Sardegna and La Maddalena Islands, Italy, June 2007

Porto Cervo on the Costa Smeralda, Sardegna.  Very high end.

The anchorage is well protected from a mistral, however.  We even ventured off the boat and wandered around town while it was blowing well into the 20s.

Zia at anchor in Porto Cervo during a mistral.

Overlooking the harbor in Porto Cervo.

Once the blow finally settled down, we got a beautiful rainbow to signal the end of the mistral.

Hobie went in for a quick swimming lesson.

Joe and the two spare anchors we had deployed "just in case" during the mistral.

Joe gives me the okay sign over our anchor in Isola di Budelli.

The girls hopped in the kayak and rowed to shore to explore the beach.

Hobie playing with a spoon Joe retrieved from the bottom of the anchorage.

The girls amusing themselves, jumping on the trampolines.

Cannigione, Sardegna, just out exploring the town.

Oh how I miss my vegetable garden.

Beautiful flowers on even the most mundane buildings in Cannigione.

Hobie and Joe relaxing together.

I wonder how much longer the four of them will fit together in the same kayak!

Sharing the cinnamon rolls we baked with our friends on Cenou.

An unwanted visitor on our dinghy..........

Joe takes aim and fires at the culprit.

Porto Vecchio, Corsica, France

Off to explore another town, this time Porto Vecchio, Corsica.

Claude and Rike enjoying a meal out with us in Porto Vecchio.

Isola d'Elba, Italy

Cassie and Hobie whiling away the time on our passage to Elba.

Alex Caronia Corven and the girls on a dinghy ride into Porto Azzurro, Elba.

Hobie is slowly discovering all the places he can run and hide!  Here he is crouched inside the mainsail cover while we are underway.  No accidental gybes please.

Porto Ferrario, Elba, Napoleon's home in exile.

Alex and Joe enjoying the sailing around Elba.

Hobie went in for another swimming lesson.  He actually swims quite well but we want to be sure he knows to swim to the back step where he can climb out easily. 

Hobie receives a little comfort from Alex after the trauma.

Napoleon's bed in his castle in Porto Ferraio.

This is the bed Napoleon would sleep on in his tent while we was away on campaign. 

Napoleon's garden and view from his upstairs window.

Alex and Christy in front of the lighthouse in Porto Ferraio.

We couldn't resist this corny shot on Via Dell'Amore.

Alex had fun torturing the girls...........

and then buying them ice cream!

We got the water skis out and Cassie showed off her prowess.

Juliana was a little more reluctant but still wanted to give it a try.

Giglio, Italy

View of the sea from Castello, on the island of Giglio.

One of the many flower strewn staircases in Castello.

Such wonderful little streets and alleyways and staircases all over the place.

A piece of the arm bone of a saint, proudly displayed in the church in Castello.  Most churches have such relics on display.  Curiously enough, most of the saints had well more than the normal number of bones one would expect in the human anatomy, if you add up all the relics that are on display over the whole of Christendom, or even just the whole of Italy. 

Zia and our neighbors at anchor in Giglio.

Checking out the cistern in Castello.

The girls fit very nicely into the guard tower along the walls of the town.

Asking a local woman for a lunch recommendation.

It turned out to be quite delicious, like most of our meals in Italy have been.

Another picture of Zia at anchor in Giglio.

We just can't get enough of the water.  The girls begged us to rent a paddle boat with a water slide and just had to oblige them.

Porto Santo Stefano, Italy

Pulling into Porto Santo Stefano, one of my old haunts from high school.

There was a classic yacht regatta in town and the beautiful old boats really dressed up the Porto Vecchio area of town.

Joe recognized Dennis Conner sitting at one of the port-side bars.  He posed for a picture and then high tailed it out of there, stumbling up the street.

Alex had us all eating shrimp heads at a local seafood restaurant.

We were all thrilled to see the Martin family arrive.  Jamie and Cassie called dibs on sharing the salon the first night.

Before leaving the next day, Johnnie and Po went out on the dinghy and got some great shots of the boat races!

He looks so at home at the helm of a sailboat, don't you think?

Dinner underway.

Joe and Po share a self portrait.

The Pontine Islands, north of Naples, Italy

Do the adults look excited to be going into the beach bar without the kids?

Do the kids look excited to be left onboard alone?

View from the beach bar/restaurant.

We made the most of our adult dinner ashore and ordered up the lobster pasta.

The girls decided they liked being on a boat by themselves so they opted to travel together in the dinghy on our short trip around the island the next day.

Any bets on when they buy their next boat and come back out cruising?

The city of Ponza.

Taking a water break on a hot morning of touring.

The girls were each given two Euros and allowed to pick out some candy.  It took them a while to decide.

Easier than stairs, the ramped access road from the port up to the town on Palmarola.

We saw this boat a couple of times.  One of the sailors made a point of showing us his shorts, which sported an American flag pattern.

The girls love to cut up old magazines and have a confetti party while we are at sea.

Isola di Capri, south of Naples, Italy

Zia, splurging for a spot at the marina in Capri.

Coming off the cable car up to the town of Capri.

There were magnificent views around every bend in the path.

The girls always had a lot to talk about.

That's Cassie mid jump and Jamie watching from atop the rock. 

On the bus ride back up the mountain.

Someone donated the land for this beautiful park located in the heart of Capri.  The land must be worth a fortune.

One of the amazing paths that wind up and down the hillsides around the city of Capri.

Beware!  What goes down usually has to go back up at some point.

This has got to be my favorite spot to hang on the boat, if it isn't too hot out.

These rocks are famous landmarks in Capri.

The Amalfi Coast, Italy

The city of Positano.

Zia at anchor outside Positano.

Umbrella lined beaches are a common sight here in Italy.

Entertaining themselves with noodles, the girls spent hours in the water playing.

Zia, anchored close to shore in Amalfi.

The amazing cathedral in Amalfi.

There are a lot of stairs to climb to get up to it!

The amazing lattice arches in the cloisters of the Amalfi cathedral.

Cassie is pointing out the bell that you could see swinging in the belltower, ringing out a new hour.

Joe takes a break from window shopping.

One of our last nights together.  We had such a great time!

Pompeii, Italy

Back on our own, touring Pompeii.

The ruins of Pompeii in the foreground and Mount Etna behind.

One of the better preserved rooms hidden in the maze of shops and houses.

The girls were very happy to finally be on the ferry ride back home.

When Cassie woke up and said she wanted her hair cut short, I obliged immediately.