Cruising with Chris and Jo



Chris and Jo in San Vito

21^st July Our son Chris and his girlfriend Jo arrived late last night and today we sailed back up to San Vito. Chris took the helm as the wind got up and we had a couple of hours  brisk sail on a close reach.  We headed for the beach when we arrived and found it even busier than last week. We eventually found a few square feet of sand to sit on and had a good swim. 



San Vito from the marina (pic by Chris)

22^nd July As I was fixing the sun cover this morning one of the elastic bungee straps came undone and hit me in the face, smashing the right lens of my glasses. Martina, the very helpful marina receptionist, said ‘no problem!’ and called an optician in Trapani. If I could bring the glasses in this afternoon, they will see what they can do. So at 2.30 I catch the bus back down to Trapani and am treated to an hour’s scenic coastal ride with soaring mountains on one side and the blue Mediterranean on the other. When I arrive, the elderly owner of the opticians is full of old fashioned Italian charm.  He tells me all about his nephew who works as a waiter in London and says he is  honoured to be of service to me. After inspecting the lens he tells me he will have it replaced by Saturday.



Back in Castellammare (pic by Chris )

23^rd July We sailed to Castellamare today (or rather motorsailed, with wind on the nose) and anchored in the bay for a swim before going into the marina. It turned out to be a very quick swim as there was a strong current and we found ourselves being swept away from the boat! Later we walked up to the top of the old town to a pizzeria with wonderful views across the bay. The pizzas were excellent, but the highlight for me was the view of the full moon rising. It was a deep, blood red as it appeared from behind the hills, then slowly turned to pale gold and finally white.



Sunset from the top of Castellamare (pic by Chris)

24^th July We spent most of today anchored in one of the beautiful bays on the edge of the Zingaro Nature Reserve.  The water was crystal clear water and perfect for snorkelling, so Chris and Jo donned masks and were off.  As we relaxed on deck we suddenly heard screams from Jo – seeing individual fish had been fun, but she didn’t enjoy the experience of coming face to face with a shoal of them!

25^th July Last night we sat up late playing Estimation Whist, a new game Chris has taught us, and I’m pleased to say that we oldies are getting the hang of it – Cliff and I beat Jo and Chris hands down. Today has been another beach day in San Vito before we head back down to Trapani for Chris and Jo to catch their flight home.

27^th July Chris and Jo left today – the week has gone by so quickly! They have been great company and we will miss them. The optician has fixed my glasses so we are all set to leave tomorrow and continue our journey round the coast of Sicily.