Castellammare, Sicily

26th - 29th August

The countryside is lovely: mountains, cliffs and sea. Clinging onto the hillside and scrabbling down to the sea is the town of Castellammare. We stopped there last year when we needed a port during some very windy weather, enjoyed it then and were now very much looking forward to spending the next few days there.

Approaching from the sea the visitor's first impression is of concrete. Weather erosion has meant that part of the cliff on which the town stands has had to be massively reinforced. The silver-grey face it shows to the seafarer is stark still: hopefully the weather that made the work necessary will now work on the concrete, take the newness off, tone it down, maybe carry a few seeds in the wind, seeds that will fall into cracks and take root.

Now work is being carried out to extend the sea wall. As I said, we first went there in bad weather and so can appreciate why it is necessary to give more protection to the harbour. It is hoped that when the new wall is completed the harbour will provide a year-round haven for local boats and extend the season for pleasure craft.

So, although it means that the seafarer is deprived of the picturesque view of the town as it once was, the work means that the town is not going to fall down the hill and fishermen and yachtsmen alike can feel secure that they will be safe and comfortable in the harbour. And once inside the concrete is soon forgotten.

The harbour is a busy one. There are some floating pontoons for yachts and small days boats as well as a number of fishing boats at anchor. We think the plan is that once the sea wall is completed these boats will be able to tie up alongside the new quay. Maybe, too, the quay will provide a safer berth for boats like Ganymede, safe enough to consider a winter stay. With the constant work on the new wall and people and boats coming and going all day, this is definitely a place we like to be.

We were soon tied up, in exactly the same spot as last year, and no sooner was that done and Ganymede (and us!) made tidy than we were on our way to dinner. It was so good to be on dry land again and although I hadn't felt hungry for days, I was looking forward to the bowl of pasta I had promised myself. As I said in my last blog, I knew where we were going, had been thinking of little else for the last few hours. The restaurant is a short walk from the marina, along a dusty road, and I suddenly realised how warm it was. Phew!!! I don't think it had been this hot all summer. It had been hot when we left Almerimar, I admit, but not like this. Or else the week spent at sea, with a constant breeze, had caused me to forget the summer temperatures. This was HOT... and it was nearly eight o'clock in the evening.

We enjoyed a leisurely dinner, sitting on the terrace of the restaurant, looking at the small beach, the boats at anchor. The harbour area was busy, people were out for dinner, for an evening 'passeggiata', enjoying a drink before dinner... or after dinner. Children were running around, using up some energy before bedtime, playing on the beach, eating ice-creams. After our week of isolation we basked in the rhythm of Italian life. And then it was time to take the dusty road home... home to a full night's sleep, no watches to wake up for!

Next morning we headed into town. Last year it took us a week to get fit enough to climb the hill up to the main part of town and I don't remember it being so hot then. We took it slowly! A stroll down to the harbour, a stop for cappuccino (delicious!) and then it was time to face the walk up into town. As I said, the town clings onto the mountainside. The roads run down to the sea, so steep it seems they are perpendicular and climbing them is hard work. We pretend that we are stopping to admire the view. In reality we are catching our breath, taking a rest before once again heading upwards. Sometimes we take a side road, not because we need to go either left or right but because it provides us with a respite, more time to catch our breath. Eventually all our morning jobs are done, shopping, telephone, internet, and we can treat ourselves to another drink before heading back to Ganymede.
And so the days passed, spending time in town, eating in some of the restaurants, drinking cappuccino... and, of course, Ganymede needed a good clean after her hard work the previous week. We had bad news from Ron and Sheenagh though: their boat, Twelfth of Never, had engine trouble, they were stuck in Sardinia and didn't know if they could get it repaired. They were contemplating the possibility of having to abandon it there for the time being and postpone the shipment to Singapore...

We must be fitter than last year. Although the heat was intense, we didn't find the climb into town nearly as difficult. In fact, after the first day it seemed to be easy going. Except for the heat, that is, but the town is well planned, the narrow streets offered shade and often a cool breeze funnelled through the alleys.

We procrastinated, waiting for news from Ron and Sheenagh. Last year while we were here we had had our cockpit table sanded down and re-finished and I thought I would like to have a couple of coats put on of whatever product had been used before. The young man who did the work remembered us and was was happy to come to the marina and do the work. So we had an excuse for staying a bit longer... we had to wait for the stuff to dry. I still don't know what it was... some kind of wax.

And then Tony wouldn't allow us to put it off any longer, it was time to go, time to head towards our next destination. Mondello was calling.