Arrived in Bari about 2pm Thursday to take shelter from storm expected Friday/Saturday.

Bari is perhaps not the best Italy has to offer. The marina’s about 2miles from the centre. It’s a big place but there is no food shop we can walk to and we've been warned if we go in town then don't wear jewelry, no camera or map (so avoid looking like a tourist) and don't walk down streets just to two of us.....and this is Italy!!!

Funnily the marina staff who have no English were saying to Andy to get the Dinghy out the water and lock it up. Andy's translation of the reason was that the fish would make it disappear. Andy thought they were saying the fish would eat it. Luckily a friendly English speaking Italian translated and explained it would be the fishermen who would nick it. . While we’ve been here 3 days, the wind has never really arrived, in fact there was not a breath of wind this afternoon, but it has rained and rained.

We bought a mint plant in Croatia to make Mojitos, but Andy evicted it yesterday. We found black specs around it on the worktop (which weren't soil). I noticed leaves were suddenly missing...then found the culprit of one hungry caterpillar. So after making it all the way from Croatia they have both been condemned to a life in Bari.

Luckily the friendly Italian sailor got a lift to the supermarket today and took us too so we won’t starve. Been very busy too as there’s no Laundrette we’ve had to wash everything by hand. Looking forward to Brindisi.