Tag Archives: Sicily

Making a wish – night in Mediterranean

This note is from the Mediterranean night. It’s 01:45 and my shift. We’re driven mostly by engine, because there’s almost no wind, and empty sails are flopping slightly from time to time.

Light from the computer is very bright and blind me a little bit. But we’re in the middle of the sea, and no one is around. Big cargo ship has just passed us from the right- but she was the first and only one for two hours.

My watch is from 12 to 4 – “dogwatch”, how sailors call it. This night is calm, very calm, more than we could desire, that’s why we need to use engine. Cris doesn’t want to spend another night sailing, so we try to keep speed.

At this moment I have the most beautiful ceiling in the world. There’s no chance to overwhelm this starry sky! Millions, billions sparkling dots. Or maybe these are holes in a dark canopy, and through them the light from some heavenly world flows gently and makes me dream…

And dreams… all dreams could be fulfilled here just for an hour! Stars are falling, huge meteors are crossing half of the sky. I watch this natural and the most amazing show – and don’t have anything to wish. Am I happy?

…I don’t know. This question is too short and too deep for me to answer. In my life I have already had many moments, when, like Goethe’s Faust, I could say: “Stop, the moment, you’re wonderful”. But I would never do that, because there are so many more and more beautiful of them in front of me. Yes, I’m young and hungry for life.

I imagine what would happen, if one of Big bear’s stars falls. Probably, the world will collapse. Our bear is more beautiful than Southern cross of the Southern hemisphere. Not much time will pass, and I will say “good bye”  to you, bear. For long? Who could know. And this unpredictable way is the miracle of our being.

View on one of the islands Egali from Favignana

“Vagabond” in the wonderland

And the day before yesterday we saw a volcuno eruption! We were anchored in the marina and waited for Cris, who went to the shore to met Leo and David before their departure to Barcelona. Me and Isabel were enjoying warm and calm evening on the deck, when she noticed a fire stream on a mountain slope. I suggested these are “human made” lights. But further spectations showed that was definitely a volcuno. Probably, even Etna. The light grew bigger and brighter, then broke into pieces and started to fade.

That is not a huge even for Sicilia, where vulcanos are a harmonic part of environment. But for us – it was!

Trying to imagine how was the life in the old castello on the entrance to Trapani port many centuries ago...

And yesterday we saw … dolphins!!! Not in a dolphinarium but in the wild! We sailed from Palermo to Trapani, and they appeared from nowhere and joined “Vagabond” for a while. They were rushing from board to board, jumping from water and showing their grey backs. Incredible creatures! So pleasant to be their guests.

About food

10 hours crossing from Palermo to Trapani, another sicilian on the north-west of the island. From sailor’s site we learnt that the city is famous for its seafood. But we, probably, are fed up with sea food for this moment. Our experience in Palermo with this type of cuisine was quite horrible.

Close to the marina, where we anchored, there was a restaurant called “Il Nautico”. There we headed with Cris, Luis, Isabel, Leo and David. The restaurant attracted us with fresh sea food, displayed near the entrance. We could see how a chef cooked it.

I’m not really a fan of fresh sea food, because of cruel methods that are used to cook still alive animals. But I love some fish and some of Japanese dishes.

First impression: the restaurant is overcrowded, waiters are in a hurry. Menu is in Italian (and that’s ok, we’re in Italy), waiters do not speak English (and that’s also ok, we’re in Italy). There was no opportunity to have a half of dishes mentioned in “fish” menu. Finally, we ordered an assorti and fish. Guys had some huge shrimps.

Result of the visit: food was bad and sometimes even disgusting. Waiters confused the orders, and the whole impression sucks.

Don’t think,  we will go to a seafood restaurant in Trapani.

Marina of Palermo

But I need to admit that, probably, I wasn’t fair to Palermo as a city. Some parts of it are not so bad. Like via Vittorio Emanuele, where you can find old buildings and fountains and cathedrals – some of them are rather impressive. Like Old port – marina close to city centre, full of yachts and boats. Like the resort suburb Mandello with cosy houses and clean beaches. And the countryside around Palermo is very beautiful: I admired the views on way to the airport to pick up our guests.