the prospect!

This afternoon saw the expected strong winds arrive and they did so with a
vengeance. The harbour is completely enclosed from the sea, save for the
entrance which is only about 30 metres wide. Our mooring, though facing the
entrance and a little exposed, is at right angles to it so we cannot look
out to sea, but can see the waves as they come in. Yesterday these were
small, most of the time almost unnoticeable. Today by 3pm things were
different with breakers cresting in and swirling around the marina, yachts
bouncing in every direction. Just as it seemed to get up to the point where
we needed to check our mooring lines a yacht came roaring in, literally on
the crest of the waves. Lots of marina activity, including a rigid
inflatable being driven hard on its beam in order to turn it towards a
mooring - directly next to us! Some thirty minutes later and secured
alongside us, all with a little less room that we'd like in a very bouncy
swell, the two crew members on board overcame their exertion with what
looked like a very generous rum and a little coke. Good luck to them, we all
agreed we were very glad it wasn't us lining up for the marina entrance
today.

As I type, Clive is on dinner duties, Peter is anxiously watching the wind
and we are all hopeful that the forecasted return to normality comes soon,
otherwise we won't be going anywhere.